2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
The colours chosen for the battalion's unit colour patch (UCP) were the same as those of the 4th Battalion, which had been raised for service during World War I as part of the First Australian Imperial Force, and had subsequently been re-raised as Militia battalion. These colours were white over green, in a horizontal rectangular shape, although a border of grey was added to the UCP to distinguish the battalion from its Militia counterpart.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Percival Parsons, a World War I veteran who had served in the Militia between the wars, the battalion began the process of training its personnel at Ingleburn, New South Wales with several instructors being attached from the Australian Instructional Corps. Many of the initial volunteers had had previous military experience in the part-time forces, with the first group of commissioned and non commissioned officers all being sourced from New South Wales Militia battalions including the 4th, 20th/19th and 56th Battalions.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
Training included basic soldiering skills such as weapon handling, drill, physical fitness, navigation, anti-gas techniques and fieldcraft. Finally, by early January 1940, the battalion was deemed ready to deploy overseas and on 4 January, the 2/4th took part in a farewell march through the streets of Sydney. Less than a week later, on 10 January 1940, the battalion departed Sydney aboard Strathnaver, bound for the Middle East. Sailing via Fremantle and Colombo, the 2/4th arrived at Kantara, in Egypt, in mid-February.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Middle East, Greece, Crete and Syria
Following a re-organisation of the structure of the Australian Army, which saw each infantry brigade reduced from four infantry battalions to three, the battalion was re-allocated to the 19th Brigade. This change occurred while the 2/4th was at sea, and after arriving in the Middle East, it concentrated at a camp at Kilo 89, near Gaza, in Palestine where it joined the 2/8th and 2/11th Battalions.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Middle East, Greece, Crete and Syria
For a brief period, following Italy's entry into the war, the battalion was converted to an anti-aircraft regiment and employed in the defence of Haifa, before it was converted back into an infantry battalion in August 1940. After rejoining the 19th Brigade, the 2/4th undertook further exercises and training in Egypt and Palestine prior to the Australians being committed to the fighting against the Italians in the Libyan desert in January 1941 during Operation Compass. A series of actions were fought by the Australians around Bardia, Tobruk and Derna, before the 2/4th entered Benghazi in February. In reserve at Bardia, the battalion's main action came around Derna. During this action, a deception plan was executed by the battalion second-in-command, Major Robert Winning, drawing Italian artillery fire into no man's land. The battalion subsequently occupied Benghazi in early February.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Middle East, Greece, Crete and Syria
In April 1941, as the Allies grew concerned about a German invasion of Greece, a combined force of British, Australian and New Zealand troops were deployed there from North Africa. It was a short lived campaign, as the Germans advanced quickly, rapidly pushing the Allies back. In freezing temperatures, the 2/4th was heavily engaged around Vevi, in northern Greece near the border with Yugoslavia, but also found itself being evacuated by the end of the month, departing from Megara. A small number of the battalion was not evacuated, however.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Middle East, Greece, Crete and Syria
Of these, most were captured and eventually sent to prisoner of war camps, although a couple were able to make their own way through Turkey to Palestine, where they eventually returned to the battalion. Several members of the 2/4th also managed to successfully escape from German or Italian prisoner of war camps.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Middle East, Greece, Crete and Syria
About 500 men from the 2/4th were evacuated by sea to Crete, arriving on 27 April. After the Germans launched an airborne invasion of the strategically important island on 20 May, the 2/4th fought around Heraklion airfield, being temporarily detached to the British 14th Infantry Brigade. During the initial landing, the German paratroopers attacking the airfield were repulsed, but they successfully managed to establish a strong foothold around the Allied position, and after heavy fighting the battalion was withdrawn from town, being taken off the Heraklion mole aboard several British destroyers as the island fell to the Germans.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Middle East, Greece, Crete and Syria
During the evacuation several of the warships that carried the 2/4th were subjected to heavy aerial attack, and several from the battalion were killed or wounded. After arriving in Alexandria, the battalion was rebuilt in Palestine, making up its losses from the earlier campaigns from new reinforcements in Palestine. In the wake of the Syria–Lebanon campaign, the battalion deployed to Syria as part of the Allied occupation force established there to defend against a possible German invasion through the Caucasus. They remained there until January 1942, enduring a cold and snowy winter.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Middle East, Greece, Crete and Syria
In the middle of the month, the 19th Brigade moved to Palestine, and from there the 2/4th embarked upon the troopship HMT Rajula at Port Tewfik, for the return to Australia, following Japan's entry into the war. Sailing via Colombo, they arrived in Fremantle in mid-March 1942, before proceeding on to Port Adelaide.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Home service and fighting in New Guinea
While other elements of the 6th Division were sent to New Guinea in late 1942 and early 1943 and saw combat against the Japanese along the Kokoda Track and around Wau, the 19th Brigade was allocated to defensive duties in Darwin, Northern Territory. Thus, after a fortnight's leave, the 2/4th Battalion, which had been temporarily headquartered around Mount Lofty in South Australia, was ordered north in late May 1942.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Home service and fighting in New Guinea
They remained there until June 1943, when the battalion was moved to northern Queensland, along with the rest of the 19th Brigade, aboard Duntroon, as the 6th Division's other two brigades – the 16th and 17th – returned to Australia from New Guinea. As the division was brought back up to strength, a long period of training followed. Consequently, it was not until late in the war that the 2/4th was committed to its first, and only, campaign against the Japanese, deploying to Aitape–Wewak in November 1944, aboard the US transport City of Mexico, as the Australians took over from US forces in the region.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Home service and fighting in New Guinea
After establishing themselves, the 19th Brigade was initially tasked with securing the area between around the Driniumor, Danmap and Danimul Rivers, and throughout the final months of the war, the battalion undertook an amphibious landing around But, before joining the advance towards Wewak, with fighting around Matapau in late December 1944 and then around Abau and Malin in early January 1945. After Wewak fell on 10 May and the Australians began pushing into the Prince Alexander Range in the interior. Further actions were fought around the Wirui Mission in the middle of May, and then around Mount Shiburangu and Mount Tazaki in May and early July, before the fighting came to an end in August 1945.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Home service and fighting in New Guinea
Following the end of hostilities, the process of demobilisation began. There was a large turn over of personnel at this time. Men who were eligible for discharge began returning to Australia in drafts after September, with the first batch departing aboard Katoomba, bound for Brisbane. Those who were not eligible for discharge were transferred to other battalions for further service. By October, all that remained was a small cadre of personnel tasked with returning the battalion's equipment and obtaining the necessary clearances for the battalion's equipment accounts to be closed and records finalised.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Home service and fighting in New Guinea
These personnel arrived in Australia in late October, and the 2/4th Battalion was subsequently disbanded at Chermside on 12 November 1945. During its service a total of 2,624 men served with the 2/4th Battalion of whom were 94 killed, 243 were wounded and 195 were captured.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Home service and fighting in New Guinea
One of the unit's soldiers, Private Edward Kenna, received the Victoria Cross for his actions during an attack on the Wirui Mission in May 1945; in addition, members of the battalion also received the following decorations: one Distinguished Service Order, nine Military Crosses, six Distinguished Conduct Medals, 11 Military Medals, and 53 Mentions in Despatches. Two members of the 2/4th were invested as Members of the Order of the British Empire.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), Battle honours
The 2/4th received the following battle honours for its involvement in the war:


2/4th Battalion (Australia), Battle honours
These honours were subsequently entrusted to the 4th Battalion in 1961, and through this link are maintained by the Royal New South Wales Regiment.


