1st Australian Task Force

1st Australian Task Force
An Australian soldier in South Vietnam
Active	1966–1972
Country	Australia
Allegiance	Free World Military Forces
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Brigade
Garrison/HQ	Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy province, South Vietnam
Engagements	Vietnam War

The 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) commanded the Australian and New Zealand Army units deployed to South Vietnam between 1966 and 1972. 1 ATF was based at Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy Province. While the task force was primarily responsible for securing Phuoc Tuy Province, its units, and the Task Force Headquarters itself, occasionally deployed outside its Tactical Area of Responsibility including during Operation Coburg and the Battle of Coral-Balmoral in 1968.

Organisation

1 ATF's organisation varied as Australian and New Zealand units rotated through South Vietnam and the total size of the Australian and New Zealand force in South Vietnam changed. The task force typically consisted of:

• Headquarters Company, 1 ATF
• Two or three infantry battalions
• One field artillery regiment (with an attached US medium artillery battery)
• One field squadron (engineers)
• One APC Squadron (M-113)
• One Armoured Squadron (Centurion tanks)
• One Australian SAS Squadron
• One Signals Squadron
• 1st Australian Task Force Logistics Company
• 161 Reconnaissance Flight (Bell H-13 Sioux)
• No. 9 Squadron RAAF (UH-1 Iroquois)
• Two New Zealand rifle companies^[1]
• One New Zealand Artillery Battery^[1]
• One New Zealand SAS troop^[1]

The Australian Army Training Team Vietnam was separate from 1 ATF and reported directly to the Australian Force Vietnam headquarters located in Saigon which provided administrative support to all Australian forces in South Vietnam.

Commanders

• Brigadier O.D. Jackson (1966–1967);
• Brigadier S.C. Graham (1967);
• Brigadier R.L. Hughes (1967–1968);
• Brigadier C.M.I. Pearson (1968–1969);
• Brigadier S.P. Weir (1969–1970);
• Brigadier W.G. Henderson (1970–1971);
• Brigadier B.A. McDonald (1971–1972).^[2]

See also

• Military history of Australia during the Vietnam War
• Australian 1st Brigade
• Battle of Long Tần
• Battle of Coral-Balmoral

Notes

References

External links

• Australian War Memorial Vietnam War 1962–1972
• Brian Ross Australian Order of Battle for Vietnam 1962–1972
• Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia 1st Australian Task Force Organisation Chart as at 31 December 1966