I read that most Australian troops in Viet Nam were issued with similar or identical uniforms and equipment as the US troops. A brief photo search shows Australian troops as being indistinguishable from the US (especially with the absence of helmets) when they're wearing boonie hats and Tiger Stripe camo uniforms. Would anyone have any conflicting or additional info or comments on this? Present area of interest is 1969 Binh Ba operations.

I should also mention that was no evidence of Australians wearing flak jackets as was common among US forces, so would any appropriate Grunt be suitable as Australian infantry?

Firestorm Models have a number of Australian soldiers in Vietnam. They seem to be wearing Jungle Greens and Bush hats.

Don't know much about what equipment they used, a mixture of British and American I suspect although I'd lean towards British kit at least in their early days in country.

Cheers

Al

The boonie hats I've seen are a bit different, smaller brim - more like grandpa's fishing hat.

I think web gear I've seen has some Brit pattern and of course lots of my favorite rifle, the right arm of the free world, FN FAL or actually L1A1

best rifle I've ever fired!!!

Don't forget Bravo6! They have Aussie figs too!!

Cheers

Romain

Unfortunately there is a much greater choice in more poses of US troops than of Australian. This why, if the uniforms are the same, or very similar, a change of heads/hats will turn a Yank into an Aussie.

Here's a list of equipment issued.

http://www.5rar.asn.au/documents/war_scale.htm

Some good info here:

http://www.vietnamgear.com/gallery.aspx?GalleryID=7

Al

Biggles, uniformwise the Aussie SAS did use US style uniforms ie made in country tigerstripes, ERDL due to the nature of their work. However as the link Al provided, it shows that your average Aussie in a rifle company wore British style uniforms and 58 pattern webbing and used either the veritable SLR or M16 so to show an Aussie in a US uniform would be wrong.

Karl, I would not say "wrong", "occasionally" would be a better term.

When modelling anything Australian, the modeller will need to pick a time line to start with that and go from there.
Early war, up until around 1968, we used a lot of British and Australian uniforms and webbing.
Later, more of the US jungle fatigues were used when begged, borrowed or stolen from US sources. Just don't get me started on the boots.
The basic pouches(ammunition)on the US webbing was not used very often. Too small to fit a SLR mag.

As for flak jackets, yes they were used as was the M1 helmet. Again, depending on the time line and area of operations.

As for Binh BA, combined Infantry/Armour Operation.Be prepared to modify any Armour kit to Australian. No out of the box here.
Helpful link.
Australian War Memorial Binh Ba photos

Cheers Jason

I can highly recommend the Figures from Firestrom or now CallSign Models if you want regular Infantry and APC crew Figures. Also the bush hat set from Firestrom is great for Australian Figures. The Australians wore british style bush hats and not the US boonie hat.

If you can get your hands on the Firestorm conversion set for an Australian M113 it is worth the money. Also mouse house Enterprises has some nice conversions and Detail sets for an M113 with hollow out T-50 turret and Australian Land Rover in Vietnam.

For Australian SASR Figures the ones from Bravo-6 are top and the only ones aviable. I convert some standard U.S. Infantry Figues from Bravo-6 and Hobby Fan Figures to get some SASR Figures like i want. Also some Figures from Accurate Armour could work too with adding other heads.

I can also highy recommend two books for research and Modeling Australian Figures in Vietnam:
-Osprey Vietnam ANZACs - Troops in Vietnam 1962-1972
-Europa Militaria No.35 - Modern British Webbing Equipment

Hope this helps

Stefan

I have AFV's Australian Centurian which was the basis for my idea. Just a few action posed figs around the tank. I've seen pics purportedly of Aussies in Tiger Stripe uniforms, Boonie hats and M-16's, but when they look so much like US troops, the pics might be mis-identified.

The AFV club Centurion is a great kit and i recommend to you the Eduard PE-set with the Australian type ammo rack. Also you need the extra manlet cover for the kit. It´s missing in the AFV Club one. I have the limited kit with Resin Figure from Hobby Fan in it and so i had an Tank Commander already included. Only Problem was that the Figure wears old Uniform from malaya or Borneo campaign. So i had to convert the Figure and sculpted new pockets. With the now aviable Figures from Firestorm and Callsign you get perfect Figures as crew for Centurions and M113´s .

