Michael James Birchell
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Michael James Birchell (2 June 1945 - 17 February 1967) was a panel beater and conscripted soldier who served in the 1st Australian Task Force in the Vietnam War where he was killed in action.[1]
Biography
[edit]Birchell was born in Marrickville, New South Wales and was the son of James William and Alice Catherine (née Taylor) Birchell. His father James had served in World War II and, after his discharge in August 1945 (an shortly after Birchell's birth) the family moved to Coonabarabran where they lived until 1962 when they moved together to Tamworth.[1]
In Tamworth Birchell worked as a spray painter and panel beater and studied welding at night at the local technical college. In Tamworth he also joined the local Rugby league club where he played for the Tamworth City juniors.[1]
In 1965, at the age of 20, he was conscripted to serve in the Regular Army Supplement to serve in South Vietnam and, in discussing it with his parents he said he would attempt to 'make the best of it'. He enlisted on 30 June 1965 and by September was posted to the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR) which was based in Brisbane. On 21 May 1966 the Battalion, including Birchell, was sent to Vietnam and were sent to the 1st Australian Task Force based at Nui Dat in the Phước Tuy province. Here Birchell's primary role, as part of the No. 5 Platoon in B company, was to undertake long-range patrols to protect the camps perimeter.[1] Birchell was his section's Machine Gunner [1]
On 17 February 1967 the battalion were ordered, as part of Operation Bridie, to block the withdrawal of enemy troops and encountered a unit of the D445 Battalion of the Viet Cong in the surrounding scrub; they were well armed, dug-in and hidden. 6RAR were deployed by both helicopter and M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers. B company were deployed via helicopter.[2] Birchell and Private Peter John Arnold were ordered to provide covering fire with an M60 machine gun, so that wounded members of his platoon could be extracted.[1][3] As they ran to deploy the machine gun, they were both shot and killed by the Viet Cong. Birchell was hit by two rounds and was 21 years old.[1][4] On that day 8 men were killed and 27 wounded and, when reported in the Australian newspapers, it was reported as being a "fierce six-hour battle" and that it was a significant defeat for the Viet Cong and Brigadier SC Graham said that it represented a "bad psychological defeat" for the communists.[5][6] The casualties were significant to the ant-war movement in Australia as 18 of the 35 casualties were National Servicemen.[6][7]
Legacy
[edit]He is listed on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour and their official list of the fallen from the conflict in Vietnam 1962 - 1973.[3][8][9]
His name is also listed on a number of memorials relating to the Vietnam War in Australia.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Knott, John, "Michael James Birchell (1945–1967)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 11 June 2024
- ^ Department of Veteran Affairs. "Australians in Operation Bribie 17 February 1967". Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Roll of Honour: Michael James Birchell". www.awm.gov.au. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Michael James BIRCHELL". Virtual War Memorial. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ "Eight Australians killed, 27 hurt in Vietnam". The Canberra Times. Vol. 41, no. 11, 617. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 February 1967. p. 1. Retrieved 11 June 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b "Draftees half of battle wounded". The Canberra Times. Vol. 41, no. 11, 617. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 February 1967. p. 3. Retrieved 11 June 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Vietnam War". 8 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ "Vietnam War 1962–75 | Australian War Memorial". www.awm.gov.au. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ "Roll of Honour - Vietnam - 30 years on". The Weekend Australian. 30 April 2005. p. 27.
