Warrant Officer Simpson was severely wounded by rifle fire in the right leg. The Vietnamese leader was an early casualty. ', led by a Vietnamese Special Forces Officer the platoon sized group was intercepted by a superior Viet Cong Force. The citation for the award reads in part: For his actions during the fighting he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Though suffering from blood loss, he organised the platoon into a defensive position and held on until reinforcements arrived. When the Vietnamese commander of Simpson's platoon became a casualty, Simpson, though seriously wounded in the leg, assumed effective command of the unit. On 16 September, he was on patrol with a Vietnamese Special Forces platoon when they were ambushed by a unit of the People's Liberation Armed Forces (Viet Cong). The base was designed to control cross border penetration of enemy troops. Based at Kham Duc in the Quang Nam Province, Simpson was instrumental in the training and organisation of a new patrol base at Ta Ko, a rugged and remote village close to the Vietnamese/Laos border. He was posted to Danang as part of 'A' Team together with United States and South Vietnamese Special Forces. In July 1964, Simpson rejoined the AATTV in Saigon for his second tour of duty. His first tour of duty in Vietnam ended in July 1963 when he returned to Australia as an instructor at the Officer Cadet School, Southern Command. After returning to Australia, he transferred to 1 Special Air Service Company remaining with unit until July 1962 when he commenced duty as a warrant officer with the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV), arriving in Saigon on 3 August. On 20 June he was transferred to 3RAR reinforcements and joined the regiment in Korea on 9 July.Īfter transferring to 2RAR in August 1954, Simpson served in Malaya until October 1957. This was corrected by a Statutory Declaration on 31 May when he was posted to 1 Royal Australia Regiment (1RAR) at Ingleburn. On 17 January 1951, for reasons that are not clear, he enlisted in the Australian Regular Army using his brother's name and birth date. He was discharged from the AIF on 20 January 1947. Simpson later saw service in Morotai and Tarakan in 1945 before returning to Sydney in June 1946. On 5 August he was with a detachment sent to the Cowra prisoner of war camp following a mass breakout by Japanese internees. In June he was posted to 14 Infantry Training Battalion based at Cowra NSW. He worked as a labourer before enlisting in the Second AIF on 29 February 1944 at Newtown. Rayene Stewart 'Ray' or 'Simmo' Simpson was born in Redfern on 16 February 1926 to Robert William and Olga Maude (nee Montgomery) Simpson.
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