Australian Order of Battle for Vietnam 1962-1972

Copyright © 1996 Brian Ross. Non-commercial distribution for educational purposes permitted if document is unaltered. Any commercial use, or storage in any commercial BBS is strictly prohibited without written consent.

Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Brisbane

2 Tours: 20 Mar 69 -13 Oct 69, Mar 71-15 Oct 71

Together with other Australian destroyers, HMAS Brisbane provided Naval Gunfire Support (NGFS) along the South Vietnamese coast. Her second deployment was the last combat tour of a RAN destroyer.

HMAS Perth

3 Tours:  2 Sep 67 - 10 Apr 68, 14 Sep 68 - 20 Apr 69, 14 Sep 70 - 8 Apr 71

On 18 Oct 67, during her first deployment, Perth was hit by an artillery shell which penetrated one deck. In her six-month deployment HMAS Perth came under fire four times and was the only Australian ship hit by enemy fire.

HMAS Hobart

3 Tours:  7 Mar 67 - 27 Sep 67, 22 Mar 68 -11 Oct 68, 6 Mar 70 -17 Oct 70

Between 1967 and 1971, Australian destroyers were attached to the United States Seventh fleet for six-month tours of duty. HMAS Hobart was the first Australian destroyer deployed. During her second deployment to Vietnam, Hobart was accidentally attacked by US aircraft. The ship was damaged and two Australians were killed. During her second deployment Hobart was under fire on three occasions. The deployment was mainly involved in NGFS in support of a joint Australian/ARVN sweep between the Long Hai hills and the coastline.

HMAS Vendetta

15 Sep 69 -11 Apr 70

HMAS Vendetta was the only Australian-built warship to serve in Vietnam and was the first Australian Daring Class destroyer to see active service. During her one deployment, Vendetta steamed 39,558 miles and fired more than 13,000 shells.

Clearance Diving Team 3

6 Feb 67 - 11 Apr 71

In early 1967 a team of one officer and five sailors known as Clearance Diving Team 3 formed for service in Vietnam. The team was assigned to Vung Tau Harbour defence between Feb 67 and Aug 70, and was then stationed at Da Nang until Apr 71 when the unit was withdrawn from Vietnam. Eight contingents saw service in Vietnam.

RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam

16 Oct 67 - 14 Jun 71

On 16 Oct 67 eight RAN helicopter pilots and support staff joined the US Army 135th Assault Helicopter Company in Vietnam. The RAN contingents served with the Americans till 1971. The RAN pilots flew their last mission on 8 Jun 71 and the experiment of a mixed Australian Navy and American Army helicopter unit had been successful.

RAN Detachment 9 Squadron RAAF

Jun 66 - May 69

The RAN Detachment of 9 Squadron RAAF comprised eight Fleet Air Arm pilots operating in direct support of the 1st Australian Task Force. Australian Force Logistic Support All three Australian services provided logistic support to Australian forces in Vietnam.

HMAS Sydney

May 65 -11 Mar 72

The troop transport HMAS Sydney was the first RAN ship to have operational service in Vietnam. She completed 22 voyages in 7 years.

Also serving with HMAS Sydney were:

Detachment of 725 Squadron  (8 April - 19 June 1967) and
Detachment of 817 Squadron (1 December 1967 - 16 February 1968,  26March 1968  -  26 April 1968, 18 May 1968 - 16 June 1968 and circa 28 October 1968 - 6 December 1968)2

HMAS Jeparit

9 Jun 66 -15 Mar 72

Formerly the Australian National Line cargo ship - MV Jeparit. She completed 43 voyages to Vietnam carrying military supplies and civil aid cargoes. She was commissioned into the RAN on  11 Dec 69 and paid off on 15 Mar 72.

HMAS Boonaroo

May 66

Formerly the Australian National Line cargo ship - MV Boonaroo, was commissioned into the RAN 1 Mar 67 and paid off 8 May l967. She completed 2 voyages to Vietnam.

RAN Medical Officers

Thirteen RAN RANR and RANVR served in Vietnam. Some served on the Australian destroyers and others with the 1st Australian Field Hospital and with the US Army and Naval Hospitals.

RAN Chaplains

Fleet Chaplains attended to the spiritual needs of RAN, and allied servicemen in Vietnam.

Army

Australian Force Vietnam (AFV)

The function of Headquarters was the administrative command of all Australian forces in Vietnam. Initially, it was headquarters for Army units. From May l966, as the other services assumed an operational role in Vietnam, it included both Navy and RAAF components. The total strength was approximately 250.

1 Australian Task Force (1ATF)

HQ 1 ATF commanded the Task Force. The Task Force included infantry battalions, an artillery regiment, an armoured squadron, a cavalry squadron, and other supporting arms and services. Approximately 200 staff at Headquarters planned and controlled operations. HQ 1 ATF was located at Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy Province between Apr 66 and Dec 71.