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment
The 2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment (Dutch: 2-4 Regiment Jagers te Paard, French: 2/4 Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval) was a cavalry regiment in the Land Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. The regiment was the armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Motorized Brigade.


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 2nd Regiment of Mounted Rifles
In March 1814, Prince Ferdinand de Croÿ received permission to create a regiment of Hussars. It was part of Légion Belge until 1 September 1814, when it was integrated in the army of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 2nd Regiment of Mounted Rifles
When William I became King of the Netherlands, the Belgian Regiment of Hussars of Croÿ becomes the 8th Regiment of Hussars. The regiment kept its original uniform until after the Battle of Waterloo, where it was part of the Dutch-Belgian cavalry.


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 2nd Regiment of Mounted Rifles
After the Belgian Revolution, the 8th Hussar Regiment become the 2nd Regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval (ChCh), by decree of the Provisional Government of Belgium in October 1830. Its first commander was Colonel d'Hanne de Steenhuyse in Ghent.


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 2nd Regiment of Mounted Rifles
On 20 August 1914, the regiment distinguished itself during the Siege of Antwerp. On 16 October 1914 the Battle of the Yser began, leading to four years of battles in the trenches on the Yser front. On 6 March 1918, the 2nd ChCh was able to withstand a massive attack by the enemy at Reigersvliet. The regiment was part of a counter-attack together with other units of the Cavalry Division. After the Allied occupation of the Rhineland, the 2nd ChCh moved to Namur.


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 2nd Regiment of Mounted Rifles
On 10 May 1940, the regiment (by then motorized) occupied bridges over the river Ourthe in the Ardennes. On 13 and 14 May 1940, it took part in a hard battle behind the river Gette. From 25 May 1940 until the end of the hostilities, the 2nd ChCh is able to stop all enemy attacks on the river Lys.


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 2nd Regiment of Mounted Rifles
The regiment was definitively reformed in 1952. From then onwards, it was based in Germany at Camp Vogelsang, Arnsberg Kassel and Ludenscheid. An American organizational structure and material was adopted. It was equipped with American Patton tanks. In 1973, it was re-equipped with the CVR-T tank which was replaced in 1986 by the Leopard 1. The regiment remained a tank battalion until 1992. From then onwards, the 2nd ChCh, with its surveillance radars, was revised in a reconnaissance role. It left Altenrath in Germany for Saive in 2003 with the disbanding of the Belgian Forces in Germany (FBA-BSD).


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 4th Regiment of Mounted Rifles
The 4th Regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval was founded during the re-organisation of the army in 1913, and was thus the youngest cavalry unit of the Belgian army. It participated in World War I and helped the Second Army Division in a reconnaissance role. It distinguished itself during the Siege of Antwerp between 30 August and 8 October 1914. During the second break-out of Antwerp, the 4th Chch made it as far as the surroundings of Leuven.


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 4th Regiment of Mounted Rifles
During the retreat of Antwerp, its defense of the Lisse canal, near Somerghem on 12 October 1914, was able to repulse an enemy attack, though with significant losses. Thanks to this, the Division was able to retreat intact to Bruges. The regiment adapted to the trench warfare of the Yser Front as an infantry regiment. It was dissolved in February 1918, though it was resurrected in 1919. From October 1921 it was based in Mons. Another reorganization of the army in 1923 lead to its second dissolution on 3 August. It was not re-mobilized during the Second World War, though former members of the regiment served in other units.


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 4th Regiment of Mounted Rifles
On 1 February 1961, the 4th Regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval was re-created as the Regiment of reconnaissance of the 1st Belgian Corps. It had its base in Quartier Houhulst in Werl in Germany. In July 1964 the Regiment moved to a new base at Quartier Reigersvliet in Arnsberg. As a consequence of a re-organisation of the Armed Forces, the Regiment was being reduced to a Squadron in 1993. On 3 June 1994 the unit left Arnsberg after 30 years of stay.


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 4th Regiment of Mounted Rifles
That same day the Squadron 4th Chasseurs à Cheval was officially installed as an independent reconnaissance squadron of the 1st Mechanized Division in Altenrath, between Cologne and Bonn, until the end of 2001. On 1 January 2002, it became the unit of reconnaissance of the 7th Mechanized Brigade in Marche-en-Famenne. The 4th Chch Squadron remained in Altenrath until September 2003 when they returned to Belgium. After this move to Saive, near Liège, the unit was promoted to the status of Regiment again. Under the new expansion, it included a regimental headquarters, a support squadron and one Recce Squadron (5 platoons, being three of reconnaissance, one of infantry and one ATk (anti-tank) platoon).


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, History, 4th Regiment of Mounted Rifles
On 29 September 2004, as a result of the fusion of the 2 units,  the 2/4 Regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval was created. The first deployment of the new combined unit was BELKOS 22 in Kosovo between July to December 2006


2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, Disbandment
As part of the restructuring of the Belgian defense in January 2011, the regiment joined with the 1st Regiment of Mounted Rifles/Guides to form the ISTAR Battalion (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) based at Heverlee.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia)
The 2/4th Commando Squadron was one of 12 independent companies and commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army during the Second World War. Raised in August 1941, it was disbanded not long after due to conceptual problems, but it was quickly reformed following the entry of Japan into the war in December 1941. After a period of about six months performing garrison duties in northern Australia, the 2/4th was deployed to Portuguese Timor to reinforce the other Australian units already waging a guerilla war on the island.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia)
After a brief campaign the 2/4th was returned to Australia and from there it went on to serve in New Guinea in 1943, taking part in the Salamaua-Lae campaign attached to the 9th Division. Later, the squadron was involved in one of the last campaigns of the war when it landed on Tarakan Island in May 1945 and took part in the Borneo campaign. Following the end of hostilities, the 2/4th returned to Australia and was disbanded at Ingleburn, New South Wales, on 8 January 1946.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
The unit was initially formed as "No. 4 Independent Company" in August 1941, but it was disbanded in October due to conceptual problems within the Australian Army surrounding the role that the 4th and other such companies could fill in the strategic situation at that time. The Company was reformed in late December 1941 following the outbreak of the Pacific War. This time it was known as "2/4th Independent Company".


