Major Peter Badcoe VC

41400 Peter John Badcoe was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Australian Staff Corps in December 1952. He was allotted to The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery in which he served in a number of Regimental and Staff postings until August 1965. He then transferred to The Royal Australian Infantry Corps and joined the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam in August 1966. He was posted as Sector Operations Officer in Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam.

On 23 February 1967 he was acting as an Adviser to a Regional Force Company in support of a Sector operation in Phu Thu District.

He monitored a radio transmission which stated that the Sub-sector Adviser, a United States Army Officer, had been killed and that his body was within 50 metres of an enemy machine gun position; further, the United States Medical Adviser had been wounded and was in immediate danger from the enemy.

Major Badcoe with complete disregard for his own safety moved alone across 600 metres of fire swept ground and reached the wounded adviser, attended to him and ensured his future safety.

He then organised a force of one Platoon and led them towards the enemy post.

His personal leadership, words of encouragement, and actions in the face of hostile enemy fire forced the platoon to successfully assault the enemy position and capture it, where he personally killed the machine gunners directly in front of him. He then picked up the body of the dead officer and ran back to the Command Post over open ground still covered by enemy fire.

On 7 March 1967, at approximately 0645 hours, the Sector Reaction Company was deployed to Quang Dien Sub-sector to counter an attack by the Viet Cong on the Headquarters. Major Badcoe left the Command group after their vehicle broke down and a United States Officer was killed; he joined the company Headquarters and personally led the company in an attack over open terrain to assault and capture a heavily defended enemy position.

In the face of certain death and heavy losses his personal courage and leadership turned certain defeat into victory and prevented the enemy from capturing the District Headquarters.

On 7 April 1967, on an operation in Huong Tra District, Major Badcoe was with the 1st ARVN Division Reaction Company and some armoured personnel carriers. During the move forward to an objective the company came under heavy small arms fire and withdrew to a cemetery for cover, this left Major Badcoe and his radio operator about 50 metres in front of the leading elements, under heavy mortar fire. Seeing this withdrawal, Major Badcoe ran back to them, moved amongst them and by encouragement and example got them moving forward again.

He then set out in front of the company to lead them on; the company stopped again under heavy fire but Major Badcoe continued on to cover and prepared to throw grenades, when he rose to throw, his radio operator pulled him down as heavy small arms fire was being brought to bear on them; he later got up again to throw a grenade and was hit and killed by a burst of machine gun fire.

Soon after, friendly artillery fire was called in and the position was assaulted and captured.

Major Badcoe's conspicuous gallantry and leadership on all these occasions was an inspiration to all, each action, ultimately, was successful, due entirely to his efforts, the final one ending in his death. His valour and leadership were in the highest traditions of the military profession and the Australian Regular Army.

Headstone in Terendak Military Cemetery Malaysia

(Source: Palmer, A.M., Vietnam Veterans Honours and Awards, Army, Military Minded, Perth, 1996)

Peter Badcoe was born Badcock, pronounced Badcoe and changed his name by deed poll as a result of the inevitable ribbing that he received.

The National Order of Vietnam was the country's highest award, and could be granted on a military or civil basis. Only the Fourth (Officer) and Fifth (Knight) Classes were awarded to Australians. 11 Knights of the National Order were awarded to Australian servicemen of all ranks, but permission for them to be worn was not granted by the Australian Government until the late 1990s. The awards were made to: Air Commodore C H Spurgeon, Brigadiers S C Graham, W G Henderson, R L Hughes, B A McDonald, C M I Pearson and S P Weir, Lieutenant Colonel J J Shelton, Major Peter Badcoe VC, Warrant Officer K Wheatley VC and Private D J Pattison. Seven Fourth Class awards were also made to Australians.

National Order of Vietnam, Fifth Class (Knight of the Order). The National Order was intended as a combination of the French Legion d'Honneur and the Order of the Dragon of Annam, a French colonial award. The medal has a central circle in which the words 'TO-QUOC-TRI-AN' '(The Gratitude of the Fatherland') appear in gold on a red enamelled background, surrounded by a Greek key pattern in gold on a blue enamelled band. From this central disc five golden rays issue, the gaps between them being filled by green enamel in the form of a dragon's tail. The medal is suspended from two rings at the bottom of a rectangle in the shape of a dragon's head, a single ring at the top taking the ribbon. The ribbon is red with a 5 mm yellow band at each edge.