| In the nineteenth century France had taken control of Vietnam and made it an integral part of its Indo-Chinese Empire. During the Second World War Vietnam had fallen to Japan and as in Malaya, guerilla forces were raised to fight the occupiers. Eventually Vietnam was liberated by the forces of Britain and China. Britain took control of the South, while Chinese forces occupied the north. At the end of the war France decided to reoccupy its former territory.
When its forces returned in early 1946 they discovered that the North was already controlled by the Viet
Minh, Vietnam's communists. Unsuccessful in their attempts to negotiate an agreement, the French and Viet Minh forces were at war within a year. The Viet Minh. established the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the North, which was immediately recognised by the Soviet Union of the Peoples Republic of China,
For the next eight years France struggled to impose its Will in a ruthless guerilla war. After the defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the French decided to withdraw from Indo-China. Vietnam was partitioned at the 17th Parallel with the Viet Minh controlling their Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the North. To the South a non-communist Republic of Vietnam was established. Unlike its northern counterpart the government of the Southern republic had difficulty controlling its territory. In particular, the Communist National Liberation Front, with its military arm the Viet Cong, were a
destabilizing influence.
The United States view viewing the
Viet Cong as disguised Northern aggression decided to assist the Southern State with military forces. At the same time they sought similar assistance from their allies.
New Zealand's response was carefully considered and initially consisted of a detachment of Royal New Zealand Engineers. Consisting of two officers and 20 other ranks this contingent was despatched
in June 1964. They were sent to the Southern Republic in a non-combatant capacity to undertake
reconstruction tasks in and around the town of Thu Do Mot. At the same time a small administrative headquarters was established in Saigon.
On 27 May 1965 the Prime Minister, Sir Keith Holyoake, announced the Government's decision to send 161 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery to South Vietnam in a combat role. The Engineers were replaced by the Battery in July 1965. Comprised of nine officers and 101 other ranks, 161 Battery was initially under command of the United States Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade based at Bien Hoa near Saigon.
In June 1966 the Battery was reassigned to the 1st Australian Task Force at Nui Dat, in Phuoc Tuy Province east of Saigon. From then until its withdrawal in May 1971, the Battery served with Royal Australian Artillery field regiments in support of Australian and New Zealand infantry units.
In May 1967, New Zealand's combat strength in Vietnam was increased by a 182-strong rifle company, -designated Victor One Company, from the 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment in Malaysia. In December 1967 Victor One Company was
joined by Whisky One Company, also from the 1st Battalion. Both companies came under the Australian Task Force's command and formed part of an ANZAC infantry battalion.
The rifle companies were deployed on infantry operations in Phuoc Tuy Province and were replaced several times, usually after a 12-month tour of duty. Whiskey Three Company was withdrawn without replacement in November 1970 and Victor
Six Company was withdrawn without replacement in December 1971.
New Zealand's military presence in South Vietnam was also increased in May 1967 with the arrival of the New Zealand
Services Medical Team, a 19-strong tri-service detachment. The New Zealanders, provided under the Military Public Health Programme, relieved a United States Army medical team at Bong Son in Binh Dinh Province. They dispensed medical care to the local civilian community in the main, but also treated military casualties
who were brought to the Bon Son Dispensary - including South Vietnamese Army personnel and Viet Cong prisoners.
In June 1969 the team moved from the old dispensary into the new 100-bed Bong Son Impact Hospital. The average bed-state was 92 and approximately 46,000 outpatients (mostly civilians) were treated
annually before the team's withdrawal in December 1971.
In November 1968, New Zealand's contribution to the 1st Australian Task Force was increased by the deployment of 4 Troop, New Zealand Special Air Service, comprising an officer and 25 other ranks. The Troop was attached to an
Australian SAS Squadron at Nui Dat and carried out long-range reconnaissance and the ambushing of enemy supply routes until being withdrawn in February 1971.
In October 1970 the 1st New Zealand Army Training Team Vietnam, co 25 advisers, arrived in Vietnam and
established a Training centre for South Vietnamese
Regional Force soldiers at Chi Lang, west of Saigon near the Cambodian border. The Centre trained about 8,000 platoon
commanders and junior leaders annually - in the use of small arms and minor tactics.
February 1972 saw the arrival in Vietnam of the 2nd New Zealand Army Training Team Vietnam, dispatched to assist a United States Army Training Team with the training of Cambodian
infantry battalions. Eighteen advisers were stationed with the Americans at Dong Ba Thin near Cam Rhan Bay about 320
kilometres north of Saigon. Apart from military training, the Team provided first aid instruction and specialist medical instruction at Dong Ba Thin's 50-bed hospital.
The last of the New Zealand Army's combat elements were withdrawn from South Vietnam in December 1971: the two training teams and the New Zealand headquarters in Saigon were withdrawn by the newly-elected Labour Government in December 1972.
At the highest peak, in November 1968, New Zealanders in
South Vietnam numbered 543: a total of 3,890 troops (all volunteers) served in Vietnam
between June 1964 and December 1972.
- Casualties: Thirty-five New Zealanders were killed in action and 187 were wounded.
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