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
After completing its training at the Guerilla Warfare School at Foster, on Wilsons Promontory, Victoria, the 2/4th was posted to the Katherine, Northern Territory, in March 1942 where it undertook garrison duties. Following the bombing of Darwin this became an operation role and during this time the 2/4th deployed a number of small groups between the McArthur and the Ord Rivers, where they were to harass any Japanese forces which might have landed there. This never eventuated, though, and in August the 2/4th moved to the town of Adelaide River, Northern Territory.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
In September the 2/4th Independent Company returned to Darwin and from there they were was deployed to Portuguese Timor (now East Timor) on HMAS Voyager to reinforce the 2/2nd Independent Company, which was at that time conducting a guerilla campaign on the island with the assistance of the local population. Over the course of four months, the company carried out a number of successful operations on Timor, including many successful ambushes, dynamiting of bridges and roads, as well as manning two observation posts in the mountains outside Dili where they reported the movements of Japanese ships and aircraft.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
This lasted until January 1943 when, due to the deteriorating situation, the decision was made to withdraw the force from the island and bring them back to Australia. Their success demonstrated what could be achieved by such a force behind enemy lines and it was used later as a model for the formation of the Australian Special Air Service after the war.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
The company returned to Australia and was reformed at the Jungle Warfare School at Canungra, Queensland, in April 1943 where it received reinforcements and new equipment. From there, they were moved to Wongabel on the Atherton Tablelands. It was during this time that the Australian Army began to re-organise the independent companies, as part of its larger army-wide re-organisation as it began to prepare itself for the jungle campaigns that it would fight over the next two years. As a part of this re-organisation, the independent companies were amalgamated together under a regimental headquarters that would administer the companies.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
These headquarters units were formed using the cavalry regiments of the 6th, 7th and 9th Divisions and as such, in October, although at that time currently overseas again, the 2/4th Independent Company was redesignated the "2/4th Cavalry (Commando) Squadron" as it became a part of the 2/7th Cavalry Commando Regiment, attached to the 7th Division. This name would later be shortened simply to "2/4th Commando Squadron" in 1944.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
In August 1943, the 2/4th was deployed to New Guinea, arriving at Milne Bay where they were placed under the command of the 9th Division, attached to the 26th Brigade. On 4 September, the 2/4th participated in Australia's first amphibious landing since Gallipoli when they landed at Lae during the Salamaua-Lae campaign. The 2/4th came ashore in the second wave of the landing, suffering heavy losses with thirty-four men being killed or missing when their Landing Ship Tank was attacked by Japanese dive and torpedo bombers.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
After the landing, the 2/4th began reconnaissance and flank protection operations for the 26th Brigade until 30 October, when Lae finally fell and they were sent by barge to reinforce the 20th Brigade at Finschhafen in the clearing of the Huon Peninsula. During this time the 2/4th conducted numerous long range patrols, often being sent ahead of the main advance, before finally being removed from the line at the end of February 1944 and being sent back to Australia for leave.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
Upon its return to Australia, the 2/4th regrouped at Ravenshoe, Queensland, where in March 1944 it became part of the 2/9th Cavalry Commando Regiment and was officially attached to the 9th Division with whom it had served during the recently concluded operations in New Guinea. The squadron then experienced a hiatus from operations for over a year, during which time it conducted numerous training exercises in northern Queensland, before embarking from Townsville and sailing to Morotai in April 1945. From here the squadron took part in the landings at Tarakan Island off Borneo as part of the "Oboe" operations.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
Throughout May and June the 2/4th played an important role in the campaign. The landing on Sadau Island was unopposed and a few days later on 3 May at Tarakan it was once again tasked to act in support of the 26th Brigade. In the coming days and weeks the 2/4th saw extensive service during the liberation of Tarakan, suffering heavy casualties with four officers and fifty-two other ranks being killed or wounded in this time.


2/4th Commando Squadron (Australia), History
This was the squadron's last operation and following its return to Australia it was disbanded at Ingleburn, New South Wales, on 8 January 1946. During its service the 2/4th lost 68 men killed in action or died on active service. Five members were awarded the Military Medal, while 15 were Mentioned in Despatches.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia)
The 2/4th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed on 2 May 1940, as part of the 7th Division during World War II. The regiment was involved in campaigns in North Africa, Syria–Lebanon, Salamaua–Lae, the Finisterre Ranges and Borneo. After training in Victoria, the regiment deployed to North Africa in late 1940. After being deployed in the defence of Mersa Matruh in Egypt in early 1941, the regiment took part in the fighting against the Vichy French in Syria and Lebanon, before undertaking garrison duties there.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia)
It returned to Australia in early 1942 following Japan's entry into the war, and in September 1943, a small group of artillerymen from the 2/4th parachuted with two short 25 Pounder guns in the airborne landing at Nadzab airstrip in New Guinea in support of the US Army's 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. Later, the regiment took part in the 7th Division's advance through the Finisterre Range before returning to Australia in early 1944. Its final involvement in the war came around Balikpapan in 1945. After the war, the regiment was disbanded on 7 February 1946.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia), History
Raised on 7 May 1940, as part of the 7th Division at Caulfield Racecourse, in Melbourne, Victoria, the regiment was initially formed with two three-troop batteries: the 7th and 8th. Each battery consisted of three troops and four QF 18 pounders. The regiment's initial volunteers  were drawn mainly from Victoria, with many having previously served in local Militia artillery units. Artillery guns were scarce at the time and training was completed at Puckapunyal, Victoria, using guns borrowed from other units. On 21 October 1940, still without its own guns, the regiment embarked from Port Melbourne bound for the Middle East.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia), History
Disembarking at El Kantara, in Egypt, on the Suez Canal in November. Its next destination was Deir Suneid, Palestine, traveling by train, where it undertook training, before receiving some artillery guns in January 1941. After moving to Ikingi Maryut, Egypt, in mid-April it finally was equipped with 25-pounders, 18-pounders, and 4.5 inch howitzers.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia), History
After Tobruk was placed under siege by Axis forces in April 1941, the regiment moved to the fortress at Mersa Matruh, Egypt, with four guns being deployed forward in an anti-tank role. In May, the regiment received new 25-pounders at Tel el Kebir, Egypt, from the 9th Division before the Allies launched the Syria–Lebanon Campaign and moved to Affula, Palestine. As part of the invasion of Syria and Lebanon held at the time by the Vichy French, the regiment supported the Australian 21st Brigade's advance along the coast.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia), History
Crossing the border on 8 June, the 7th Battery, as part of the advance guard which overlooked the Litani River, fired the first artillery shots of the campaign, subsequently providing critical fire support which allowed a bridgehead to be secured. During the fighting that followed the regiment undertook anti-tank, direct-fire tasks, counter battery fire and came under enemy air and naval attack. At the conclusion of the campaign, the 2/4th remained in Syria undertaking garrison duty. During its time there the regiment was expanded to include a third battery, which was designated the 54th Battery.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia), History
As part of the transfer of Australian combat troops to the Pacific, the 2/4th was withdrawn from Syria in December 1941 and subsequently transported back to Australia to help bolster the garrison there following Japan's entry into the war. In May 1942, after a period of leave, the regiment concentrated around Caloundra, in Queensland, after which a long period of training for jungle warfare took place. During this time the regiment was warned out for possible deployment on a number of occasions, but was ultimately not required.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia), History
Some personnel were detached for service in New Guinea around Milne Bay and with "Lilliput Force", but the regiment did not see action again until early September 1943 when the 54th Battery deployed a detachment of 31 artillerymen and two Short 25-pound artillery pieces to support the US 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment's airborne landing at Nadzab, as part of Allied efforts to capture Lae during the Salamaua–Lae campaign.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia), History
Following the successful capture of Nadzab, the rest of the regiment was transported by air and supported the Australian 25th Brigade's advance on Lae, and then the Australian 7th Division's subsequent involvement in the Finisterre Range campaign, during which its fire played a significant role in the successful capture of Shaggy Ridge by the Australian infantry on 27 December.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia), History
The regiment was withdrawn to Australia in February 1944 for rest and reorganisation. A period was spent at Strathpine, Queensland, and then later the regiment moved to the Atherton Tablelands where the 7th Division prepared for its final campaign of the war in Borneo. It was over a year before the regiment was deployed again, transiting through Morotai Island in June 1945 before supporting the division's landing at Balikpapan in July. Landing on the second day of the operation, the regiment operated in support of the Australian 18th Brigade.


