Series number

AWM 288

 

Series Title

Records of 1 Armoured Regiment, Vietnam

 

Date series created

May 2001

 

Series contents date range

1966-1971

 

Extent

13.2 metres

 

Access conditions

Subject to the Australian Archives Act (1983)

 

Agency controlling

Department of Defence

 

Custodial agency

Australian War Memorial

 

Function and provenance

In 1965 the Australian Force in Vietnam consisted, in part, of 1 Battalion Royal Australian Regiment supported by 1 Australian Logistic Support Group from April 1966.  In the year that followed, another infantry battalion was added to the force which in 1967 was supported by an APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) squadron.  In February 1967 the number of Australian soldiers killed in combat and from friendly fire, mines and booby-traps reversed the task force ‘kill ratio’ for the first time in the nine months of operation.  These losses, and the way they occurred, underscored in many commanders’ minds the necessity for tanks to support the infantry – thus challenging Australian doctrine, which allotted only a minor role to armour in counter-revolutionary warfare.

 

A tank squadron from 1 Armoured Regiment, equipped with Centurion tanks, was sent to Vietnam in February 1968 to support Australia’s increased infantry commitment.  The Centurions took over some of the tasks that had previously been necessary for the APC’s to perform including close fire support for the infantry and perimeter defence.  The tanks greatly increased the fighting power and protection of the Australians in Vietnam.  The main elements of the regiment left Vietnam in October 1971 as part of the general Australian disengagement from the conflict.

 

Following the war, 1 Armoured Regiment records were held by the Department of Defence (Army) archives.  In 1984 and 1991 the records were transferred to the custody of the Australian War Memorial (AWM) as part of two large consignments of records accessioned as OW84/5.  Circa 1992 most of these records were incorporated into series AWM100.  In 2001 the records in AWM100 and OW84/5 were removed to form this series, AWM288.

 

Content

The main subjects addressed by the records, which include both in Australia and in Vietnam service, in the period 1966-1972 are:

 

Operations

Including operation planning, after action reports, intelligence summaries, security, situation reports, infantry tank co-operation

 

Training

Including courses and training in Australia and Vietnam, and exercises

 

Personnel

Including dress regulations, establishment and strengths, replacements and reinforcements, discipline, rest and recreation leave, nominal rolls 1967-1971, postings, honours and awards, Courts Martial, returns including weekly strength returns and notifications of casualties

 

General

Including Routine Orders and general staff instructions, stores and equipment, investigations, boards of survey, accidents including deaths, casualties (including accidental deaths), vehicles, stocktakes and audits, equipments tables, Standing Operating Procedures, Armoured Centre Operating Procedures, communications, ammunition and explosives including weapons, mine clearing, medical, records on unit histories, and a paper, Use of Armour in Vietnam.

System of arrangement and control

The system of arrangement and control is the original Department of the Army filing system, as used when the records were created.

 

Registered files

Registered items have a three-part number conforming with the Department of the Army registry classification of correspondence catalogue. The first number represents the primary topic of the item, the second and third numbers refine the topic further.  Item numbers are preceded by the letter ‘R’, although this was sometimes omitted or overlooked.

 

Non registered files

Non registered items (not having registered items numbers), were given imposed numbers by the AWM, beginning at 1 and continuing serially.  They are single numbers, not two or three-part numbers like the registered items.  They retain their original titles.  Where no title was found, the AWM has imposed one that best describes the item’s contents.  All imposed information is enclosed in square brackets.

 

Sources

AWM administrative file, AWM288 Series Dossier

McNeill, Ian and Ekins, Ashley 2003, On the Offensive: the Australian Army in the Vietnam War, January 1967 – June 1968, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW.