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the area by enemy fire. Warrant
Officer Simpson quickly organised two platoons of indigenous soldiers and several advisors and led them to the position of the contact On reaching the position the element with Warrant Officer Simpson came under heavy fire and all but a few of the soldiers with him fell back Disregarding his own safety he moved forward in the face of accurate enemy machine gun fire, in order to cover the initial evacuation of the casualties. The wounded were eventually moved out of the line of enemy fire, which all this time was directed at Warrant Officer Simpson from close range. At the risk of almost certain death he made several attempts to move further forward towards his Battalion Commander's body but on each occasion he was stopped by heavy fire. Realising the position was becoming untenable and that priority should be given to extricating other casualties as quickly as possible, Warrant Officer Simpson alone and still under enemy fire covered the withdrawal of the wounded by personally placing himself between the wounded and the enemy From this position he fought on and by outstanding courage and valour was able to prevent the enemy advance until the wounded were removed from the immediate vicinity Warrant Officer Simpson's gallant and individual action and his coolness under fire were exceptional and were instrumental in achieving the successful evacuation of the wounded to the helicopter evacuation pad.
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company to its assistance. Disregarding the dangers involved, he placed himself at the front of his troops, thus becoming a focal point of enemy fire, and personally led the assault on the left flank of the enemy position. As the company moved forward, an
Australian warrant officer commanding one of the platoons was seriously wounded and the assault began to falter. Warrant Officer Simpson, at great personal risk and under heavy enemy fire, moved across open ground, reached the wounded warrant officer and carried him to a position of safety. He then returned to his company where, with complete disregard for his safety, he crawled forward to within ten metres of the enemy and threw grenades into their positions. As darkness fell, and being unable to break into the enemy position, Warrant Officer Simpson ordered his company to withdraw. He then threw smoke grenades and, carrying a wounded platoon leader, covered the withdrawal of the company together with five indigenous soldiers. His leadership and personal bravery in this action were outstanding.
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On 11th May 1969, in the same operation, Warrant
Officer Simpson's battalion commander was killed and an Australian Warrant Officer and several indigenous soldiers were wounded. In addition, one other Australian Warrant Officer who had been separated from the majority of his troops was contained in
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for his actions when a patrol was ambushed at Tako on 16 September. Simpson, although severely wounded in the leg, held off the enemy while he called for assistance by radio. He and his men repelled several enemy assaults until help arrived, and none too soon as their ammunition was almost gone and
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On 6 May 1969, Warrant Office
Simpson was serving as Commander of 232nd Mobile Strike Force Company of 5th Special Forces Group on a search and clear operation in Kontum Province, near the Laotion border. When one of his platoons became heavily engaged with the enemy, he led the remainder of his
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in Sydney, the third child of New South Wales-born parents Robert
William Simpson, labourer, and his wife Olga Maude, nÊe Montgomery. Olga deserted her husband and children about 1931. Ray was separated from his siblings and placed in the Church of England Home for Boys in
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Warrant
Officer Simpson's repeated acts of personal bravery in this operation were an inspiration to all Vietnamese, United States and Australian soldiers who served with him His conspicuous gallantry was in the highest tradition of the Australian
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Simpson took his final discharge from the army in May 1970. In 1972, he took up a position as administrative officer at the
Australian Embassy in Tokyo. He died of cancer in Tokyo on 18 October 1978 and was buried at the
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Warrant
Officer, Class 2, Rayene Stewart Simpson, DCM Warrant Officer Simpson enlisted initially in 1944 He has seen active service in the Pacific, Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam where he is now serving his third tour.
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HER Majesty The Queen has been graciously pleased to bestow the award of the
Victoria Cross upon the following member of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps For most conspicuous bravery.
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Demobilized in
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a year later for his third period of service with the AATTV, during which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He also received the United States
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Simpson was 43 years old, and a warrant officer class II in the AATTV, when he was awarded the Victoria Cross. On 6 May 1969, in
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on 21 January 1953. He married Shoko Sakai, a Japanese citizen, on 5 March 1952.
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as part of the prisoner of war camp garrison which had been reinforced after the
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On 16 May 1966, Simpson left the army for a second time, but re-enlisted in
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from October 1955 for the next two years. He was subsequently posted to
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667:"VICTORIA CROSS-Warrant Officer, Class 2, Rayene Stewart Simpson"
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of 28 August 1969, which announced Simpson's award reads:
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Australian recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal
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1st Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment (Commando)
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armed forces. Simpson received his award for actions in
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Rayene Stewart Simpson was born on 16 February 1926 at
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Australian military personnel of the Malayan Emergency
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on 5 August 1944. He was subsequently posted to the
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673:. National Library of Australia. 28 August 1969
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286:(16 February 1926 â 18 October 1978), was an
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841:Vietnam War recipients of the Victoria Cross
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643:(Supplement). 26 August 1969. p. 8873.
737:Simmo: A Biography of Ray Simpson, VC, DCM
692:Casualty Details â Simpson, Rayene Stewart
385:in January 1954, where he was promoted to
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816:Australian Army personnel of World War II
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368:3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
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739:. North Perth: Imprimatur Press.
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27:Australian soldier (1926â1978)
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846:Deaths from cancer in Japan
761:WOII R.S. SIMPSON, VC, DCM
735:Malone, Michael J. (2015).
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410:Distinguished Conduct Medal
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557:Melbourne University Press
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796:Australian Army soldiers
709:Wigmore, Lionel (1986).
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353:2/3rd Pioneer Battalion
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514:Yokohama War Cemetery
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224:Battle of Maryang San
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119:Yokohama War Cemetery
547:Brian Kelly (2002).
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635:"No. 44925"
438:Bronze Star
434:Silver Star
321:Carlingford
262:Bronze Star
257:Silver Star
236:Vietnam War
92:, Australia
69:Nickname(s)
43:Ray Simpson
34:Ray Simpson
780:Categories
703:References
364:Korean War
310:Early life
219:Korean War
126:Allegiance
83:1926-02-16
61:Birth name
415:Nha Trang
366:with the
153:1967â1970
151:1951â1966
149:1944â1947
129:Australia
764:Archived
562:21 April
522:Canberra
387:sergeant
376:corporal
134:Service/
677:5 April
316:Redfern
290:of the
109:, Japan
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430:Saigon
391:Malaya
245:Awards
136:branch
114:Buried
528:Notes
419:Tokyo
345:Cowra
325:Taree
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279:,
107:Tokyo
72:Simmo
741:ISBN
715:ISBN
679:2019
564:2014
500:Army
436:and
168:Unit
158:Rank
97:Died
77:Born
520:in
283:DCM
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