7th Battalion, Royal Australian RegimentPrint Page

The plaque commemorates the personnel who served in the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (R.A.R.) during two tours of duty during the Vietnam War between 1967 and 1971.

The plaque location is indicated by a red poppy in the second image. 

The Battalion was raised on 1 September 1965 at Puckapunyal, Victoria, and began arriving in Vietnam in April 1967, relieving 5 RAR. It was part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) and was based at Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy province. 7 RAR was deployed outside of Phuoc Tuy with 2 RAR from 24 January-1 March 1968. During this time it took part in Operation Coburg on the Bien Hoa-Long Khanh border. The battalion spent the majority of its tour patrolling in Phuoc Tuy. It also carried out numerous cordon-and-search operations. It was relieved by 1 RAR on 9 April 1968 and arrived in Sydney on 26 April.

7 RAR returned to Vietnam in February 1970, again relieving 5 RAR. It was mainly involved with pacification operations in Phuoc Tuy, which had become the 1ATF priority in April 1969. This involved seeking out and destroying the enemy in its base areas, preventing enemy access to the civilian population, and helping to create a secure climate for South Vietnamese social, political, and military life. The work was demanding, dangerous, and monotonous for the troops. In February 1971, 7 RAR was relieved by 3 RAR and departed for Australia later that month, arriving in Sydney on 10 March.

Australia's military involvement in the Vietnam War began with the arrival of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) in South Vietnam during July and August 1962 which was the beginning of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. Australia's participation in the war was formally declared at an end when the Governor-General issued a proclamation on 11 January 1973.

However, the end-date of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War has officially been amended to 29 April 1975 to reflect Australia’s further involvement in the war during the fall of Saigon in 1975.  The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Australian War Memorial, in Canberra now recognise this new date.

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