US Army issue tropical combat jacket: Major Ian Graham McNeill, Australian Army Training Team Vietnam

Jungle green US Army issue tropical combat jacket with fold down collar and buttoned shoulder straps. The jacket is secured by a concealed button closure with two buttons sewn on the inside of the right panel corresponding to button holes on a inner left hand flap. The jacket has long sleeves fastened at the cuff by an adjustable button closure. There are four expanding pleated pockets with buttoned flap closures, two at the breast and two below the waistline. The breast pockets are angled diagonally outwards at the bottom and each top flap has a gap left in its seam for a small internal pocket. The jacket has two buttons on either side of the side seam at waist level with an attached tab for tightening the fit. The jacket had a sizing label sewn inside below the collar and another small maker's label sewn inside the right front panel.

This US first issue tropical combat uniform was worn by 335073 Major Ian Graham McNeill when a member of the Australian Army Training Team in Vietnam.

Ian Graham McNeill was born in Melbourne on 12 June 1933 and was educated in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. In 1950 he entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon, graduating 1954; in 1955 under service number 335073 he served in Korea from 3 September until 4 November 1955 as a lieutenant commanding a rifle platoon with 1 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, helping to maintain the ceasefire.

In 1957 he became a founding member of 1 Special Air Service Company as a platoon commander and served with the company until 1961 when he joined the headquarters of the Australian Army Force in Singapore. He visited South Vietnam for a brief inspection tour in November 1962 and in 1965 was selected to join the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV). He served a one-year tour of duty as Senior Australian Adviser in the northern I Corps region of South Vietnam from August 1965 to August 1966. On his return, he served in the 1, 3 and 5 battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment.

Returning to Canberra in 1972, he joined the Military History Cell at Army Headquarters where he worked on the book that would eventually become 'The Team', a history of the AATTV.

McNeill retired from the Army in 1982 with the rank of major and in 1984 joined the Australian War Memorial’s Official History Unit, where he researched and wrote the first volume of the official history of Australian Forces in Vietnam, 'To Long Tan'. He was awarded a Doctorate of Letters for 'The Team' and 'To Long Tan' from the University of New England. McNeill died in 1988.