Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam?
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| Name: Jim
E-mail: the.bunyip@internode.on.net Date: 30/11/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: No I was with the British Air Attache serving at the British Embassy in Saigon during part of the war in Vietnam. In all the time I was there along with 15 other British Service Personnel I was not aware of any British Servicemen taking part in the war in Vietnam, we were all from the RAF and classed as Non Combatants. There are stories about British Combatants serving in South Vietnam but all are unsubstantiated. The only British Personel to serve in the Vietnam Theatre were the Aircrew of an RAF Beverley from Far East Air Force Transport Command based at Seletar Singapore and only flew relief missions to people that were caught up in the floods during the monsoon season, villages were cut off by the flooding. The RAF Beverley air dropped food supplies to these people. It was there for humanitarian purposes only, making up for a shortage of US Aircraft at that time. As far as I know British Forces whether SAS or any other form of British Special Forces or otherwise did not serve in any combat situations in Vietnam. Britain was opposed to this war, why should we send British troops to escalate a situation that Britain didn't want to take part in. It is stupidity for anyone to say they served as a British Combat Serviceman in Vietnam. No such personel, were ever deployed in Vietnam. The only Servicemen to serve in South Vietnam were with and attached to the Embassy Staff as Non Combatants. I know I was one of them. |
| Name: Melvyn
E-mail: the.bunyip@internode.on.net Date: 29/11/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes In reply to Nignoy the Australians do not have a record of everybody who served in Vietnam, they do not even have a record of all Australian citizens who served in Vietnam. If you were not connected to the Australian military or Australian civilian effort in Vietnam you would not be in their book. So all Australians who served in the American military and all Australian civilians working for non-Australian concerns - are not included in the list. I believe the book was published by the Veterans Affairs, not any Vietnam Veterans Association. |
| Name: Graham Campbell
E-mail: the.bunyip@internode.on.net Date: 23/11/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: No The UK did not commit to the Vietnam war. There were no UK forces (ie formed units)in Vietnam. There were certainly plenty of British servicemen in SVN, either as bona-fide full-time members of the Australian or New Zealand services, or members of the UK services on exchange posting with the Australian, New Zealand or US forces currently assigned for duty in SVN. It is possible that there were a few UK defence attache staff in the UK embassy in Saigon, but they are non-combatant by international treaty. |
| Name: Jester
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 4/10/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes When I was growing up in the UK in the 1980s a school friends father was an ex-RN chopper pilot. He has a number of bits round the house from his navy days in the 60s and 70s. One item was a flag from the USS Iwo Jima. If he had had a drink or two he would tell of the time on the Iwo Jima he brought back a chopper from a mission in Vietnam when the rockets had missfired and were half hanging out and he had to land the the thing with out them falling out. He was there on exchange with US forces and not part of any British Unit. As to George seems to have trouble or chip about Brits being 'the mother country'. Well it is true we are but Australia is most certainly all grown up. As to Australia doesn't need advisors you are wrong. When I served we sent advisors to the Australian Airforce and do you know what? They sent us advisors back to teach us things. Like all good parents once our 'children' grow up they are our equals and deserve our respect and trust me there is plenty of respect in the UK for New Zealand and Australia (Could you please send us some cricket and Rugby coaches!). The English speaking countries whether inside or outside the Commonwealth has always exchanged military 'advisors' they did before Vietnam, during and still do. |
| Name: Pete
E-mail: ticehurstpete@hotmail.com Date: 18/10/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly I was a Jack Dusty serving aboard HMS Mermaid,Singapore Guard ship. As the Americans pulled out of Vietnam, we were sent to relieve HMS Chichester, approximately 50 miles off the Mekong Delta. Transfered from HMS Chichester were a small number of Royal Marines( about 6?) and a surgeon and medical assistant. We stayed there for two weeks, with a view to extracting members of the British Embassy staff and I believe other European nationals. I think the intention was to send the Marines in small boats with some crew members to collect the Embassy staff. I remember seing the Marines and a small number of the ships company blacked up and armed ready to go and mustered in the mess hall. With about 8 hours to go, the British government got approval to extract the Embassy staff by RAF planes. During our two weeks we acted as a communications relay station for US ships. The voice messages, from the US ships were relayed around the ship by tannoy and I recall the chaos that ensued with the rapid withdrawal. There must have been a couple of C130's that landed in Vietnam and took off the Embassy staff. So we were not quite on Vietnamese soil, but about 50 miles off. |
| Name: Brian Keil
E-mail: briankeil27@hotmail.com Date: 4/10/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly in the seventies i was in the merchant navy with shell and we were regulary taking avgas to the airbases at da nang and nah trang and also saigon and this had been going on for many years as some ships were attacked by the vc so although we were not armed forces we were still involved up to the end of the war |
| Name: derek jones
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 4/10/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes served on shell tankers (reborn tankers)up to fall of Saigon .Ship was taken over by fleeing south Vietnamese troops who believed we were a communist ship due to red duster. we were supplying south Belgium shell supplying north.we were also providing fuel for Cambodia. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 26/09/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes A unit of 'unnattached' personnel numbering 67 served with US forces in the Ashau Valley and other places in the Central Highlands between 1965 and 1967. It was 'unnattached' as per Wilsons instructions so that he could truthfully tell parliament that no British Combat Units were fighting in Vietnam. The unit was attached to the US 173 based at Bien Hoa |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 20/09/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes It is no secret that the Australian SAS served in Vietnam. It is also no secret that there is a South Vietnam bar to the GSM 62. The medal office at Innsworth know how many bars were issued and who to. There has always been cross pollination between the Special Forces. Work it out for yourselves. Also have possitive evidence and know of one Royal Green Jacket (now well retired) who was serving with an American Rangers Battalion who went to Vietnam with them. He has a bar to his GSM too, I have seen it. It was kept quiet at the time but you know what squaddies are for gossip. |
