Report on the Search for 42 NVA Soldiers Buried at the former FSPB Balmoral (Vietnam)

By Brian Cleaver ex D Company, 3 RAR. 1967/68 Tour of Duty

Here is a large map so you can understand where the action took place in relation to Nui Dat

May 1968
In the early hours of 28th May 1968, a large force from the 165 NVA Regiment, attacked 3RAR's harbour position at FSPB Balmoral. At first light a sweep of the area in front of D Company's position revealed 42 dead NVA soldiers. These soldiers were buried in a B52 bomb crater, some 50 - 70 metres outside D Company's perimeter wire and directly in front of 11 Platoons gun pit. D Company's position was on the southern edge of a very large flat clearing called 'Bau Hang'.

Click here to look out from the wire

Click here to have a different look through the wire

Digging the Tank in, preparing for the night

Having a qick smoke after an assault Here

Captured weapons after the Battle

A bit of tree prunning results of the Battle

The enemy reatreating after the Battle

Escorting prisoners back through the Battle

Again escorting prisoners back through the wire

All photos taken on location in 1968 are. 'Photos by John Bryant'.

(Update June 2005)
Further research has revealed the following NVA forces were involved in the assault on FSPB Balmoral on 28th May 1968.

165 NVA Regiment
233 Infiltration Group
D 280 Infiltration Group
745 Infiltration Group
NAM HA Infiltration Group K2, K3 and possibly K5
Click here for a very large map of FSB Balmoral

Information from Lex McAulay's book 'The Battle of Coral - Fire Support bases Coral and Balmoral, May 1968.
May 2002
As part of a planned re-visit tour to Vietnam in May 2002, I had included in my itinerary a visit to the former Balmoral battlefield. I felt a need to see this area again, and pay my respects to those Australians and Vietnamese, who lost their lives in battle at this location.

20 May 2002
Together with my wife, guide / translator, and armed with a map from the 1967/68 3RAR tour book, a local road map and vivid memories of the events that took place at Balmoral, we headed north from Ho Chi Minh City. Our destination was a small town called Binh My, located in the Tan Uyen District in the Province of Binh Duong.

Upon arrival in Binh My, we began our search by asking older locals of the possible location of a large flat clearing. After several hours of fruitless searching we resorted to calling on the assistance of The Local Peoples Committee (Council Office) in Binh My.

After checking our ID and visiting permits, I was finally introduced to Mr Huynh Van Hoa, the Secretary of The Local Peoples Committee of Binh My. He took an interest in my wanting to re-visit the former Australian FSPB / battle site, and seemed to be reasonably open and approachable. With a few other personnel from his office, plus two police officers, Mr Huynh took us back into the same area, and showed me one clearing. Although there were some similarities to what I recall as a large clearing we were harboured near back 1968, I was not convinced the clearing was what I was looking for, mainly because of the clearing size and lay of the land. In the course of general discussions, Mr Huynh displayed little interest when informed of the 42 NVA soldiers that were buried in a B52 crater, somewhere in this general area. There was talk also, about a mass grave on the western side of the Bau Hang clearing, which was located by a D Company section patrol, author included, on 27 May 1968. Mr Huynh informed me that a grave of this nature had been located and exhumed not long after the end of hostilities.

Following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, locals were employed to clear away all natural bush throughout the Balmoral area, with claims of many military artefacts being found. Today, the whole area is a producing rubber plantation and the surrounding area bears no resemblance to that of 1968.

I returned to Ho Chi Minh City disappointed and deep in thought. After several days thinking about what transpired on my visit to the Balmoral / Binh My area five days earlier, I felt a deep need to go back and try again.

25 May 2002.
I returned to the office of The Local Peoples Committee in Binh My, to be met by Mr Huynh and taken through to his office. With the assistance of my translator, we discussed at length what took place in the area known as 'FSPB Balmoral', back in May of 1968. I showed him an article from the 3RAR tour book, paying particular attention to the 42 NVA soldiers that were killed in action and buried in a B52 crater. After some time, Mr Huynh revealed a document, which turned out to be a chronological sequence of events that took place in the local area during the Vietnam War. An entry in this document, consisting of no more than three lines, stated that on the 28 May 1968, action took place with an unknown force and 41 NVA soldiers were "Missing in Action". It was at this point, both Mr Huynh and I realised the significance of this finding. I believed he now realized my intentions were honourable, and assisted me in my search. He told me he had discussed this matter with a former VC of this area, who confirmed that action did take place in the search area but was unable to pinpoint the precise location.

I was shown two clearings and again came away from both unconvinced that I was actually in the right area. When it came time to bid farewell, Mr Huynh, whilst shaking my hand and looking me straight in the eye, requested I do all I could in trying to locate these missing soldiers. A promise was made.

June 2002 - August 2003
This research period included a visit to the Australian War Memorial, discussions with other 3RAR veterans, including Maj Gen Peter Phillips my OC at the time, Garry Adams and Lex McAulay, both authors of books on Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. The final piece of information I needed was revealed in the publishing of 'On The Offensive, The Australian Army in the Vietnam War, January 1967 - June 1968'. Apart from confirming what information I had already compiled, the publication depicted a reasonably accurate plan of FSPB Balmoral's harbour layout. I was now able to determine the precise search area, which was approximately 170 - 200 metres from the FSPB centre, on a bearing of approx 300 degrees, going clockwise around to North. Within this area there should be three B52 bomb craters. Two craters, approximately 20 - 30m apart in a North West direction, and a third crater should be located in a position around to the North. The crater I was particularly interested in, and used as a grave for 42 NVA soldiers, was the one in middle. I had obtained FSPB Balmoral's positional Grid Reference from the Australian War Memorial, which conferred with a previous Grid Reference I had acquired. With the assistance of an internet programme, I was able to convert this Grid Reference to a very accurate Longitude / Latitude positional fix. Confirmation of this 'way point' was attained by use of a GPS unit containing both MGRS ( Military Grid Reference System) and Longitude / Latitude settings within the units 'set up' mode.