2/4th Field Regiment (Australia), History
After a short campaign, the war came to an end in August 1945 and the demobilisation process began. Personnel were transferred from the unit for subsequent service, or were repatriated to Australia for discharge, before the regiment was finally returned to Australia for disbandment. This occurred on 7 February 1946, while the regiment was based at Chermside, in Brisbane. A total of 30 personnel from the regiment were killed in action during the war, or died while on active service.


2/4th Lancers Regiment
The 2/4th Lancers Regiment (Dutch: 2/4 Regiment Lansiers) was a cavalry regiment in the Land Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. It was created by the merging of the 2nd Lancers and the 4th Lancers Regiments. The regiment was the Armoured Battalion of the 1st Brigade. The 2/4th was inactivated in 2010, and the 1/3rd Lancers Battalion became the Armoured Battalion of the 1st Brigade.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)
The 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion was an Australian Army unit raised for service with the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) during the Second World War. Formed in late 1940 as part of the 8th Division, the battalion was established to provide direct fire support to the division's infantry brigades. It was the fourth, and last, such unit raised within the 2nd AIF. The unit's personnel were largely drawn from the state of Western Australia and after formation, the battalion concentrated near Perth for basic individual training before moving to the Adelaide Hills to complete more advance manouevres.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)
In late 1941, amidst concerns of war in the Pacific, the unit was deployed north to Darwin in the Northern Territory, where they undertook garrison duties in the weeks following Japan's entry into the war. Following Japanese landings in Malaya, the 2/4th embarked from Darwin and were transferred to Malaya, arriving in Singapore in the final days of the fighting on the peninsula. In the wake of the withdrawal of British and Commonwealth forces to the island, the battalion was hastily deployed in support of the two Australian brigades—the 22nd and 27th Brigades—in the north-western sector of the island.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)
During the initial Japanese landing, elements of the battalion were heavily engaged around the landing beaches but they were outnumbered and over the course of the week the defenders were pushed back towards the centre of the island, towards the city of Singapore. They suffered heavy casualties during this time, before subsequently becoming prisoners of war after the fall of Singapore.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)
Meanwhile, a detachment of about 100 men from the battalion, who had been left behind in Australia when it deployed to Singapore, also took part in the fighting on Java. After a brief campaign, the majority of these personnel were taken into captivity when the Allied forces were overwhelmed around Buitenzorg in mid-March 1942, although some attempted to fight on as guerillas. Eventually these men were either killed or captured; prisoners remained in Japanese captivity until the end of the war in August 1945.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)
During the three-and-a-half years they were held by the Japanese, members of the 2/4th were sent to prison camps around the Pacific, where they were used as slave labour and subjected to harsh conditions and extreme brutality. After the war, the surviving members of the battalion were returned to Australia but the 2/4th was not re-raised.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
The 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion was one of four machine gun battalions raised as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) for service overseas during the Second World War. Motorised infantry units, equipped with wheeled motor vehicles and tracked carriers, the machine gun battalions were formed to provide a greater level of fire support than that ordinarily available within infantry battalions.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
Developed by the British Army, the concept had its genesis in the Australian Army during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915, when the machine guns assigned to the infantry battalions—initially two and then four—had been grouped together and co-ordinated at brigade level, to help compensate for the lack of artillery support. On the Western Front, the concept had evolved through the establishment of machine gun companies in 1916 and finally, in 1918, to the establishment of machine gun battalions. Similar formations had also been established among the Australian Light Horse units serving in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
During the inter-war years, the machine gun battalions had been deemed unnecessary. They were not re-raised when the Army was reorganised in 1921 but in 1937, as the Australian Army looked to expand owing to fears of war in Europe, four such units were formed within the part-time Militia, by converting light horse units and motorising them. Several other Militia machine gun battalions were also raised as new units later after the Second World War began.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
These were formed by consolidating the machine gun companies assigned to a number of infantry battalions, and other light horse units were also converted into the role for use as garrison forces. Within the 2nd AIF—Australia's overseas expeditionary force—the decision was made to raise four machine gun battalions as corps troops that were usually allocated at a rate of one per division; several of the Militia units were also later designated Australian Imperial Force units, after the majority of their personnel volunteered for overseas service. This meant that they could be deployed outside of Australian territory even though they were not 2nd AIF units.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
In mid-1940, amid the tide of German successes in Europe, there was an influx of volunteers for the 2nd AIF. As a result, the Australian government decided to raise a third volunteer division for overseas service, named the 8th Division. Established around three infantry brigades—the 22nd, 23rd and 27th—the division was supported by corps troops including engineers, cavalry, artillery, pioneers and a machine gun battalion for direct fire support.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
Within this formation, the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion came into being on 25 November 1940, when Lieutenant Colonel Michael Anketell, a First World War veteran who had commanded a Militia infantry battalion before the war, established his headquarters at Northam Camp, near Perth, Western Australia. While the rest of the 8th Division had drawn its personnel mainly from the more populous eastern states of New South Wales and Victoria, the decision was made to select personnel for the 2/4th only from those who were already enlisted and conducting training in the west. While potentially parochial, it was a primarily a pragmatic decision to reduce the time it would take to concentrate the unit and complete its training.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
Like most 2nd AIF units, the 2/4th drew its cadre staff of officers and senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs) from volunteers from local Militia units. These were augmented by partially trained Other Ranks (ORs) from the three local recruit training depots; the first batch of these, numbering 394 men, arrived at Northam on 27 November and a further 262 marched in on 4 December.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
As the battalion was brought up to its authorised strength of around 800 men, personnel were formed into four machine gun companies, 'A' to 'D', under a headquarters company consisting of several specialist platoons—including signals and anti-aircraft platoons—and battalion headquarters. There were no platoon commanders until a contingent arrived from the regional Officer Training Units. Initially training was hampered by a lack of equipment—only 12 of 48 Vickers machine guns assigned to the battalion were available—so at the start the focus was on individual rather than collective training. As more stores arrived, training accelerated with the help of experienced Militia NCOs and First World War veterans, who were brought in to share their experiences with the new troops. Just before Christmas and New Year's leave, the battalion received its distinctive unit colour patch: a black and gold triangle.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
Early in the New Year, the establishment of the battalion's command formation was completed with the appointment of subalterns as platoon commanders, following their return from their first appointment courses. The training continuum evolved with the establishment of an NCO school and various specialist courses, including range finding and transport; a bugle and drum band was also raised.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
In February 1941, training focused upon skill-at-arms, before undertaking a 60-mile (97 km) march from Northam to Perth, which was conducted over the course of three days and was undertaken, according to the Australian War Memorial, to test the "physical fitness and endurance of the personnel and officers" and "the efficiency of the battalion's motor transport and administration personnel". Upon their return, training progressed to field firing, night manoeuvres, portage, defensive exercises and further specialised training, continuing until July, by which time the battalion was considered ready for deployment. That month it received orders to move to Adelaide, South Australia.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
Proceeding in four drafts—one each on the transports Katoomba and Duntroon and two by rail—they were established at Woodside, in the Adelaide Hills, by the end of the month. The battalion endured a bitter winter, conducting field exercises amidst the steep wooded slopes of the Mount Lofty Range; these became more tactically complex and physically demanding as Anketell worked the battalion up to a peak of efficiency, in preparation for deployment amidst growing tensions in the Pacific.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Garrison duties in northern Australia
In August 1941, the 27th Brigade was sent to Malaya to reinforce the 22nd, which had been serving there in a garrison role since February, having been dispatched while the 2/4th Machine Battalion had been forming. With this, the only 2nd AIF troops remaining in Australia were those of the 23rd Brigade. As a result of concerns about Japanese intentions in the region, the decision was made to move the brigade north to bolster the defences around Darwin in the Northern Territory.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Garrison duties in northern Australia
