The 8th Battalion RAR memorial was dedicated on the Pathway of Honour on the 8th August 2010. The memorial was constructed through the collaboration of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the South Australian Branch fo the 8th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment Association. The memorial features the names of those lost during the Malaysia conflict (1967-9), the Vietnam War (1969-70) as well as the insignia of the Royal Australian Regiment.
The memorial reads:
Dedicated to the memory of the members of the
8th Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment
who died whilst serving
Malaysia 1967/69 – Vietnam 1969/70
Lest We Forget
Names and dates have been omitted from this transcription
History
The 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment was raised at Enoggera Queensland on 14 July 1966. As part of their initial operations, the unit was sent to Malaysia in 1967 before being sent to Vietnam as part of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Forming part of the 1st Australian Task Force, the 8th Battalion was sent to South Vietnam on November 1969 to relieve 9RAR. Its first major operation was between 10 February – 9 March 1970 known as Operation Hammersley. This operation was a reconnaissance based task in the Long Hai area patrolling an area nearby an evacuated bunker system used by the enemy. As this operation dealt with ambushes, there was relatively small risks and subsquently awarded the Battalion the Meritorious Unit Commendation by the South Vietnamese government.
Based on the 1st Australian Task Force’s priority in April 1969, the 8 RAR was primarily involved in pacification operations in Phouc Tuy. Operation Cung Chung was one such operation taken by this Battalion between 12 June 1970 to February 1971. This operation saw intensive patrols and ambushes in an attempt to deny the enemy forces access to food supplies and access to civilian populations for taxes and recruitment. The success of this operation limited the potential threat of the Viet Cong within the region. The 8th Battalion ceased their involvement in October and returned to Hamilton Wharf on the 12 November 1970.
After Vietnam, the government’s defence policy shifted to defending mainland Australia and the reduction of the Army to accomodate these changes. As a result, the 8 RAR was linked with the 9th Battalion. On the 31 October 1973, the battalions were linked to form the 8/9 RAR.
