Series number

AWM308

Series title

Records of Detachment 30 Terminal Squadron (Det 30 Term Sqn) Vietnam

Contents date range

1969-1972

Extent

1 metre

Access conditions

Subject to the Archives Act (1983)

Agency controlling

Department of Defence

Custodial agency

Australian War Memorial

Function and provenance

30 Terminal Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers (30 Term Sqn, RAE) was raised at Georges Heights, New South Wales in 1963 as a specialist unit to undertake ‘terminal’ or transportation operations which included the loading, unloading and in-transit handling of cargo and personnel.  They were capable of operating all types of transportation facilities including port, railroad, road or air.

A detachment of the unit arrived in South Vietnam in March 1967 and was based at Vung Tau where it was responsible for the unloading of ships carrying personnel, supplies and equipment from Australia and the documentation of cargo received from Australia by air and sea.  United States service personnel and civilian contractors employed by the Alaska Barge and Transport Company often assisted Australian personnel at the port at Vung Tau.  The detachment also handled cargo and personnel for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) courier flights and other charter aircraft arriving at Vung Tau. 

One of the main cargo vessels carrying supplies to Vietnam was the MV Jeparit.  Following industrial problems on the waterfront in late 1969 by the Waterside Workers Union and the Seamen’s Union it became necessary for 30 Term Sqn and a military labour unit to unload and reload the Jeparit each time it returned to Sydney.  To overcome this problem the Jeparit was commissioned by the Royal Navy in December 1969 enabling future handling to be done by service personnel.

With the withdrawal of Australian troops from Vietnam in late 1971 which was known as ‘Operation Interfuse’ the workload of the unit increased.  To carry out this task the establishment of the unit was increased and the trial introduction of containerised packing enabled them to carry out their work much quicker and more efficiently.  The unit was withdrawn from Vietnam in March 1972.

The records of Det 30 Term Sqn were amongst the first major transfer of records from the Department of Defence to the Australian War Memorial relating to the Vietnam War which occurred between November 1981 and March 1982.  This consignment was accessioned as OW82/11.  They formed part of a large series which was designated as AWM100 in the mid 1980s when the Memorial adopted its new numbering system.

The registry cards which controlled this series of records were transferred in February 1982, accessioned as OW82/20 and later designated AWM104.

Since 1999 Official Records staff have removed subseries from AWM100, and registered each of them as a separate series of records.  The records of Det 30 Term Sqn were added to the RecordSearch database in October 2002 and the series was redesignated AWM308.

Content

Detach 30 Term Sqn created its files to document its activities, to record events and to enable efficient retrieval for future reference.  The files in this series include the following categories: movements, orders and instructions, postings, reports, returns and stores and equipment.  The records transferred from Army to form this series only cover the years 1969-1972.  Materials covering 1967-1968 was not transferred to the AWM and their whereabouts are unknown.

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 item 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.

Non registered files

Non registered items (not having registered item numbers) were given imposed numbers by the Australian War Memorial (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.

Using the series

Each item in the series is recorded on the RecordSearch database which researchers can access via 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).

The original registry cards which control this series form part of series AWM104.  They can also be accessed in the Memorial’s Research Centre.

Sources

AWM administrative file, AWM308 Series dossier

AWM116, R310/1/27, [Headquarters, 1st Australian Logistic Support Group (Vung Tau) file] Establishments and Strengths - General - 30 Terminal Squadron

Greville, P. J. 2002, The Royal Australian Engineers 1945 to 1972: paving the way, Loftus, NSW, AMHP Publishing Services for the Corps Committee of the Royal Australian Engineers

Hughes, J. F. 1971, ‘Once a sapper’, Sapper, Vol 1, No 1, pp. 39-41