Fighting to the Finish: the Australian Army and the Vietnam War, 1968–1975

Describes the activities of the Australian Task Force in Vietnam during its peak years, from the middle of 1968 to the end of 1971. For most of this period, the army maintained a force of over 6,000 troops in Vietnam. Eleven infantry battalions and their supporting arms undertook tours of duty and carried out almost 100 major operations. The work details the fierce clash between Australian infantry and armour and North Vietnamese Army forces in the village of Binh Ba, and the most authoritative account of the clearing of the controversial barrier minefield that led to alarmingly high numbers of Australian casualties. The book also analyses the difficulties faced during the phased withdrawal of the task force, as enemy pressure increased the burden and dangers for the remaining soldiers. This work includes the first detailed account of the aftermath of the war in Phuoc Tuy province, leading to the communist victory in 1975.