The superb Borneo, Aden and Vietnam campaign group awarded to Corporal J.B. Riddle, Royal Marines, later Sergeant, 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment who having seen service in Borneo during the period from 24th December 1962 through to 11th August 1966, and then later in Aden at some stage during the period 1st August 1964 to 30th November 1967 would buy his discharge from the Royal Marines for the sum of £200. He would re-enlist into the Australian Army and would see service in Vietnam as part of the 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and at one time was attached to the United States Special Forces. A controversial figure, he would perform several acts of gallantry during his time in Vietnam but due probably to his disciplinary indiscretions was overlooked for a decoration, these acts included an assault on a bunker complex in March 1969 and in an ambush at Thua Tich on 29th May 1969 when his quick thinking preventing the destruction of an ambush by Viet Cong forces, Riddle himself using an M-79 grenade launcher to best effect. Whilst in Vietnam he would receive the Vietnamese Unit Commendation along with the rest of the 8th Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment. However, Riddle would later get himself in trouble when relieving a deceased member of the Viet Cong of several thousand dong and placing it on a bar to be ‘drunk up’ by his colleagues.
Many years later Riddle would seek to retire to Australia, however his application was refused by Australian immigration authorities and it took a campaign by many of his former colleagues to get this decision overturned, his unit later receiving much overdue recognition in a Ministerial Statement by the Honourable Dr. Mile Kelly on 29th May 2008 where Riddle’s bravery in particular was noted, it stating his personal actions ensured the survival of many members of the Platoon who would otherwise surely have been killed.
Group of 4: Campaign Service Medal 1962, 2 Clasps: Borneo, South Arabia, the two clasps held together with cotton (RM.17253 J.B. RIDDLE. CPL. R.M.) Vietnam Medal 1964-1973; (311589 J. RIDDLE) Vietnam – Republic of: Gallantry Cross with Palm on ribbon; South Vietnam Campaign Medal 1964-1973, with clasp 1960-; the reverse engraved; (311589 J. RIDDLE) mounted on card for display
Condition: mounted on card for display, the two clasps of the CSM held together with cotton and the Vietnam Medal loose, Good Very Fine
Along with:
Royal Marines Commando Shoulder Title
Royal Marines Cap Badge
Small badge ‘Chieu Hoi, 8th Special Ops Squadrom’
Royal Marines Shooting Medallion ‘691 Squad RCT J.B. RIDDLE, R.M. 17253’
Notes of the wearing of medals and ribbons issued after 1945.
Unlimited Ration Card for U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam dated 1st June 1971
Series of 15 photographs, all bar 2 of which taken in Vietnam
Military Payment Certificate for 5 Cents
Military Payment Certificate for 10 Cents.
James Bertram Riddle was born in Newcastle on Tyne on 7th February 1940 and initially saw service with the 44th Independent Parachute Brigade (Territorial Army) in 1957, before serving with the Royal Marines with whom he saw service in Borneo during the period from 24th December 1962 through to 11th August 1966, and then later in Aden at some stage during the period 1st August 1964 to 30th November 1967. During his period of service he would qualify as a Parachutist in 1959 and as a Sniper in 1963, attaining the rank of a Senior Warrant Officer in 1968.
Having left the Royal Marines, he would enlist in the Australian Army at London on 12th September 1968 and would go on to serve in Vietnam with the 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.
The 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment would be awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation of the Vietnamese Armed Forces, this the first time an award of this nature was made to an Australian unit.
The text of the citation reads:
‘Reference to Order No. 409 dated 29th October 1970 of Joint General Staff. Commendation before the Armed Forces, is awarded to: The 8th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment. The Battalion has distinguished itself and consistently displayed a spirit of co-operation with and assistance to the people of the Republic of Vietnam, in their struggle for peace and freedom. During the period of operations in Military Region 3, Republic of Vietnam, from 28th November to the present, the 8th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment has participated in most search and destroy operations conducted in Phuoc Tuy Province. Especially the operation in Long Hai Mountains area, also known as the ‘Minh Dam Secret Zone’ a sanctuary for Viet Cong Main Forces Units in Phuoc Tuy Province. This zone has been strongly defended by the enemy from which they inflicted heavy casualties on friendly forces. However with modern tactics and a high fighting spirit, the Battalion continued operations to destroy the secret zone, causing heavy casualties on the enemy and repelling them from the sanctuary, so that the population could live in security.
