I received the following letter from a senior ex-Army officer who served in the same battalion as Bob Buick. The author seeks to counter comments from Major Harry Smith SG (pictured) who continues to support Buick by sending out an email into the veteran community recently. What this letter reveals is the absolute lack of integrity by the Australian Defence Force- and particularly how it has bastardised historical accounts and the awarding of gallantry medals. This is that letter: THE TRUE LONG TAN STORY (See email from Harry Smith dated Jan 22, 2017) The referenced missive from Harry Smith is yet another attempt to suppress the truth and instead, promote the false Smith narrative of what happened on 18 August 1966. I will address the points he makes in the order in which Smith makes them. Anybody who has bothered to research the facts knows that a 2nd D and E platoon was indeed raised in 1ATF in . In fact, I served with the young officer who raised the unit, 2nd Lieutenant Stannus after he was severely wounded in Vietnam. Like so many other events, Harry Smith is obviously totally ignorant of this but that has never stopped Harry Smith of denigrating all who would dare to express the facts. Despite Smith’s 20-year campaign to try and enhance his image and promote his false version of events at Long Tan, most people are now fully aware of the facts. Contrary to Smith’s off repeated claim that, “he was not told”, 1 ATF was well aware of many reports of large enemy forces to the east of our base and most of this information was published in Intelligence Summaries that were distributed not only to rifle company headquarters but also down to platoon headquarters level. Unfortunately for the soldiers of Delta company, Harry Smith scoffed at these reports. He thought he knew best. He told everybody who would listen that the Vietnam War was the same as the war against the Communist Terrorists in Malaya in which he had experience. “We will only encounter small bands of enemy who will fire a few shots and disappear into the jungle.” If he had been monitoring the battalion command net on 16 August he would have been aware that Alpha Company contacted Main Force enemy. And of course even Smith was aware that, early on the morning of 17 August the Task Force base had been bombarded with artillery, mortars and rocket launchers; weapons normally operated by Main Force not enemy guerrilla forces. And of course, the reason 11 platoon ran out of ammunition was that Harry Smith ignored 6 RAR Standing Operating Procedures (SOP) that required infantrymen to carry 110 rounds of ammunition. Instead he ordered his company to carry only 60 rounds. The recently concocted story that Buick tended a mortally wounded soldier carries no weight. If this were true, Buick would have included the story in his book, “All Guts and no Glory”. In fact we will never know how many wounded 11 platoon soldiers died after they were abandoned by Buick. The platoon signaller, Grice was found next morning sitting with his back to a tree. He would have been with Buick on the ignominious dash to the rear but Buick did not stop to help him when he was wounded. “A couple of soldiers who did not see this claimed Bob had bolted – not true.” What rubbish! Every 11 platoon soldier with whom I have been able to talk and who was within earshot heard Buick yell, “Every man for himself”, before Buick dashed off to the rear. Others heard nothing but saw Buick dashing off to the rear including the wounded Private Jim Richmond who could not move. “Before I had time to organise a defensive position….” What utter rubbish!” Smith never did organise his company into a defensive posture. Even after 12 platoon returned, the left behind 9 Section was not relocated with the main body of 12 platoon. And although Delta company was in their final location for upwards of 4 hours, not a single slit trench was dug. I suspect the reason for this was that very few entrenching tools were carried - yet another case of 6 RAR SOP being ignored by this incompetent company commander. “11 platoon’s gallant stand led by Bob Buick save Delta company from being overrun”. The only thing that saved Delta company from being overrun was the gallant action of Alpha Company who dropped everything and dashed out to help Delta company at a moments notice. It is a measure of Smith’s total lack of integrity that he now fails to acknowledge this fact despite the fact that on 19 August he stated, “Had it not been for the arrival of Alpha Company in the APCs, Delta company would have been wiped out.” Honours and awards. Smith was awarded a Military Cross. It is highly likely that this award was more than he deserved. But that didn’t stop Smith telling everybody and anybody who would listen that “he would have got a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) except that CO 6 RAR, Colin Townsend wanted the DSO for himself and so recommended Smith for the Military Cross.” This was a cowardly attack on a man of the utmost integrity who Smith knew could not and would not retaliate. However, when the paperwork came to light some 30 years after the event it was revealed that indeed Townsend had recommended Smith for the DSO and that this had been downgraded at senior headquarters. Any real man would have issued a public apology; but not Smith. We have all witnessed the disgraceful antics by Smith over 20 years or more manipulating the story of the Battle of Long Tan and haranguing anybody and everybody in a disgraceful effort to have his award upgraded. When this upgrade was finally agreed in an attempt to terminate this public denigration of the Australian Army, Smith did not have the grace to take down the Military Cross, he parades around displaying both medals as though to say, “I am a super-hero”. “… The commanding officer got a DSO ‘for taking over and fighting his battalion’ - although he was not there.” says Smith. Smith will never acknowledge the fact that the victory achieved at Long Tan was a battalion effort. Bravo Company located the rocket launcher and mortar baseplate locations that Delta Company was dispatched to follow up. The accurate and sustained artillery fire controlled by Maurie Stanley that undoubtedly saved Delta Company from being overrun in the initial stages of the battle. The swift action by Alpha Company to mount the APCs and race out to Delta company’s assistance. The decisive and aggressive action by Alpha Company in attacking and forcing the withdrawal of the two enemy battalions encircling Delta Company to inflict the final blow. The small element of Bravo Company who returned to assist Delta Company. The fact that the CO himself raced out to Delta Company’s position and assumed command in the middle of the battle. All these actions contributed to the victory. But it was the leadership displayed by Colin Townsend that ensured the eventual victory - albeit at a tragic cost in lives. “I was hiding in a deep hole throughout the battle”. Smith certainly positioned his headquarters in a depression in the ground. And he certainly spent a lot of time on the radio pleading with headquarters 6 RAR for help. However, it is perhaps an indication of the style and substance of his leadership under dire circumstances in that, when asked to describe under oath the actions of warrant officer Jack Kirby, Smith had to admit that he had not witnessed any of the very brave actions of that man throughout the whole battle. Murder of wounded POWs. By his own admission Buick murdered a wounded POW. Smith should have court-martialed him but instead, recommended him for a bravery decoration. Smith continually tries to muddy the waters around this issue by pointing out that he himself shot a wounded terrorist in Malaya and that Alpha Company soldier Dave Harwood had also shot a wounded enemy on the 19th August. However, both these incidents occurred in the context of battling the enemy. It was not deliberate murder as was the case with Buick. “Bob Buick is held in the highest regard by most of the men of my former Delta company and indeed by his fellow warrant officers in the ARA.” What a laugh! Buick is despised by all who know him including former members of Delta company 6 RAR and by Buick’s fellow warrant officers in the ARA. And for that matter, so is Smith. His nick-name among his fellow officers is, “The Rat”. Smith tries to pass off the story that the nick-name is in fact “The Rat Catcher”. However, I am of the opinion that if someone looks like a rat and acts like a rat, it is probably a rat. The most ironic statement in this tirade from Smith is, “Don Tate should get on with life and let all this go”. This is advice Smith himself should have followed 20 years ago.