5RAR – South Vietnam – 9th March 1969
Brian Walker lied about his age to join as a soldier in the Citizen Military Forces in 1964. He eventually told the truth on turning 18 and requested to be sent to the Officer Cadet School. He graduated in June 1967 to become the youngest officer in the Australian Army.
He was allocated to infantry and posted to 5RAR. In January 1969, he was sent to Vietnam as part of the unit advance party to commence preparations for the battalion’s arrival.
While leading his platoon on a cordon and search operation near Nui Dat om 9 March, Walker was fatally wounded by friendly fire from South Vietnamese troops. Two other soldiers were wounded in the initial contact with two others killed and several more wounded when a mine exploded in the same incident.
Further information is available here:
Australian War Memorial – The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (5411605) Second Lieutenant Brian Geoffrey Walker, 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Vietnam | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)
Virtual War Memorial of Australia – Virtual War Memorial | Brian Geoffrey WALKER (vwma.org.au)
NSW War Memorials Register – https://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw.gov.au/content/b-g-walker