Series number

AWM311

Series title

Records of Australian Force Vietnam (AFV) Amenities Unit

Contents date range

1965-1972

Extent

2.6 metres

Access conditions

Subject to the Archives Act (1983)

Agency controlling

Department of Defence

Custodial agency

Australian War Memorial

Function and provenance

The first Rest and Convalescence Centre for Australian forces in South Vietnam was opened in January 1966 at Vung Tau.  1 Australian Rest and Convalescence Centre (1 Aust Res and Conval Centre) was also raised to run the facility.  With an increase in the number of troops being committed to Vietnam there was a need for improvements in and better coordination of recreational facilities and other amenities.  As a result, 1 Aust Res and Conval Centre was disbanded in December 1967 and replaced by Australian Forces Vietnam (AFV) Amenities and Welfare Unit.

The bulk of the facilities provided by the unit were located at Vung Tau in the 1st Australian Logistical Support Group (1 ALSG) area along with the majority of the AFV Amenities and Welfare Unit.  Unit headquarters was located at Headquarters Australian Force Vietnam (HQ AFV) in Saigon and an Amenities Section was based at 1 Australian Task Force (1 ATF) at Nui Dat.

All Army servicemen were entitled to five days of rest and convalescence leave during a normal tour of duty and it was usually taken at Vung Tau.  The Rest and Convalescence Centre was located in the centre of town and officer accommodation was provided at the Grand Hotel.  The AFV Amenities and Welfare Unit was based three kilometres away on the beachfront within the 1 ALSG perimeter.  Regular transport was provided between these locations.

An Australian forces club known as the Peter Badcoe Club was opened in November 1967 and provided recreational activities such as swimming, sailing, surf board riding, boating, fishing and tennis.  The complex also included a bar and provided entertainment on a regular basis.  In August 1968 the Harold Holt Swimming Pool was added.  Gymnasium facilities were available at the Kevin Wheatley Stadium.  An annex which was built next to the club provided accommodation for a Company group or equivalent size unit for short breaks of up to 48 hours after long periods on operations. 

The unit underwent some operational changes in late 1968 and the word ‘welfare’ was dropped from its name as it had no welfare role at this time.  With the withdrawal of Australian forces in late 1971 the unit gradually wound down its activities.  The Rest and Convalescence Centre was handed back to its owners in December 1971 and the unit disbanded by March 1972.

The records of AFV Amenities Unit 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 Amenities Unit were added to the RecordSearch database in May 2003 and the series was redesignated AWM311.

Content

AFV Amenities Unit 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: accommodation, accounts, amenities, daily ration strength returns, orders and instructions, reports, rest and convalescence, stores and equipment, training 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, AWM311 Series dossier

AWM98, R66/3/1/1, [Headquarters Australian Force Vietnam (HQ AFV0]: Amenities and Welfare – Accommodation – Vung Tau Rest and Convalescence Centre

AWM98, R310/2/84, 2 Parts, [Headquarters, Australian Force Vietnam (HQ AFV)]: Establishments and Strengths – AFV- Amenities Unit

AWM98, R310/2/134, [Headquarters, Australian Force Vietnam (HQ AFV)]: Establishments and Strengths – AFV- Amenities Unit

AWM98, R605/1/1/09, Headquarters, Australian Forces Vietnam, Organisation –

Raising and Disbanding OP Interfuse – Disbandment of Units – AFV Amenities Unit