Just found a little background for Brigadier Doidge Estcourt Taunton in his home's Autumn 2020 Newsletter on pg.7. The two links shown to imagery are inactive and the video shown is WBGH's. See: https://www.duston-pc.gov.uk/uploads/dlhs-august-2020.pdf
Came across this short paper on the campaign, only skimmed through - so added for others: https://www.sahr.org.uk/docs/crane_...involvement_in_french_indochina_sahrs1055.pdf
Interesting article. I like the speculation that if the British had remained longer in Indo-China, the French and American Vietnam actions might have gone differently.
From the little I have read I think that SEAC and 20th Div CO would have been far happier handing over FIC over if the French were fully committed to self rule. However with the Chinese policies of plundering resources and allowing Viet Minh free rein in North, any British counter-insurgency successes, which btw I agree they were FAR better in the jungle than any other forces in-theatre including the Japanese, would have merely postponed the inevitable. The French never would or could commit sufficient manpower and equipment to supressing the VM; and their operations were based on false (overly optimistic) view of the opposition. Then we mustn't forget that until the Chinese openly joined the Korean War, the State Dept. put significant pressure of French not to use modern US weapon systems - Airlift capacity, artillery, helicopters, shipping and logistical support. Finally the voters wouldn't support conscripts being deployed, hence the numbers of colonial forces used. This was a conflict with only one outcome.
The paper added in Post 81 by William Crane was an essay entered in a competition by the UK-based Society for Army Historical Research (SAHR) and slightly edited: Link which dates submission as March 2021: Essay Contest Honours Army Historical Research - Oundle School Reviewing the bibliography I recognise some of cited sources, though not two I used (Dunn & Marston) and many of the others are new to me. I may try contact the author via his school.
