Warrant Officer Keith Payne V.C.Print Page 
The gardens commemorate Keith Payne, a recipient of the Victoria Cross (V.C.) during the Vietnam War. Keith Payne was born in Ingham.
In May 1969 Payne was commanding the 212th Company of the 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion when it was attacked by a strong North Vietnamese force. His company was isolated and, surrounded on three sides, Payne's Vietnamese troops began to fall back. Payne, by now wounded in the hands and arms and under heavy fire, covered the withdrawal before organising his troops into a defensive perimeter.
He then spent three hours scouring the scene of the day's fight for isolated and wounded soldiers, all the while evading the enemy who kept up regular fire. He found some forty wounded men, brought some in himself and organised the rescue of the others, leading the party back to base through enemy dominated terrain.
Location
| Address: | Jane Street, Ingham Memorial Botanic Gardens, Ingham, 4850 |
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| State: | QLD |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -18.651698 Long: 146.158683 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Garden |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Military |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 03-August-1962 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 01-January-1973 |
Dedication
Keith Payne VC
Ingham Botanical Gardens
