The Unit Citation for Gallantry is awarded to a unit for extraordinary gallantry in action. The award was introduced in 1991.
Battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral
The extraordinary gallantry displayed by members of the 1st Australian Task Force (Forward) and associated units deployed to Area of Operations Surfers during the Battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral from 12 May 1968 to 6 June 1968 has been recognised by the Unit Citation for Gallantry.
Cited units:
- 1st Australian Task Force (Forward)
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment
- A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment
- C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment
- 12th Field Regiment, Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
- 1st Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers.
Members of the below units who flew missions in direct support of the Battles, or who were forward deployed to the fire support bases, are also entitled to wear the Citation insignia:
- No 9 Squadron RAAF
- 161 Reconnaissance Flight.
The report on the Inquiry into unit recognition for service at the Battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral can be viewed on the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal website.
Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam
The extraordinary gallantry in action displayed by members of RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam in South Vietnam from October 1967 to June 1971 is being recognised by the Unit Citation for Gallantry.
The report on the Inquiry into Unit Recognition for the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam can be viewed on the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal website.
Design
The insignia of a Unit Citation for Gallantry is a gilt rectangular frame surrounding a deep green ribbon. The frame has a design of flames emanating from the outer edges of the frame to the centre.
Wearing
The actual citation is a warrant presented to the unit. Insignia are worn by individuals to denote their membership of a unit that has been awarded a citation. Personnel cannot be issued with the insignia until the authorised unit representative, normally the Commanding Officer, has been formally invested with the citation.
In the case of awards made in recognition of past conflicts, the insignia can be applied for, issued and worn following formal announcement of the Governor-General’s approval of the award in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette.
Personnel who were members of the unit when an award was made wear a Federation Star in the centre of the ribbon and continue to wear the insignia after leaving the unit.
Army and Air Force dress policy allows current serving personnel who are subsequently posted to the unit to wear the insignia without the Federation Star, but only while actually posted to the unit. Veterans of cited units, who were not serving with the unit at the time of the cited action, are not entitled to wear the insignia.
Members of uniformed services wear the insignia in accordance with the dress rules of their Service. In civilian dress serving and ex-serving personnel generally continue to wear these insignia in the same way as they are worn on uniform.
Further awards are recognised by the presentation of a further Certificate of Citation to the unit signed by the Governor-General. Only one insignia of each citation may be worn by a member of the unit. Only one Federation Star device is worn, irrespective of the number of awards made to units to which a member may be posted.
Source documents
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette Special S297 - 4 November 1991 (PDF, 216.66 KB)
Unit Citation Regulations Amendments of 13 July 2020 (PDF, 198.64 KB)