Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Richard Lippett SBStJ, RFD, ED, MBBS, B Sc, PhD, FRACMA, MIAO, RAN, PMF, AFV, ANARE, MDA

Richard was born in Rose Park, South Australia, on  22nd May 1928, eldest son of Leonard Walter Lippett, of London, England, and Lila Rose Ann (nee Turner) of Penola, South Australia. He had a younger brother, Brian Lippett, born in 1929; he served in the Navy.

Leonard was a member of the Police Special Branch, the primary point of liaison between South Australian Police and ASIO, the Federal Government’s Counter Intelligence Organisation.

Richard – ‘Dick’ Lippett attended school in Renmark, then went to Kings College and was a boarder there from 1944-1945, since his family lived in Renmark. He was House Prefect 1945, played hockey 1944 to 1945, was in the swimming and athletics teams, Captain in 1945, on the Magazine Committee 1945, King’s paper sub-editor 1945, and also a Scout Patrol Leader for the Kangaroo Patrol in 1945.

Lippett then attended Duntroon 1946 to 1947, but was discharged for medical reasons, went to Prince Alfred College (PAC) to matriculate in 1948, and was in the PAC Cadet unit that year.

Lippett went  on to Adelaide University to study for a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) 1949-1956.  While studying at Adelaide University he lived at St Mark’s College 1949-1951, and at St Mark’s Lippett rowed for the First Eight.

On 23 April 1952 Lippett married Helen Courtenay Kempe at Kensington and they had three children: Susan, Mark and Michael.

From 2 February 1953 to 21 January 1957 Lippett was involved with the Australian Citizen Military Force (ACMF), and on 15 December 1953 was appointed as a Lieutenant (Probationary) to 14th Infantry Battalion (Active Citizen Military Forces) 4th Military District. On 7th November 1955 he was promoted to Captain (temporarily) and resigned 21 January 1957. Lippett served as a Surgeon in the Royal Australian Navy from 25 January 1957 to 24 January 1959 and had several overseas deployments aboard ship.

Lippett was conferred MBBS in March 1957 and had various medical appointments, including significant appointments with SRMO Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1960, and Registrar Brisbane General Hospital 1961 to 1962.

Lippett then went to Mawson, Antarctica, as Second in Charge of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition 1962 to 1964, as well as being the doctor and dentist.  When a blizzard buried their tent during an ill-fated three-man expedition near Mawson Base, Lippett suffered frostbite and subsequently had to amputate three finger tips of his right hand after being forced to dig himself and his companions out of the snow.  This ended him being a surgeon.

After returning from Antarctica, Lippett worked for the SA Department of Community Welfare Medical Officers. Lippett was divorced, but re-married, to Elma Nellie Davidson at Adelaide on 31 May 1966 and they had two daughters; Kirsten and Elissa.

Lippett’s life-long interest in military matters resulted in his enlistment into the CMF, with regimental service number 421603, and activity as Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) with 3RAR, at Woodside.  An opportunity to experience active service with the battalion came when it was required to serve in South Vietnam as part of the First Australian Task Force (1ATF) in late 1967.

For this deployment, Lippett went to full-time duty.  Dick Lippett was proactive, and it was not in his nature to wait patiently for casualties to be brought to him, but went to the scene of action.  This was against the battalion operating procedures, which recognised the value to the unit of a highly trained doctor, and the need to reduce the possibility of him becoming a casualty and so requiring a replacement.  Lippett had to be reminded of this several times by his commanding officer, Lt.Col. Jim Shelton MC.

Lippett went to Vietnam in December 1967, and soon was known by the media as the “Bullet Proof Doctor” because he insisted on treating wounded under fire.  Soon after arriving he was winched four times from a hovering helicopter into a heavily mined field to treat wounded soldiers.

Lippett was wounded in action twice on the morning of Sunday 18 February 1968, when instructed to go to some casualties.  Lippett was unaccompanied as the situation was hazardous, was wounded by shrapnel from an RPG rocket explosion, and his pack and medical gear were hit by machinegun fire. Lippett received two bullet burns, derangement of his right knee, fragments in his body and a minor wound to the right side of his head. As there was no Medical Officer available to replace him he remained on duty.

On “Operation Pinnaroo”, Lippett was stationed on the Horseshoe terrain feature – part of the caldera of an extinct volcano - and by direction from his Commanding Officer was flown to the mine casualties. Lippett usually went through a cleared path to them, but on three occasions he was dropped into uncleared areas near the casualties and, after treating them,  waited to have a path cleared for him to go out. 

