Centurion Mk 5/1 Main Battle Tank
The Centurion was the primary British and Australian main battle tank of the post-Second World War period. First used in Korea, subsequently Vietnam it was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades.
58 Centurions served in Vietnam; 42 suffered battle damage, and two Centurion tank crewmen were killed in action.
The Memorial's example saw service with 1 Armoured Regiment in South Vietnam at the beginning of June 1969, and took part in the Battle for Binh Ba on 6 June. On
'A tank in action is not a piece of engineering, it is the beating heart of its crew'
Bruce Cameron was only 22 years old when he commanded the last troop of tanks in action in Vietnam and was awarded the Military Cross for his courage and leadership during the war.
Image: Centurion tank of C Squadron 1st Armoured Regiment (1AR) RAAC .
Operation Overlord
The 53-tonne Centurion tanks were smashing their way through the jungle when there was a small ‘puff’ of white smoke, just above ground level.
For a split second, Bruce Cameron was reminded of what can happen when a tank crushes a rock. But then he heard the bang.
Image: Vietnam. June 1971. A Centurion tank moving through the jungle during Operation Overlord.