Remains of two Diggers found in Vietnam

The remains of the last two Australian servicemen missing from the Vietnam War have
been found in the wreckage of their crashed bomber.
An RAAF search team, which has been excavating the crash site near the Vietnam
border with Laos, found human remains which have been identified as pilot Flying
Officer Michael Herbert, 24, from Glenelg, South Australia, and navigator Pilot
Officer Robert Carver, 24, from Toowoomba, Queensland.
Both died when their Canberra bomber crashed while returning from a mission on
November 3, 1970.
Defence Personnel Minister Greg Combet said the recovery team found human remains
near the crash site. The remains were taken to Hanoi where Vietnamese and Australian
forensic specialists made identifications.
"Relatives of the two crew members have been advised of the discovery and air force
will continue to keep them updated," Mr Combet said, adding that the airmen gave
their lives in the service of their nation.
"I hope finding the remains of the airmen will bring some comfort to the families."
When Australia withdrew the last combat units from Vietnam at the end of 1971, the
bodies of six Australians remained behind - four soldiers lost in three separate
incidents plus the two airmen.
The discovery of the bodies of Lance Corporal Richard Parker and Private Peter
Gillson in 2007 by the organisation Operation Aussies Home sparked renewed official
interest in finding and repatriating Australia's Vietnam missing.
The remains of Lance Corporal John Gillespie were recovered in 2007, followed by the
discovery of Lance Corporal John Fisher last year.
That left only the remains of the two airmen, always regarded as the most difficult
to retrieve because there was little idea where their aircraft crashed.
But in April, a search conducted by the army history unit found wreckage in thick
jungle on a hillside in remote Quang Nam province, near the border with Laos.
Invaluable assistance had been provided by a number of former North Vietnamese and
Vietcong soldiers and their commanders, as well as many local villagers.
"Their compassion and commitment to assisting this vital mission is greatly
appreciated," Mr Combet said.
A timetable for the repatriation of the airmen's remains is yet to be agreed between
the Australian and Vietnamese governments.
Families of the two men will decide arrangements for their funerals and burial in
Australia.