Keith Payne

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox military person Keith Payne, Template:Post-nominals (born 30 August 1933) is a retired Australian soldier and a recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest decoration for gallantry "in the presence of the enemy" awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. Payne's VC was awarded for his actions during the Vietnam War. Aged Template:Age, he is the last living Australian recipient of the original Imperial Victoria Cross.<ref group="Note">Mark Donaldson, Ben Roberts-Smith and Daniel Keighran are recipients of the Victoria Cross for Australia, a separate award to the original Victoria Cross. Edward Kenna, the last living Australian recipient from the Second World War, died on 8 July 2009.</ref>

Early life

Keith Payne was born at Ingham, Queensland, on 30 August 1933, the son of Romilda (Millie) Hussey and Henry Thomas Payne. He attended Ingham State School and later became an apprentice cabinet-maker. Dissatisfied with working as a tradesman, Payne joined the Australian Regular Army in August 1951 and, after brief period in the Citizen Military Forces (CMF), was posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) and in the following year transferred to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR). Template:Sfn

Military career

Payne served with his unit in the Korean War from April 1952 to March 1953.Template:Sfn He married Florence Plaw, a member of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps, in December 1954, and was promoted to corporal the following year. Payne served in Malaya with this unit and in 1965, as a sergeant, he joined the 5th Battalion. In June 1965, by now a warrant officer class II, Payne was a fieldcraft instructor on the staff of the Officer Training Unit, Scheyville, established to commission national servicemen. In February 1967 he was posted to Papua New Guinea, where he served with the 2nd Battalion, Pacific Islands Regiment. He remained there until March 1968 when he returned to Brisbane. On 24 February 1969 he was posted to the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV).Template:Sfn

In May 1969 Payne was commanding the 212th Company of the 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion, when it was attacked by a strong People's Army of Vietnam force near Ben Het Camp. The company was isolated and, surrounded on three sides, its Vietnamese troops began to fall back. At this point shrapnel from a grenade burst struck Payne, lodging in his skull, arms and hands; under heavy fire, Payne covered the withdrawal before organising his troops into a defensive perimeter. Disregarding his own serious wounds, he then returned to the battlefield and spent a further three hours, frequently under fire, searching for any remaining members of his unit. Payne located about 40 of his men, most of them wounded; he assisted some of the wounded himself and organised assistance for others, before leading the party back to base through an area now dominated by enemy forces.Template:Sfn

Payne's actions that night earned him the Victoria Cross (VC), which was gazetted on 19 September 1969.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He was evacuated to Brisbane in September suffering from an illness, receiving a warm reception at the airport before entering hospital. In January 1970 Payne was posted to the Royal Military College, Duntroon as an instructor.Template:Sfn

Payne received his VC from Queen Elizabeth II aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in Brisbane on 13 April 1970. He was made a freeman of the city and of the shire in which his hometown was located. A park in Stafford, Brisbane, (where Payne lived) was also named after him. He also received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star from the United States of America and the Republic of Vietnam awarded Payne the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star.<ref name=Legion>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Payne was later posted to the 42nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment.Template:Sfn He retired from the Australian Army in 1975, but saw further action as a captain with the Sultan of Oman's Royal Army against communist forces in the Dhofar War in 1975 and 1976.<ref name=Legion/>

Later life

Payne joined the Legion of Frontiersmen in 1975 and holds the rank of an Honorary Chief Commissioner.<ref name=Legion/> After returning to Australia, he became active in the veteran community, particularly in counselling sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Payne and his wife raised five sons and live in Mackay, Queensland. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to the veteran community in 2006,<ref name=OAMItsanhonour>Medal of the Order of Australia, 26 January 2006, It's an Honour
Citation: For service to the community, particularly through support for youth programs and veterans groups.</ref> while Flo Payne was recognised with an OAM for her service to the community, particularly through surf lifesaving and veteran's families, in 2011.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Payne was interviewed for the 2006 television docudrama Victoria Cross Heroes, which also included archive footage and dramatisations of his actions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

In September 2012 Payne became a Patron of the Victoria Cross Trust.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The mental health ward at Greenslopes Private Hospital in Brisbane is named the Keith Payne Unit (KPU), in his honour.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Payne was advanced to a Member of the Order of Australia in June 2015. The award recognised his "significant service to veterans and their families as an ambassador, patron and as an advocate for veterans' health and welfare".<ref name=GGAM>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Payne is a patron of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy.<ref>https://www.facebook.com/acmnorepublic/photos/a.191432594210452/4190918374261834/ Template:User-generated source</ref> On 19 September 2022, he attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He represented recipients of the Victoria Cross at the 2023 Coronation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honours and awards