| Name: Paul
E-mail: pb168@hotmail.com Date: 15/09/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes The British army would never pass up the opportunity to put into practice what it has been training it's soldiers for, in particular "Special Forces". There is and always has been a close relationship between both American and Australian "Special Forces" with the British Special Air Service(SAS) and the Special Boat Squadron(SBS). During the Vietnam War men from both the above British units were seconded to American/Australian units for so called "training/Liasion". This(from my own experience) resulted in members of the British Armed Forces serving in Vietnam. In total I spent 12 months(2 X 6 months) honing my jungle warfare skills in an active theatre of war. I am not sure how many men from the British Armed Forces served, what I do know for certain is that 23 members of the SAS served in Vietnam at various times and for varying periods. On a final note, I and three others(that I know of) from the SAS were in Saigon during the withdrawal. |
| Name: Keir Heath
E-mail: lairdkeir@yahoo.co.uk Date: 14/09/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes This is a rather open question. It cannot possibly be argued that the British, after the surrender of Japan, fought to return the French colonial power. As for the American-Vietnamese War, I can't comment. |
| Name: Peter Stiff
E-mail: galago@mweb.co.za Date: 07/09/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes have posted information before about ex-SAS soldier Taffy whom I wrote about in the book See You in November: The Story of an SAS Assassin (obtainable from www.galago.co.za). He most certainly did serve in Vietnam while with the SAS. I used the nom de guerre 'Taffy' because he was engaged in sensitive assassination operations for the Rhodesians including one where he was due to assassinate Robert Mugabe at Lancaster House, which was called off at the last minute. Regretably this very good friend of mine died of cancer in March 2006. I can now reveal that his real name was Alan 'Taffy' Brice. |
| Name: Roberto Alexander-Rodriguez
E-mail: boomer5k@comcast.net Date: 16/8/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: No The UK was in business with the communist North during the Vietnam War. News about British ships (not to mention ships from the former USSR, North Korea, France, etc.) having near-misses from falling bombs of the US's air forces hitting Haiphong harbor, abounded, I seem to recall. The media reported that a number of British seamen were injured. Then, there existed a very deep-rooted anti-war movement in GB during that period, which undoubtedly would have toppled the English government if one single English soldier had served in SVN. I was in SVN for nearly two 2 years with a naval engineering combat battalion and the U.S. Marines, and had to moved all over the "I" (Eye) Corps (the northern portion of South Vietnam, including Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An, Dai Loc, etc). Although I spotted Australian and NZ forces (not to mention ROK and Thai forces) first-hand, I failed to see or hear of any British military servicemen anywhere in South Vietnam during the course of my d uties. Canadians served the single largest "foreigners" in the fabric of US forces in SE Asia during that period. On the latter: The irony was that while thousands of Americans ran off to Canada (and Sweden, and the UK) to avoid being drafted and sent off to South Vietnam, thousands of Canadians headed south across the US border to serve with the US military. |
| Name: 50 Cal
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 11/8/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes The British Embassy would have had a support element there. After reading some of the fancifull stories on this website, I can assure you that no Special Force members from the UK ever served alongside Australian or NZ SAS as advisors or any other capacity. The Ex members from the British Army resigned from their units and ONLY after selection joined as members of the SAS Regiment in Australia. Those individuals are mentioned in books such as "The Phantoms of War" by David Horner, and "Behind Enemy Lines" by Terry O'Farrell. (co-incidently I am written about in Terry's book ). Having served with 1, 2, and 3 SAS Sqn's in South Vietnam as well as a detachment to Whisky Platoon Seal Team One, I can assure you I know who was there. Individual members of SEAL Team and US Special Forces did go out on Op's with an exchange program, but never commanded or acted in an advisory role. Even today there are persons in West Australia spruiking on about their so called mission s, like the wanker in a local yacht club who stated he used to fly explosive laden helicopters into "enemy" camps and parachute out at the last minute. Another has assumed the identity of one of our highly decorated patrol commanders, who was awarded the DCM. The list goes on, check out this web site to see what I mean. http://anzmi.net.au This site exposes military imposters including some from the UK. My own career saw me start as an SAS Signaller and finish as an Operations Officer, fullfilling numerous command and training positions within the Regiment. I paid off just short of 30 years service. Got a bit thirsty sometimes but never shaved with my urine, as someone stated on this site. |
| Name: George
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 28/7/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly Lots of Brits served in the Australian and Kiwi armies durring the conflict.As formed British units they may have been involved in very small numbers.There have been exchange postings between our forces since WWII and it is still happening now. I have served with a few former British subjects who fought in Sth Vietnam as members of the Australian army. There was a saying in the Australian army in the early to mid sixties because of the large number of Brits, which went something like this, this is a great little British army, fucked up by a few Australians. To those of you out there who think that the British government would not let Australia and New Zealand fight on their own, your dreaming. To those of you who think you are the mother country, well you are not our mother or our father we have grown up now, so you can stick your condescending remarks up your collective jumpers.You lot learn as much from us about warfare as we do from you none of us have all the answers. Oh and by the way in a number of peace keeping OPS Australian forces were the only ones the local people wanted to stay, even to the extent of writing to the UN to request their continued involvement this is unheard of in the history of the UN. Vietnam was a mix of COIN opps and major unit warfare much more complex and larger in scale than either Malaya or Borneo. A former RSM of the Para's who was involved in the Falklands campain told me his jungle warfare instructors were mostly Australian, as I said it works both ways. |
