"Next day [11April 1968], the company suffered an even more damaging blow. At 2.30pm a 1 Platoon patrol detonated a jumping jack mine while walking down a tank track made the previous day. The explosion killed Private Bill Awatere and an Australian soldier; it badly wounded another W Company soldier and four others. For men already unsettled by the danger posed by mines, this tragedy proved most upsetting." (McGibbon 2010 p371)

William was the 14th of 21 children, and the nephew of World War Two hero Lieutenant Colonel Arapeta Awatere MC DSO, commander of the 28th (Māori) Battalion in Italy.

William joined the New Zealand Army in the mid-1960s and was posted to 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment in Malaysia.

He deployed to South Vietnam as part of Whiskey 1 Company, 2 RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Battalion in December 1967.

William was killed during Operation Cooktown Orchid, with Whiskey 1 Company tasked with helping clear the area between the coast and the Song Ba Dap River to the north, with support from tanks and armoured personnel carriers.

In an attempt to clear mines from the barrier mine field an Engineer Combat Team took operational control, but three soldiers were wounded by an IED on 10 April.

The following day the company tried to clear the way with tanks "dragging heavy steel beams to designed to detonate the mines, commenced the mine clearing, although due to damage to the tanks, the operation was ended the same day."

Unfortunately, on 12 April the company triggered an M16 mine. Private Awatere was killed by shrapnel to the face and chest, and 5 other soldiers were wounded.

William's body was returned to New Zealand and he was buried in Ruatoria. The final resting place of a brave Kiwi soldier. Lest we forget.

References:

Tony Howell, Vietnam ANZACs: Australians and New Zealanders in the Vietnam War, John Douglas Publishing: Waikanae, NZ, 2021, p.118.