Derrill de Heer
Visiting Fellow and Research Associate
Phone: +61 2 6268 8921
Fax: +61 2 6268 8879
Email: d.deheer@adfa.edu.au
Professional Background
Derrill de Heer served in the Citizens Military Forces (CMF) (2 Commando Company) and Australian regular army from 1961 to 1983. He served in Malaya and two tours in South Vietnam. First tour with 8 Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment and as an original member of 1st Australian Psychological Operations Unit. Second tour in 4 Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment / New Zealand (ANZAC). He trained and instructed in Special Operations at 1 Commando Company and the Royal Australian Navy Mine Warefare and Clearance Divers School at HMAS Penguin.
On leaving the military in 1983 he attended the University of Canberra where he gained a Bachelor of Arts in Administration, a Diploma in Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education.
Mr de Heer has worked in Teaching, Training, Human Resource Management, Quality Assurrance, Business Development, Security, Facility Management, Financial Planning and the Australian Taxation Office GST Implementation. He also conducted his own business in private investigations, commercial agent and security consulting.
Mr de Heer has a Master of Arts in History at the University of New South Wales.
Derrill is currently a Research Associate in a research team lead by Dr Bob Hall. This project is titled ‘Understanding Low-Intensity Conflict’.
Research Interests
The Australian army’s role and performance in Vietnam and Confrontation. The Vietnam War. Confrontation. Combat effectiveness.
Community Activities:
- Instructor – Australia Yachting Federation
- Certified Coach – Australian Coaching Council – Yachting
Research Interests
- The Australian army’s role and performance in Vietnam and the Indonesian Confrontation.
- Oral history interviews – Navy Clearance Divers for Australian War Memorial.
- Psychological Operations and the Media in conflicts.
- The Australian army’s role and performance in Vietnam and Confrontation.
- The Vietnam War.
- Confrontation.
- Combat effectiveness.
Mr de Heer is the unit historian for 2 Commando Regiment and is working on their unit history for the period 1996 to 2010. This is to be published in 2014 or 2015.
Publications
MA Research (Military History) thesis ‘Victoria per mentum: Psychological Operations Conducted by the Australian Army in Phuoc Tuy Province South Vietnam 1965 – 1971’.
Easter Offensive 1972.
Can you help find Vietnamese Missing in Action? To help identify the remains of Viet Cong or People’s Army of Vietnam (VC/PAVN) soldiers who died in contact with the 1st Australian Task Force during the Vietnam War, or to return an item to a Vietnamese family, please click here.