Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Corporal A. W. Larsen, 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

Vietnam 1964-73 (1410781 A. W. Larsen); South Vietnam Medal 1964, 1 clasp, 1960- (1419781 A. W. Larsen); South Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, bronze, with silver star emblem; mounted court-style as worn; together with the recipient’s United States Army Meritorious Unit Commendation and Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation riband bar; and related miniature awards (the last without silver star emblem), generally very fine and better (3) £300-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Paul Bentley Collection.

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Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star: There is no record of entitlement for this award. There is a letter (translation of which is by a graduate of the RAAF School of Languages at Point Cook) from the Republic of Viet Nam Veteran's League of Queensland stating 'that Mr Alan Larsen has a medal of the Armed Forces of The Republic of Vietnam, namely a Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, which is awarded for meritorious combat service by a divisional Commander. This letter is given by way of explanation of the medal in his possession.' The letter in no way confirms any entitlement to the award.

United States Army Meritorious Unit Commendation: By the direction of the Secretary of the Army, the Meritorious Unit Commendation is awarded to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Group for exceptionally meritorious achievement in the performance of outstanding service.
The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, distinguished itself in the conduct of military operations in the Republic of Vietnam from 5 May 1965 to 16 May 1966 while attached to the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) of the United States Army. As the first ground combat unit in-country, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and its assigned and attached units conducted extensive combat manoeuvres in the Bien Hoa area and in the Viet Cong strongholds of War Zone D and the Iron Triangle during the period 5 May 1965 to 4 May 1967. In every confrontation with the stubborn insurgents, the 173rd Airborne Brigade displayed marked aggressiveness which enabled them to neutralize enemy strongholds and capture thousands of logistical items. In addition to remarkable skill and tenacity in combat, the sky soldiers of the brigade carried on an extensive civic action program characterised by sincere compassion for the suppressed local populace. During each of the brigade's combat operations, the sky soldiers immeasurably aided the allied counterinsurgency effort by winning the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people. The remarkable proficiency and devotion to duty displayed by the members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect distinct credit upon themselves, the Armed Forces of the United States, and the Armed Forces of Australian and New Zealand.

Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation: The above medal recipient, Mr Alan Larsen, a former serving member of 1RAR who served in Vietnam lodged an application in 2011 with the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal (the Tribunal) putting in a claim to have the Citation awarded to 1RAR and its attached units, for service in Vietnam between 5 May 1965 and 31 May 1966. The Tribunal ruled that in awarding the Citation to the 173rd Airborne Brigade and its attached and assigned units, there was intent for the Citation to be awarded to 1RAR and thus it subsequently recommended to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence that the award be accepted. The guidelines established in 1997 governing the acceptance and wearing of foreign awards allows the Governor-General to grant permission for the formal acceptance and wearing of foreign awards by Australians in extraordinary or unusual circumstances and since the Government of the Republic of Vietnam no longer exists, the Parliamentary Secretary considered these circumstances fell within these guidelines. Accordingly he wrote to the Governor-General recommending that he exercise his authority to accept the Citation which he did on 17 April 2015.

Alan William Larsen was born at Mount Morgan, Queensland, on 3 February 1944 and enlisted into the Australian Army at Brisbane on 28 November 1962. He served in Vietnam with the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment from 27 May 1965 to 11 June 1966, and again from 27 March to 9 September 1968. He was discharged on 27 November 1968.

Sold with an Infantry Combat badge; General Service cloth badge for Australians in S-E Asia; Marksman's embroidered badge; two Royal Australian Infantry Corps buttons in anodised gilt by Stokes & Sons, Melbourne; a duplicate South Vietnam Cross of Gallantry; a photographic image from the Vietnam War showing the recipient; and copied research.