1 RAR personnel informed of decoration awards DPR/TV/390

Diggers of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, have showered congratulations on two of their sergeants who have been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in Vietnam. They are Sergeants Col Fawcett, of Riverdale, Perth and Dennis Saville, of Hammondville, Sydney. The two soldiers were told of their high honour while serving with the Battalion at Bien Hoa, South Vietnam, on Friday. Sergeant Fawcett was on patrol with his platoon in the Battalion tactical area of resonsibility north of Bien Hoa when the news came through. His company commander, Major John Healy, of Holsworthy, Sydney, made a special trip into the area to tell him of his award. "It seems a pretty high award for what I did" was Sergeant Fawcett's comment. He won the award for gallantry in the face of heavy enemy fire while with the Battalion on Operation Hump, about 14 miles from Bien Hoa. "There had been several contacts with the Viet Cong on a feature known as Hill 82, but no casualties." he said. "We had killed several Viet Cong when a platoon started up a spur and was hit by enemy machine gun fire, but could not see the enemy. "One man was killed and his body became entangled in the roots of a large tree. I tried several times to get him out, but each time I was fired on, and I had to abandon the attempt. Private Ben Domaschenz, who was with me all the way, deserved his share of the credit." Sergeant Saville was reluctant to talk about his award. "I didn't do much" he said. "It was during Operation Ben Cat Two. We had run into a lot of Viet Cong, and had killed four of five of them. I went out at night and brought in their bodies with four other blokes. Then those that were left came back and belted us with 17 grenades. They gave us a pretty rough night, but it was nothing to get a gong for."