I am looking for some good color pictures of Australian field equipment in Vietnam. In particular I am looking for:

1.) Good pictures of the Australian manufactured Machete. It is shorter then the American version used and has a sheath that is square on the bottom. Detailed descriptions and/or measurements would also be helpful.

2.) Color variations for the webbing and pouches. I have a good idea of what they are but I would like to get them in pictures so that I can get the right shade. Especially what I have read is being called "Emergency Green".

3.) Any reference pictures of Australian infantry using shotguns in the field. I have read that they did use them but I have yet to see any actual pictures or read in what I would consider to be a reliable source as to there use, what models used, etc.

Any help would be most appreciated. This is a subject that I feel just does not get enough attention and I want to make sure that I get it right as to pay proper tribute to those that served.

Thanks!

Your first stop should be the Osprey book on ANZACs in Vietnam. Don't know if you have it or not, but it's a fantastic reference. It has some of the best color plates I've seen in these books, and plenty of "real" photos as well.

Also, send me a private message w/your email, and I can send you whatever other photos I have saved on my computer. There aren't many, I assure you, but they might help a bit.

Rob

If your not already aware check out the movie "The Odd Angry Shot" great flick on the Australian SAS in Vietnam. I'm not sure how accurate it is but I really enjoyed it.


Cheers

Ray

Thanks for the information guys. I have the Osprey book. It is a good general reference but lacks any color photos. The plates are ok but the artist seems to use the the same basic "JG" colors throughout and doesn't show any reference to the khaki or "emergency green" colors of equipment. Also, there are only two pictures of the machete and neither are good enough for a proper scratch build.

I will have to see if I can find the movie. Accurate or not I always enjoy a good war film.

G’day Andy,
Great to hear that more Aussie stuff is to be done.
Below is a pic from the book "Saddle Up" Australian Load Carrying Equipment of British, American and Local Origin by Rick Landers.
If you can a hold of this book you will not be disappointed. However it is as rare as rocking horse poo.

The movie "The Odd Angry Shot" is a fantastic reference source.
Not only was it made with the help of the Army but also with the help of still servicing members that had been there. The only thing is the flash suppressor on the 203 and M16 is the later type and not the early one used in South Vietnam by Australians. Apart from that Its not bad and a great laugh.

Depending on what time frame you want to do the figures will also depend on what webbing and packs etc were used. I have mate who have said that they still used British origin webbing in 1970. He was issued it in 1962!!!

The emergency green you have asked about would be the US issued gear. Made I think from nylon and not cotton canvas as our gear was. Alice packs and bum packs sourced from the US (not general issue) were made from this.

Correct boots are one of the main things that all manufactures that have made any figures of Australians in Vietnam have not gotten right.
They seem to give our guys the US jungle boot. Not one ex member I have spoken to or read anywhere in print states we used them. Our boys used the Aust Black Leather GP boot. Without socks.

Shotguns, I do know of a few blokes in RAAC that used them when clearing jungle/bunkers with tanks to keep the enemy off. But no pick’s.

If I can help with any thing else please let me know.

'The Odd Angry Shot' is pretty good, though a little 'cheap' in places - but it was a good effort and made at a time when the subject matter was still fairly unfashionable.
The Aussie mini series Vietnam is pretty good, once you get past the 'slow' beginning - also worth a look, if you can find it, is
Sword of Honour which is a bit more 'warry'.
The History Channel have an excellent documentary on Long Tan which screens here in August - might be available on DVD...

As to the colour of the machete sheath, I'll see if I can locate one and snap a couple of shots for you.

Shotguns?
Never say never, but I'm sure going to say highly unlikely - maybe, and it's a big maybe, the SAS might have used them, but I think even that's a stretch.

$0.02
acav out

Wow! Great information, thank you very much. That picture is enough, I think, to get the sizes to make the machete. Really, I was most concerned about the shape of the handle. All the other pictures that I have are taken from a side view, looking straight on the handle, the others have the handle taped so it was hard to tell. This gives me a great reference.

I have seen the "Vietnam" mini series on ebay but didn't want to pull the trigger without some knowledge of the content. I will have to keep my eyes open for it again along with the other two movies mentioned. Also, if anybody has an idea as to were I can get a copy of the book mentioned above, please let me know.

Thanks again for the information. I always love to hear from the guys that were there or from people that have talked to them. I have found it is the only way to get correct information, which is why I started this post in the first place. You can read all the reference books in the world, some are better then others, but without confirmation of period pictures or testimonial I take everything I read with a grain of salt. I have been burned and had way to many things from "reference" books proved wrong, or at least inaccurate by talking to the real people that lived it.

Any more information out there would be appreciated.

Hi There,

Here's a pic of a 1/35th scale Kitbash I did jeez must be 4-5 years ago. I would love to do something similar in 120 some day.



Cheers

Ray

G'day Ray,
Something like this???


Only problem is that this kit is way out of production. You might be luckly and find one on ebay one day but I would doubt it. They were done by The Military Workshop about 7 old years ago. When I was working there I grabbed the last 2.
Cheers Jason

PS this pic is of the original sculpted by Phil Waldern (aka,Auburn)

That is one nice figure that I would love to get my hands on

The FN is really well done, brings back memories when I used to carry one

Cheers

Ray

Thanks for the information and thanks for the great photos. Nice job on those figures. I can only hope that I can do hafe as good once I start working on mine. Right now I am just in the stages of collecting parts and pieces, seeing what I can easily obtain, what needs to be scratch built and what can be kit bashed.

This is a great topic of modeling and of history that is all to often overlooked, especially by the model making industry. I often wish that Dragon, Tamyia or really any of the major model makers would start to produce Vietnam materials again (the way Dragon did years ago with their "NAM" series), and while they are at it, give us some Australian figures. The few that are out there are ok but are hard to come by, and with the way they are produced/modeled, do not lend themselves well to kit bashing multiple figures. At least ones that look very different from the original.