Warbird Information Exchange

Wreckage raises hopes last Australians missing in Vietnam will soon come home

* April 21, 2009 - 5:16PM

Squadron Leader John Cotterell (front) and Major Jack Thurgar at the jungle site where they believe Pilot Officer Robert Carver (top right) and Flying Officer Michael Herbert crashed.

It's been 39 years since Australian airmen Michael Herbert and Robert Carver vanished along with their plane after a bombing mission in Vietnam.

But investigators are convinced they've found the aircraft and hope it might lead to a long-awaited return home for the last two Australian servicemen missing in action in Vietnam.

Defence Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon said the Australian defence team was confident it had located the wreckage of the Canberra bomber in thick jungle in remote Quang Nam province, near the border with Laos.

No human remains were found but a number of military artefacts were discovered, including a badge unique to the Royal Australian Air Force's 2 Squadron.

The next step will be an archaeological dig to conclusively determine if there are any human remains at the site.

"These brave airmen gave their lives in the service of their nation and locating the crash site is an important step in accounting for them," Mr Snowdon said in a statement.

He said investigators had spent a week in the isolated province gathering information and then hiking to the wreck site, reaching it last Wednesday.

Relatives of Flying Officer Herbert and Pilot Officer Carver have been advised of the find, and RAAF officials will keep them informed of further developments.

The two men vanished on November 3, 1970. They had conducted a bombing mission and were returning to base when their bomber disappeared from radar screens about 65km southwest of Da Nang.

There was no distress call and subsequent searches found no trace of the plane.

When Australian troops withdrew from Vietnam, six dead remained behind, their bodies lost in the jungle.

That was until the group Operation Aussies Home, led by Vietnam veteran Jim Bourke, located the remains of Lance Corporal Richard Parker and Private Peter Gillson in 2007, buried near where they had died during fighting in 1965.

This prompted a resurgence of official interest in finding Lance Corporal John Gillespie, killed in a helicopter crash in 1971, and SASR Private David Fisher, who fell from a rope as he was being evacuated by helicopter in 1969.

The remains of all four men were returned home and reinterred with full military honours.

The search for officers Herbert and Carver always appeared the most difficult because the potential search area was so vast.

Mr Snowdon praised the work of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation for its use of innovative modelling techniques to refine the search area, and the Army History Unit for its exhaustive and skilled research.

"Invaluable assistance has also been given by a number of former North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers and their commanders as well as many local villagers and their compassion and commitment in assisting us is humbling," he said.

After 39years in deep jungle growth and much agony for many, Australian searchers have found near the Laos border the last 2 MIA from the Vietnam war.

In 1970 a 2 Sqn Canberra Mk 20 bomber was shot down by suspected SAM strike or AAA.

No beacon, message or wreck was ever found.

Over the last 39years former enemy talking and people along with searching tools have narrowed the area and finally this week they have confirmed it was found.

Unique items such as the RAAF 2sqn Crest on the fuselage was found which more than confirms the Canberra is there.

Missing Australian bomber 'found' in Vietnam

Posted 6 hours 58 minutes ago
Updated 2 hours 29 minutes ago

Slideshow: Photo 1 of 3
A number of military artefacts were discovered at the suspected crash site.

A number of military artefacts were discovered at the suspected crash site. (Department of Defence: supplied)

* Video: RAAF bomber found in Vietnam (ABC News)
* Related Link: Defence blog: Wreckage of RAAF Aircraft found in Vietnam

An Australian investigation team believes it has found the aircraft flown by the last two Australian Defence Force members missing in Vietnam.

Flying Officer Michael Herbert and Pilot Officer Robert Carver disappeared without trace in 1970 while on a bombing mission.

The Defence Department says a recovery team sent into the region a week ago found what it believes to be the wreckage of their Canberra bomber in thick jungle in a remote area near the Laotian border.

While no human remains were found, a number of military artefacts have been discovered including a club badge which was unique to RAAF's No 2 Squadron.

The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon, said the team had spent a week in the isolated province gaining information and hiking in to the wreck site.

"These brave airmen gave their lives in the service of their nation and locating the crash site is an important step in accounting for them, " he said in a statement.

"Relatives of the two crewmen have been advised of the discovery and Air Force will continue to keep them updated."

Mr Snowdon praised the team's use of innovative modelling techniques to narrow the area of interest.

He said the expertise of the Army History Unit in supporting the Air Force investigation was also priceless.

"Invaluable assistance has also been given by a number of former North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers and their commanders, as well as many local villagers, and their compassion and commitment in assisting us is humbling," he said.

Mr Snowdon said the next step would be an archaeological dig to confirm whether there were any human remains at the site.

Families elated

Jim Burke from Operation Aussies Home called the families of the men to let them know the crash site had been found.

"Making those calls to them last night was super," he said.

"When they got the news, they were quite elated, dumbfounded, surprised.

"What the family members firstly want to know is the loss incident circumstances where their kin were killed.

"The next thing they want to do is to recover remains."

Neil James from the Defence Force Association says it could be a very significant discovery.

"What's always been the problem with this one is they weren't quite sure where the plane went down and indeed how it went down and whether the crew were able to eject when it was hit, if indeed it was hit or whether they were rendered unconscious when the aircraft was shot down and were in it when it crashed," he said.

"There's a large number of unknowns about this incident."

Yes, lets hope they can bring another two poor brave souls home. Never stop looking.