The last Australian soldier to be listed as missing in action was Lance Corporal John Francis Gillespie of 8 Field Ambulance. On 17 April 1971 Gillespie was serving as a helicopter medic during a 'dustoff' (helicopter medical evacuation) operation in the Long Hai hills in Phuoc Tuy province. Four South Vietnamese Regional Force soldiers had been injured by a mine explosion and the difficult terrain demanded a helicopter evacuation. But the Long Hai hills were an insecure landing zone. The caves and dense timber of the Long Hais had long harboured a major Viet Cong base area and the dustoff operation required the protection of helicopter gunships. As the first wounded soldier was being winched up, the hovering helicopter was hit by enemy machine-gun fire. It crashed to the ground and burst into flames. Although the crew escaped, Lance Corporal Gillespie and three other soldiers were engulfed in the fireball. A helicopter crewman, Corporal Robert Stephens, repeatedly entered the burning aircraft and tried in vain to rescue Gillespie, until being forced back by the flames. Stephens was later awarded the British Empire Medal for his courage. Gillespie's body could not be recovered from the burning wreckage which was reduced to slag by the fire. Private Gillespie was listed as missing in action, apparently on a technicality because his remains could not be found. The classification was subsequently altered to killed in action.Stainless steel open ended bracelet with missing serviceman's full name and date missing. In a buff square satin lined box.MIA John Francis Gillespie 17/04/71mia, john francis gillespie, l/cpl john francis gillespie, 3170244, royal australian army medical corps, 8th field ambulance, cpl robert stephens, killed in action

A compilation of the WW1 service records of 20 local men who enlisted for WW1. Collected by Julie Jones, Heritage Officer, Whitehorse City Council in 2015 for a display of Art Space, Box Hill Town Hall to commemorate 100 years of the ANZAC spirit including card files of the City of Whitehorse used by the consulting historians of 'Way Back When' in collaboration with the local Australia Calls working party to chronicle the experience of our local community.A compilation of the WW1 service records of 20 local men who enlisted for WW1. world war 1914-1918, phillips annette, hore pamela, clifton david, winn patricia, moulden neville, gilbert rod, anderson philip, reen jennie, sayle adrian, flanagan joanne, cox george, whitehead paul, fisher bruce, balderson loris grace, mcgrath stephen, bryant doreen