In the event of fighting in the Pacific, the government planned to split infantry battalions, to defend the island chain to Australia's north, dispatching forces to Rabaul, Ambon and Timor. The role of the corps troops from the 2/4th Pioneers and 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion remained uncertain. The 8th Division's commander, Major General Gordon Bennett, unhappy with the dispersal of his command, had been agitating for the dispatch of the machine gunners to Malaya to support his two infantry brigades, arguing that they would be valuable for beach defence.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Garrison duties in northern Australia
Bennett's request had been rejected initially in March, due to the limited numbers of recruits enlisting but by mid-September, elements at Army headquarters in Melbourne had also begun to advocate for it. In early October, following a War Cabinet decision to split the command of the 8th Division in two, removing the elements in Australia from Bennett's command, the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion received orders to move north to Darwin, where it was to serve in a home defence role in case of a Japanese attack.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Garrison duties in northern Australia
On 11 October 1941, the battalion entrained at Oakbank and began the journey north. They detrained at Alice Springs, where they camped overnight before continuing the journey by road in a 44-vehicle convoy, which took them further north to Larrimah. There they once again entrained for the final journey to Winnellie, which they reached on 19 October, after overnighting in Katherine.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Garrison duties in northern Australia
At Winnellie, the battalion was allocated a large defensive zone between Nightcliff, Lee Point and Shoal Bay, which included a large beach frontage, as well as extensive swamp lands and creeks further inland. Throughout November, extensive work was undertaken improving the camp and preparing this position with fortified emplacements. They also undertook various other garrison duties such as guarding ammunition dumps, and road and railway construction. The battalion also detached a company to Adelaide River for a period to complete construction tasks during this time.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Garrison duties in northern Australia
Heavy summer rains flooded the camp and surrounding area and as well as hampering construction, brought a wave of dengue fever amongst the battalion and the threat of crocodile attacks as the creeks within the battalion position swelled; the battalion's mascot, a dog named "Gunner", fell victim. News of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and invasion of Malaya came in early December and with it a need to bolster Australian forces in the Pacific. As Bennett pressed harder for reinforcements, on 23 December the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion received orders to embark for Malaya.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Embarkation
On 30 December 1941, after transferring responsibility for their defensive area to a Militia Light Horse machine gun regiment from South Australia, the battalion embarked upon two troopships, Westralia and Marella, bound for Malaya via Port Moresby, Sydney and then Fremantle. Arriving on 4 January 1942, they were transferred to the transport Aquitania, which was to take them the rest of the way. Before they had completed transferring the battalion's equipment, news was received that Rabaul, about 500 miles (800 km) north-east, had been bombed by carrier-based aircraft.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Embarkation
Due to concerns that the aircraft may have been looking for the convoy, or US warships fleeing the Philippines, and that Port Moresby might be bombed next, the convoy's departure was advanced and so they sailed immediately. Instead of proceeding to Malaya, though, they were taken to Sydney, New South Wales, as it was decided that it would be safer to proceed via the southern route.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Embarkation
After a brief stay in Sydney where the battalion's equipment deficiencies were made good and some reinforcements were received from local recruit training depots, they embarked again on 10 January in company with HMAS Canberra, and proceeded through the Bass Strait. As they were under way, the troops were kept occupied with training on the Bren light machine gun and the Thompson sub-machine gun, quantities of which were hastily added to the battalion's equipment scale.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Embarkation
They reached Fremantle, on 15 January and overnight, a large number of 2/4th men defied orders to stay aboard ship and went ashore to spend time with their families; when the Aquitania sailed the next day, 94 men were left behind. The situation in Malaya was grave as the Japanese were steadily pushing the British and Commonwealth defenders south down the peninsula and as the gravity of the situation dawned upon the Australian government, a knee-jerk reaction saw the dispatch of 150 partially trained reinforcements from Northam.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Embarkation
They arrived just as the Aquitania departed, being ferried out to Rottnest Island where they joined the ship's company late in the afternoon of 16 January. Although the reinforcements made good the men that had been left behind, they were only partially trained and ill-prepared for the fighting that would follow.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Embarkation
After departing Fremantle, the convoy steamed towards Java and reached Ratai Bay early on 20 January. Proceeding on to the Sunda Strait, which was reached mid-morning on 21 January and the men were then transferred to a number of smaller, faster Dutch ships to run the gauntlet of Japanese bombers that were attacking Allied shipping in the area. In concert with several Australian, British and Indian escorts and two Dutch Catalina flying boats, the convoy entered Keppel Harbour on 25 January 1942.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Embarkation
Upon arrival in Singapore, consisting of 942 personnel of all ranks, the battalion was allocated to the task of preparing machine gun positions on Singapore's north coast and around the naval base. They stepped into a maelstrom, the Japanese were bombing the naval base—where the 2/4th were accommodated—every day and the fighting on the Malay Peninsula was all but over. Having been pushed back down the peninsula over the course of seven weeks, in the final week of January, the Allies withdrew from Johore, on the mainland, to Singapore, where they would make a final stand. Covering the withdrawal, the 22nd Brigade was the last Australian unit to cross the 70-foot (21 m) wide Causeway before it was blown up, early on the morning of 31 January, to prevent the Japanese from capturing it and to slow their advance.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Embarkation
One of only two machine gun battalions available for the defending British and Commonwealth forces, as preparations were made to repulse the expected Japanese assault across the Johore Strait, the battalion was split up to provide support to troops from the 22nd and 27th Australian Infantry Brigades and the 44th Indian Infantry Brigade around the western part of the island, where the Japanese assault was expected. 'B' Company was allocated to support the 27th, while 'C' Company was sent to the 44th and 'D' Company went to the 22nd. ' A' Company was initially held in reserve.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Embarkation
On 7 February, due to concerns about the lack of defending infantry, about 90 machine gun reinforcements, who had been hastily formed into a sixth company—'E'—were detached at this time to form part of a 400-strong Special Reserve Battalion, initially under the command of an officer from the 2/19th Infantry Battalion and later taken over by Major Albert Saggers, formerly of the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
The Japanese attack came in the night of 8/9 February, after a heavy artillery and aerial bombardment that had lasted throughout the day. 'D' Company, positioned in various locations in support of the Australian 22nd Brigade in the north-western area, found themselves in the thick of the fighting as the Japanese concentrated their landing on the Australian 8th Division front. Understrength and stretched out across a large frontage over ground that was unsuited to defence, the Australians were almost immediately under pressure.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
Shortly after 8:00 pm, 13 Platoon, supporting the 2/20th Infantry Battalion around the head of the Lim Chu Kang Road, was confronted by a large number of landing barges filled with Japanese assault troops. For almost six hours, the platoon, under Lieutenant Eric Wankey, fought a desperate action to repel the invaders. With four machine guns, as well as personal small arms and grenades, the platoon inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese and sank several barges.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
Despite heavy casualties from Japanese mortar and machine gun fire, they kept fighting until early in the morning on 9 February when, threatened with being outflanked and low on ammunition—each gun had fired over 10,000 rounds—and having had one gun knocked out, the platoon was forced to withdraw.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
Destroying their equipment as they went to prevent it from being captured, the platoon was forced to withdraw in contact, taking their wounded with them; the action was later rewarded with a Military Cross for the platoon commander, who was badly wounded after taking over one of the machine guns after its crew had been wounded.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
Near the Sungei Murai (Murai River), 15 Platoon—under Lieutenant John Meiklejohn—had been stationed in support of a company from the 2/18th Infantry Battalion, in a thickly wooded area with low hills and many inlets. 15 Platoon established an enfilade formation near the shore, with its machine guns distributed in two sections on a north–south axis, facing a narrow peninsula, between the mouth of the Murai and a small inlet.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
According to the official history by Lionel Wigmore, after a Japanese landing party approached, the southern section under Meiklejohn "opened fire against six approaching barges, and kept on firing for two hours, despite retaliation by hand grenades, as the Japanese landed and crossed the neck of the peninsula". As was the case elsewhere in the extremely wide sector assigned to the 22nd Brigade, many Japanese landing parties were able to outflank the thinly-spread Australian positions. At risk of being cut off and with ammunition running low, Meiklejohn ordered the southern section to retreat.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
