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Graham David Spinkston (1948-)

Graham David Spinkston (1948-)

Graham was born in Mount Gambier on 26 Jun 1948, to John and Patricia Spinkston (nee Blackmore).  At the time they were resident at Glencoe, an historic pastoral property, 20km east of Mt Gambier.  The family subsequently moved to Charleston in the Adelaide Hills where Graham's father was assistant Manager at the local cheese factory.  A sister, Julie, was born on New Year's Day in 1951.  They then relocated not far away at Gumeracha again with his father's employment.  Graham began his schooling at Gumeracha Primary School then in 1955 it was off again further south to Mount Compass, where John was appointed as start up Manager of powdered milk and butter factory.

Graham was enrolled at Unley High School and resided with his grandparents, in anticipation of his father's promotion and subsequent relocation to suburban Adelaide.  The family settled in beachside Somerton Park and Graham relocated to Brighton High School where he completed his secondary schooling. 

Graham gained a University Scholarship, and he enrolled at Adelaide University , to undertake a Bachelor Science majoring in Geology.  He joined what was then the Citizen Military Forces (these days known as the Army Reserve) enlisting in the Adelaide University regiment (AUR).   AT this time I met the Regimental Sergeant Major WO1 Ray Baldwin a veteran of the 2nd/27th Battalion at Tobruk.  'Spingo' by now was working two part time jobs and was in the CMF and he joined the Somerton Surf Life Saving Club.  He discovered pubs and parties and study took a back seat.  Army was also stimulating and encouraged by WO1 Ray Baldwin, Graham applied for Officer training at the Army's Officer Training School Portsea in Victoria. 

Graham enlisted into the Regular Army on 5 Jul 1968 and commenced at OCS two days later.  Portsea was a high intensity, physically and psychologically, preparing candidates to serve as Infantry Officers, and Graham duly graduated as a Second Lieutenant, on 13 June 1969 in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.  He was posted to the 3rd Recruit Training at Singleton in the Hunter Valley of NSW.  After only four months, an Operational imperative saw him assigned to the 4th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment in Townsville which was to deploy to South Vietnam in May 1971.

Graham married Ann Fricker before moving to Townsville.  He was to be assigned to Delta Company, which had yet to form, so the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Jim Hughes MC, appointed hiim as Assistant Adjutant, a role largely concerned with the welfare of all the personnel in the Battalion.  Graham reflects that as a result he met with at some stage the vast majority of the men in the Battalion.  Graham reflected that it wasn't his idea of a plum job but in retrospect he learned a great deal and it made him a better Platoon Commander.

Graham Spinkston (aka ‘Spingo’) served in the 4th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (4RAR) during its second tour of duty in South Vietnam (SVN), when it was designated 4RAR/NZ because it had a NZ Company under Command.  Graham was a Second Lieutenant Platoon Commander of No. 12 Platoon in D Company.

4RAR arrived in SVN on 23 May 1971, replacing 2RAR/NZ.  It had become apparent that 3RAR and 4RAR/NZ would be the last of Australia’s commitment in SVN.  It did not mean that combat was any less intense.

Graham's Platoon lost their first member in CPL Tassie Wilkinson, a very experienced soldier and much respected.  He was stricken with an unidentified tropical disease , was evacuated and died two days later in hospital. 

The Battalion was engaged in a series of operations; ’Overlord’ 5-14 June 1971, 'Hermit Park' 14 Jun-27 July, 'Iron Fox' 28 July - 4 August 1971, ‘Inverbrackie’ 10-22 August 1971.  Then from 19 September to 2 October 1971, the Battalion took part in Operation 'Ivanhoe’, which was to be the last major operation of Australia’s involvement in Vietnam.  The Battalion returned to Australia in December 1971.

Graham achieved a level of fame in this operation for being ‘shot in the book’ during the Battle of Nui Le on 21 September 1971.   ‘Spingo’s’ 12 Platoon was engaged in a contact with what proved to be the forward edge of an enemy bunker system. It is best described in captions of the accompanying photographs.

436440 Second Lieutenant Graham David Spinkston was commanding 12 Platoon, 4 Royal Australian / New Zealand (ANZAC) Battalion (4RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Battalion) on 21 September 1971 on a patrol approximately three kilometres south of the southeast corner of the Courtney rubber plantation on the border of Phuoc Tuy and Long Khanh Provinces. At 9 am, according to the incident report, as his platoon was patrolling a well used enemy track running east, 'the forward scout discovered another foot track leading off to the north.

