Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Corporal James Francis “Gabby” Hayes was born in Goulburn NSW on 24th November 1939 enlisting in the Australian Regular Army in the early 1960s, allocated to the Infantry Corps and posted to 3 RAR. His nickname was possibly derived from the Hollywood actor who co-starred with western movie hero “Roy Rogers”.
“Gabby” deployed with 3 RAR to Terendak Barracks, Malacca, Malaysia in late 1963. He saw active service on the Malay Peninsula and in Sarawak during the Indonesian Confrontation as a member of 3 Platoon, A Company. On return to Australia Hayes volunteered and was posted to 1st Australian Reinforcement Unit in Vietnam from 13th June 1966 to 11th December 1966.

On his return to Australia he was taken on strength with 7RAR for the forthcoming tour of Vietnam being posted to 3 Platoon, A Coy, 7RAR – the same Platoon he left in 3RAR.
“Gabby” was a section commander in A Company during the Battle of Suoi Chau Pha on 6 August 1967. In the opening shots of the engagement, two sections were leaderless within minutes, ‘Lofty’ Aylett was shot leading his men into action, and ‘Gabby’ Hayes, taking cover at the head of his men behind a log which unfortunately lay the wrong way, receiving a direct burst from a machine gun not ten yards away.’ Two section commanders dead, a dozen men wounded, and platoon commander Rod Smith was in trouble. A shot for shot battle commenced.
Private Des Burley, the machine gunner in Corporal Hayes’s 3 Section of 1 Platoon, (who was later wounded) said: "The bravest act that I saw in Vietnam was Gabby Hayes so intent on making sure that his section was down on the ground in firing position that he left himself completely exposed to enemy fire. He never fired a shot; he was riddled
with machine gun bullets. My thoughts then were; what a waste of a great leader."
Coincidentally, this was on the eve of the anniversary of the 7th Infantry Battalion’s heroic stand at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.
Later Lt Col Smith said of him, ‘He died leading his men into action. He was a very fine soldier who was an inspiration to his men’.
In his will “Gabby” made the 7RAR Sergeants’ Mess a beneficiary on the condition it be expended on a toast to infantrymen on the Battalion’s birthday by mess members and assembled Battalion corporals. The Sergeants’ Mess chose to purchase a silver tray and have it inscribed with the “Gabby Hayes” story. In return the Mess displayed the tray and funded the toast each year in perpetuity. Additionally Corporal Hayes also set aside money to buy a trophy for competition at indoor sports between the sergeants and corporals of 7RAR.

Information courtesy of 7RAR Association Website