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

An Order of Service for the Springvale Botanical Cemetery: Part of State-wide Commemorations by Victorian Branch VVAA , 50th Anniversary of Battle of Long Tan. See media file for more information. battle of long tan, memorial services, vietnam veterans association of australia, 50th anniversary - battle of long tan, killed in action, wo1 raymond kevin nichols, 1797, 106 field workshop (raeme), pte stephen james o'dal, 39016, royal australian infantry corps, 8th battalion, the royal australian regiment, pte daryl poulson, 3795605, australian national serviceman, pte terence ronald scott, 38649, 7th battalion, wo2 terance edward lyon, 52503, royal australian army ordnance corps, 2nd advance ordnance depot, headquarters, australian force vietnam, sgt noel lowes, 14574, royal australian armoured corps, 1st armoured personnel carrier squadron, a squadron, 3rd cavalry regiment, 1st armoured regiment, leading aircraftman duncan glen mcnair, a317006, royal australian airforce, no 9 squadron, tpr victor ian pomroy, 3786644, 1st australian reinforcement unit, pte richard christopher allan watson, 39403, 1st battalion, pte geoffrey lawrence tweedie, 3787416, 1st australian task force, 6th battalion, l/cpl john francis gillespie, 3170244, royal australian army medical corps, 8th field ambulance, sgt william francis hacking, 36448, australian army training team vietnam (aattv), signalman barry arthur logan, 38324, royal australian corps of signals, 709 signal troop, 552 signal troop, cpl john hunter whitton, 311532, pte walter johnston davison, 311546, pte john walter desnoy, 3791033, 3rd battalion, wo2 (acting) gilbert john hartney, 34854, royal corps of australian electrical and mechanical engineers., 102 field workshop, pte douglas brian plain, 3789448, pte george nagle, 39565, 9th battalion, pte paul charles sullivan, 3786696, 5th battalion, pte raymond john moore, 39923, cpl (temp) noel alan smith, 3797613, royal australian engineers, 21 engineer support troop, lt peter robert marks-chapman, 38801, l/cpl eric halkyard, 311620, sapper ronald edward davies, 38530, 1st field squadron, pte john wallace holloway, 3794544, pte robert macdonald key, 39493, l/cpl john noel mccarthy, 3112702, 1st forward delivery troop, b squadron, sapper john smith, 3794831, pte allen roy brown, 3794895, pte raymond duncan clark, 3794556, pte barry john munday, 3795712, sapper dennis lindsay brooks, 3787889, pte barleif alfred harstad, 38939, pte garry robert polglase, 38763, pte lawrence rodney sheppard, 3790506, pte john richard tinkham, 3791207, wo2 (temp) john thomas durrington, 36485

An Order of Service for the Springvale Botanical Cemetery: Part of State-wide Commemorations by Victorian Branch VVAA , 50th Anniversary of Battle of Long Tan. See media file for more information.battle of long tan, memorial services, vietnam veterans association of australia, 50th anniversary - battle of long tan, killed in action, wo1 raymond kevin nichols, 1797, 106 field workshop (raeme), pte stephen james o'dal, 39016, royal australian infantry corps, 8th battalion, the royal australian regiment, pte daryl poulson, 3795605, australian national serviceman, pte terence ronald scott, 38649, 7th battalion, wo2 terance edward lyon, 52503, royal australian army ordnance corps, 2nd advance ordnance depot, headquarters, australian force vietnam, sgt noel lowes, 14574, royal australian armoured corps, 1st armoured personnel carrier squadron, a squadron, 3rd cavalry regiment, 1st armoured regiment, leading aircraftman duncan glen mcnair, a317006, royal australian airforce, no 9 squadron, tpr victor ian pomroy, 3786644, 1st australian reinforcement unit, pte richard christopher allan watson, 39403, 1st battalion, pte geoffrey lawrence tweedie, 3787416, 1st australian task force, 6th battalion, l/cpl john francis gillespie, 3170244, royal australian army medical corps, 8th field ambulance, sgt william francis hacking, 36448, australian army training team vietnam (aattv), signalman barry arthur logan, 38324, royal australian corps of signals, 709 signal troop, 552 signal troop, cpl john hunter whitton, 311532, pte walter johnston davison, 311546, pte john walter desnoy, 3791033, 3rd battalion, wo2 (acting) gilbert john hartney, 34854, royal corps of australian electrical and mechanical engineers., 102 field workshop, pte douglas brian plain, 3789448, pte george nagle, 39565, 9th battalion, pte paul charles sullivan, 3786696, 5th battalion, pte raymond john moore, 39923, cpl (temp) noel alan smith, 3797613, royal australian engineers, 21 engineer support troop, lt peter robert marks-chapman, 38801, l/cpl eric halkyard, 311620, sapper ronald edward davies, 38530, 1st field squadron, pte john wallace holloway, 3794544, pte robert macdonald key, 39493, l/cpl john noel mccarthy, 3112702, 1st forward delivery troop, b squadron, sapper john smith, 3794831, pte allen roy brown, 3794895, pte raymond duncan clark, 3794556, pte barry john munday, 3795712, sapper dennis lindsay brooks, 3787889, pte barleif alfred harstad, 38939, pte garry robert polglase, 38763, pte lawrence rodney sheppard, 3790506, pte john richard tinkham, 3791207, wo2 (temp) john thomas durrington, 36485