According to Wigmore: "Meiklejohn led his section along a jungle path where they came upon a party of Japanese resting. He shot some with his revolver, and another was knocked out with a swing from a [machine gun] tripod, but Meiklejohn lost his life in attempting to cover his section's withdrawal." The northern section of 15 Platoon held its ground "until it was informed that a near-by infantry platoon was almost surrounded, and about to withdraw". Forced to retreat without its machine guns, the northern section also found Japanese troops blocking its path. When Private Cliff Spackman was attacked by a Japanese officer wielding a sword, Spackman "bayoneted him", took the sword and used it against another Japanese soldier.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
As the situation worsened, early on 9 February 'A' Company, which had been in reserve, and HQ Company were sent forward to provide further assistance to the 22nd Infantry Brigade, which was slowly being pushed back towards the tactically important Tengah airfield, via the village of Ama Keng. They took up positions at Bulim, east of the airfield; shortly afterwards they were joined by 7 Platoon, from 'B' Company, which had been detached from the Causeway sector.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
The remnants of the 22nd, numbering around only 500 men from its original 2,500, with a further 500 or so isolated and attempting to fight their way through, was pushed further back throughout the day. Orders were passed for a counter-attack around the airfield but as the size of Japanese forces in the area grew to around 20,000 men, they were later cancelled in favour of establishing a line between Bulim and Jurong, to the east of the airfield.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
Established in the early afternoon, within this line, the 2/4th's 'A' Company was positioned east of Bulim with 7 Platoon, 'B' Company, while the remnants of 'D' Company, amounting to only 47 men, were moved south, where they joined with 'C' Company, which was supporting the Indian 44th Brigade, which although it had not yet been engaged, had fallen back from the south-west coast to avoid being cut off and had established itself west of Ulu Pandan, behind the Sungei Jurong.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
Late on 9 February, the Japanese made more landings, in the Causeway sector, held by the 27th Infantry Brigade. Despite having been reduced to just two infantry battalions due to the transfer of the 2/29th to the hard-pressed 22nd Infantry Brigade, they were able to mount a stiff defence, supported by the machine guns of 'B' Company. 8 Platoon inflicted many casualties in the Japanese landing craft coming ashore at the mouth of the Sungei Mandi.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
With casualties mounting and pressure being placed on the brigade's rear due to a large gap that had developed around Kranji, by the Japanese advances in the 22nd Infantry Brigade's area, the decision was made to withdraw from the beach and realign north–south along the Woodlands Road. Further south, the Australian 22nd and Indian 44th, 6th/15th and 12th Infantry Brigades also established themselves along this axis between Bukit Panjang and Pasir Panjang on the south coast and by early evening on 10 February the Japanese had secured the entire west coast of the island.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
For the next four days, the Allied troops were pushed south-east towards the city of Singapore. Throughout this time, the battalion's companies were in almost constant action, either—in the case of 'B', 'C', 'D' and 'E' Companies—under separate command, or 'A' and 'HQ' Companies with battalion headquarters. The reinforcements of 'E' Company, detached to the Special Reserve Battalion, suffered heavily. In three days, they lost 43 men killed or missing, before the ad hoc formation was disbanded and the men returned to the 2/4th.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
7 Platoon, 'B' Company, took on a mounted role, procuring four Bren carriers, with which they began patrolling in support. On 12 February they were engaged along the Buona Vista Road, while supporting the Malayan Regiment. The following day, they were attacked by a Japanese light tank, which knocked out one of the carriers before the platoon extricated themselves.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
By 14 February, the Allied troops had withdrawn into a small perimeter around the city. The 8th Division were holding a position 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the city, centred upon the axis of the Holland Road, with its headquarters at Tanglin Barracks. With the Japanese gaining ground to their north and south through the porous lines of the Indian 44th and British 54th Brigades, the situation became critical.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
Threatened with being cut off, Anketell began to plan a last stand; moving forward to survey the situation he was badly wounded by mortar and small arms fire and after being evacuated to Alexandra Hospital, died of his wounds late in the evening of 14 February. Despite his loss, the battalion kept on fighting to the very end, sending out patrols throughout the following day and severely mauling a Japanese vehicle convoy that came too close to their position. Late on 15 February, the British commander, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival gave the order to surrender.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Fall of Singapore
The physical process of the surrender was slow, and despite orders to surrender weapons and ammunition, the men proceeded to destroy the majority of their equipment the following morning, before the Japanese arrived. Later, they were marched to Changi prison, during which several men from the battalion attempted to escape after the Japanese began executing several prisoners; one, the regimental sergeant major, Fred Airey, successfully made it to Sumatra but was later recaptured there, while another, Private Les McCann, remained on the run for eight days before being recaptured after collapsing from bullet wounds he had received during the attempt.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Java detachment
While the majority of the battalion was fighting on Singapore, a small detachment of 106 men were sent to Java. The majority of these were the 94 men that had failed to return in time from their unofficial leave in Fremantle. After missing their ship, they had been arrested by the military police and were confined to quarters in Karrakatta Camp for two weeks. On 30 January they were released and under the command of two officers and a small group of NCOs, they embarked upon Marella, which set out for Singapore via Palembang in Batavia, escorted by Canberra.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Java detachment
After reaching Tanjung Priok on 10 February, the detachment found itself placed under Dutch command and formed into a composite infantry company, within the reserve battalion of the ad hoc formation known as "Blackforce", which had been formed under Brigadier Arthur Blackburn. At the end of the month, having taken Sumatra, the Japanese invaded Java with three divisions and a strong naval task force. Fierce fighting at sea ensued, during which 14 out of a force of 18 Allied ships were sunk. Several Japanese transports were also sunk but the majority of Japanese troops were landed.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Java detachment
The detachment from the 2/4th found itself around Buitenzorg, where the majority of the 2/4th personnel formed part of an ad hoc infantry force, known as the Reserve Group, or 3rd Battalion, consisting of eight platoons, under Major John Champion de Crespigny. They fought several defensive actions before being overwhelmed and taken into captivity on 12 March 1942. A small number continued to fight as guerrillas but were eventually all captured. Some of the men were held in camps in Java and Sumatra, although the majority were later sent to Singapore before being transported to camps elsewhere in south-east Asia.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Internment and disbandment
During the fighting, out of a total of 976 men deployed, the battalion lost 137 men killed in action and 106 wounded, while a further 24 suffered from shell shock. A total of 808 men were taken into captivity, including most of the wounded. Four men managed to escape to Australia but of the remaining men, 263 died while prisoners of war. Following their capture, the men from the 2/4th in Singapore were concentrated in Changi prison, before being split up and sent to various prison camps around the Pacific, including Borneo, Burma, Thailand, Java, Sumatra, Japan and Formosa.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Internment and disbandment
There they were used as slave labour on the Burma–Thai Railway, in coal mines and on wharves, during which they were subjected to harsh treatment, starvation, disease and extreme brutality, which took a heavy toll. Many soldiers from the 2/4th were also killed while being taken to Japan, when the ships were sunk by Allied submarines.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Internment and disbandment
Throughout their captivity, some soldiers continued to contribute to the Allied war effort, building a series of home-made radios with which they transmitted Japanese shipping movements to British forces in India and through which they were able to gain news from home. They were liberated in August 1945 and after the war, the surviving members of the battalion were returned to Australia but the 2/4th was not re-raised. Members of the battalion received the following decorations: one Military Cross, one Distinguished Conduct Medal, two British Empire Medals and nine Mentions in Despatches; in addition one member of the battalion was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Internment and disbandment
After the war, the Australian Army moved away from the machine gun battalion concept and no similar units were raised. The machine gun role was subsumed into the support companies of individual infantry battalions. The idea was arguably misunderstood by Australian commanders throughout the war and this may have influenced the decision to move away from the concept. When the units had been established, the intent had been for machine gun battalions to provide highly mobile fire support but this only worked where the principles of open warfare worked.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Internment and disbandment
Once the focus of Australian Army combat operations shifted to the Pacific, the machine gun battalions were largely misused, being employed in a static defensive capacity against short and medium range targets or for menial tasks, rather than as offensive weapons for long range fire support. The medium machine guns were also largely used in the same manner as light machine guns, such as the Bren.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Internment and disbandment
Other reasons identified for the concept's limited use include distrust of overhead fire by some commanders, a preference for organic fire support over attached sub-units, over-estimating the difficulty of transporting Vickers guns in the jungle and a tendency to ignore targets that could not be seen. The difficulties of target acquisition in dense jungle also contributed.