Lippett was involved in 3RAR’s other operations, “Balaklava”, ”Bordertown”, and “Coburg”. Casualties were suffered in each of these, and Lippett’s experience was broadened by activity in different situations. 

The most intense large-scale actions fought by the Australians were in May and June 1968, by 1RAR and 3RAR, in defence of the then capital city of South Vietnam, Saigon, against North Vietnamese Army (NVA) regiments. 

As part of “Operation Toan Thang”, the Australian battalions moved into the assigned area and established Fire Support Bases – locations from which units operated into a local area.   The order of arrival was to be 1RAR, artillery, and 3RAR on 12 May 1968.  However, the planned move was disrupted as a result of the refusal by a US helicopter pilot, with the battalion commanders aboard to reconnoitre the proposed landing zones, to fly lower than 4,000 feet (1,300 m) for fear of ground fire.  What looked like small shrubs from 1,300 metres above were actually saplings that made helicopter landings impossible? 

There then was some confusion on arrival, and the helicopter units were operating to a set program involving many other units and flights, so the Aussies were put down onto nearby locations and left to cope.  This they did in true Aussie fashion in the face of difficulties. 

However, the aggressive enemy attacked the first FSB, ‘Coral’, on the first night.  Lippett and other elements of 3RAR were at ‘Coral’ during the attack.

3RAR then moved to FSB ‘Coogee’ and later to FSB ‘Balmoral’.  On the morning of Sunday 26 May the position was assaulted by a NVA unit.  Under machinegun and small arms fire, the battalion 2IC helped Lippett with the casualties, over twenty in number.  Treatment had to be given above ground, as there were no dug-in positions in which to place the wounded.  Lippett and his medical orderlies had no cover during this action.

The North Vietnamese Army launched a regimental attack early on the morning of 28 May. This attack was beaten off and later in the morning Lippett was instructed to treat NVA casualties.

Prisoners had been taken and gathered, but the situation in front of the 3RAR position was not settled at the time.  Lippett walked to several wounded NVA soldiers to one side of the prisoners, but to one side saw a partly concealed NVA soldier with an AK47.  As he had not seen Lippett, who was to one side and behind him, Lippett walked up and took away the AK47.

Shortly after this Lippett became engaged in a personal firefight with another NVA and was wounded in the head, and had one ear drum destroyed, causing loss of hearing, his left ankle was penetrated causing some disability, minor wounds on the left knee and at various other sites.  This was the second time he had been wounded in action.

There was some discontent at 3RAR headquarters, as Lippett was not to go outside the wire defences of ‘Balmoral’, but wait for the NVA to be brought in. 

Lippett spent some time in 93 Evacuation Hospital, 1 Australian Field Hospital, was evacuated from South Vietnam and sent home to Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, SA.

Lyndon Johnson the United States President at the time Lippett went to Vietnam called him and congratulated Lippett for all his hard work and thanked him for what he was doing and for being the “Bullet Proof Doctor”. The President also told Lippett he was dinning out on the Bullet Proof Doctor’s stories.

After his Vietnam War service, Lippett served as a Major in 3 General Hospital and was heavily involved in the CMF and Army Reserve, while his ‘day job’ was with the Department for Community Welfare Medical Officers.

Lippett’s military service was wide-ranging, reflecting the man’s personality, and included voyages with the Royal Australian Navy and active service with the Australian Army/Citizen Military Force (ACMF) from 2 February 1962 to 21 May 1983. In addition to his Vietnam service medals and CMF awards, Lippett was granted approval to wear the Infantry Combat Badge in recognition of his service with 3RAR.  It is unusual for members of Corps other than Infantry to be recognised with award of this badge.

In 1983 Lippett was awarded a PhD. from Donsbach University California for work on “The Place of Orthomolecular Medicine in the Treatment of Schizophrenia”.

Lippett was involved in a broad spectrum of community services. In the St John Ambulance Brigade, he was first a Divisional Surgeon, then a Corps Surgeon and in 1985 was appointed a Serving Brother of St John. Lippett was a member of the Returned Servicemen’s League and served as President of the Burnside Branch from 1981 to 1984.

Near the end of his life he enjoyed the recreation of yachting, as a member of the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron.

Unfortunately at aged 57 Lippett suffered a heart attack at home and died on 3 April 1986 leaving a widow and five children.

Lippett was a person ahead of his time.

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