| Name: George
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 26/7/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly There were many who served in the Australian army of that time from the UK, as Australian soldiers not as British soldiers. If you had an embassy in Saigon you would have had military personel there. Exchange programs were in place ex Long Look etc.yes SAS always exchange with each other and still do. To those who think Aussie And kiwis need advisers, go and get fucked, we work together you are not our mother or our father. To think that your govt gives a shit about Aust or NZ is a joke.I have worked with all of you so have a nice life. |
| Name: Pete Connors ( ex corp RSM Aust Engineers) 2 tours vietnam
E-mail: pcnn@pnc.com.au Date: 18/7/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly From the grey matter I am under the impression brit SF troops were in Sth Vietnam prior to the bulk of the "free world troops arriving" say 1963. What can I say update me Regards PC |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 15/7/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly I read a story about a British Marine supposedly went AWOL and got killed in Quang Tri vietnam 1972, what that about. It was in the papers at the time, July/August1972. |
| Name: Nignoy
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 23/6/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes The Australian Vietnam Veterans Assoc,have gone to a great deal of trouble to compile, a complete record of everyone who served or appeared in South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia no matter what country they came FROM!!!!and they also have access to records of serving personnel in thailand too!! This helps to eliminate the Walter mitty,s or the Willy Bachs of this World, the Australian VVA does a great job of exposing all the cheats and wannabees. LEST WE FORGET, Nignoy |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 20/6/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes I have a British colleague who served as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam in American uniform, but while actually serving in British Forces. He recollects about 300 Brits being there, mostly from Signals. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 11/6/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes The British fought in Vietnam alongside the Japanese whom they armed instead of imprisoning them them as war criminals in 1945 soon after VJ Day - together with some French soldiers dressed in British uniforms the British General Douglas Gracey drove Ho Chi Minh and his followers into North Vietnam . Then the British government intrigued to force the French (who in effect were a corrupt colonial power ) back onto the Vietnamese - incidently against the wishes of the then deceased Roosevelt . Britain under Attlee's government is hugely responsible for the 30 years war that followed. All of this is in Ellen J Hammer's book called " The Struggle for Indo-China" published by Stanford University in 1954. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 6/5/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes I was 2 days away from going to Vietnam in May of 1970. Then I was told that the decision was made not to send any more out there. So I want to Singapore instead. My task was to have been communications support in Saigon though it was not specified who I was to have been supporting. |
| Name: Peter Isaacs
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 6/5/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: No By "Briitish Forces" I assume you mean units deployed for combat or support operations within the geographic borders of South Vietnam, or individual personnel still serving in HM's Forces similarly deployed. If so, the answer is "No". The British armed forces detachments at the British Embassy in Saigon do not "qualify" under this definition. A few comments on earlier answers: The idea that Prime Minister Wilson required the Australian Government to remove the Union Jack from its national flag is preposterous. In the 13 months that I served in South Vietnam, I never saw such a defaced flag Beverleys flying into Nui Dat? (Luscombe Field as was correctly pointed out.) I don't think so. Luscome Field wasn't operational until late 1966 and I thought Bevs had been phased out of RAF service by then. C130s could operate but it was "tight". I saw the first make a landing and there was not much dirt runway (I know it was eventually asphalted, but not in the beginning) left before reaching the eastern end where the rubber started. RAAF and US Army helicopters on stand by for "Dust Off" i.e casevac missions, were based at the Task Force HQ helipad during daylight hours from about August 1966. British SAS instructors? None that I met and why is it assumed that Australian and NZ SAS Squadrons always need advice from Hereford? It is quite likely that RAF aircraft flew into South Vietnam from time to time and also possible that serving British armed forces personnel managed by one way or another to visit units in the field for short periods but not within my original definition. The Brits who did serve in South Vietnam were members of the armed forces of either the USA, Australia or New Zealand. Many nations sent troops to South Vietnam ("Free World Forces")but I can't think of any othhers in which British nationals may have served. I was proud to be one of them. |
| Name: Tyler Downs
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 1/5/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes |
| Name: b3 paddy
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 29/4/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly I saw an item on a website last year (06) about the number of GSMs issued to British Forces and the article said that 78 GSMs had been issued with the clasp reading "S Vietnam" I wish I had made a note of the website and I am trying to find it again. If I find the site, I will send details. In the mid 70's, my unit was training for Cyprus UN duties and an Aussie Captain, said his name was Clark,mentioned that Brits had served in Vietnam, attached to ANZAC foeces. |
| Name: CRB
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 29/4/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes Served as a junior beachmaster during the hectic withdrawal of casualties and friendly forces immediately after the fall of HCM City. was 17 at the time and working from inflatables from RN ships. 6 weeks of pure hell and often under fire during withdraw from a beach. There were many un-official trips to save personel at this stage of the war and a lot of un-reported happenings. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 19/4/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes I know of an English-man who was part of a USAF-RAF officer exchange program (out of Ellington) in 1965. He was an RAF fighter pilot who came to Houston, Texas with a few others (in exchange, US pilots left for England). The Vietnam War started and he and his conrades were sent to Vietnam as part of the US team (Flying F-4's), serving a horrifying 6 month term. He saw his best friend (since early childhood) killed. He still suffers nightmares from the Vietnam experience. So yes, give the few Englishmen their due! |