With an accurate Long / Lat positional 'way point', a hand held GPS, the FSPB harbour plan in hand and my memory, I felt reasonably confident I could have some degree of success, with the undertaking of another ground search of this area, providing the original Grid Reference for the former FSPB site was correct.

Click here for a shot of the digging of the grave site

Another shot of the digging of the grave site

Throughout this period I kept Mr Huynh advised and updated on my progress, even though I was aware he had suffered a stroke and diagnosed as having a brain tumour. I had also been notified he had been hospitalised and was requiring physiotherapy.

August 2003
With this research in hand, I proceeded to set in place a return trip to Vietnam to carry out another more detailed ground search for these three B52 craters. All travel, tour and military site visiting permits were arranged through Battle Tours in Adelaide.

26th February 2004
Via means of a chartered vehicle and accompanied by Mr John Norris (ex 6 RAR Sgt), two local guides / interpreters and a driver, we were driven north of HCM City to the village of Binh My. Upon arrival at The Local Peoples Committee office, we did not receive any of the long and frustrating ID checks as previously experienced. We were very quickly given approval to proceed unescorted to the search area.

Click here for the At grave site

Whilst I sat in the front seat of the vehicle to gain satellite access, proceeding East of Binh My along a gravel road and into the rubber plantation. I had previously preset my GPS unit with a designated 'way point' for the centre of FSPB Balmoral. Within minutes I asked our driver to stop, as the 'way point' was 250 metres directly to my right / South. John, the two guides and I set off on foot to approximately the centre point of former FSPB Balmoral. Due to the overhead tree canopy, my GPS showed a degree of accuracy to within 18 metres. I walked the 18m perimeter, then estimated the centre. From this point and with the aid of a compass, John and I walked along a line of rubber trees, bearing approx 320/330 degrees. We chose a distant leaning tree as a distance marker of approximately 170 metres. We reached that tree and immediately in front of us was a B52 crater. We were 220 metres from our 'way point'. I then asked one of our guides to search the area to my left, pointing the direction, and the other guide the area to my right. Within minutes, the guide searching to the left reported he had located two craters, positioned reasonably close together. No craters were found in the area to my right. The finding and location of these three craters fit perfectly to my search plan and recollection of 36 years ago.

It was at this point I felt very confident I had located the gravesite, subject to confirmation. Confirmation by means of exhumation for positive ID testing, or, by scanning each of the craters with a Ground Probe Radar Unit, would confirm the existence of human skeletal remains.

GPS coordinates were recorded for each of the three craters located within the search area.



I had commenced recording the GPS locations of the three craters when approximately eight people arrived on location. Some I knew were from The Local Peoples Committee and local police, plus one other person. We were asked to direct all questions and requests through this one unknown person. Later I was informed he was from the secret police. Despite all the attention we had attracted, we were not hindered in any manner. Our minders simply watched with interest at what we were doing. We were also informed that one of the viewing police officers was particularly interested in our search, as he had lost a brother in this same area during the Vietnam War. We wished him all the very best of luck in locating his brothers remains.

Prior to leaving the area, we were also advised, that a local woman, who was digging within the search area just two weeks prior to my visit, had found some skeletal remains. This finding was reported to the local authorities.

With permission granted and in a very low key and respectful manner, John and I payed our respects to the 42 dead NVA soldiers we believe to be buried in crater 'B'. We placed red poppies in and around the B52 crater as per the Australian tradition and left the area to visit Mr Huynh.

Click here for the Placing Poppies

Upon arrival at Mr Huynh's home and despite him looking very weak and tired, he beamed with recognition. He had received all my correspondence, and new of my planned re-visit and continued search for the 42 missing men. Before leaving, I presented Mr Huynh with a copy of all my research material plus the findings of that days search.

Click here for the Presentation

Conclusion
My aim in this pursuit, has, and always will be, to find the remains of these 42 gallant NVA soldiers who lost their lives in battle, in the early hours of 28th May 1968, at the former site known as Fire Support Base Balmoral. And if culturally correct, have their remains exhumed, identified if possible, and returned to their respective families and loved ones, or, given a proper and appropriate burial.

If exhumation of these soldiers remains are not possible, my aim would be to have this site positively identified as containing their remains, and their loved ones and family duly notified of their location, and the area clearly identified and declared a War Grave.
Contact
If anyone has maps, photos or anyinformation that may be of some assistance (no matter how small and insignificant you may think it is) Please contact Brain Cleaver his email address is
etsukoATjenmarDOTbiz
Brian J Cleaver 28 Unwin Avenue, Wembley Downs, Western Australia. 6019 Telephone / Fax :- (61 8) 9446 4306

[ Sign my Guestbook] - [Read my Guestbook ]
[Guestbook by TheGuestBook.com]


HOME PAGE