Series number
AWM268
Series title
The Official History of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948-1975 - Vietnam War – The Royal Australian Air Force in Vietnam - Records of Chris Coulthard-Clark
Series contents range
1962-1995
Extent
1.27m
Access conditions
Subject to the Australian Archives Act (1983)
Agency controlling
Australian War Memorial
Custodial Agency
Australian War Memorial
Function and provenance
In 1982, Professor Peter Edwards was appointed to produce an official history series on Australia's involvement in Southeast Asian conflicts from 1948 to 1975. This nine-volume series covers the longest period of any of the official histories and deals with the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960), the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation (1963-1966) and the Vietnam War (1962-1972).
In keeping with the previous official histories, this series covers Australian combat operations by all three services as well as the areas of strategy, diplomacy, home front politics and society, and medical matters.
The initial intent was to have Professor Jeffrey Grey write the volumes on the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) involvement in the war. However, in 1990, it was agreed that Dr Christopher Clark (then known as Chris Coulthard-Clark) would be appointed to the Australian Air Power Studies Centre to write the RAAF History.
This work is an ‘official history’ in the sense that the work was funded by the government, and the author was allowed unfettered access to all the official documents. In all other respects, it is an independent review of events, with official sources bolstered by media reports and personal reminiscence.
This series contains notes and records created during research and publishing of the official history of the RAAF.
Content
The series is divided into four sections, each with a distinct theme. The sections are labelled A though D.
Section A contains working drafts and proofs used during the preparation and editing of the book. Many of the items are heavily pen amended or edited.
Section B comprises original and negative copies of photos used in the book, as well as some other source material. About 90% of the photographs are in black and white, and many duplicates occur. All appear to have been obtained from official sources.
This section also contains a series of draft captions for each photograph. Not all photographs contained in this section were selected for inclusion in the book.
Section C contains a significant amount of primary and secondary source material. These items include:
· Australian Government reports,
· Academic papers,
· US Government reports,
· Contemporary squadron briefing materials,
· Personal papers, including logbooks,
· Extracts from official files, and
· Unit histories.
Section D contains the final photographs and manuscripts submitted for publication.
System of arrangement and control
A three part alphanumeric control system has been imposed, featuring a letter as the primary section index. The control system runs as follows:
A/1/- Drafts and proofs
B/-/- Photographic material with caption drafts
C/-/- Notes and primary source material
D/1/- Final manuscript and photographs
Using the series
Each item in the series is recorded on the RecordSearch database which researchers can view on the internet. Further assistance in finding relevant information may be gained from related series of records (click on Series Links at the bottom of this page.)
Sources
AWM268 Series Dossier
Chris Coulthard-Clark, The RAAF in Vietnam: Australia, Air Involvement in the Vietnam War 19632-1975 (Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1995)
Official Histories webpage at AWM: https://www.awm.gov.au/histories/seasia/