Why weren't the Brits involved in Vietnam.?

MikeInRI

Well - for one thing the US didn't look for any support from the British in that fight. We were doing that one on our own. Besides it was really a French mess - but American foolish brought it upon ourselves with the silly domino theory.

Good Luck!!!

cos we had more sense back then....

jimquk

The American government did ask for British support. Harold Wilson politely declined beyond a token gesture or two.

Basicly, no-one in the UK could see the point of getting involved, unlike in Korea for example.

Perhaps another reason was that the US (quite rightly!) pulled the plug on the Anglo-French invasion of Egypt in 1956.

Special relationship? Yeah, no-one can lick ars* like Tony Blair!

chav69

they were

Harly Q

No British Troops Served in Vietnam.
BUT, it is said that a few Special forces that were attached to the Austrailian Forces, did so under their Flag.

Flying Fid

President Lyndon Johnson put a lot of pressure on our PM Harold Wilson to get involved, but he always resisted and refused.
Where is he now? We need a PM who will not get involved with ill advised and illegal US military adventures. Not like Phony Tony, the supine spineless creep.

because tony blair was still at school

Tod Teddy

Because uncle Harold had a brain.
do you remember the song, hey hey LBJ how many kids...........

Stephen M

I THINK THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE IN SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY WORLD HISTORY!!!!!!! ARMIES FROM SEVERAL NATIONS WERE ENGAGED IN VIET NAM LONG BEFORE IT BACAME AN AMERICAN ICON.

jamand

Because at that time we had a leadership in the UK that did not dance to the puppeteer from the USA!

Raymo

Probably because we were still recovering from World War II - we were in it from the beginning, unlike others.

Nick F

they were covertly involved on a limited basis

mikey

yes they were...for a while.

CLIVE H

The UK prime minister of the day, Harold Wilson (Labour) refused to allow British forces to be used in Vietnam, even though he was put under considerable pressure by US Pres. Linden B Johnson.

ikeman32

um because they were the smart ones?

steviethehun

because back then we didnt have an idiot like blair as prime minister,we had a pm who would tell the good old usa were to go,not like bushes puppy blair

sara

the brits were actuly involved they helped train us and viatnamese troops as they had experince in jungle warfare in 1950s

LadyMoonlight!!

Because the Prime Minister (can't remember who it was) back then had more sense than to go running after the Yanks into a war that was nothing to do with us and which would have wasted loads of taxpayers' money and British soldiers' lives.

Sadly, these days we have Tony Blair.

HHH

Apparently Britain secretly sent it's SAS in but that has never been confirmed,Britain was afraid that if Vietnam fell then Britain's territory like Singapore,Malaya etc will also fall soon after.

Maid Angela

We were involved. If I remember correctly we had some specialist troops there such as engineers and special forces but not a bif force

camshy0078

Actually we were! and at the same time we were in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and the Middle east fighting the tide of Communism too! It was just not made public knowledge at that time and was put down as Training Teams for Local Goverment troops.

iwasnotanazipolka

I would imagine a couple of reasons. First, they were not threatened (of course, neither were we, but so it goes...) so they didn't think there was a reason for it. Our allies were primarily the Aussies, Korean marines, some Thai special forces and some Philippine troops. Another reason is that Harold Wilson, a Labour PM was not supportive of the US involvement in Vietnam. Politically it would have been suicide for him to come to our aid. His first term was 1964-70, really the critical time in the war. After Tet in 1968, it was pretty clear that war was going down the tubes.

Also the UK as a whole, voters and citizens, were rather left leaning during that time and being of such a mind set, the opposition to the war was widespread.

And finally, it was a lousy time for the British economy and another drain on their government's funds was frowned upon.

MÃ¡irtÃn

Bombing children used to be frowned upon in the UK.

cruisingyeti

I think it is a good question.

Key point: The Malayan Emergency 1948-1960

One should recall the UK had extensive experience in SE Asia, was the only Army that had defeated communists as well as helping the Malaysians
Develop democracy.

Brits knew how to fight and win such a war. The Americans were â€œwarnedâ€ but whatever, it really was one fine mess. Arrogant, ignorant, it was just the way the USA was. I did 2 Â½ years in Vietnam, knew many Aussies and a few Kiwiâ€™s (New Zealandâ€™s finest) in my time there.

I recall when in Hong Kong talking with a few British soldiers about the nature of things. Their worries were well Northern Ireland by then.

America just did not keep up with the lessons of Malaysia, most do not realize that our Special forces (Green Berets) whilst doing a great job were slowly ordered out of the picture.

Perhaps if America would have had such as a Brigade of Gurkhas things may have been better.

I do think I have met no finer soldiers than those of the UK, and certainly the Aussies and Kiwiâ€™s: Vietnam was not some place 10,000 plus miles away but close to them. In all respect if the British Royal Parachute had been there the commies would have run back to Ho Chi Minh and never to return. In over a decade we never got much out of our building of the Vietnamese democracy or military.

Bottom line: most knew that the Vietnam War was a doomed prospect. The "Brits" knew how to win such.

bert

They were; if only you knew.,like the badge james,we're both vets eh?

thunderchild67

Had more sense to keep out of a fight that we didn't start and had no right being involved in ........and enjoying the 60s

They were too busy with that whole 60s music thing.

savageson7

Because they are not as IGNORANT as americans are

BlackSheep

Because the Prime minister at the time knew his a ss from his elbow.

Yup. we were 1 for 2.
Got that one right.

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