During New Zealand’s commitment to the war in South Vietnam (29 June 1964 – 21 December 1972). The Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps did not contribute a standalone unit but provided individuals to serve in New Zealand Headquarters units, Composite Logistic units or as part of Australian Ordnance Units including:

• Headquarters Vietnam Force (HQ V Force)
• 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF)
• 1st Australian Logistic Support Group (1 ALSG)
• 161 Battery Attachments (161 Bty Att)
• New Zealand Rifle Companies
• 161st (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight
• As Visitors.

The names on this page have been collated from the Memories of New Zealand and Vietnam Website that can be found at http://www.vietnamwar.govt.nz

Headquarters Vietnam Force (HQ V Force)

The Headquarted element for New Zealand Forces In South Vietnam, HQ V Force was located at Saigon from 1964 to 1972, and during that time had three separate titles:

• HQ NEWZAD (29 June 1964 – 1 July 1965)
• HQ NZ V Force (2 July 1965 – 21 December 1972)
• HQ NZATGV – HQ NZ Army Training Group Vietnam (21 December 1972)

HQ V Force RNZAOC Personnel

• Corporal Joseph Seymour Bolton,
• Sergeant John Walter (Boots) Byrom,
• Corporal Ronald John Henderson,
• Warrant Officer Class Two John Edward Hancox,
• Corporal James Nelson Harvey,
• Cpl Frankie Te Waru Hohepa, served out of US Army Depot Long Binh
• Lance Corporal Kevin Gerard Moriarty,
• Lance Corporal Colin William Roulston,
• Lieutenant Mark David Stuart,
• Sergeant Bruce Raymond Swain,
• Corporal Barry James Taylor,
• Corporal William Douglas Waugh.

1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF)

New Zealanders served in various capacities within the headquarters of 1 ATF in Nui Dat.

1 ATF RNZAOC Personnel

• Corporal Michael Maurice Barker,
• Private Colin Robert Von Richenbach.

1st Australian Logistic Support Group (1 ALSG)

1 ALSG began life as ALSC (Australian Logistic Support Company) with the role of commanding the logistic support units of the Australian Task Force in South Vietnam, From its establishment New Zealanders of all ranks, corps and services served in 1 ALSG in every conceivable role.

The Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps elements of the ALSG consisted of ;

Second line support

• 1 Ordnance Field Park

Third line support

• Initially know as 1st Composite Ordnance Depot, renamed as 2 Composite Ordnance Depot (1 April 1966 – 15 November 1967) and finally known as 2 Advanced Ordnance Depot (16 November 1967 – 12 March 1972), included the following subunits;
  • 13 Ordnance Supply Control Platoon
  • 14 Ordnance Stores Platoon
  • 15 Ordnance Ammunition Platoon
  • 16 Ordnance Vehicle Platoon
  • 18 Ordnance Depot Laundry and Bath Section
  • 19 Ordnance Supply Control Platoon
  • 20 Ordnance Stores Platoon (9 January 1967)

Workshop Stores Sections

• 1 Independent Armoured Sqn Workshop Stores Section (29 January – 2 February 1968)
• 106 Field Workshop Stores Section (took over from 1 Independent Armoured Sqn Workshop Stores Section)
• 101 Field Workshop Stores Section (1 April 1966 – 5 July 1067
• 102 Field Workshop Stores Section (2 March 1967 – 12 March 1972)

RNZAOC ALSG Personnel

• Corporal Brian William Calvey,
• Major Arthur John Campbell,
• Corporal Ernest Reichter Clegg,
• Captain Gary Malcolm Corkin,
• Lieutenant Ronald Leslie Cross,
• Staff Sergeant Alfred Stephenson Day,
• Captain Kevin John Dreyer,
• Lieutenant James Bernard Finnerty,
• Sergeant Dennis Leslie Goldfinch,
• Corporal Laurence Roy Hawkins,
• Staff Sergeant Tamamarakau Te Kingi Hiini,
• Sergeant Arthur James Keeler,
• Staff Sergeant Derek John Keen,
• Lieutenant Terence David McBeth,
• Corporal Phillip Ross Miller,
• Sergeant Terence Norman Morrissey,
• Lieutenant Maxwell Frederick Newnham,
• Staff Sergeant Rex Pennell,
• Lieutenant Piers Martin Reid,
• Major Malcolm John Ross,
• Staff Sergeant Roy Harold Staniford,
• Sergeant Barry Thomas Thompson,
• Sergeant Darrell Samuel Todd,
• Staff Sergeant James William Twist.

161 Battery Attachments

161 Battery first deployed to Vietnam in June 1965 with its own attached Logistics element to undertake Battery specific servicing and logistical tasks. Known as the Logistic Support Element (LSE). The LSE was detached from the battery in 1966 and located with 1st Australian Logistic Support Group (1 ALSG) at Vung Tau.

RNZAOC 161 Battery Attachments

• Corporal Laurence Charles Collier,
• Staff Sergeant Ronald Albert Eveleigh,
• Lieutenant David Ralph Hughes,
• Sergeant Maurice John Lynch,
• Corporal Brian David Moore
• Corporal Wilford Stuart Neshausen,
• Gunner Stephen Rex Shepherd.

161st (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight

New Zealand Army Air Corps pilots and one RNZAOC Officer flew Sioux helicopters with the Australian 161 Recce Flt.

• Lieutenant Reginald Ellwood

Visitors

RNZAOC personnel not posted to serve on the posted strength of units in South Vietnam, but spent periods of time there.

• Corporal Francis Bobby Te Ahuru,
• Brigadier Allan Huia Andrews,
• Lieutenant Terence John Verrall.
• Lieutenant Colonel Jack Harvey

New Zealand Rifle Companies and Training Teams

RNZAOC personnel recorded as serving in South Vietnam as part of the New Zealand Rifle Companies and Training Teams. Note some of these individuals might not have been members of the RNZAOC at the time of their posting but transferred into the RNZAOC following their servicve in Soiuth Vietnam.

W1

• Private Peter Chanel Dellabarca,
• Private Robert James MacDowall,
• Private Te Ra Nui Ote Tau Te Paenga,
• Corporal Murray Walters.

W3

• Lance Corporal David Condon,
• LCpl Bill Toa Paki
• Lance Corporal Francis Joseph Ryan.

V4

• Private Horace Te Hoki Thompson.
• Private Russell Henry Tulloch.

V5

• Private Roy Tutewhakaiho Komene,
• Private Wilson Douglas Simonsen.

V6

• Private Graeme Lloyd Hughes

1  New Zealand Army Training Team

• Warrant Officer Class Two Brian Lewis Crafts

2  New Zealand Army Training Team

• Second Lieutenant Stuart Douglas Hopkins

Copyright © Robert McKie 2017