File:UK Victoria Cross ribbon bar.svg	Victoria Cross (VC)<ref name=mhsa>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name='AWMWho'> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name='VCOrg'> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Unreliable source?<ref name='Digger'> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=list> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:OrderAustraliaRibbon.png	Member of the Order of Australia (AM)	8 June 2015<ref name=GGAM/>
	Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=list/>	26 January 2006<ref name=OAMItsanhonour/>
File:Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75 ribbon.png	Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>	with clasps for KOREA, MALAYSIA, VIETNAM and THAI-MALAY<ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:Korea Medal.svg	Korea Medal<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg	United Nations Service Medal for Korea<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:GSM 62.gif	General Service Medal (1962)<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>	with MALAY PENINSULA clasp<ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:Vietnam Medal BAR.svg	Vietnam Medal<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:Australian Service Medal 1945-1975 ribbon.png	Australian Service Medal 1945–1975<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>	with clasps KOREA, SE ASIA and PNG<ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:UK Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg	Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>	1977
File:UK Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>	2002
File:QEII Diamond Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal	2012Template:Citation needed
File:UK Queen EII Platinum Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg	Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal	2022
File:Coronation of Charles III Medal ribbon.png	King Charles III Coronation Medal	2 May 2024<ref name="Aus">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:AUS Centenary Medal ribbon.svg	Centenary Medal<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>	1 January 2001<ref>Centenary Medal, 1 January 2001, It's an Honour Citation: For service to the veterans' community.</ref>
File:DFSM with Rosette x 2.png	Defence Force Service Medal with 2 clasps<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>	25–29 years service<ref>DFSM Clasps & Eligibility Template:Webarchive, Defence Honours & Awards, www.defence.gov.au Retrieved 2009-05-28.</ref>
File:National Medal (Australia) ribbon.jpg	National Medal<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>	25 January 1982<ref>National Medal, 25 January 1982, It's an Honour</ref>
File:Australian Defence Medal (Australia) ribbon.png	Australian Defence Medal<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=list/>
File:AUS Meritorious Service Medal.png	Meritorious Service Medal (Australia)<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct - Army (UK) ribbon.png	Long Service and Good Conduct Medal – Army<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:Distinguished Service Cross ribbon.svg	Distinguished Service Cross (United States)<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=AWMWho/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:Silver Star ribbon.svg	Silver Star (USA)<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=AWMWho/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star (South Vietnam).png	Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star (South Vietnam)<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=AWMWho/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg	Vietnam Campaign Medal (South Vietnam)<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>
File:General Service Medal (Oman).png	Dhofar Campaign Medal (Oman)<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>	Also referred to as: General Service Medal (Oman)
File:Endurance Medal (Al-Sumood) (Oman).png	Dhofar Victory Medal (Oman)<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=Digger/><ref name=list/>	Also referred to as: Endurance Medal (Al-Sumood) (Oman)
File:Pingat Jasa Malaysia ribbon.png	Pingat Jasa Malaysia (Malaysia)<ref name=mhsa/><ref name=VCOrg/><ref name=list/>
File:Republic of Korea War Service Medal ribbon.svg	Republic of Korea War Service Medal (South Korea)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> ||

Unit awards

File:Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg	Meritorious Unit Commendation (USA)<ref name=Digger/>	Worn by members of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam<ref name=Hartley>Template:Cite book</ref>
File:Vietnam gallantry cross unit award-3d.svg	Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation (South Vietnam)<ref name=Digger/>	Worn by members of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam<ref name=Hartley/>

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

• Template:Cite book

External links

• WOII K. Payne, VC Template:Webarchive AATTV Association — biography plus detailed action account.
• Warrant Officer Class 2 Keith Payne, VC AWM Who's who in Australian Military History.
• Interview with Keith Payne Australians at War Film Archive.
• RSL defends veteran over VC sale, ABC News, 20 June 2007, www.abc.net.au
• Keith Payne medal exhibit Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum: Keith and his medals; Closer view of Keith's medals; Pictures and Certificates
• Keith Payne, 2002 Template:Webarchive, 40th Anniversary Reunion, Australian Army Training Team Vietnam
• Keith Payne and Edward Kenna, the last two living Australian VC recipients, 15 April 2003.
• Keith Payne and Mark Donaldson, the last Australian Victoria Cross recipient with the first Victoria Cross for Australia recipient at Government House, January 2009.