| Name: Mr Roy Derbyshire
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 12/4/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes I served aboard the SHELL tanker HARPULA British crewed and registered in 1969/70, as a senior ordinary seaman, we completed 3 round trips between Singapore and various US bases on the Vietnamese coast. we were paid a 150% bonus from the US government as "danger" money.The wings of the Bridge were sandbagged for these trips and we had four US fast patrol boats as escorts whilst in rivers,Yes we were involved in the Vietnam war, |
| Name: Peter Laidler
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 27/3/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes The person who mentioned the jungle warfare school at Kota Tinggi (I think he means Johore ...) has probably struck at the truth. The MoD have a large photo collection of UK Military Forces training SVN Army Officers in JW methods. The contents of these are sensitive and not for general consumption, but there you are. It would appear that while the answer to 'active service' is probably 'no', some certainly did 'serve' there |
| Name: Anthony Graham DODD ex RO 1(G) RN
E-mail: gomolenaar@gmail.com.nl Date: 16/3/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes hms albion on which served went to siahnoukville in cambodia in nov 68 to dec 68. our task mission was to stop soviet ships from supplying the siahnouk trail to the mekong delta. also we had to support the legal ruler of cambodia prince siahnouk from US paid irregulars called the khmer rhia. also we had to stop the ARVN and US forces from violating the cambodian border this led to light clashes with us forces and arvn navy vessels I served on a cambodian river gun boat as radio operator and the whole secret operation was called OPERATION CHARLOTTE I was used as a translator as my french was and still is fluent Hms Albion being a commando carrier sent sbs and sas men ashore as well to train and possibly dispose of any russian freight ships in the harbour to stop the none stop traffic of munitions to the mekong delta. I won the ships football lottery of 5,0000 hong kong dollars which I spent in Hong Hong after our active deployment on a 000-18 martin acoustic guitar and a yamaha 331 fg guitar as well as a new rn sailors uniform and 2 really tailor made suits. We also saw live action in KOREA early 69 - march this being my second tour in korea the first being on hms wilkieston I do have the un medal korea the qualifying period being only 24 hours but I must have served for nearly 2 months. There were casualties as I also worked in albions crypto office we were faced with keeping the north vietnam army -the viet kong - the arvn - and US forces in check under our SEATO commitment. No medals were ever conferred. Hope this info is of some use to you it was a tense time being 1968 - the year of tet. Best wishes Tony Dodd. |
| Name: Volunteer 1
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 8/3/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes There was a small force of ex British army soldiers, mainly ammo tecs from RAOC and RE, who dismantled US air ordnance in Cambodia to stop it being used by RVN and VC for satchel charges and roadside IED's. Generally from 72 through to the end. They wore mainly OD's and berets, with MACVSOG patches but no rank. |
| Name: Dave
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 6/3/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes Our english lecturer on Telecomunications at Wimbledon Technical College during 1971 often reminiced about his time serving in Vietnam on special forces work.. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 14/2/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes As Australia and New Zealand were (and still are) members of the Commonwealth during the Vietnam War, the Brits would not have agreed with the idea of the Aussies and the Kiwis serving in open combat in Vietnam without British advisors and British support (covert though). The Brits surely sent liasion officers and liasion soldiers (most likely from the Brit SAS or the Paras or Royal Marines) with the Aussie RAR and Aussie SAS and Kiwi SAS. Even though the Aussies and the Kiwis had a LOT (capitalized for emphasis) of jungle warfare experience (WW 2, New Guinea, Phillipines, Malayasia, Indonesian Confrontation, Borneo, Vietnam), the Brits would surely have told the Aussies and the Kiwis that they (the Brits) would at least send "advisors" or "liasions" to work with the Aussies and the Kiwis. The Brits were still the "head" of the Commonwealth at the time and they would not have let the Aussies and the Kiwis go into Vietnam and get slaughtered or killed without British support and British advisors. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 3/2/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes Perhaps you should be asking those men that had gone through JWS in Kota Tingi Malaya. Any one want to pick up on this? |
| Name: Donald Tate
E-mail: warvet_69@yahoo.com Date: 2/2/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes I served alongside an ex-commando from your British Marines- James Riddle. Riddle resigned in 1968, and enlisted in the Australian Army in the same year. He served for more than 800 days in Vietnam. He fought in the 4th Royal Australian Regiment (10 Platoon, "D" Company); the 2nd D@E Platoon (a mobile infantry force that operated on APC'c); the 9th Royal Australian Regiment; the 8th Royal Australian Regiment; and the 4th RAR (for a second time, and again in "D" Company. I served alongside him in the first of those two units, and found him to be the most proficient, and fearsome soldier I met. He did not take kindly to fools, and sat an officer or two on their backsides (as PTSD was taking hold of him) He was promised a number of gallantry medals, but was awarded none. On one occasion, he led a section of men against a vastly superior force (numerically and professionally) whilst with the 2nd D@E Platoon, but an officer in charge of the APC's was awarded the medal instead. Riddle's infantrymen fought from a jungle position, and the officer (Arrowsmith) fought it from inside his APC! In 2005, I learned that he was alienated from Australian Vietnam War veterans in Britain, and received no war pension from the Australian Government. I addressed both issues, and in January 2007, he was brought home. His pension entitlements have been recognised, and in February 2007, Jim Riddle moved to Queensland to live. Local media has covered this story (see radio station 6PR; the Daily Telegraph article of DSaturday 3rd Frebruary) to start with. |
| Name: Richard Elwell
