Search for Remains of D445 Soldiers Killed in 7RAR/3Cav ambush on 31 December 1970 – Ceases.
Search for Remains of D445 Soldiers Killed in 7RAR/3Cav ambush on 31 December 1970 – Ceases.
In early September, the Vietnamese “war remains-recovery authorities” (ie: 515 Guidance Group) of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu), began a search for the remains of 23 D445 Battalion soldiers killed in a night ambush at Láng Cà Thi (ie: the Cà Thi Waterfall near Xuyên Mộc) by 7RAR elements (HQ B Coy, 6 Platoon minus), and 1/1/B 3 Cav Regt – four M113 APCs. 1 ATF records accessed and assessed included a detailed sketch map of the ambush site at YS 690668 by OC B Coy (MAJ G.P. Warland), and the 1 ATF INTSUMs that list in detail the large quantity of arms, equipment, materiel and documents recovered from the ambush site (ie back to Núi Đất). See attached a photograph of the Vietnamese 515 Group’s “Ground-Breaking Ceremony Altar” established at the beginning of their “dig” at Láng Cà Thi. The Vietnamese 515 Guidance Group’s recovery operation included the use of a small excavator. Information on the ambush/burial location was sought from 7RAR and 3 Cav veterans – and a 3 Cav veteran, David Pakes, indicated a burial location of the D445 soldiers’ remains on the “Warland sketch map” . However, on 28 September, the 515 Guidance Group cadre advised that – not having found the burial site of their fallen D445 soldiers at Láng Cà Thi, they had ceased their search.
Any information can be passed to Ernie Chamberlain (ernestchris@tpg.com.au .
