(1934-01-11)11 January 1934 Malvern, South Australia
Died
7 April 1967(1967-04-07) (aged 33) An Thuan, Hương Trà District, Thua Thien-Hue Province, South Vietnam
Buried
Terendak Garrison Cemetery
Allegiance
Australia
Service/branch
Australian Army
Years of service
1950–1967
Rank
Major
Unit
1st Field Regiment
4th Field Regiment
Australian Army Training Team Vietnam
Battles/wars
Vietnam War
Awards
Victoria Cross
Silver Star (United States)
Knight of the National Order of Vietnam
Peter John Badcoe, VC (11 January 1934 – 7 April 1967) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in battle that could be awarded at that time to a member of the Australian armed forces. Badcoe, born Peter Badcock, joined the Australian Army in 1950 and graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea, in 1952 as a second lieutenant in the Royal Australian Artillery. A series of regimental postings followed, including a tour in the Federation of Malaya in 1962, during which he spent a week in South Vietnam observing the fighting. During the previous year, Badcock had changed his surname to Badcoe. After another regimental posting, he transferred to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps, and was promoted to major.
In August 1966, Badcoe arrived in South Vietnam as a member of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam. He was initially a sub-sector adviser, but in December became the operations adviser for Thừa Thiên-Huế Province. In this role, between February and April 1967, he displayed conspicuous gallantry and leadership on three occasions while on operations with South Vietnamese Regional Force units. In the final battle, he was killed by machine-gun fire. He was highly respected by both his South Vietnamese and United States allies, and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions. He was also awarded the United States Silver Star and several South Vietnamese medals. He was buried at Terendak Garrison Cemetery in Malaysia.
In 2008, Badcoe's medal set was auctioned for A$ 488,000 to Kerry Stokes in collaboration with the Government of South Australia. After going on display at the South Australian Museum and touring regional South Australia, it is now displayed in the Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Buildings and awards have been named after Badcoe, including the rest and recreation centre in South Vietnam, an assembly room and library at Portsea, the main lecture theatre at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and a perpetual medal for an Australian Football League match held on Anzac Day; as well as the electoral district of Badcoe in the South Australian House of Assembly.
Peter John Badcoe, VC (11 January 1934 – 7 April 1967) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in battle that...
: 244 Within the compound was the PeterBadcoe Club, the 1 ATF in-country rest and recreation centre, named for PeterBadcoe, posthumous recipient of the Victoria...
battle of the West this Sunday". 4 June 2004. Retrieved 15 May 2015. PeterBadcoe VC Medal, Port Adelaide FC. Saints and Tigers to honour Stewart Wilson...
Samuel E. Anderson Bernard L. Austin Lloyd Austin William Brantley Aycock PeterBadcoe (two awards) John Bahnsen (five awards) Vernon Baker Robert H. Barrow...
amputee James Arness, actor Manny Babbitt, U.S. marine executed for murder PeterBadcoe, Victoria Cross, Australian Army Lex Barker, actor John Basilone, Marine...
Government, purchased the Victoria Cross medal set of Major PeterBadcoe for A$480,000. The Badcoe medals were on public display in the South Australian Museum...
Badcoe was projected to be notionally held by the Labor Party with a swing of 4.2% required to lose it.: Appendix 12 Badcoe is named after Peter John...
Rising Star Award: 2007 AFLPA Best First-Year Player Award: 2007 2× PeterBadcoe VC Medal: 2016, 2018 5× Geelong F.C. Most club votes in Brownlow Medal:...
73* 1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2013. Career highlights PeterBadcoe VC Medal 2010 round 5 Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com...
on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2013. "The Victoria Cross - Major PeterBadcoe" (PDF). South Australian Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on...
Team Vietnam Vietnam War 1965-11-1313 November 1965* Tra Bong, Vietnam PeterBadcoe Australian Army Training Team Vietnam Vietnam War 1967-02-2323 February...
ISBN 978-0-19-551784-2. Edwards, Peter. "Australian Government and the Involvement in the Vietnam War". Vietnam Generation. 3 (2): 16–25. Edwards, Peter (1992). Crises...
Adelaide F.C. Best Finals Player: 2005 West End Showdown Medal XXI: 2006 PeterBadcoe VC Medal 2007 round 5 SANFL Hall Of Fame Inductee: 2014 PAFC Hall of...
thrombosis is "very slight". 7 April – Australian military adviser Major PeterBadcoe is killed in action in Vietnam during an operation in Hương Trà District...
Cahill Medal (2007, 2008, 2010, 2012) 2x All-Australian Team (2005, 2007) PeterBadcoe VC Medal (Round 6, 2008) Port Adelaide Hall of Fame inductee (2019) 2x...
Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 4 November 2021. Silver Star Citation – PeterBadcoe, www.militarytimes.com Butler, Green & Stafford: London Gazette: (Supplement)...
Age Player of the Year Award: 2004 West End Showdown Medal XVI: 2004 PeterBadcoe VC Medal 2005 round 5 SANFL Hall of Fame Inductee 2012 Australian Football...
2012 3× All-Australian: 2003, 2005, 2009 AFL Rising Star nominee: 1999 PeterBadcoe VC Medal: 2009 Madden Medal: 2014 Australian Football Hall of Fame: 2020...
conflict (awarded to Warrant Officer Class Two Kevin Wheatley, Major PeterBadcoe, Warrant Officer Class Two Rayene Simpson and Warrant Officer Class Two...
Headquarters Training Command. During his Vietnam tour, a close friend, Major PeterBadcoe, was killed and subsequently posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross...
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