Australian Logistic Support Company1

This unit was a part of the 1 RAR Group that deployed to Vietnam on 25 May 1965 and it was redesignated as 1 ALSG on 6 April 1966 .  See next entry for information about 1 ALSG.

1 Australian Logistic Support Group (1 ALSG)

The role of 1 ALSG was to command logistic support units. HQ also commanded seven detachments of logistic support elements with a total strength of 149. Upon the establishment of the 1st Australian Task Force at Nui Dat on 1 Apr 66, 1 ALSG was raised at Vung Tau. HQ 1 ALSG commanded 19 units and sub-units, with a total strength of 1015. Units under command of HQ 1 ALSG provided logistic support to all Australian forces in SVN, including the RAAF and RAN.

Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV)

1962-1972

On 24 May 62 the Minister for Defence, Mr. Townley, announced that up to 30 military advisers were to be sent to Vietnam.  This announcement preceded the formation of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam, which arrived in Saigon on 3 Aug 62.  For the next 10 years members were rotated through the team for a 12-month tour of duty.  The team was withdrawn from Vietnam and disbanded on 19 Dec 72.   As the war progressed team members were gradually spread throughout South Vietnam and into the Mekong Delta.  In 70 the team began to concentrate in Phuoc Tuy Province to the east of Saigon, and by 72 the entire team was located there.

The Primary role of the team was to provide training to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) but by 1964 emphasis had shifted to advising South Vietnamese field units, para military forces and Special Forces.  In some cases team members commanded units rather than advised.   In 1970 the team reverted to its original role of training.

The AATTV became the most highly decorated Australian unit ever, its decorations including four VCs , two DSOs, three OBEs, six MBEs, six MCs, 20 DCMs, 49 MIDs as well as numerous other Australian and foreign decorations.  The unit was awarded the United States Meritorious Unit Citation and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. AATTV members participated in almost all major battles involving the ARVN in 1 Corps from 1964 to 1970.  Of the 990 who served with AATTV, 33 died on active service in South Vietnam and 122 were wounded in action. Ten members of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment served with the team.

Royal Australian Armoured Corps

Royal Australian Artillery

Royal Australian Engineers

Royal Australian Survey Corps

Royal Australian Signal Corps

Royal Australian Infantry

Australian Army Aviation Corps

Australian Intelligence Corps

Royal Australian Army Service Corps (RASC)

Bien Hoa

Vung Tau

Nui Dat

Royal Australian Army Medical Corps (RAAMC)

Royal Australian Army Dental Corps

33 Dental Unit May 66 - Mar 72

Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps

5 May 67 - 25 Nov 71

43 members of the RAANC served in Vietnam with 1st Australian Field Hospital and 8th Field Ambulance

Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps

HQ 2 Company Ordnance Depot (Type A)1
1 Apr 66 - 15 Nov 67 - redesignated 2 AOD includes the following subunits:

Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 65-71

Citizens Military Forces Observers

Army Public Relations Service

Royal Australian Air Force

The first RAAF operational unit to see service in Vietnam, the RAAF transport flight, arrived in Aug 64 with six Caribou aircraft.  The unit was redesignated as No. 35 Squadron on 1 Jun 66. The Squadron left Vietnam in Feb 72. No.9 Squadron Apr 66 - Nov 71 No.9 Squadron, equipped with Iroquois helicopters was allotted to the 1st Australian Task Force. No. 2 Squadron Apr 67 - Jun 71 The third and last RAAF operational squadron to serve in Vietnam was No.2 Squadron. It returned to Australia in Jun 71, 13 years after having left Australia from Darwin en route to Butterworth, Malaysia.   RAAF Members also served with the United States Air Force 64 - 72.   RAAF fighter pilots were given the opportunity of serving in Vietnam as Forward Air Controllers.  In addition to duty as FACs, six fighter pilots also saw service in American phantom squadrons in Vietnam.

RAAF Nursing Service MEDEVAC Flight)

RAAF nurses tended the wounded on the medical evacuation aircraft which transported them from Vietnam to Australia usually via Malaysia.

RAAF Chaplains

RAAF Chaplains attended to the spiritual needs of RAAF personnel as well as Australian and US troops.

Civilian and Philanthropic

Red Cross

The Australian Red Cross contributed a welfare worker who was based at Vung Tau.

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army maintained the Red Shield Hut.

War Correspondents

The Australian War Correspondents provided news and feature stories for distribution to media in Australia.

Official War Artists, Historians and Photographers

As with other wars, official representatives were sent to Vietnam to collect data, information and impressions of Australia's military involvement.

Civilian Medical Teams

Civilian Medical Teams from major Australian hospitals were sent to Vietnam as part of a civilian aid program.

Australian Entertainment Groups

Australian entertainers volunteered for service in Vietnam with specific entertainment groups which were formed and financed separately.

Everymans Welfare Organisation

Everymans is a philanthropic organisation which supports the Australian Defence Force. They provided moral support to soldiers in the field from Recruit Training onwards.