Major Alex Craig (retired) AATTV (Australian Army Training Team Vietnam), as a Warrant Officer and interpreter, interviewed By Michael Boyle

Alexander (Alex) Craig discusses his career and Vietnam War era service. As a WO2 in the intelligence Corps Major Craig was posted to AATTV in Vietnam in the early sixties. His appointment was unique in that he was among the few advisers who was fluent in Vietnamese. His language ability proved invaluable in liaising with and mentoring ARVN troops with which he had contact. On occasions he did not reveal that he understood and could speak Vietnamese the better to assess Vietnamese reactions to training courses and to the war in general. Although, at that time, AATTV were not involved in operations against the VC it was impossible for him to ignore what was going on around him all the time especially as the VC did not distinguish between Australian military and ARVN.

Following his posting to Vietnam, WO2 Craig continued his career in intelligence, received a commission and at one stage was involved with running the sometimes controversial “Code of Conduct” courses. Major Craig’s service was remarkable on another level, as a child he had suffered from poliomyelitis that affected one leg. However, this did not affect his enlistment with Civilian Military Forces (CMF), following which he successfully transitioned to the regular army.