Victoria Cross Korea Keith Payne VC signed on his own VC George Cross cover. In May 1969 Payne was commanding the ...

Victoria Cross Korea Keith Payne VC signed on his own VC George Cross cover. In May 1969 Payne was commanding the 212th Company of the 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion, when it was attacked by a strong People's Army of Vietnam force near Ben Het Camp. The company was isolated and, surrounded on three sides, its Vietnamese troops began to fall back. At this point shrapnel from a grenade burst struck Payne, lodging in his skull, arms and hands; under heavy fire, Payne covered the withdrawal before organising his troops into a defensive perimeter. Disregarding his own serious wounds, he then returned to the battlefield and spent a further three hours, frequently under fire, searching for any remaining members of his unit. Payne located about 40 of his men, most of them wounded; he assisted some of the wounded himself and organised assistance for others, before leading the party back to base through an area now dominated by enemy forces. Payne's actions that night earned him the Victoria Cross (VC), which was gazetted on 19 September 1969. Good condition Est.