Vietnam War veterans and the South Vietnamese who helped them have lead Melbourne’s Anzac Day March for the first time, down St Kilda Road to the Shrine of Remembrance.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan – one of the defining chapters in Australia’s military history – in which 108 Australian troops defeated a Viet Cong force of more than 1500 soldiers.

Thousands of people lined the street to pay their respects to those who served in the defence forces.

Earlier, more than 40,000 people gathered in chilly conditions at the Shrine of Remembrance for the Anzac Day dawn service.

– TiVi Tuan-san