A former New Zealand Vietnam war hero who was recently presented with a bravery award for saving the lives of Australian soldiers has died.

Morrie Stanley, 79, from Campbells Bay on Auckland's North Shore, died from cancer yesterday almost two months after being presented with an Australian Unit Citation for Gallantry, 44 years after the infamous battle of Long Tan in Vietnam in 1966.

The moving presentation at the Browns Bay RSA reduced the terminally ill Mr Stanley to tears.

He told NZPA he was stunned to get the award although he did not consider himself to be an emotional man.

Three New Zealand soldiers - Captain Stanley and lance bombardiers Willie Walker and Murray Broomhall - were attached to the 104 members of D Company, 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment when they were attacked in the rubber plantation of Long Tan by about 2500 North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong soldiers.

In the battle in the middle of a monsoon 17 Australian soldiers died and 23 were wounded but the Australians said had it not been for the skills of the Kiwis, the battle of Long Tan would probably have been lost and all the Australian soldiers killed.

The Kiwi trio directed artillery fire from 21 artillery guns from New Zealand, Australia and American units driving back the Vietnamese troops, leaving 245 dead.

Capt Stanley was in the thick of the action, directing artillery fire in torrential rain to land the artillery shells on the enemy soldiers within 30m of the Australian soldiers.

"It was like an exceptionally violent thunderstorm, supplemented by the crack of the rifles and machine gun fire and the noise of detonating shells - it really was bedlam," he told NZPA at the 40th anniversary commemoration of the battle in Sydney in 2006.

During the four-hour battle, more than 4000 artillery shells were fired from the 18 105mm pack howitzer artillery guns before the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers quietly slipped away.

Amid the chaos, Capt Stanley had to keep as calm as possible, he told NZPA at the 40th anniversary of the battle, in Sydney in 2006.

"And I had to override my dread that I would make a mistake."

Mr Stanley was later awarded a military MBE and a US Presidential Unit Citation.

In Australia, he is viewed as the Kiwi hero of Long Tan and the Australian War Memorial dedicated a special part of its Long Tan exhibition to recording his role.

After his army service he worked for the former Auckland Area Health Board.

Mr Stanley will be farewelled by family, friends and servicemen in a service next week, the Defence Force said tonight.