Members of 1 RNZIR 'Originals' Subsequent Service in South Vietnam as at 2006

The following is an excerpt from a presentation given by Victor Johnson in Palmerston North in 2008 to persons attending the 1 RNZIR 'Originals' Battalion reunion. Some explanatory statements have been added to clarify what was orally said,

The presentation's purpose was to provide an animated scrolling Roll of Honour displaying the names and details of all past battalion members who were deceased up to about that time. In compiling the presentation it became evident that a significant number of battalion members who had subsequently served in the South Vietnam theatre of war were deceased.

In the early 1980's the matter of New Zealand military personnel who had served in Vietnam suffering or had died from abnormal health diseases and disorders became a root cause analysis project for the New Zealand Korea and Southeast Asia Forces Association. A primary suspect of cause was referred to as Agent Orange.

Initial root cause analysis by the Korea and Southeast Asia Forces Association indicated that the abnormal health diseases and disorders were NOT evident among personnel who had served in South East Asia but not Vietnam. Given that, the deaths from those who had served in Vietnam were presented as shown in the table below.

The average age of the Battalion personnel in 1964 would likely have been 21 years of age. The New Zealand Ministry of Health in 2013 indicated the life expectancy at birth was 73.0 years for Maori males and 77.1 years for Maori females; it was 80.3 years for non-Maori males and 83.9 years for non-Maori females.

While 1 RNZIR 'Originals' Battalion was posted at Terendak Military Camp in Malaya with the 28th Commonwealth Brigade, 17th Gurkha Division, the members were replaced on a rotational basis from November 1965 onward. The posted strength for the Battalion during its full tour of duty from November 1963 to Noevmber 1965, was 981 personnel.

The operational campaigns the Battalion was engaged in during its tour of duty from November 1963 to November 1965, included:

• Malay/Thailand Border - 1964
• Malay Peninsula against Indonesian regular military forces - 1964
• Borneo against Indonesian regular military forces - 1965

The continuing Battalion served a tour of duty in Borneo and then committed a Rifle Company to South Vietnam in May 1967. The first Company was designated as V1, better known as Victor 1. It was replaced by subsequent sub-units with the last being V6 on withdrawal from South Vietnam in 1971.

Another rifle company was also committed in December 1967, designated as W1 and better known as Whiskey 1. Both rifle companies served as integral sub-units with Australian infantry battalions based at Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy Province. The Australian Battalions were officially designated the title RAR/NZ [ANZAC] Battalion.

The uniqueness of the legendary 1 RNZIR 'Originals' Battalion is demonstrated by the number of members who subsequently served in South Vietnam following the Unit's return to New Zealand in late 1965. Given their combat and guerrilla warfare skills, the members performed their duties with distinction.

Service in South Vietnam

Many members of the Battalion went on to subsequent service in South Vietnam with sub-units such as the 161 Battery and various Victor and Whiskey rifle companies. Also, the company's embossed the 1 RNZIR flag in a style depicting their sub-unit, typically as shown for the V4 infantry rifle company flag.

Of those with subsequent service in South Vietnam there is a statistically significant number now deceased from causes attributable to abnormal health disorders and diseases to a greater extent than the population norm.

Given the Battalion's 981 personnel posted strength, 288 members subsequently served in South Vietnam from the mid-1960's up to New Zealand Defence Forces withdrawal in 1971.

The numbers for 1 RNZIR 'Orginals' who subsequently served in South Vietnam and percentaged of those deceased as at 6 July 2016, are shown in the following table.

Topic	No.	%
Total Battalion Strength	981	100%
South Vietnam Service, all inclusive	288	29.4% of Battalion who Served 1963 to 1965
Killed in Action [KIA]	5	1.7% of 288
Deceased at 6 July 2016, less killed in action	101	35.69% of the 283 personnel who served in Vietnam