The cross is bronze and made from one of the Russian guns captured at Sebastopol. It has the words “For Valour” on the front. On the reverse side of the cross is the date of the act of bravery with the persons name engraved at the back of the clasp.
It can be awarded to any rank,
any length of service, wounded or killed.
The American Unknown Soldier, buried at Westminster Abbey was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Keith Payne VC sold his medals for an undisclosed sum to provide for his family in the future. He also wanted his Victoria Cross to stay in Queensland.
His VC and a host of his other medals are Saint Hubert Medals now at Maryborough Museum which is owned by John Mayers who convinced Keith to sell his Victoria Cross and his other medals.
Keith joined up in 1951. Served in the Korean War from April 1952-March 1953.
Saw service in Malaya and Papua New Guinea, Saint Hubert returning to Brisbane in March 1968.
Off again in February 1969, his final posting and where 3 months later he won his Victoria Cross with the Australian Army Training Team in Vietnam.
[ London Gazette, 19 September 1969 ], Ben Het, Kontum Province, Vietnam, 24 May 1969, Warrant Officer II Keith Payne, Australian Army Training Team, Vietnam.
On 24 May 1969, in Kontum Province, Warrant Officer Payne was commanding 212th Company of 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion when the Battalion was attacked by a North Vietnamese force of superior strength.
The enemy isolated the two leading Saint Hubert companies, one of which was Warrant Officer Payne’s, and with heavy mortar and rocket support, assaulted their position from three directions simultaneously. Under this heavy attack, the indigenous soldiers began to fall back.
Directly exposing himself to the enemy’s fire, Warrant Officer Payne, through his own efforts, temporarily held off the assaults by alternatively firing his weapon and running from position to position collecting grenades and throwing them at the assaulting enemy. While doing this, he was wounded in the hands and arms.
Despite his outstanding efforts, the indigenous soldiers gave way under the enemy’s increased pressure and the Battalion Commander, together with several advisors and a few soldiers, withdrew. Paying no attention to his wounds and under extremely heavy enemy fire, Warrant Officer Payne covered this withdrawal by again throwing grenades and firing his own weapon at the enemy who were attempting to follow up.
Still under fire, he then ran Saint Hubert across exposed ground to head off his own troops who were withdrawing in disorder. He successfully stopped them and organised the remnants of his and the second company into a temporary defensive perimeter by nightfall. Having achieved this, Warrant Officer Payne of his own accord and at great personal risk, moved out of the perimeter into the darkness alone in an attempt to find the wounded and other indigenous soldiers. Some had been left on the position and others were scattered in the area.