E-mail: richard.elwell4@btopenworld.com Date: 21/01/2007 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes The only formed British unit that did definetely serve in Vietnam was 34 Sqn who provided a Beverly aircraft in answer to an American request as they were short of transport aircraft. What causes a lot of confusion about British persoonel serving in Vietnam is that a lot of British people served in Vietnam in the Australian and New Zealand forces. This has given fuel to the rumours that British troops served in Vietnam. |
| Name: Jim Riddle
E-mail: jr002e9567@blueyonder.co.uk Date: 14/12/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: No I served in HM Royal marines from 1958 to 1968, then in Sept 1968 I signed-on with the Royal Australian Infantry, at Australia House, The Strand, LONDON. I became 311589 Pte Riddle J. and was sent to Ingleburn in NSW for training. In Dec 1968 I was in Vietnam. I served there for 18 months, then I was returned to Autralia for 4 months, then sent back to Vietnam where I remained until May 1972, in D Coy, 4 RAR, Royal Aust Regt. We were the last Australian soldiers to leave. I was disharged about June 1972 and that was that. At no time were there any 'British Services' in Vietnam. The British Government was adament that it would not get involved. They even required Australia to remove the Union Jack from their flag while operating in Vietnam. They also offered funding to North Vietnam, thru the Miners Union and other pro-communist unions. Remember that the British Government at that time was almost Communist (Prescot was a card carrying Communist at that time!!) And even threats to Prime Minister Wilson, by the USA, to cause financial ruin to his govt. and British Industry, could not pursuade them to back USA and Australia. (The US did apply secret sanctions against the UK, causing massive financial damage)> Freedom of Information.. now available. The only way for a British Soldier to support Australia in this hour of need, (Australia had to call up conscripts, whom the Australian left wing was to disgrace for accepting call-up!!) was to be discharged from their British Military Unit and join the American or Australian Forces. Many of us did, out of a sense of disgust at the decision by Wilson and his pseudo-communist gang. |
| Name: Dave Smithson
E-mail: david.smithson3@ntlworld.com Date: 09/12/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes i worked on shell tankers i went to viet name in 1969 lots of shell tankers went there. with british crew . |
| Name: Willy Bach
E-mail: willybach (usual symbol) myrealbox.com Date: 7/11/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly I was interested in what others had to add to the question of whether British military personnel went to Vietnam during the Vietnam War. According to Mark Curtis, in his book 'Unpeople' in his chapter on Vietnam the policies of successive British governments encouraged the Americans to use force. There was then a steady stream of 'advisors' including the well-known counterinsurgency expert, Robert Thompson, and various 'training teams' and specialists, including the people sent to the British Embassy in Saigon. In his book 'The Time of my Life', Denis Healy, now a Member of the House of Lords, then Secretary for Defence in the Harold Wilson Labour government, said he had been to Vietnam in April 1967 and explained why he thought the 'Strategic Hamlets' programme was not working. He took a helicopter ride over some of the fiercest fighting in the Mekong Delta and met Thompson. I was in 11 Independent Field Squadron RE, Terendak Camp, Melaka, Malaysia in 1966, till 1968. I did a tour at the airfield being built near Leong Nok Tha, North East Thailand, March-May 1966 and did some concreting of the runway. Like a few others, I was puzzled by what we were supposed to be doing there, what we were doing and how that fitted with what the Americans were doing there. Phu Mu was just a few kms away and was a CIA communications base for targeting the bombers flying to North Vietnam and Laos. It is undeniable that Leong Nok Tha had a connection to Phu Mu and Ubon Ratchathani. I am now studying this for a Masters at a university in Brisbane, Australia. I am currently spending a few weeks in UK and wonder if you would like to meet up to discuss the question of where we were and why we dont have medals, acknowledgement and an open book on the information that explains it all to us. It would seem like a pretty logical thing to put us all straight after so many years of secrecy. Incidentally, the Australian Sappers who were at Leong Nok Tha have got their medals something like seven years ago. British and New Zealand Sappers will have a long wait. See also my web site: http://www.angelfire.com/wi/poetryantiwar The 'development' of NE Thailand did not benefit many of the peasants there. I saw the airfield in 1993 and the place was not in any way in working order, except for light aircraft. There were buffalow wandering across the runway. Later reports in 2003 say that it was an unsafe place to go because there were drug lords using the place Regards Willy Bach |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 6/11/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes The British military had to have sent some soldiers over to S. Vietnam to assist the other members of the Commonwealth (Australia and New Zealand) during the Vietnam War. No, I don't have proof that this happened, but it goes without saying that the Brits surely would not have let the Aussies and the Kiwis (members of the Commonwealth) get into action in the Vietnam War without the Brits going there and advising them, etc. The Malayasian Emergency from 48-60 was a Commonwealth fight, but the vast majority of the troops involved were British; even though the Aussies and the Kiwis had experience in Malayasia during the Emergency, the British (as Mother England- and I say that respectfully) surely would not have just stood by and watched 2 members of the commonwealth (Australia and New Zealand) get involved in the Vietnam War without British advising, logistical support, or training support. As the British SAS did and still does "second" or "lend out" their SAS guys to Aussie SAS and Kiwi SAS, it only goes without saying that Brit SAS soldiers obviously ended up in Vietnam (and therefore fought in Vietnam right next to Aussie and Kiwi soldiers) while working with Aussie SAS and Kiwi SAS units and other line units. