Description
Object description
Australian officer served with 1st Bn Royal Australian Regt in Vietnam, 1966
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment, training and service with Australian Army in Australia, 1955-1965: reasons for joining army; attending Dunoon Military College; attending Melbourne and Oxford Universities; initial impressions of visits to Imperial War Museum, 1963; character of academic research. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Royal Australian Regt in Vietnam, 1966: attitude to Australia's involvement in Vietnam War; attitude to serving in Vietnam; initial duties and taking on role as intelligence officer; importance of civil relations; question of popularity of Vietnam War in US and Australia with reference to later academic career; nature of area covered by Australian forces in Phouc Tuy Province; initial engagement with Viet Cong; reaction to death of first casualties; reaction to dealing with dead Viet Cong; operating in jungle conditions; problems with scorpions and ants; health precautions and problems; experience of unit officers.
REEL 2 Continues: intelligence gathered from captured Vietnamese officer; air and artillery support from US forces; question of effect of US firepower; liaison with South Vietnamese forces for intelligence gathering; counter intelligence operations; dealing with French civilians; character of operation to clear caves in mountainous area; destruction of armoured personnel carrier during operation, 2/1966; role as intelligence officer during operations; number of operations conducted; inspecting inside coffin for potential threats; operation on island off Phouc Tuy Province; difference in approach between Australian and US forces; story of unit acquiring 'Tiger' identity; background to writing book of Vietnam experiences.
REEL 3 Continues: story of leaving Australian Army and pursuing academic career; question of outcome of Vietnam War. Aspects of period as Chairman of Trustees of Imperial War Museum, 1998-2001: main challenges faced; question of appointment of trustees; outline of forward plans; overview of experiences as trustee of the museum.