N.Z. Troop Commitment In Vietnam Reduced

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32381, 21 August 1970, Page 1

N.Z. Troop Commitment In Vietnam Reduced

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 20. One, of the two New Zealand rifle companies serving in South Vietnam would be withdrawn before the end of this year, the Prime Minister (Sir Keith Holyoake) announced today.

This will reduce the New Zealand commitment in Vietnam to one infantry company plus ancillary troops serving with the Anzac Battalion, an artillery battery serving in support of another Australian battalion, a S.A.S. unit, four helicopter pilots, the services medical team, and New Zealand headquarters staff based in Saigon.

Sir Keith said that although no firm date bad been set the timing was likely to be determined by the fact that W Company, Ist Battalion,

R.N.Z.1.8, of 144 men, was due to be replaced in Not* ember. The usual practice is that companies going to Vietnam are made up of men i 4 heir last months of servir It is understood that repl ents by shorter-servier . will

mean that tt uplete W Company <ot be brought righ’ file to New Zealand. Some of .t’wm will be returned to. Nee So -0 barracks, in Singapon "here they will be joined by the replacement company now being trapped

in New Zealand. This will expand the New Zealand force in Singapore to nearbattalion strength. It will operate with Australian units as a brigade-strength reserve.

The total New Zealand commitment in South Vietnam is nearly 700 men. This will be reduced to about 550 by the decision. It has been toe practice for toe 6th Anzac Battalion to be over strength. The Australian component was formed less one rifle company. and toe two New Zealand companies then added. As a result, the withdrawal of one New Zealand company will merely reduce toe Australian battalion to normal strength. “1 have recently drawn attention to the growing capacity of toe South Vietnamese forces to assume toe primary responsibility for the defence of their country,” Sir Keith Holyoake said.

“The success of the Vietnamisation programme has enabled continuing withdrawals of United States troops, and I have on several occasions ex- , pressed the hope that the situation in South Vietnam would

improve to the extent that New Zealand would be able to withdraw some of its forces. This point has now been reached.” KEPT INFORMED The Prime Minister said South Vietnam, toe United States, and Australia had been kept fully informed of toe New Zealand Government’s intentions. The Government was actively considering ways in which training assistance could be provided from this country in developing the capabilities of toe South Vietnamese armed forces. A decision on the scope and form of this assistance would be taken soon, after discussions with the South Vietnamese authorities. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) said tonight that he welcomed the announcement, as far as it went But the fact that nearly onethird of toe force was being withdrawn showed there was no military reason why there could not be complete withdrawal.

It ought not to be thought that the withdrawal of the troops was the only interest the Labour Party had in Vietnam.