Britains Small Wars - Vietnam (!962-1975)

[spidge]

Read more here: http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Vietnam/index.htm

Britains Small Wars - Vietnam (!962-1975)

Britain and the Commonwealth in Vietnam
1945 and 1962 - 1975 It is generally thought that Britain took no part in the conflict. But after many requests from regular visitors to this web site, we have started to collect information on the Commonwealths, and Britain's involvement in Vietnam. As you can imagine, information on this subject is very hard to find and most of the pages below deal with Commonwealth forces in Vietnam.


The Commonwealth at War The Commonwealth at War-Vietnam Whereas Britain had no official or direct military involvement in Vietnam, the countries of the Commonwealth, in particular Australia and New Zealand, participated under American command during the war. Australian and New Zealand SAS took part in infiltration operations and Commonwealth army units fought alongside the Americans in the jungle battles. The reasons for the Australian and New Zealand involvement were that by virtue of the ANZUS and SEATO agreements they felt duty bound to assist the South Vietnamese government. Australian Prime Minister Menzies also believed that taking a stand in South Vietnam would enhance Australia's security. He, like others, subscribed to the 'domino theory', which stated that if South Vietnam fell, so would Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, one after another. Australian troops were committed in May 1962, when 30 military instructors, the vanguard of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) were sent. In May 1965, New Zealand entered the Vietnam War alongside Australia, a New Zealand artillery battery was sent to serve alongside US and Australian forces in Vietnam. In April 1967, Victor Company of the New Zealand Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel B M Poananga, headed for Vietnam aboard RNZAF Bristol freighters from Terandak, via Singapore. The Company served with the 1st Australian TAsk Force, under the command of 6th Royal Australian Regiment then 2nd Royal Australian Regiment. The Company left Vietnam in November 1967.
Following the V Company's tour, W Company took over. The ANZAC battalion was formed in March 1968.
Alongside the artillery battery and infantry commitment was the NZSAS, and in 1970 the New Zealand forces began to withdraw, W company going first in November 1970 followed by the NZSAS in February 1971 and the artillery battery in May. V Company and the NZ services medical team withdrew with the 1st Australian Task Force in December 1971 ending New Zealand's Combat commitment.
The election of a Labour government in New Zealand in December 1972 led to the withdrawal of the New Zealand training teams in Vietnam as one of their first acts in office.
In April 1970, the Australian government announced it was withdrawing a battalion from Vietnam. The last Australian troops left Vietnam on 8th December 1972.
The Vietnam war saw thousands of Canadians volunteer for service in the US armed forces, although there was no offical Canadian military involvement, Canada did provide medical and economic assistance to South Korea. Canada also contributed a Hospital ship at some point during teh conflict.