Missing Australian bomber 'found' in Vietnam

**Nostalgair** · 04-21-2009, 03:16 AM

Missing Australian bomber '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.

Source: ABC News Australia

**Antipodean Andy** · 04-21-2009, 05:49 PM

Excellent news. Let's hope some closure can be brought for the families soon.

The Age has a decent article this morning and mentions life-jacket fragments being found as well which suggests the crew did not bale out even though the ejector seats have not yet been found. The engines are reportedly still on site but the majority of the airframe has been sold for scrap by the locals.

**Antipodean Andy** · 07-08-2009, 12:04 AM

Hunt for missing Aussie Vietnam soldiers | World Breaking News | News.com.au

THE search has begun to find the last two Australian soldiers missing in action in the Vietnam War.
A team of experts is on its way to the jungles of Vietnam to comb through a crash site to find the two men's remains.

Flying Officer Michael Herbert and Pilot Officer Robert Carver are believed to have died when their RAAF Canberra bomber A84-231 crashed in 1970. Their bodies have never been found.

The plane's wreckage was located in April this year.

An expert team, including an explosive expert, air crash investigator, archeologist and forensic odontologist, flew out of Australia on Wednesday morning to start the search.

Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Personnel Materiel and Science, said the 10-day mission would not be easy.

The crash site in Quang Nam province near the border with Laos is in a remote and hilly area surrounded by dense jungle.

The crash happened a long time ago and at high speed.

But Mr Combet was optimistic the men's remains would be found.

"We're certainly very hopeful that the excavation and the work at the site will find remains," he told reporters in Canberra.

"(But) it is a very sensitive matter for the families and we don't want to raise expectations beyond what we've said at this point in time."

If the remains are found and identified, they will be brought back to Australia.

Mr Combet said the government was working closely with the men's families and with Vietnamese authorities.

Back in 1970, the plane had just carried out a bombing mission and was returning to base when it vanished, about 65km southwest of Da Nang.

The wreckage is located two-thirds of the way up a mountain and covers an area 500 metres by 200 metres.

**Cobber** · 07-08-2009, 12:15 AM

I'll get in touch with the "men from the site below" he'll have the story usually gets it straight from the search teams them selves.

The Casualty List | Vietnam Veterans Australia & New Zealand

**Cobber** · 07-30-2009, 11:05 PM

Thankfully the remains of the two pilots have now been found. They have been studied by both Vietnamese and Australian experts, the return of the remains has yet to be organised, yet it will happen as quickly as possible..

The persons who created Operation Aussies Home, have been completely successful, finding the remains of all Australian MIA's from the war in Viet Nam.

Special mention must go to the Vietnamese Govt and a number of individual Vietnamese, from ex Viet Cong leaders etc and Villagers Who gave invaluable help to the team through out the entire search for all Aussie MIA's in Viet Nam.

VALE