Sergeant Ronald Thomas Carroll, 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
Australian War MemorialRonald Thomas Carroll was born on 17 December 1936 in Moree, New South Wales, to Thomas and Edna Carroll. The family moved to Grafton when Carroll was young and he attended the local school before becoming an apprentice painter and signwriter.
On 25 June 1956, aged 19, he enlisted in the Australian Regular Army for a six-year term. Following basic training he was posted to the Ordnance Corps as a storeman.
Wanting to do more, Carroll requested a transfer to infantry. After training as a rifleman, he was posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, on 11 July 1957, and detached for duty with 3RAR.
In October, Carroll was posted to Western Australia for a parachuting course, which he passed and joined 1 Special Air Service Company. He was promoted to temporary corporal in July.
While posted to the SAS in Perth, he met Jennifer Ward-Hughes. They married on 2 April 1960 in Geraldton and had three sons and two daughters.
Carrol was posted as an instructor to Kapooka in January 1960 and was promoted to sergeant. He returned to 3RAR in May 1962 and re-enlisted for a second six-year term.
The battalion deployed to Malaysia in August 1963 and Carroll’s family were able to travel with him. Over the next two years the battalion was involved in the Indonesian Confrontation and patrolled into Indonesian territory, at times clashing with Indonesian regular forces. Carroll was made acting sergeant on several occasions during the deployment.
The battalion returned to South Australia in 1965. On New Year’s Day 1967, Carroll was made a sergeant. That year, 3RAR was trained for service in Vietnam and the battalion was brought up to strength with national servicemen. It embarked aboard HMAS Sydney on 16 December 1967, arriving in Vung Tau, Vietnam.
In June 1968, with his service about to expire, Carroll re-enlisted for a three-year term. The following month, 1RAR and 3RAR were deployed on Operation Platypus in the Hat Dich area, the objective of which was to disrupt enemy operations, particularly those of D445 Battalion.
On 4 August, 3RAR located an enemy base camp. Following a preparatory artillery strike, D Company moved to assault the camp.
During the advance, Carroll, who was directing the right–hand section of 10 Platoon into fire positions, was shot in the chest. The round punctured one of his lungs.
Despite all efforts, he died of his wounds not long afterwards.
Carroll was 31 years old.
His remains were initially laid to rest in Terendak War Cemetery, Malaysia.
In June 2016, the remains of 33 Australians buried in Terendak were repatriated to Australia. Sergeant Carroll was laid to rest in the Perth War Cemetery with full military honours.
Michael Kelly, Historian, Military History Section
Image: Krokong, Borneo. 1965-05. 14208 Sergeant Ronald T. Carroll and 215627 Private Neil Brown, 'A' Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR). (Donor N. Brown)