Spinkston, after halting his platoon, moved forward with his platoon signalman, 56165 Private Trevor B Gorringe, to reconnoitre. They had proceeded approximately five metres along the side track when they came under automatic weapon fire from an enemy bunker located approximately ten metres further on. Spinkston and Gorringe quickly withdrew to the platoon position which, by this time, was receiving heavy small arms (AK47) and RPG fire.

The forward section, led by 217395 Corporal Charles R McKenzie was completely pinned down while the two rear sections initiated a contact drill to the north of the main track

Spinkston had realised he had a soldier killed in action (3799449 Private James 'Jimmy' Duff) and another six wounded, and was informed by his company headquarters that ‘Bushranger’ (RAAF UH 1 Iroquois Fire Team of 2 aircraft) gunship support aircraft were already proceeding to the contact area. He withdrew his platoon to the south while the support aircraft fired on the bunker area.

Spinkston later discovered that he had contacted six bunkers, part of a larger complex occupied by an element of 3 Battalion, 33 NVA Regiment.' The book, 'The Taste of Courage', was in Spinkston's left hand basic pouch (just behind his hip) during the engagement and was pierced by an AK47 round which almost carried through into his leg. Spinkston was actually wounded by a shrapnel fragment in his right leg, but remained in command until he was air evacuated to Vung Tau.  per Australian War Memorial

Graham and three soldiers were wounded by the Rocket Propelled Genade (RPG) that had killed Jimmy Duff. Another four were also wounded illustrating the effectiveness of the NVA siting of their defences. 

He also remarked that it'must have been a quiet day in the rest of Vietnam because of the amount of fire support (Air and Artillery) they were allocated.  The enemy withdrew and an attack was mounted by the rest of D Company, but enough enemy had returned to return a great deal of fire resulting in 11 Platoon sustaining 4 KIA.  The Company Commander Major Jerry Taylor withdrew the Company from contact. 

The Company withdrew and consolidated and the wounded (including Graham) were evacuated via an American Mobile Army Surgical Hospital ('MASH) to the 1st Australian Field Hospital in Vung Tau for treatment.

When he returned to the Battalion Graham was posted to th Mortar Platoon.  While recovering his equipment and effects, he discovered the book he had been carrying when they were engaged in the contact.  It had been in one of the pouched on his webbing (a belt and harness to which are attached water bottles ammunition pouches and items such as Field Dressdings and the like).  When he opened the book it had a hole in it out of which fell a spent AK47 bullet.

Graham noted that the CO LTCOL Hughes, directed that the book and a replacment bullet (Graham made sure he kept the original as a lucky charm!) be sent to the Australian War Memorial, where it remains to this day in the Vietnam exhibit. 

Graham stayed on in the Regular Army, after his service in Vietnam, serving in the usual succession of Infantry Regimental, Staff and Training appointments.  He was appointed a Company Commander in 3RAR in 1981-1983.  He held a Lieutenant Colonel appopintment in Melbourne and during this time he and frirst wife Anne ended in divorce .  Graham subsequently married Major Jayne Worthington.  He concluded his career as Staff Office Grade 1 Personnel at Headquarters 4th Military District, Keswick Barracks Adelaide.  

In 1990, Graham was approached by CAPT Pam Murray-White, a one-time Special Needs teacher who held a Commission in the Australian Army Education Corps, with 'a really good idea'.  With a number of military colleagues, they founded 'Operation Flinders''.  Graham, LTCOL Graham 'Moose' Dunlop, and WO2 (later CAPT) Robert 'Dogs' Kearney, and Pam Murray-White, conceived, conducted and refined the fundamentals of the program, conducted in South Australia's Flinders Ranges, along lines very similar to an Army patrol exercise, facilitating the forming storming and norming of small groups of youths in Wilderness terrain.  It has been a life changing experience for many of the participants, and now operates in collaboration with the SA Juvenile Justice system to provide rehabilitation options for young people.  The Operation Flinders Foundation was formed in 1995.  Graham worked for the Operation Flinders Foundation until retiring in 2021, after 78 Exercise having had some 8,000 candidates pass through the program.

Graham retired from the Regular Army in 1993, after 25years service, to establish With Good Company', a business providing Team-Building and Leadership Training services to the Corporate Sector.  His business partner subsequently left to take up a job opportunity and Graham continued 'solo'.

Graah

Compiled by Steve Larkins 2024/25

Sources: 

Fairhead F  ‘A Duty Done – A History of The Royal Australian Regiment in the Vietnam War’ 2014.  ISBN 978-0-9924704-1-8  RAR Association SA Inc / Department of Veteran Affairs

Australian War Memorial Collections (cited in accompanying images)

Personal reflections provided by Graham and Jane Spinkston