PLANE, Bruce James
| Service Number: | 4719981 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 9th Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment (9RAR) |
| Born: | Ardrossan, South Australia, 31 October 1947 |
| Home Town: | Price, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Bien Hoa Province, South Vietnam, 20 January 1969, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Ardrossan Cemetery, S.A. New Plan - Grave 93, |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Adelaide Vietnam War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Grafton Clarence Valley Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Hilton Australia's National Servicemen Memorial, Kallangur Vietnam Veterans' Place, Pooraka War Memorial, Port Pirie Vietnam Veterans Honour Wall, Price Memorial Bench, Price and District Roll of Honour Vietnam War, Seymour Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk Roll of Honour, Sydney 9th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment Vietnam Killed on Active Service Plaque |
Vietnam War Service
| 16 Dec 1968: |
Involvement
Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 4719981, 9th Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment (9RAR), Operation Goodwood - |
|
|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec 1968: | Involvement | |
| 16 Dec 1968: | Involvement | |
| 16 Dec 1968: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private | |
| 16 Dec 1968: | Involvement | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement Private, 4719981 |
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Bruce James Plane was born at Ardrossan, on the Yorke Peninsula on 31 October 1947. He lived at Price with his parents and was the youngest of eight children. After leaving school he worked in engineering at Maitland, Price and Melbourne. Bruce was a keen sportsman and played football and tennis for Price. He enjoyed, swimming, fishing and hunting with his family and was an expert marksman.
He was called up for National Service in January 1968 and joined the 9th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment. Service Number 4719981. The Battalion was formed at Woodside, South Australia and deployed to Vietnam in December 1968 as part of the 1st Australian Task Force.
9RAR was part of Operation GOODWOOD from 1 January until 17 February 1969. The operation was conducted in the Hat Dich Special Zone in Bien Hoa Province, south of Saigon and saw 9RAR patrolling and fighting against an enemy operating from well-prepared, concealed bunkers. Contacts were usually at very close range and varied from a few minutes to several hours in duration.
On the afternoon of 20 January 1969 Private Bruce Plane was killed in action when 3 Section, 10 Platoon, D Company was fired on by one enemy while clearing a previously used Landing Zone.
The Battalion suffered a high number of casualties with 14 soldiers killed and almost 50 wounded in the seven week operation. HAT DICH is a battle honour awarded to the Royal Australian Regiment.
Bruce Plane was aged 21 and is buried at Ardrossan. In his memory the Bruce Plane Medal is presented at the Yorke Peninsula A Grade, ANZAC Day Australian Rules Football Match.
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