Primary sources – propaganda or necessary communication?
Australian Diggers in Vietnam: an original source
After viewing the US focussed documentaries on the Vietnam War I thought it was worth referring you to some documentaries developed (official - funded by the Australian Government) to inform the Australian population about what our troups were experiencing and doing in Vietnam. Although rather dry, as primary sources these videos give a real insight to the attitudes and events of the time.
Australian Diggers in Vietnam is a documentary made in 1968 for publicity purposes to give insight into the Australian soldiers' experience. The film follows a group of Australian soldiers transiting into Vietnam, onto helicopter and into a contact with the VC, involving gunfire and capture of a Viet Cong fighter.
The narrator provides information about Australian and Viet Cong communications, tactics, supply lines, operational planning and other related matters. Other scenes include the gunners' command post, Army Air support, gun detachments firing, 20 pounder guns firing, river-bourne operations, troops tracking VC and wading through mud, creeks and moving through similar obstacles, use of APC's on the beach, inspecting villages for VC, detaining suspects for questioning.
This documentary covers the work of the units supporting the Australian infantry battalions in Vietnam - showing 105mm Howitzers of the artillery; Centurion tanks and M113 Armoured personnel carriers; Cessna fixed wing spotter aircraft and Sioux observation helicopters marking targets; signallers using various types of communications equipment in the field; the establishment of an artillery Fire Support Base; Bushranger gunships of 9 Squadron RAAF in action firing rockets and machine guns, the work of intelligence units; destruction of Viet Cong tunnels by the engineers; re-supply of units in the field; tanks and APCs supporting 5 RAR the battle of Binh Ba; a cordon and search of a Vietnamese village; winning the hearts and minds through the Civic Aid program; road building; repair of a bridge blown up by the Viet Cong.