If you could post the picture we can try to identify these Soldiers as US or Australian. I think more it´s an SASR patrol being resupplied or transported back to base.

Regular RAR Infantry doesn´t wear tiger stripe or ERDL Uniforms. A US LRRP team for example is possible but i don´t think they operate so close to RAR troops in the same region. I have seen some pictures with M-113´s carrýing equipment and suplies for SASR Patrols. The most differens between the US and Australians are the equipment/webgear they carry.

Greetings

Stefan

http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/vietnam-war/australian-army-advisors.php
Link to Aussie troops in Tiger Stripe and US style Boonie hats.

I'm using AFV's Australian (Vietnam) Centurian kit, so it is basically correct, and plan on ordering Firestorm resin kit. I realize the main photo in my above link is probably early involvement and training ARVN forces, hence the Tiger Stripes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=pK8TJFMs51c
A useful video of the Binh Ba battle (with added VC bits).

Thanks for the Video. Great as reference for Details of crew and Infantry.

Like ypu said in the picture there are Australian Advisor witn ARVN troops. It is for the early part of war.


For your plans with centurion i would use the Firestorm/Callsign Models Figures for RAR Infantry. The Hobby Fan set is nice too but many mistakes are made by this figures. Nearly all Uniforms are wrong for NAM and the equipment too. I have them but to use them i have to convert them in many thinks.so the Callsign ones i have are great and fit perfect. For your centurion you have to look for the right headphones by the tank comander. I think you have to scratchbuild these. All the headsets from Firestorm/Callsign for radio communication are for M113.

You are correct that uniforms tended to be "British" styled (44 pattern trousers and shirts and Australian variations) but not with 58 pattern webbing. Later (68+ the Australian Pattern "Pixie" tropical Greens were issued with slanted pockets and sleeve pencil pockets but only the two breast pockets unlike the US pattern which had 4. Pockets were generally flat panel and not bulged like US ones.
The initial Battaliaon deployments used US PLCE webbing with a mix of 37, 44 and US pouches and Waterbottles (The British 44 Pattern Waterbottle and Aust 44 Bren Pouches were highly prized but rarer after the firdst two deployments (Most were sourced from Bns with Borneo service prior to VN. As Joason says the US Ammo pouches weren't liked as they couldn't take the large SLR Mags. A coiled toggle rope in Green Nylon was usually slung from the grenade loops on on of the pouches wrapping around the base of the pouch. Grenades were rarely seen cqrried externally but I have seen some early in the war. It was against Brigade/TF Standing orders and they were carried in the Basic pouch.
Australian Boots were unique and Black despite some of the rubbish I have read online (Australia changed to blackened boots in Korea).
The L1A1 was generally issued to Riflemen in Sections with the M16 being issued 3 to the section (IC, Scout, 1 Rifleman). The Pl Commander and attached FO parties , Sigs etc also had M16 but not hard and fast. The M203/M16 appeared later and was issued to a Rifleman in the sectio n as one of the three. The M50 was used throughout as the Section GPMG

Here are some photos of later war webbing The Bum Pack was issued throughout. Note the Austpack - prior to this being issued the UK large 37 haversack was used or scrounged US packs and WW2 Bergans in SASR




Note that most Aussie SLR's had different foregrips to the UK pattern:
some of the early three slot full wood was still used
This plate from the osprey title:
http://books.google.com.au/books?vid=1841767026&redir_esc=y
Shows a typical Australian Infantryman in SVN

AATV, SASR and some of the BN Recon Pls (Later in the conflict) used US and local pattern Camouflage uniforms.

I recommend a copy of the osprey title or search through the AWM database for Pics of the Centurion as a lot have infantry in the pics or Binh Ba etc for good reference.
http://www.awm.gov.au/search/collections/

Al

Please visit the Fifth Royal Australian Regiment website

http://www.5rar.asn.au/

there is a wealth of information regarding the battle here .

Also the tour book " The Year of the Tigers " contains much about the men and operations in South Vietnam 1969-1970 .

My father was a medic with 5RAR during 1969
And was at the battle of Bihn Ba .


Good luck

Edit *

Binh Ba