Michael J. (Mick) Malone
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (June 2025) |
Michael J. Malone | |
|---|---|
 Michael Malone on Nadzab Pad Nui Dat after being hauled out of the bush by hot extraction. Sep 1969. | |
| Born | 27 April 1947 Binnaway, New South Wales |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army (1966–1992) Australian Army Reserve (1993–2001) |
| Years of service | 1966–1992 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Service number | 217115 |
| Unit | Special Air Service Regiment (1967–1992) |
| Battles / wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Order of Australia Medal |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Relations |
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Michael John (Mick) Malone (born 27 April 1947) is an Australian former soldier, who served in the Australian Army from the age of nineteen until his retirement in 1992. Malone served with the Australian Special Air Service Regiment for the majority of his career, including a single tour of duty to the Vietnam War in 1969–70. In 1989, Malone was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to the Australian Army.
Early life, family and education
[edit]Malone was born on 27 April 1947 in Binnaway, New South Wales. He is the first child of Edmund (Ned) and Joyce Malone, and elder brother of Helen Ryan (née Malone).[1] He attended St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst for three years, from 1959 to 1963, and later attended St. Bernard’s College, Katoomba. Malone was a strong rugby union player and was elected Juvenile Captain of St. Charles House at St. Stanislaus.[2]: 1 On leaving school, Malone worked in the Dalgety woolstores in Darling Harbour before choosing to enlist in the army after reading an inspirational newspaper article about the gallantry of Australian soldiers at the Battle of Long Tan.[2]: 2
Military career and honours
[edit]Early career
[edit]Malone enlisted in the Australian Army in 1966 at age nineteen.[3] After completing basic training in Kapooka, he underwent initial employment training at the School of Infantry in Ingleburn.[1] While completing his training at Ingleburn, Malone was encouraged to apply for a place on the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) selection course to be held in Western Australia.[3] Malone was selected to SASR in 1967 and was posted to 3 Squadron at Campbell Barracks in Perth.[2]: 79
Vietnam
[edit]As Malone trained in preparation for deployment to Vietnam, he received news that his cousin, Peter Anthony Malone, had been killed in action in Vietnam.[2]: 120–121 Peter was the same age as Mick, and the two were very close: he had enlisted in the Australian Army at seventeen and was serving with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment in M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers. He was killed when the Armored Personnel Carrier he was commanding in Bien Hoa Province hit a landmine, on January 18, 1969.[4] Despite this, Malone chose to fulfil his commitment and deployed for Vietnam with 3 Squadron in February 1969. Malone served for twelve months with the Australian forces in Nui Dat, participating in numerous patrols as a signaler,[5] including several patrols where he came close to losing his life. [1][3][6]
Post war
[edit]Upon returning to Australia, Malone began immediate preparations to return to Vietnam as a patrol commander for his second tour, in 1971–72, but this plan was ruined with Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s announcement in July 1971 that he had called off Australia’s commitment in Vietnam.[2]: 209 With war out of the picture, Malone and the other members of the SAS turned their attention to preparation for future conflicts. Malone was instrumental in the establishment of the Special Air Service Regiment Vehicle Mounted Troop in the early 1970s,[2]: 211 and trained extensively in counter-terrorism, freefall parachuting, and water ops.[5] As his career progressed, Malone was gradually promoted: Lance Corporal in February 1971; Corporal in February 1972; Sergeant in May 1976; and Warrant Officer Class Two in December 1981.[2]: v In 1985, Malone was posted to the Royal Military College, Duntroon, to evaluate potential future troop commanders for the Special Air Service Regiment. In 1987, Malone was promoted to Warrant Officer Class One and was posted to 1st Commando Regiment (Australia) in Sydney, as Regimental Sergeant Major. In 1989, Malone was posted back to Canberra, where he served for two years with the Headquarters, Special Forces. It was here that Malone was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for service to the Australian Army.[2]: 318 In 1991, Malone was posted one final time, back to Perth, where he served as Second in Command with the Special Air Service Regiment Training Squadron. He was offered voluntary redundancy at the end of 1992, and chose to retire.[7]
Post army life
[edit]Immediately after retirement, Malone was offered the opportunity to manage the Army Museum of Western Australia and oversaw its relocation from Dilhorn House to its current location at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks.[2]: 337-338 Malone also founded Imprimatur Military Books,[8] an antiquarian mail-order military book business, which was one of the earliest commercial bookseller websites on the internet in 1993.[2]: 335 Malone sold Imprimatur Books in 2024 but maintains its publishing arm.[9]
Writing
[edit]In 1997, Malone assembled and edited SAS – A Pictorial History of the Australian Special Air Service, 1957-1997[10] as part of the SASR 40th anniversary celebrations.[2]: 341 Along with Peter Lutley, Malone wrote a biography of Australian Victoria Cross winner Ray Simpson, who he once met as a young soldier in Nui Dat.[2]: 155 The book, Simmo: A Biography of Ray Simpson, VC, DCM: One of Australia's Finest Soldiers,[11] was published in April 2015. In 2024, Malone published his memoir, Two Ranks On The Road, 35 Years of Australian Special Forces Service[2] to coincide with ANZAC Day 2024.[7][12][13][14] As of 2025, he is currently finalizing work on a second autobiography relating to his childhood, entitled Hail Mary, the Creek’s Up!, as well as a biography of Australian Victoria Cross winner Peter Badcoe.[7]
Personal life
[edit]Malone met his future wife, Joanne Blue, at a house party in 1974 and the two were married on April 19, 1975.[2]: 215–16 They had two children, Toby (born May 30, 1978) and Georgia (born December 29, 1979, died April 23, 2025[15]). He has two grandchildren, Cormac (born September 18, 2009) and Brigid (born January 13, 2012).[2]: 347
References
[edit][1] [2] [3] [6] [4] [5] [7] [8] [9] [12] [13] [14] [15]
- ^ a b c d "Michael Malone (Mick)". Australians at War Film Archive. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Malone, Mick. Two Ranks on the Road: 35 Years of Australian Special Forces Service". Memoir: Two Ranks on the Road. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d "When SAS Hero Thought His Time Was Up". The West Australian. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Remembering Pete" (PDF). Liverpool Regional Museum. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "SAS Legend Mick Malone". War Whispers: YouTube. 20 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b "(217115) Malone, Michael John (Private)". Australian War Memorial: An oral history of Australians in Vietnam. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d "I said to my family, I'm about to be a legend": Mick Malone reflects on his decorated career in the Australian Defence Force". ABC Radio Perth. 23 April 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Imprimatur Military Books". Imprimatur Military Books. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Malone's Last Catalogue". Imprimatur Military Books. 18 May 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ "SAS – A Pictorial History of the Australian Special Air Service, 1957-1997". Mick Malone. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "Simmo: A Biography of Ray Simpson, VC, DCM: One of Australia's Finest Soldiers". Mick Malone. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Volunteers for the Vietnam War". The Australian. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Two Ranks on the Road Media". mickmalone.com.au. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Mick Malone - Three Gates Media". Rare Air with Mari Fatin. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Vale Georgia Malone – exemplary arts leader, tireless advocate". ArtsHub. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.