Commander's diaries were [or should have been] prepared by commanders of all Army formations during non-operational periods; and by the commanders of formations, units and designated detachments, the heads of branches in major headquarters, heads of services and other designated officers during operational periods; or as ordered for specific events. The purpose of these diaries is to provide data on which to base future improvements in Army training, equipment, organisation and administration, and to furnish historians with a record of the activities of units and formations in operational and non-operational periods in peace and in war. The diaries are to be prepared monthly, in duplicate, and sent on different dates about one month apart to minimise the risk of loss.

Particular details to be recorded in the diaries include as
appropriate:

. changes in command, location, establishment, equipment and
 organisation;

. information received, decisions made and orders given;

. a short summary of the day's fighting, including company, etc  movements;

. opinions and recommendations of the commander with regard to  equipment, tactics, organisation and morale;

. progress of defensive works;

. weapon states;

. weather and ground conditions, if of potential importance;

. major causes and number of casualties to officers, men and
 equipment;

. a note of all prisoners and enemy equipment captured; and

. a statement showing how the unit was employed in the time not  accounted for.

Information contained in the diaries follow a prescribed arrangement which is as follows:

. a cover (Army form AF C2119)

. an index as printed on the cover

. the narrative, in a log form (Army form AF C2118)

. annexes in the following sequence:

- A - Duty officer's log (for operations only).

- B - Messages connected with log (for operations only).

- C - Operation orders and instructions issued.

- D - Operation orders and instructions received.

- E - Situation Reports (Sitreps) issued (operations only).

- F - Orders of battle and location reports issued.

- G - Intelligence reports and summaries issued; appreciations made.  
- H - Administrative orders and instructions issued.

- I - Administrative orders and instructions received.

- J - Administrative reports and bulletins; ammunition returns;  field strength returns.

- K - Standing orders issued (operations only).

- L - Commander's policy and demi-official letters.

- M - Action reports.

- N - Other papers; eg, maps and diagrams, air photos, reports from  sub-units.

- O - Periodical summaries of operations.

- Z - Top Secret Supplementary Diary, where appropriate, for
 documents concerned with future planning for operations.

In this case, the series comprises of the Commanders' war diaries which were submitted by the Officers Commanding the three Special Air Service Squadrons (1, 2 and 3 SAS Sqn) during their respective tours of duty with the First Australian Task Force (1 ATF) in South Vietnam. The squadron's number changed whenever the new Officer Commanding took over command of the squadron, usually during February of each year. In other respects a continuous personnel replacement programme was implemented for the squadron.

The diaries were prepared and submitted monthly, although there are some irregularites during most changeover periods when neither, or both the outgoing and incoming, Officers Commanding submitted diaries. The series also includes the report of a Court of Inquiry into the loss of an SAS trooper during operations. This is contained in a separate folder and kept with the September 1969 diary in which the incident is first reported.
Quantity in agency custody
1.60 m; held by CA 46, Department of Defence (Army Office)