INVESTIGATION OF BURIAL LOCATIONS OF AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS MISSING IN VIETNAM
PARKER AND GILLSON
INTRODUCTION
In November 2005 several members of OAH travelled to Viet Nam to conduct in-country investigations regarding the loss of Peter GILLSON and Richard PARKER.
As a result of this in-country investigation two physical locations that may contain the burial sites of these two men have identified.
Although we have made some progress towards resolving these two cases during our visit, we require further and urgent
action to achieve full accounting for these two men. (Available witnesses are not getting any younger.)
A brief description of our visit is given below.
PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH DEFENCE ATTACHE'S STAFF IN HANOI
On 17 November 2005 I met with members of our Defence Attaché's staff in Hanoi.
They had been requested to seek approval for us to meet with two VN witnesses that we had identified. To that end the Defence Attaché's staff had entered into dialogue with the VN Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
MEETING AND FIELD VISIT OF 21 NOVEMBER 2005
On 21 November 2005 I met with officials from the Dong Nai Province Foreign Affairs Department. Mrs Ahn Davis (a fellow member of OAH and a native VN speaker)
assisted as an interpreter during this meeting. Approval had not yet been received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
for us to meet with the two witnesses. So as not to waste time, after obtaining the approval from the Province officials, a party from OAH ventured
independently into the NUI GAN TOI (approx 24 km NORTH EAST of BIEN HOA). The NUI GAN TOI is a low lying hill mass where the loss incident
involving PARKER and GILLSON took place on 8 November 1965. Two Australian veterans of the battle (Gordon PETERSON and Trevor HAGAN) were members of the
OAH group, as was Mr Walter Pearson (Glasshouse Pictures Pty Ltd), Mr Peter Aylett (Navigator) and Mrs Ahn Davis, as above.
After determining that the officially recorded location for the A Company action was not recognisable by HAGAN or PETERSON, the OAH party moved off to the east
backtracking along the officially recorded axis of advance of the Company. After travelling approximately 400 metres east of the officially
recorded location, both HAGAN and PETERSON identified the location where they believe the battle of the 8 November 1965 took place.
This location conforms to the recorded description of the terrain (a steep pinch) whereas the officially recorded location does not conform
to the recorded description. It is flat. (The A Company navigators on 8 November 1965 did not have the benefit of walking the ground.)
The position was recorded accurately using a GPS and relevant photographs of the site were taken.
A quick extended line search was conducted through the area and depressions resembling fighting pits were located.
MEETING 23 NOVEMBER 2005
At approximately 1600 hrs on 21 November 2005 the Defence Attaché's staff advised by phone that approval had been given by the
VN Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the meetings with the VN witnesses to proceed. We are most appreciative of the support that was
given by the Australian government and the Office of the Defence Attaché in Hanoi in obtaining this approval.
After further preliminary discussions on the 22 November 2005, at 0800hrs on 23 November 2005, OAH members met again with the officials from the
Dong Nai Province Foreign Affairs Department. The (province level) members from the VNOSMP were also represented at this meeting. The two VN witnesses also
attended this meeting.
Witness No.1, a former major and a member of the General Staff Agency No. 7, recalled an action in November 1965 where
two soldiers (initially presumed to be Americans) were killed in the NUI GAN TOI and that the bodies of these men had
been left where they fell by the opposing force on their withdrawal.
Witness No. 2 explained that in November 1965 he was a lieutenant in 238 Company operating in the NUI GAN TOI. The Company had engaged a
force (which the witness believed were Australians) many times during the day. Two Australians were killed later in the day and their bodies were left
behind when the Australians withdrew.
Both witnesses recalled the heavy use of artillery and air support on the day in question.
Both witnesses remembered the large-scale battle involving an American unit (173rd Abn Bde) that took place nearby on the same day.
Both of these witnesses were of the opinion that these two battles, the large scale one involving the Americans and the smaller one involving the Australians, took place later than the 8 November - perhaps on the 11 or 21 November 1965.
The anomaly as regards the actual date is not considered to be significant, since the VN witnesses were actually
describing the events of the 8 November 1965, as recorded in our official records.
FIELD VISIT OF 23 NOVEMBER 2005
At 0930 hours the assembled group, less Witness No. 1, drove into the NUI GAN TOI. (Witness No. 1 was unable to accompany the party because of poor health.)
Witness No. 2 (the lieutenant) located the area where he believed the battle had taken place. This area was some 1,000 meters (roughly south)
from the area identified by Gordon PETERSON and Trevor HAGAN.
Witness No. 2 described the scheme of manoeuvre of the Australians during the battle and this description coincided with our official records,
including the relative locations where PARKER (the "tall" one) and GILLSON (the "smaller" one) fell.
This witness accurately described the weapons and equipment that was being carried by both men. Furthermore he was aware that the Australians had abandoned five or six weapons on the position and this confirms with our official records.
The significant element of information was that Witness No. 2 recalled
that the bodies of the two Australians were recovered by the VN forces the next day and were buried within a radius of 70 meters.
CONCLUSION
Two physical locations that may contain the burial sites of these two men have identified. The location identified by HAGAN and PETERSON is considered to be the more likely location.
Evidence indicates that PARKER and GILLSON were (at least initially) buried in the vicinity of where they fell as opposed to being carried to another location for burial.
Further investigation is required to positively identify the actual location of these initial burial sites.