06/12/2016: Two Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster aircraft touched down at RAAF Base Richmond on 3 June 2016 at 10.30am to return home to Australia the remains of 33 Australian service personnel and dependents, many of whom were casualties of the Vietnam War, from cemeteries in Malaysia and Singapore.
The Governor-General of Australia, His Excellency General the Hon. Sir Peter Cosgrove (Retd), AK, MC; Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon. Marise Payne, representing the Prime Minister; Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, AC; and Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, DSC, AM; joined family and friends for a military repatriation ceremony.
Australian Defence Force personnel from Australia’s Federation Guard and other units escorted the remains of the 33 Service personnel and dependants from the RAAF aircraft into a memorial service with family and friends, before the 33 hearses left RAAF Base Richmond.
The repatriation, being organised by the Office of Australian War Graves, is one of the largest single repatriations of Australian service personnel and dependents in our history.
On 25 May 2015, the Australian Government offered to repatriate 36 Australian service personnel and dependants from Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia and Kranji Cemetery in Singapore.
The families of 33 service personnel and dependents accepted the offer.
Credit: Australian Ministry of Defense:6/3/16