Description Vietnam Medal, Vietnam Campaign Star, Private Robert David Moore, 5th Bn Royal Australian Regiment aka The Tiger Battalion, an enterprising young man caught selling 100lbs of Marijuana in the Army. Both medals officially named: “2788543 R.D. Moore D” D placed after naming indicating a duplicate issue, named in the post 1993 pantographed naming style. Robert David Moore was born in Condobolin, New South Wales, Australia on 14th October 1947. Robert saw service as a Private in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He saw service with the following in Vietnam: “1 Australian Reinforcement Unit: 25th February 1969 – 1st April 1969 5th Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment: 2nd April 1969 – 3rd August 1969” Prior to deployment, young Robert was fresh out of Prison, having served an 18 months jail sentence for selling drugs, being probably one of the most popular recruits at the Infantry Training Centre during his tenure, having 100lbs of Marijuana hidden down by a nearby river. His enterprise was recalled in the Canberra Times on 25th July 1968: “DRUG ‘Stored at river’ Sydney, Wednesday – A soldier, aged 20, sentenced to 18 months gaol in Central Court today for having sold marihuana, he had more than 100lbs of the drug stored on a bank of the Hunter River, police said. Robert David Moore, of the Infantry Training Centre, Ingleburn, had pleaded not guilty to selling the drug between November 1st and March 5th. Constable F.A. Kirkham, of the Drug Squad, tendered a record of interview in which Moore is alleged to have admitted that he sold the drug at Kings Cross for $5 an ounce and that he had about 100lb of the drug stored in an army trunk on the river bank. In evidence Moore told the court he had been drunk when he signed the statement. He said that he had found the hemp growing wild and had cured it between 2 plates of glass. Mr B. Reilly, SM, sentenced him to 18 Months gaol, with a non-parole period of 9 months.” Robert might have wished he remained in jail, as the 5th RAR had a very trying 2nd Tour in Vietnam during this time seeing much fighting. Notably they fought at the Battle of Binh Ba on 6-8 June 1969 where 5 RAR fought a combined force of the PAVN and Viet Cong including a company from the PAVN 33rd Regiment and VC D440 Battalion in the village of Binh Ba known as “Operation Hammer” A summary of the battle reads: Arguably the most well known action ever fought by the 5th Battalion was the Battle of Binh Ba, which took place between 6 and 8 June 1969 and saw the defeat of a well armed and determined People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) battalion. The action began at 08:10 hours on 6 June when a Centurion tank and armoured recovery vehicle moving to a fire support base manned by 6 RAR was fired on by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) from one of the houses in the village, located about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat. D Company, 5 RAR was the Task Force quick reaction force, which also included a tank troop and an APC troop, and was sent out in response to a request for assistance from the local District chief. Whilst determining that the village was clear of civilians, the force came under heavy RPG fire. The Commanding Officer’s Tactical Party and B Company joined the action at midday, with B Company being placed in a blocking position to the east of the village. By this time D Company and its supporting arms had fought their way into the centre of the village. ‘The fighting was so fierce and confused for two hours that a detailed description is impossible’. By 14:00 hours D Company formed up west of the village and began a second sweep, with infantry leading and the tanks and APCs close behind. A difficult combined arms clearance supported by Bushranger helicopter gunships and artillery then took place against determined opposition of the 1st Battalion of the PAVN 33rd Regiment. ‘The raw leadership of the soldiers was outstanding. Of the twenty one rifle sections involved, twelve were commanded by private soldiers. Two platoons were led by sergeants and one by a corporal… The sweep stopped at last light with the whole force exhausted after eight hours of continual contact’. The clearance of the village and surrounding areas continued over the next two days, involving much of the battalion. Arthur Burke ‘at the gun end of 105 Battery’ wrote, ‘We’ve fired more rounds in the last 48 hours than the first 20 days of last month – 2,000 rounds’. One Australian was killed and eight wounded during the battle, whilst more than 90 VC and PAVN soldiers were known to have been killed.
