Thomas, William David (Major, b.1936 - d.2013)

Collection relating to the Indonesian Confrontation and Vietnam War service of 311610 Major William David Thomas, Borneo and Vietnam, 1965-85.

Wallet 1 of 1 contains 2 folders.

Folder 1 of 2 contains one small black note book containing gunnery notes [undated]. Most pages of note book have been covered in plastic and it has sustained water damage.

Folder 2 of 2 contains 8 items including four letters, one book, and other ephemera.

Letter dated 18 September 1983 is written by Thomas’ former interpreter Truong Thi Kim Ngoc in Vietnam to the Orderly Departure Program (ODP) in Thailand. This letter is requesting immigration to the United States of America under the ODP program. It lists her employment history, reason for seeking immigration, and family members wanting to join her.

Letter dated 29 October 1983 is written by Truong Thi Kim Ngoc to Thomas requesting his help in verifying her work with foreign forces during the war as she had to destroy any evidence of her involvement after the Vietnamese victory. Kim Ngoc states that she was only able to keep a photo of her and Thomas visiting a hospital in 1971.

Letterpost marked 12 September 1984 sent to Kim Ngoc’s brother Dinh Cu Nguyen living in New South Wales. The letter is partly written in Vietnamese with the English section being very similar to the letter sent to Thomas dated 29 October 1983.

Letter dated 21 October 1985 is from Nguyen to Thomas asking him for sponsorship help with Kim Ngoc’s immigration.

The book ‘Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam’ (England: 1947) contains poetry.

Included in ephemera is a copy of ‘Force Routine Orders Part 1 by Major General A L MacDonald, OBE Commander Australian Force Vietnam, Saigon 20 Jun 1968’. This order is public relations policy. Also included are photocopies of Kim Ngoc’s ID cards, the photo of her and Thomas visiting a patient in hospital, and an undated print out of a digital image showing Major Thomas with a Gurkha officer after a patrol.

Oversize folder 1 of 1 contains 10 items consisting of: seven Borneo patrol maps dated from 1965 to 1966; a 1970 Christmas card from the President of South Vietnam with a message in Vietnamese and English; a certificate for a Vietnamese Psyops Medal Citation awarded to Major Thomas on 22 September 1971; and a colourful map of Vietnam.

The Borneo patrol maps are:
Map section 1 relates to a patrol with a company of Gurkha Rifles which departed the base at Ba Kelalan. During this patrol the unit came under heavy fire and returned fire; the unit returned to HQ Labuan without casualties.
Map section 2 relates to a patrol with Gurkhas during which a gun was flown forward to cover the patrol ambushing traffic on the river. A Gurkha soldier accidentally fired a shot from his rifle causing fire to be exchanged.
Map section 3 relates to a patrol that began on 26 December 1965 to ambush the track running north south through Pa Terutum. The patrol was spotted by a civilian and called off. While recovering a mine an Indonesian patrol was spotted on the track. A Gurkha Corporal shot and killed the presumed 'lead scout' and gunfire was exchanged. Later the patrol was told that the 'lead scout' was a young local villager who had been visiting relatives for Christmas and asked if he could carry a rifle to pretend to be a soldier.
Map 4 relates to a patrol started 19 January 1966 to investigate a suspected gun position. The patrol was spotted and withdrew.
Maps 5, 6, and 7 relate to patrols. No details of these patrols are available.

During 1965-66 Major Thomas was a Forward Observe Officer (FOO) and Troop Commander of Bravo Troop, 38 (Seringapatam) Battery, 40 Light Regiment Royal Artillery in Borneo. Major Thomas was a member of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) assigned to the Joint US Public Affairs Office (JUSPAO) and detached by them to MACCORDS Advisory Team 89, Baria, as Province Psyops Advisor (PPPA) Phuoc Tuy from October 1970 to September 1972.