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 1/10/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: No I served in SVN in the Aust Army, having joined in London. About 170 of us who did this served in the Army, no doubt there were a few others in RAAF and RAN. There were also many who joined the Aust forces at that period but did not serve in SVN. Just to be clear only about 6 served in Aust SAS (and I know one who never served in UK SAS) and a similar number in AATTV. The Aust Dept of Veterans Affairs has published a book listing all those who served in SVN, including public servants and members of philanthropic organisations supporting Aust forces. The Aust Army personal numbers of all those who joined in London come from the same block, starting 311. The DVA book lists by name, initials, p/number and unit, it's a useful aid for detecting walts The post dated 4/2/2006 quoting a claim about a Beverley reads like fantasy to me. First the Bev was a very distinctive a/c and only used by the RAF, it would stand out like K9 testicles in SVN. Second, no RAAF a/c were based at Nui Dat (actually the strip was called Luscombe Field named after an AOP pilot (RAA) KIA in Korea). Only a/c of 161 Flt A Avn were based there. I'm not even convinced that a Bev would be able to land and takeoff with a load. The normal RAAF use was Caribou. Furthermore anybody suggesting that you'd take supplies from Nui Dat to elsewhere in SVN has clearly been on mind altering substances - the Aust logistic base was 25 km away at the port city of Vung Tau where the RAAF UH 1 helis were based, the best you could find round Nui Dat was a local laundry in Baria, the capital of Phuoc Tuy province just down the road from Nui Dat. Finally there was no Montagard trg facility in the province, although there was one run by US SF for Cambodians. There is no doubt that there were Brit pers (attaches, their staff and a guard force) as part of the Embassy in Saigon (and at the embassies in Phnom Penh and Vientiane). Obviously the attaches were liaising closely with US forces and that the embassies were routinely supported by RAF supply and VIP transport flights. Apart from this there were periodic v.senior visitors and I wouldn't be surprised if there were v. occassional less senior visitors engaged in operational research. Knowing the Aust admin system then in my view any suggestion of a Brit serviceman getting to SVN on the basis of some sort of attachment to an Aust unit is walting matilda. For starters all soldiers going to SVN had to do a 3 week course at Battle Wing of the JTC in S Qld. Then there's the issue of someone signing the Mob 3 to legalise the movement, and you couldn't get on an Aust ship or a/c to go to SVN without the sacred Mob 3. I should also add that I've never met any reliable Aust serviceman who actually claims to have come across a Brit in SVN other than diplomatic or official visitor. The only exception appears to be in the early 1960s (pre 1965 when the US build-up really started) when it seems there was a very small (handful strong) UK training team in SVN for about a year until it was withdrawn, possibly when the Wilson govt took office. That leaves one faint possibility, enterprising Brit soldiers getting into SVN on leave (ie off duty), possibly having made US contacts. Not totally impossible but definitely does not rate as 'serving in SVN'. |
| Name: Staff sergeant Bill Lewis
E-mail: spearfisher@blueyonder.co.uk Date: 30/9/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly If you are limiting this statement to the borders of Vietnam then I don't know. If you are discussing involvement in the Vietnam war then for certain British forces were. In 1966 I was one of two shift commanders in a Royal Engineers squadron building an airfield in Northeast Thailand which the British government said was "to open up the Northeast to commerce". The truth was we were building it for the support of American forces in Laos who were fighting the Communist regime from North Vietnam who were advancing southwards. When the Vietnam war finished this airfield, one of the smoothest concrete airfields in the southern hemisphere, was abandoned to the cows who now use it to get from pasture to pasture. So much for opening up commerce. It has taken 40 years for me to fully understand how my government first lied to me and then denied that we were ever there. If anyone cares to ask for it I am prepared to tell the complete story with names places and events that would prove the truth beyond doubt. With luck, a member of the British government will ask. |
| Name: Rob
E-mail: rob789@yahoo.co.uk Date: 19/9/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes Don't know if it is any help, but there was a documentary about ten years ago that had interviews with former members of the cabinet etc. Sorry but I can't remember which channel it was on but I have afeeling it was Channel 4. If i remeber it included sections on weapon supplies etc. The RAF seemed to involved more than anybody. Regards Rob |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 20/8/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes Yes as part of the SAS training with the australian SAS |
| Name: Paul Alders
E-mail: p.alders@btinternet.com Date: 4/8/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes In 1964 while stationed at RAF Tengah, Singapore, I was put on standby for Vietnam along with about 30 others after about 12 hours we were stood down. I never did find out what it was all about. I did hear that some RAF Fighter Pilots went to Vietnam for combat training but I have no way of knowing if that was true or not, but we did keep hearing rumours of British involment and I did hear a story of an RAF Aircraft airlifting wounded out. Sorry I cannot tell you anymore but ask the MoD if there were any 1962 GSMs issued with Vietnam clasp to British Forces. |
| Name: Jason Kellner
E-mail: jase-petra@infocity Date: 11/7/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes When I was in the Regs in 1987 I bought a book called `The Illustrated History of Tunnel Warfare-The Vietnam War, the author is Tom Mangold&John Penycate,(i still have it)in this book there is a photo of a Royal Signals Officer (with SAS wings),an RAF Officer(Pilot Wings) and a Royal Navy Officer(Pilot Wings)(on Page 89) at Cu Chi talking to Tunnel Rats from 25th US Inf Div and checking out discovered VC Tunnels inside the Cu Chi base, and there is information in the book indirectly referring to british involvement. The same for book by David Beckett `The Illustrated History of the Vietnam War'. |
| Name: Chris Hackett
E-mail: shivywhufc@aol.com Date: 06/06/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly I am quite sure that British forces served in Vietnam! I say with a pinch of sarcasim as I know for a fact that they did! I was one of them. As i am aware there were a couple of thousand of us Britons who served roughly throughout the years of 1967-1970. |
| Name: Peter Vincent
E-mail: shaboom10_3@hotmail.com Date: 18/5/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly I served in svn during 1970/71 and heard of british sas attached to our sas. did meet a couple of sas blokes with brit accents but they may have joined our army short term to get the real thing expirience |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 8/5/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes In the spring of 1968 the Foreign Office requested the services of the Royal Military Police at the British Embassy, Saigon. Sgt Powell and Cpls Fletcher and Levell were posted as the only British troops in Vietnam. They were the first, others followed. They performed security duties at the Embassy and were not involved in any action. |
| Name: Charles Ulyatt
