Maxwell Arthur Evans as a Warrant Officer Australian Army Training Team Vietnam interviewed by Greg Swanborough for 'The sharp end'

Warrant Officer 1 AATTV 1 September 1967 to 20 August 1968. Scene 2, Take 1: Special qualities required for (Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) member are all aspect of warfare, maturity (age) and acceptance of Vietnamese way of life. Difficulties communicating and reliant of Vietnamese battalion commander who spoke English. Scene 2, Take 2: Describes loneliness working alone with only a couple of Americans in the field. Radio contact in the evenings with other team members. Scene 2, Take 3: Returned for second tour to relieve team friends. It was important to keep experienced ‘old hands’ in the field. Scene 2, Take 4, roll 71: Role of AATTV was to train Vietnamese to a standard where they could take over the battle. Describes role of AATTV beyond training and engaged in fighting. First tour the Vietnamese had respect for the trainers, particularly the older team members. On the second tour, the Americans had stirred up a fair amount of animosity. The Vietnamese now knew the Australians and Americans were pulling out. Hard to loose troops and not being able to communicate with the families when returning the bodies. Scene 30, Take 1: Describes the Tet offensive the imperial city of Hue, the casualties and ferocious fighting. Disappointment, particularly by Vietnamese to see the North Vietnamese (NV) flag raised over the citadel. The CO of the Vietnamese battalion was a descendent of Kings and, according to protocol, lead his troops through the citadel gates after they had been blown in by American artillery. Lots of damage to citadel and no resupply for ten days. Survivors and troops survived on what they could find. Approximately eleven Australians were in the area and involved in battle. Tragedy of people maimed and killed by mines planted in the citadel. Scene 30, Take 2: Describes the replacement of NV flag with South Vietnamese flag. Describes mines on roads and danger of travel. Second tour in September-October 1970 training Cambodian soldiers with American equipment to safeguard Ho Chi Min trail. Scene 30, Take 3: Advisors were attached to Vietnamese units. Where they went, the advisors went so AATTV members did cross the borders. Vietnamese set up ambushes in Cambodia and Laos to catch NVA coming through on Ho Chi Min trail. Montagnards used cross bows so as not to reveal their position. Scene 30, Take 4, roll 72: [retake 3] Could not use artillery because all artillery missions were logged and allied fire was not permitted into another country not involved in the war. The NVA had no compunction to follow these rules. Most missions into Laos and Cambodia were successful.