2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), Battle honours
The 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion received the following battle honours for its service during the Second World War:


2/4th Pioneer Battalion (Australia)
The 2/4th Pioneer Battalion was a unit of the Australian Army raised for service during the Second World War. A pioneer unit, the battalion undertook both infantry and engineer tasks. Despite being raised early in the war, the battalion did not see action until the final months, taking part in the Borneo campaign where, as part of the 1st Beach Group, it fought against the Japanese in support of the 9th Division. It was disbanded in early 1946 following the end of hostilities.


2/4th Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
Formed in February 1941 at Greta, New South Wales, the 2/4th Pioneer Battalion was one of four pioneer battalions raised to provide engineer support to the 2nd Australian Imperial Force’s four infantry divisions. Trained as infantry, the battalion undertook both the infantry and engineer support roles and was organised along conventional infantry lines with a headquarters and four companies, but was made up of personnel with trade or practical skills, and within the divisional structure, the pioneers were administered as corps troops under the direction of the divisional engineer commander.


2/4th Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
Allocated to the 23rd Brigade of the 8th Division, after initial training it was sent north to Darwin in September to construct defences around the Adelaide River and Noonamah amidst concerns about Japanese intentions in the Pacific. While most of the division deployed to Malaya, the 2/4th remained behind and following the Japanese entry into the war, the battalion was allocated to bolster the garrison at Koepang as part of Sparrow Force on Timor.


2/4th Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
An advanced party was sent to the island in early February 1942, and on 14 February the rest of the battalion followed; however, the convoy in which they were embarked was attacked by Japanese aircraft and it was turned back. Returning to Darwin, the majority of the 2/4th’s equipment was lost when the ship carrying it was sunk in Darwin harbour during a Japanese air attack on 19 February. Consequently, the battalion’s deployment was cancelled and it remained in the north for more than a year, during which time they undertook defensive duties to counter the threat of Japanese invasion. During this time, the battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John McCarty. In November 1942, the battalion was reassigned to the 3rd Brigade, a Militia formation that had been mobilised for full-time service and sent to the Northern Territory earlier in the year to bolster the field force there.