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 7/5/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes Although it depends on what you mean by 'serving'. I was attached to the Embassy as Sapper support for two months or so in 1968. The stories of the Attache driving around with a boot full of weapons are true. A tall, elegant and very imposing, Lt Col (I'll eventally remember his name) he spent much time drinking (liaising?) with the Green Berets. My understanding was that the weapons were captured from the Viet Cong and were being sent back to the UK in the Diplomatic Bag for analysis. Later I heard that part of this was to determine the carbon characteristics of the steel - thereby establishing the origin of manufacture (China, Russia etc). How accurate this was I do not know. The Attache would reverse (slightly the worse for wear) into the compound through the back gate and then the car boot would be emptied out of sight of any passers by. The contents were taken to Chancery on the third(?) floor and never seen again. Chancery had its own internal security system which was always under tight control. There was a great deal of radio traffic to and from London, and the operators were always locked inside their (large) cage whilst working. The Diplomatic bag was delivered to, and collected each day from the airport. The Embassy Guard was part RMP regulars and part Gurkha retirees - about 12 or 15 total. The Gurkhas slept at the back of the compound in what seemed like former stables, although I think they were just poor quality accommodation blocks. The Gurkhas had all completed lengthy service with their regiments and had been hired specifically to do this job. We had various vehicles - Zephyr staff car for the Attache, Bedford RL 3 ton truck, etc. The RL was often despatched to tow the black Ambassadorial Austin Princess in (Ambassador's flag still flying on the wing pole) from where it had broken down in the huge traffic jams. The combination of high temperatures, extended use of the vehicle air conditioning, static traffic and dynamo charging was all too much for the electrical system. Saigon's population had quadrupled as a result of the refugee influx. I stayed with one of the senior diplomats in his walled compound and we would be driven to the Embassy each day in his Ford Zodiac. The journey was about a mile or so, but would take at least half an hour because of the traffic. I also visited several refugee camps and hospitals. All were overcrowded and with virtually no resources. Electrical supplies were constantly failing in various parts of the city, largely due to overload rather than Viet Cong action. The regular and large street market near the Cathedral was revealing. Much plunder from USA bases was openly sold - including highly sophisticated tool kits for what I think was helicopter servicing. The journey from my base in Singapore to Saigon was on a deserted PanAm flight. I had a choice of any seat and three stewardesses. The return flight was in a NZAF Beverley - tin seats, rear facing, a very long take off run as the aircraft was packed with various ANZACS. There was a brick wall at the end of the runway and I recall looking out of the window as we lurched upwards, clearing it by about six feet..... As to official recognition, I think that the Military Attache's liver should have been awarded the DSO, at least. I don't recall coming across any other Brits outside of those listed above, although I did encounter SAS troops and their pink long wheelbase Land Rovers in Yemen whilst I was at Aden for the Withdrawal. Contrary to one of the contributors' views above, I was very much aware of the SBS at that time. Our squadron being support for 42 and 45 Commando based in Singapore during those years. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 18/4/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly Another REME person who went to Nui Dat was Cfn John Barber. His father was an Officer in the Malaysian Army and John was working at the CROWN base at UBON in Thailand. He went to SVN on several occasions to collect stores and spares. Anyone who was at CROWN will remember the large union jack painted on the top of the water tower. John will be cringing to read this, especially during the bird flu scare ...., as he met many infected birds while there! Another REME bloke who went to SVN during 1968/9 was Alan Greening who was a plant specialist working in Australia, attached to the Royal Australian Engineers. He was clearing the atomic waste from the old atomic bomb ranges at Maralingra. He went via Alice Springs for several trips. |
| Name: Peter Laidler
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 14/4/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly It is a QUESTION OF 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'SERVE'. I was a REME craftsman who served with the Australian Army for 3 years betwen 1967 and end 1969 with 3 different Infantry Battalions of the Royal Aust Regt. I went to SVN on many occasions during that time. I wrote a short article about it that was published in the Daily Mail. While there, I saw other British Army people including an SASC Major and WO2 plus RTR (tankies) who were evaluating the use of our Centurions in ops there. I also saw another EME Tels Tech and R Signals blokes seeing how the new radios (Could these have been the Clansman system?) would fare in the jungle. If you'd like a copy of the article I wrote, please phone me with an address and I'll send it. Peter Laidler, 01865 391627. I an currently a full time TA officer at Warminster and people still don't believe that we had people there |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 5/4/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes Brother served with the R.E.'s.Stationed in Australia 1969. Seconded to Australian forces as a weapons instructor/marksman.Was on active service in vietnam with the Australians .Returned home in 1973and sent straight to N.Ireland. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 24/3/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly There was a British Officer Borneo veteran in Pnom Penh at the time of the coup led by Lon Nol in about March 1970. He was seen in the town for some time and also at Kep on the Vietnamese border. His name allegedly was Joe West and was reputed to be still serving in the army. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 19/3/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly I know of one officer who was in Vietnam during the late 60's. He was RE at the time, probably a Captain and had CT experience from Malaya and Korea |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Anonymous Date: 3/3/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes An article on Znet by Mark Curtis states that some British personnel were on the ground during the conflict. This is based on declassified British government papers. Although the numbers may have been small it does seem British troops were involved and also saw combat - all with the knowledge and direct backing of the government. |
| Name: Bryan Long
