I and my friends we are engaged in reconstruction of the Australian units in Vietnam, somebody can can answer, whether the Australian soldiers on the form carried any emblems and patchs, except for ranks and "rising sun", for example emblems of battalions on the jangle hat how it was done by the British soldiers in Malaya?
Beforehand thanks!
"I'll tell you what pressure is. Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse. Playing cricket is not."
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Some Battalions wore 'fourbie" (white weapon cleaning cloth with a red stripe every 10cm) threaded through the bands in their bush hats for recognition.
We aren't real big on patches on our uniforms. Especially out bush. A name tag and rank insignia would be about the most a digger would wear.
I have seen pictures of Cav blokes wearing their black berets and silver armoured corps badges in the field in Vietnam. I think that would be rare though.
On parade at Nui Dat (also a rare occurance) the boy's would wear their slouch hats with their corps badge on the upturned brim (where we now wear the rising sun badge) with no badge on the Pugaree (where we now wear the corps badge).
Thanks all who has responded!
The majority references is known to us, book Osprey, I as one of artists of this publishing house has already ordered.
Can at somebody there is a private information on this theme. A lot of interesting contains in memoirs of the present participants of war.
To a word, at many causes the big surprise participation of Australians in war in Vietnam...
And what, they there were at war?...
Yes! For that moment they were considered as the best experts on war in jungle....
Strange, first time about it.
Somebody can knows, such TV-serial was, young Nicole Kidman there was still removed, on a plot its brother was at war in Vietnam. How this film refers to?
If your box is green, you might have a yeast infection. -MrSkorotsnoy
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I was researching Vietnam awhile ago, threw my research/word of mouth I was told that some Australian unit's used "Tigerstripe" camoflauge.
Apparently from what I've heard (no qoutes please) that most Australians also "painted" there gear also to match the Tigerstripe. One friend has told me he was serving in the Navy at the time, he seen many Australians totally decked out head to toe in Tigerstripe.
Any information/links/pictures would be greatly appreciated, as this has been something I've been searching around for a long time.
"I'll tell you what pressure is. Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse. Playing cricket is not."
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The two units that would have used tiger stripe or othetr variations of cams would be the SASR and the AATTV (Australian Army Training Team Vietnam or the team). But it would be fair to say that these blokes would be wearing it on a case by case basis and that it wouldn't be a standard uniform for the whole unit.
Most SASR pics I have seen, have had the boy's in greens both in camp and out on patrol, but with some blokes wearing tiger stripe or other variations of cams in the bush.
The AATTV blokes generally worked by themselves with their indigenous troops, so had fairly flexable dress standards.
Australia had a few reasons to go into Vietnam. We had just got rid of the Japanese from around our northern islands in the last 20 years and had spent the last 15 years fighting the communists in Korea, Malaya and Borneo. We were concerned about the security consequences for our island neighbors to our North (Malasia, Indonesia, Singapore), so fighting the communists coming down through Vietnam wasn't a big stretch in our foriegn policy.
As with our commitment to the current war on terror we were also keen to help the Americans. While our military commitment was small it still showed the flag politically.
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Thanks digrar, that cleared up alot. I knew there was some but I didnt know exactly who had them. I didnt see much instances of "painted" gear, must of only been a few soldiers that did it.
There was a very good "Time Life" book on the subject called:
"Vietnam: the australian experience" by John Rowe, published in 1987 by Time Life Australia. Black cover with a 60 gunner on the cover and 100s of very good pics.
Another good book with pics of diggers in Tiger Stripes is "The team' about the AATTV in Vietnam; forgot the name of the author though...
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Just finished re-reading a book by Terry O'Farrell who was a SASR trooper during his first tour of Vietnam and a patrol comander in his second tour (ended up being RSM of the unit). He commented that during his first tour the tiger stripe was worn by only a couple of blokes in the squadron.
AATTV- Were to my knowledge "issued" tiger-stripe, not by the Aus Army but by the Yanks so all officers were wearing standard uniforms and could be recognised from standard troops.
SASR- were not officially issued camo, and I remember reading somewhere that the top brass were against it and painting gear/weapons and memos regarding such were issued (and sensibly ignored). Weapons that were painted were kept in country and passed on to the incoming rotation of troops.
SASR troopers "aquired", begged, borrowed and bought tiger stripe and US "leaf" pattern camo from the yanks, but weren't issued any, let alone non SF Aussie troops getting any fancy camo gear.
Australian in Vietham
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