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The team: Australian army advisors in Vietnam, 1962-1972

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The Team

The late Ian McNeill's authoritative account of the Australian Army Training Team in Vietnam is now a classic. It is rare to read a book that drips courage and resourcefulness from every page. Australia, like most countries, employs myth makers to tell stories that reinforce national stereotypes. This book peels back the hyperbole that often surrounds really brave soldiers and in un-emotive language lets the deeds tell the stories.

A key problem for Australian troops operating in Vietnam was the lack of compatibility between the Australian jungle training emphasis on patrolling and ambushing, and the American pursuit of large unit engagements. This was a false dichotomy because the nature of guerrilla warfare is not one or the other, but both. McNeill addressed this issue and showed how both armies worked with the Vietnamese relatively successfully.

Army advisers, whether American or Australian were marked men and the Communist forces tried hard to kill them because of their ability to rally troops and call for air-strikes and medevacs. Often the only European troops with indigenous units, the Australian and American advisers formed agreements that they would not leave each other behind. Some of the most heroic acts in the war occurred when the advisers tried to rescue each other in battle. A story that is truly moving is that of Dasher Wheatley who tried valiantly to rescue the wounded WO Swanton and rather than leave him to the advancing enemy, Wheatley stayed with his mate and they were both killed. Among soldiers, Wheatley's action epitomised the Australian digger tradition and he was awarded a Victoria Cross, the first awarded since WW2.

I remain in awe of those brave men (The Expendables) who served from the DMZ to the Delta.

This book is now a definitive classic that will appeal not only to the cognoscenti but also readers who are really interested in irregular warfare and the role of special forces. The problem will remain for prospective readers that copies of this book are as scarce as hens' teeth, but it is worth the effort.