E-mail: bryan.long@btopenworld.com Date: 6/2/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly Although I have no direct knowledge about the British involvement in Vietnam I know that they were involved in the clearance of US and commonwealth casualties through the British Military Hospital in Hong Kong. Whilst serving there in the mid 80s I remember seeing a commemorative board recognizing the contribution made by the British military medical staff. A fascinating web site - thank you. |
| Name: Mike Smith
E-mail: veteran88@hotmail.com Date: 4/2/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes Just been watching a DVD called "THE AUTHORISED HISTORY OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE - BATTLE FOR THE SKIES - Vol 2 THE SKIES THE LIMIT" This was produced in 2000. Check www.mraentertainment.com In this video at the very end there was an interview with a Gp Capt David Green RAF who had been the pilot of an RAF Beverley of Transport Command and said that he had been stationed at Nui Dat flying missions carrying supplies to the Montanards. He also said that at the time it was very politically incorrect to have RAF Roundells seen in Vietnam |
| Name: Tom Barber
E-mail: tom@wamonline.org.uk Date: 2/2/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly Well sort of, there is a tale of one cornish guy Rick Rescorla who was born in Cornwall and then moved to America signed up and fought with the air cav in la drang. He settled in America but sadly died in the World Trade Centre disaster. |
| Name: Dave
E-mail: dcbarlow2000@yahoo.com Date: 31/1/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly One of the "facts" mentioned on these pages is that around 70 GSMs were issued proving that British troops were in Vietnam. A quick check of the digger history site (Australian Army stuff) throws up the following bit of info - "General Service Medal 1962. Bars are; Radfan, Malay Peninsula, Borneo, South Vietnam. Instituted 6 Oct 1964. Replaced the Naval GSM and the GSM1918/64. There are many other bars available to British servicemen. The South Vietnam clasp was only awarded to Australians. 68 clasps were issued, all of them to members of the Australian Army Training Team, Vietnam (AATTV)." |
| Name: Judy
E-mail: jcupskey@yahoo.ca Date: 31/1/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes My spouse passed away one year ago of colon cancer. He was born in England and served in Vietnam in early sixties in "special forces" known as "tunnel rats." He spoke little this war but it haunted him daily, especially in his sleep - his feet never stopped moving at night - said he had to run to get away - "kill or be killed" he said. I know of few details as he was ashamed and horrified from his approximately three years there, but I do know that he was with a group of about 12 men, most of whom were killed, some killed Christmas Eve just before they got out. The time frame would have been very early sixties. He spoke of parachuting out of planes at night into the jungle, shaving with their urine due to no water, massive sores on their feet, Ho Chi Min trail, being in tunnels, going into villages and taking them over, killing young Vietnamese men before they got him. He was born in 1943 and lied to get in the army at 17 - not sure if he went to Vietnam immediatel y but was definitely there via Britain. When he got out, they sent him to Ireland for two weeks of "de-briefing" for what it was worth. Serving in Vietnam haunted him till the day he died. His name was Ronald John Dallibar, born May 17, 1943 - I can't recall the names of any of his buddies, only that about 3 of his group got out alive. If anyone knew of him, I would be glad to hear from them. |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Not Given Date: 29/1/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes Yes it is me again! All that deny are probably with the Home office! I am extremely insensed with the REAR EaCHALON M-----F----rs that got their tickets punched and went on to do great things! (in their mind)We ,Thats a universal we who served as cannon fodder are agast at the timidity of the "p---y" that has the audacity to say we weren't there! Talk to 1st Special Service who I was seconded to - they were great guys doing a unrelenting job with no aid but for us ! To say that British Line Regiments were not in Viet Nam is true but the special forces designation under the auspices of MI6 is not withstanding but to ignore the sacrifices of a great number of troops is not only a travisty it is a crime!!!! |
| Name: Anonymous
E-mail: Not given Date: 29/1/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Yes My question is not to the remf's who cooled their heels in downtown Saigon but to the missing members of Colonel Noone's excursion to Viet Nam i.e. the light platoon of Long range recon types that were attached to 1st Special Forces in Tay Ninh province? There were 6 MDF troops that spoke a dialect very similar to the Rhades in that area,a number of Karin strikers from Burma that spoke a dilect similar to the Nungs, a light squad of 1/7 Gurkha scouts that scared the 's--t' out of everybody and a mixed light platoon of, for want of a better term, reg. forces lead by a very junior exchange officer! We were based originally out of the Cameron highlands in Malaya and were asked to help in bringing the indiginous troops some LRRP training to aid the US advisors stationed at an old French fort on the parrots beak! I believe later on it became the Souey Duc base.The question is why were we withdrawn after 28 days- could it be that the governor of that province was playing both ends against the middle and knew he was targeted for removal. Could this be part of the reason for our Malayan walkabout's recall! I wear a GSM with a malaya bar -I do not exist-except in the minds of a few surviving Special Forces guys who were stuck in the middle of a very nasty business! God bless them they were good guys to walk the bush with! |
| Name: Denbee
E-mail: N/A Date: 16/1/2006 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly I served as an Engineer in Borneo. I was seconded to an Australian unit temporarily(4RAR).I was doing inspections and modifications to equipment. RAR loaned me to an AUS SAS unit to fulfil the same tasks for them. The unit comprised a high number of SAS personnel who spoke with very various British regional accents, they exclusively I remember were training to use an "Owen" gun?. One lad told me that they were rotating from the British Army to the Aus: Army and then back again. The Borneo thing was nearly finished, and in his words(I think) they were going to assist the yanks. I was offered a transfer to the Australian Army, but declined on the grounds of good health. |
| Name: James Durney
E-mail: jamesdurdsl@eircom.net Date: 17/12/2005 Did British Forces Serve in Vietnam? Answer: Possibly Just finished book on Irish servicemen in Korean War (titled The Far Side of the World). Interviewed many veterans and now working on same for Vietnam war. One Irish-born Australian vet was in Hue in 1954 with Australian special forces team which had to fight its way out through Laos. Also officer in Royal Ulster Rifles was to be seconded to French at Dien Bien Phu but orders cancelled when situation became critical. |
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