I've just received the latest MVPA journal and their is an article about Haflingers in the Australian Army. As usual, it states that there were 50, and that, despite a lack of concrete evidence, they were used in small numbers in South Vietnam by Australia.
Firstly, I've only ever found reference to 46 Haflingers and 46 trailers, not the '50' number that keeps on being quoted. Even the REMLR website lists 46. Hmmm: unless there are another 4 lurking somewhere that both Richard and I have missed, then I'd guess the actual number might be 46?
The article's reference to their use in SVN is as follows: 'There are also accounts of at least two Haflingers being used in Vietnam with helicopters carrying vehicles to remote jungle areas, where they were used primarily to transport ammunition. There is no substantiation of their use in Vietnam in any official record currently available. One Australian veteran states that several were brought in to theatre via Hercules and Caribou aircraft on a trial basis but not officially assigned to any specific transport platoon. He recalls eight or so Haflingers in service in and around Nui Dat in 1970-71.'
Anyone got any opinions on the above claims? I certainly have! Air transport to SVN from Australia was precious: only the highest priority cargoes went by air, and I doubt eight (the number just keeps on growing....) Haflingers qualify as a high priority cargo, especially when plenty of M274 Mules were available in country along with their spare parts. 'Not assigned to any particular unit' just doesn't ring true with the way army operates: someone is given/assigned responsibility, even for so called 'trials' vehicles, and if they were in SVN, then they had to be RTA at some time as a low priority backload, and there is no record of that that I've ever found. (All the Haflingers and trailers were disposed of within Australia, none in SVN).
I may be a Doubting Thomas, but until someone shows me an image of one in SVN, or a solid written reference, then I'd say the Haflingers of the Australian Army never left the Land of Oz.
The last comment I'll make is about the comment that it is unknown why the Aust Army chose to procure Haflingers when they did. That is, I think, an easy one to explain: the Pentropic organization (light, largely air-mobile divisional structure geared for tropical warfare) was still extant when the Haflingers were ordered, but by the time of their arrival in 1966, that organizational structure had been abandoned. Result? 46 'orphans' subsequently used (mostly) by RAASC as run-abouts....
OK: off my soap box now........
Mike C