Series number

AWM109

Series title

Records of the Directorate of Military Operations and Plans (DMO & P) - Operations, 1 Australian Task Force, Vietnam

Series contents range

1 Jan 1966 – 31 Dec 1971

Extent

2.0 m

Access conditions

Subject to the Australian Archives Act (1983)

Agency controlling

Department of Defence

Custodial Agency

Australian War Memorial

Function and Provenance

Australia's military involvement in Vietnam lasted from 1962 to 1973, beginning with the Australian Army Training Team (AATTV). This commitment was increased to a battalion (1RAR) operating with US forces in mid-1965. In March 1966 the Australian Government announced that 1RAR would be replaced by a Task Force (initially of two battalions) which would operate as an independent force within its own Tactical Area of Responsibility (TAOR).

In May-Jun 1966 the force, designated 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF), commenced occupation of a former rubber plantation at Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy Province approximately 110 km east of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). 1 ATF assumed control of the area on 5 Jun 1966. 1 ATF was progressively expanded, with a third battalion added in Dec 1967. New Zealand forces, including two infantry companies, an artillery battery and NZSAS elements were integrated into the Australian force. Ultimately, the Task Force consisted of three infantry battalions, an artillery regiment, an armoured (tank) squadron, a cavalry squadron, an SAS squadron and other supporting arms and services, with a total strength exceeding 8,000 personnel at its peak.

In 1970, the US launched a program of ‘Vietnamization’ of the conflict through which US commitments would be reduced, this allowed the Australian government to also announce a graduation reduction in its commitment; reducing 1 ATF to two battalions again by the end of that year. On 16 Oct 1971 the Nui Dat base was handed over to South Vietnamese forces and the bulk of the Task Force was withdrawn by December. A small element remained at the Vung Tau logistics base until Mar 1972 to enable stores and equipment to be evacuated.

During its deployment, 1 ATF was tasked with dominating its TAOR and conducting operations throughout Phuoc Tuy, as well as occasional deployments in support of US forces in neighbouring provinces. It also had a primary objective of security of the strategic port at Vung Tau and Route 15 to Saigon. 1 ATF sought to achieve its mission through the frequent conduct of planned operations, often involving a battalion strength deployment into an area, with the establishment of a temporary fire support base from which intensive patrolling and other security operations could be mounted. These operations were named (often but not exclusively) after Australian cities or locations.

Throughout this period, the Directorate of Military Operations & Plans (DMO&P) in Army Headquarters in Canberra maintained a watching oversight of the operations conducted by 1 ATF, but exercised no operational authority. This Series consists of the documents maintained by DMO&P related to these operations. The documents were transferred from the Department of Defence (Army) to the Australian War Memorial in May 1982.

Content

Series AWM109 consists of documents maintained by the Directorate of Military Operations & Plans (DMO&P), in Army Headquarters Canberra, related to operations conducted by 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) during the Vietnam conflict.

The Series primarily consists of paper documents relating to the multiple operations launched by 1 ATF. Documents include OPORDs (Operation Orders), AARs (After Action Reports) and map overlays. The collection has been consolidated into 20 items. Due to the size of some of the items as originally received from Army Office, and the risk that tightly packed papers might be damaged or mishandled, some items were sub-divided by AWM staff (eg Item 8 was divided into Parts 1 & 2). All but two of the items are entirely related to specific operations. The two that are not are:·

• Item 19 – relating to Minefields (Note: mines and minefields became a particularly contentious issue during the war due to the Viet Cong practice of lifting mines laid by 1 ATF and reusing them against the Australian and NZ forces)·
• Item 20 – containing Comments relating to Press Reports of Operations

System of Arrangement and Control

Prior to transfer from Army to the AWM, the documents were grouped into 18 items, ordered alphabetically by Operation name, ie Operation Ayr to Operation Whale. The AWM retained this grouping and applied a single sequential number [1 to 18]. There is no chronological sequencing involved. Items 19 and 20 were accessed separately by the AWM and added to this series as the next two sequential numbers.

Using the Series

The majority of the series has an access status of "OPEN" except for several items which have not yet been examined. The Open Records are available to be viewed in the Reading Room at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra and more information can be found at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/research-at-the-memorial

Sources

AWM109 Series Dossier

McNeill, Ian. “To Long Tan: the Australian Army and the Vietnam War 1950-1966”, Allen and Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, 1993

Ekins, Ashley & McNeill, Ian “Fighting to the Finish: The Australian Army and the Vietnam War 1968 - 1975”, Allen and Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, 2012

Frost, Frank. “Australia’s war in Vietnam”, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 1987

Ham, Paul. “Vietnam: the Australian War”, HarperCollins, Sydney, 2007

Lockhart, Greg. “The Minefield: An Australian Tragedy in Vietnam”, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2007