Series number

AWM310

Series title

Records of Australian Force Vietnam (AFV) Cash Office

Contents date range

1965-1972

Extent

1 metre

Access conditions

Subject to the Archives Act (1983)

Agency controlling

Department of Defence

Custodial agency

Australian War Memorial

Function and provenance

Australian Force Vietnam (AFV) Cash Office was established in February 1967 and replaced Detachment 1 Division Cash Office which had been operating at the 1st Australian Logistics Support Group (1 ALSG) area at Vung Tau.  It consisted of a headquarters section which was attached to HQ AFV in Saigon and two detachments. This was later increased to three detachments with the reorganisation of the headquarters in Saigon to include a cash office (No 3 Detachment) separate from its administrative functions.  No 1 Detachment was located at the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) area at Nui Dat and No 2 Detachment was located at 1 ALSG at Vung Tau.

The Cash Office was responsible for pay, personal claims, currency exchange, trust account operations, payment of locally engaged staff, stamp issues and postal orders.  As well, they collected and delivered money, stamps and other materials from canteens, messes and other amenities.

From September 1965 all Australian and American service personnel were paid with military payment certificates (MPC).  On arrival in South Vietnam Australian dollars were exchanged for MPC and the reverse applied when servicemen returned to Australia.  The currency could be used at canteens, clubs and other facilities operated by the forces.  It was introduced mainly to avoid black marketing and hoarding of currency.  The amounts which could be exchanged were limited and entire series of certificates could be exchanged at short notice.  Local currency (piasters) exchange was available but could not exceed $10.00 per month.

With the withdrawal of troops from 1 ATF, 1 Detachment Cash Office closed from 14 October 1971 and payments continued to be made by 2 Detachment Cash Office until it was disbanded in February 1972.  HQ AFV Cash Office was also disbanded in February 1972 and its functions were handed over to the Australian Army Advisory Group Vietnam (AAAGV) which remained in Vietnam until December 1972.

The records of AFV Cash Office 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 AFV Cash Office were added to the RecordSearch database in October 2002 and the series was redesignated AWM310.

Content

AFV Cash Office 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: allowances, finance, pay and allotments, returns and visits.

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, AWM310 Series dossier

AWM98, R310/2/79, [Headquarters, Australian Force Vietnam (HQ AFV)] : Establishments - AFV - AFV Cash Office

AWM98, R310/2/80, Headquarters, Australian Force Vietnam (HQ AFV):] Establishments - AFV - No 1 Det [Detachment] AFV Cash Office (1 ATF) [Australian Task Force]

AWM98, R310/2/81, [Headquarters, Australian Force Vietnam (HQ AFV):] Establishments - AFV - No 2 Det [Detachment] AFV Cash Office (1 ALSG) [Australian Logistic Support Group]

AWM98, R605/1/10/5, Headquarters, Australian Forces Vietnam, Organisation Raising and Disbanding OP Interfuse Disbandment of Units Det 1 AFV Cash Office Nui Dat

AWM98, R605/1/10/20, [Headquarters, Australian Forces Vietnam] - Organisation - Raising and Disbanding - Disbanding of HQ [Headquarters] - AFV [Australian Force Vietnam] Cash Office

 

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