In the 1960s, the United Kingdom became involved in a conflict that would become one of the most controversial wars of recent history.
This war was known as Vietnam, and it took place in Southeast Asia from 1954 to 1975. The British involvement in this war is often overlooked when discussing who participated, yet many people forget that Britain was actually one of America's strongest allies during this time period.
The British involvement in the Vietnam war consisted of supplying weapons, equipment and advisors to the United States. However, it also included combat missions flown by Royal Air Force aircraft from bases in Thailand against targets located in Laos and North Vietnam.
Britain joined the United States in their fight against Vietnam for a number of reasons. The first reason is rather simple: they wanted to form an alliance with America after World War II ended, and this was one major way in which Britain could prove that it had American's best interests at heart.
In addition, there were also political motivations behind committing to the war. Many British citizens were afraid that if they declined to join the United States, then it might have been viewed as a sign of weakness and could undermine their influence in future negotiations with other countries such as Russia.
The British involvement in the Vietnam War began after they sent a few military advisers to help train Vietnamese soldiers. They also supplied their allies with equipment such as artillery and airplanes, but by far their biggest contribution was providing money for America's war efforts. In fact, it is estimated that Britain gave about five million pounds per year during this time period.
Believe it or not, British troops actually fought in the Vietnam War. However, they only had a small number of soldiers participate due to their government's decision that committing too many resources would be ill-advised.
The first group of soldiers sent by Britain was called "The Queens Own Highlanders." They were involved with carrying out security and patrol duties while also providing intelligence support for airstrikes against North Vietnamese targets. They spent about six months stationed in a camp called "Truong Cong Dinh."
Another group of soldiers served from 1971-1972 alongside other special forces units. Their role was similar to the first group of soldiers, but they took on more of an advisory position after America's direct involvement had ended and North Vietnamese troops were infiltrating South Vietnam. They helped train local militias who acted as a security force for refugee camps in Saigon.
British SAS involvement in Vietnam began during the Malayan Emergency when they were deployed by parachute into jungle areas to train and lead anti-communist guerrillas against insurgents. They also served during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation where they carried out raids on Indonesian camps across the border between 1963 and 1966.
The SAS were also used during the Malayan Emergency to patrol behind insurgent lines in order to gather intelligence on their movements. This technique became known as “the road watch” .
Mcleod, S. "British involvement in the Vietnam War." World History Blog, Oct 25, 2021. https://www.worldhistoryblog.com/britain-vietnam-war.html.