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Service started: early 1967
Unit(s): 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
Service ended: Oct 1968
Paul Richard Peter van Rijsewijk was born on 28th November 1946 in post-war Surrey, England, United Kingdom. [1][2] Van Rijsewijk is of Dutch origin.
His family migrated to Western Australia, settling in East Victoria Park.
Paul obtained employment as a sales clerk. [3]
Paul was 'called up' for National Service in the Australian Army. Upon completion of his basic training he was allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. Paul deployed to South Vietnam on 28th December 1967 with 2 Platoon A Company 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. He helped to man his section's M-60 machine gun. Displaying leadership potential, he attained the junior non-commissioned rank of Lance Corporal. [1]
Aged 21 years, he was killed in action on 19th October 1968 during Operation Capital in the north-eastern Thua Tich district of Phuoc Tuy Province. Despite being wounded Paul, and James Thomson, maintained suppressing fire to keep the stronger Viet Cong unit at bay. They both paid the supreme sacrifice. Paul's remains were repatriated to Western Australia and interred in the Anglican Portion of Karrakatta Cemetery. Paul Richard Peter Van Rijsewijk's name is located at panel 5 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial and on the Australian National Vietnam Memorial, both in Canberra, and on the Western Australia Garden of Remembrance. [4]
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: 5715180 Lance Corporal Paul Richard Peter van Rijsewijk; accessed 19 Jun 2026
- ↑ record of birth is yet to be located on UK FreeBMD
- ↑ Virtual War Memorial Australia; accessed 19 Jun 2026
- ↑ Australian War Memorial roll of honour: 5715180 Lance Corporal Paul Richard Peter van Rijsewijk; accessed 19 Jun 2026