The 2nd D&E Platoon was formed by Major George Pratt in May 1969 to deal with an immediate strategic development during the Vietnam War.

It comprised 40 regular soldiers who had previously reinforced the 4th Battalion (4RAR) and was led (initially) by Lt Barry Parkin, then by Corporal Jim Riddle.

It carried out a number of successful actions against the Viet Cong, especially at the Thua Tich ambush on May 29th 1969, and was recognised as one of the most successful infantry platoons from the war.

In 2008, the federal government formally recognised the 2nd D&E Platoon in a statement by the Hon Mike Kelly MP.

In 2014, the Hon Stuart Robert MP (Assistant Minister for Defence) stated that it was 'indisputable that everyone concerned with it, be they Headquarters Company, the Cavalry Squadron or other units, as the '2nd D&E Platoon'.

Unfortunately, no paperwork was done to verify the platoon's existence, but the Australian War Memorial refuses to release 235 documents (1000 pages) relating to this platoon which might explain why there is no official record of it.

Failure to formally recognise the 2nd D&E Platoon impacts the integrity of the service records of all the men who fought in it.

The Australian War Memorial is a statute body and should reflect the accuracy of the nation's military history as accurately as possibly, not depend on the whims of non-combatant who maintain the records.