In addition to purely military efforts, the troops of the Battalion have actively participated in the Civic Action Programme, to help the population rebuild their dwellings, roads, bridges, markets and schools with favourable results.
With the above exploits, the 8th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment has contributed realistic efforts to the anti-communist struggle of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces, and has displayed the heroic traditions of the Australian Armed Forces.’
Riddle himself was a somewhat controversial figure and it was only many years later that his gallantry in Vietnam was recognised. In a Ministerial Statement made by the Honourable Dr. Mike Kelly on 29th May 2008, he would recognise Riddle’s gallantry in the 2nd D & E Platoon’s successful ambush of a large enemy force at Thua Tich in May 1969 when he stated ‘Their success was a tribute to their professionalism and the outstanding leadership and courage of Corporal Riddle whose personal actions ensured the survival of many members of the Platoon who would otherwise surely have been killed’
Riddle had bought himself out of the Royal Marines in 1968, as he wanted to fight with the Australians in Vietnam, specifically they wanted him to act as instructor in jungle warfare. He initially joined as a reinforcements to ‘D’ Company of the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment in late January 1969. In March of that year Riddle would be involved in a three-way assault against a Viet Cong bunker system in which his actions were described as noteworthy by colleague and later Author Donal William Tate.
Tate describes how that although Riddle’s section was at the rear of his platoon on that occasion, he got himself up to the front of the action, bringing a bag full of hand grenade with him.
Tate continues that at Thua Tich on the 29th May 1969 when the 2nd D & E Platoon fought one of the biggest platoon-sized battles of the Vietnam War, Riddle, although only a Corporal acted as Platoon Commander, as the original Commander and Sergeant had both been surreptitiously removed, and having been part of a leaderless platoon for about a month, Riddle had seen the danger of men not being commanded adequately.
On the night of the ambush, Riddle and ten other infantrymen took on an extremely large enemy force along Route 238. Set as a ‘listening post’ about 500 metres up the highway from where the cavalry commander, Captain Tom Arrowsmith had laid down an ambush, Riddle’s actions prevented Arrowsmith’s position from being counter-attacked after the ambush was sprung. Arrowsmith hadn’t known how large the enemy force was that initiated the ambush.
It had stretched some 500 metres or more along the highway.
From his vulnerable jungle position, Riddle initiated a second front against the enemy, and led the way himself- opting to use the M79 grenade-launcher to best effect. The infantrymen at that listening post had a field day that night, there being a fullish moon and all, and with such a body of enemy lined up along the raised dirt track in front of them.
The record books however written by the cavalry commander Arrowsmith give the majority of the credit to the Cavalry and Riddle and his groups bravery was thus given scant attention.
Riddle later got himself in trouble when relieving a deceased Viet Cong of several thousand dong which he then put on a bar in Vung Tau for people to drink up. Caught out by an officer, Riddle simply said that he was spreading goodwill. He did something similar another time while in a stint with the US Special Forces.
He would later run across open ground to attract enemy fire after Private Dennis Poulson was killed with the 8th Battalion, taking the enemy heat off another infantry section that had been pinned down, he got no glory there, either. He was simply told ‘we expect if of you’. The same as when the Battalion wandered into a known minefield and lost many men killed or badly wounded in a series of bloody incident in early 1970, it was Riddle’s cool head that prevented other losses.
It appears that his indiscretions led to him being passed over for any gallantry awards, and later in 2005 when he thought it’d be nice to go back to the country he’d fought for in Australia, and live out the rest of his life there, he was told he wasn’t welcome. However a group of veterans he had fought with including the earlier mentioned Donald Tate assisted in getting the decision overturned and getting Riddle into Australia.
