Why did britain not get involved in the vietnam war?

Question

Why did britain not get involved in the vietnam war?

Answer 1

We had nothing to do with the country, and at the time we did not follow the yanks into every war.

Answer 2

Britain never was in Indochina, France was. After the French left, the Americans came in to try and combat communism. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

Answer 3

The then Prime Minister Harold Wilson did not think very much of American military adventures, especially when they had no chance of winning. He kep Britain out, despite pressure from LBJ to join in.

Answer 4

Common sense.

That being something we seem to have forgotten about in the last ten years or so.

It was America's ball game, and for once Britain had the good sense not to get involved.

Okieman... Britain was never in Indochina? So, India, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong are all somewhere else, are they?

Answer 5

The US was afraid of communism & the British didn't care.

Answer 6

Largely i think because firstly the UK had been involved in two major wars, then other small  conflicts afterwards, then US was largely involved because it feared the spread of communism, and as far as my history goes that was not particularly prevalent in the UK at that time.

I am pretty sure that i could give a more concise answer but i am having a quiet moment of reflection. I am basically glad by and large we didn't

Answer 7

After the Japanese surrender in 1945. Britain did govern that part of Indo China for a brief period. After which we handed it back to France. During the period of US involvement. Britain provide support. We built the American Air bases in Thailand. Special Forces were also involved on active service. The most highly decorated "American" in the Vietnam War was British.

Units were sent from Britain to Fort Dix. At Fort Dix they "resigned from the British Army and re enlisted in the US Army. After completing their tour in Vietnam, the returning "G. I's" were discharged from US Forces and re enlisted in the British Army on their return to the UK. This mechanism allowed Harold Wilson, the British Prime Minister, to stand up in Parliament and announce "No British Troops are in Vietnam".

Twenty-Two British Servicemen were killed in action in Vietnam.

Answer 8

we have won enough wars for now

Answer 9

The British Army had enough on its plate at the time, Malaya, Cyprus, the Arabian Peninsula, Brunei, Borneo, Radfan, South Arabia, Malay Peninsula to name but a few.

There is certainly a clasp to the British General Service Medal 1962 for Vietnam, about 70 were issued. Most of these were issued to Australian and New Zealand servicemen prior to the introduction of their own awards around this time.

pp.aande - would like to known your source - am aware that 4 Australian servicemen Peter Badcoe, Keith Payne, Rayene Simpson and Kevin Wheatley were awarded the Victoria Cross (Badcoe and Wheatley posthumously).  Badcoe was also awarded the US Silver Star with oak leaf clutser, the Purple Heart and the Air Medal.  Payne the US Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star.  Simpson the British Distinguished Conduct Medal (on his first tour in Vietnam) and US Silver and Bronze Stars.  Wheatley the US Silver Star.  

Answer 10

We weren't scared of communism. If the England wanted to be communist, let them because it was our decision. If Vietnam wanted to be comunist, let them its their decision

Answer 11

sense...

Answer 12

because we are not stupid!

Answer 13

people saying that britain didnt care about communism are completely wrong, britain sent troops to greece and cyprus to prevent the spread of communism. the reason we never went to vietnam was because it was an unwinnable war. also we were pretty knackered from ww2.  

Answer 14

We were going to but the Viet Cong and the NVA did a good enough job without us.

Answer 15

in the first case it was not our war,at that time america had not got the dog lead on us as they do now,having said that there were brits involved in that conflict mainly as advisers but the one brit that stands out who fought and was captured and then escaped was TOM (BUD) ABRAHAM who served in the 1st cav as an officer from 1966 to 1969 and as a result of his service in the american forces earned himself multiple awards including the silver star,try reading the book he wrote afterwards called "THE CAGE"

Answer 16

Probably because the US nearly sent them bankrupt during the second World War charging them for all the war supplies under the Lend Lease programme.

I was told this by a serving midshipman on the HMS ARK ROYAL Aircraft carrier in Hong Kong during the Vietnam War.;

It appears there were a lot of US servicemen on R&R in the Naval club? and when the Ark Royal crew arrived on shore leave the Americans called them weak etc etc and one asked why aren't yo limeys fighting in Vietnam. A big fight broke out as one of the sailors answered," because the Viet Cong haven't asked us".

I believe the Captain of the Ark Royal refused to punish his crew over this.

Answer 17

When North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam, the president of the South Vietnam asked the American president for help to fight the threat of Communism from the North. The americans, went in, thinking it would soon sort it out and push the North vientnamese back in weeks, but we all know the outcome of that.

Britain could not help in this, because of the expense of a war in the far East, but I believe that Australia sent troops to assist the US forces.  

Answer 18

Harold Wilson refused to send troops to Vietnam on the grounds that his party would never wear it.

Answer 19

Britain was never as sold on the domino theory, so felt no need to get involved with an area that since the late 40's they had not seen as their sphere of influence.

And non-involvment can be seen as a bit of a "well f**k you" for Suez.  

Answer 20

We may not have been directly involved,

I have been led to believe that some of our SAS troops saw action with the Australian forces.

I do not believe that we would not have used this chance for our special forces to sharpen their skills.-it is very likely that servicemen from other branches of the armed forces also saw service this way

If captured they would claim to be Australians,it would be quite easy to pass for an antipodean-especially to the vietnamese.

Answer 21

well what i think is because at that time

America needed to defeat a communist country

to make a statement to the Soviet Union

and G.B wasn't a major captiolist country like America

you have to remeber that 10 years before Vietnam

there was mac-carthnyism in America