2/4th Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
In March 1943, the strategic situation had improved and the pioneers were relieved of garrison duties, moving to the Atherton Tablelands where the 2nd AIF divisions were converted to the jungle division establishment as the Army prepared to go on the offensive in New Guinea. The battalion remained there throughout 1943 and the following year it was assigned to the 1st Beach Group, which had been raised to provide support to amphibious operations. In  mid-1945, the battalion finally went into action.


2/4th Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
In June that year, as part of one of the final Australian operations of the war, the battalion landed on Labuan as part of the Operation Oboe landings in Borneo, assigned to support the 9th Division. Serving in the terminal support role around the beachhead, the 2/4th saw limited combat and its casualties during the fighting on Borneo were light with only five men being killed in battle. The majority of these were suffered during a raid on the Australian beachhead by 50 Japanese soldiers on 21 June.


2/4th Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
Following the conclusion of hostilities in August 1945, the battalion remained in the Kuching area where it undertook garrison duties maintaining law and order and processing Japanese prisoners of war for return to Japan, before returning to Australia in December. As the demobilisation process began, the battalion’s personnel were transferred for further service or discharged and it was eventually disbanded in early 1946.


2/4th Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
For its service during the war, the 2/4th received two battle honours: South-West Pacific 1945 and Borneo. Nineteen men were killed in action or died on active service while serving with the battalion and three were wounded; two members of the battalion were decorated with a Mention in Despatches. After the war, the pioneer role was assumed as a specialisation within the conventional infantry establishment within the Australian Army, and consequently the wartime pioneer battalions have not been re-raised.


2/5th Armoured Regiment (Australia)
The 2/5th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War II, the regiment was formed in 1941 and disbanded at the end of the war in 1945 without having been deployed outside of Australia.


2/5th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
The 2/5th Armoured Regiment was formed on 26 July 1941 as part of the 1st Armoured Brigade of the 1st Armoured Division. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel F.D Sandilands, the regiment was initially located at Grovely near Brisbane, Queensland, but joined the rest of the 1st Armoured Brigade at Greta, New South Wales, in October.


2/5th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
Following the outbreak of the Pacific War the 2/5th Armoured Regiment was equipped with Universal Carriers to train as a light armoured unit. The regiment was re-equipped with 52 M3 Grant medium tanks on April 1942, and moved to Edgeroi, New South Wales, in August to conduct large-scale exercises with the rest of the 1st Armoured Division. While the regiment was ordered to prepare for deployment to New Guinea in August or September 1942, it was replaced by the 2/6th Armoured Regiment which was equipped with lighter M3 Stuart tanks which were better suited to New Guinea's terrain.


2/5th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
In early 1943 the 2/5th Armoured Regiment moved to Western Australia with the rest of the 1st Armoured Division and was based near Geraldton. The regiment moved south to Moora in July 1943 and remained part of the independent 1st Armoured Brigade Group upon the 1st Armoured Division's disbandment in September. The 2/5th Armoured Regiment was transferred to the 4th Armoured Brigade in March 1944 and moved to Southport, Queensland to train for possible deployment overseas.


2/5th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
Although the regiment was initially selected to support the 7th Division during the liberation of Balikpapan in July 1945 it was replaced by the Matilda II-equipped 1st Armoured Regiment shortly before it would have embarked for the operation. Later they were earmarked for deployment as part of Operation Zipper, but the war ended before the operation was commenced. The 2/5th Armoured Regiment was disbanded in September 1945.


2/5th Armoured Regiment (Australia), Commanding officers
The following is a list of officers that commanded the 2/5th Armoured Regiment:


2/5th Battalion (Australia)
The 2/5th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that operated during World War II. It was raised at Melbourne, Victoria, on 18 October 1939 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), attached to the 17th Brigade of the 6th Division.


2/5th Battalion (Australia)
The 2/5th was one of only two Australian infantry battalions to fight against all of the major Axis powers during the war, seeing action against the Germans and Italians in Egypt, Libya, Greece and Crete, and the Vichy French in Syria, before returning to Australia in 1942 to fight the Japanese following a period of garrison duties in Ceylon, where it formed part of an Australian force established to defend against a possible Japanese invasion.


2/5th Battalion (Australia)
Following its return to Australia, the battalion was re-organised for jungle warfare and took part in two campaigns in New Guinea. The first of these campaigns came in 1942–1943 when it was involved in the defence of Wau and the Salamaua–Lae campaign, and then again in 1944–1945 when it took part in the Aitape–Wewak campaign. Following the end of the war, the battalion embarked for Australia on 1 December 1945 and disbanded at Puckapunyal in early February 1946. Its battle honours are maintained by the 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training 1940–1941
Following the outbreak of World War II on 3 September 1939, the Australian government announced the decision to raise the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), since the Defence Act precluded sending Australia's part-time military forces overseas. As part of the force, the 2/5th Battalion  was raised in Melbourne, Victoria, on 18 October 1939 and began to receive its first intake of men on 2 November 1939 when it moved to Puckapunyal.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training 1940–1941
Many of the battalion's initial recruits came from the Victorian Scottish Regiment, a Militia unit associated with the 5th Battalion, which had been raised as part of the First Australian Imperial Force during World War I. The battalion's first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Cook, although he was replaced as commander by Major Hugh Wrigley before the battalion went into combat, as Cook was considered too old to lead troops in combat.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training 1940–1941
Along with the 2/6th, 2/7th and 2/8th Battalions, the 2/5th formed the 17th Brigade, and was assigned to the 6th Division, the first infantry division formed as part of the 2nd AIF. The colours chosen for the battalion's unit colour patch (UCP) were the same as those of the 5th Battalion. These colours were black over red, in a horizontal rectangular shape, although a border of grey was added to the UCP to distinguish the battalion from its Militia counterpart.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training 1940–1941
With an authorised strength of around 900 personnel, like other Australian infantry battalions of the time, the battalion consisted of four rifle companies, from 'A' to 'D', each consisting of three platoons. These companies were supported by a battalion headquarters and a headquarters company with six specialist platoons: signals, pioneer, anti-aircraft, transport, administrative and mortars. The battalion also had a regimental aid post attached. The battalion's personnel assembled between November 1939 and April 1940, undertaking basic training in Australia before embarking for the Middle East on 14 April 1940 aboard the transport HMT Ettrick from Port Melbourne.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa, Greece and Syria 1941–1942
The battalion arrived in Egypt on 18 May 1940, and joined the 17th Brigade's other two infantry battalions in camp at Beit Jirja. A further period of training in Palestine followed before the battalion took part in the fighting against the Italians in Libya in January–February 1941, during which the 2/5th was involved in attacks on Bardia and Tobruk, as the Australians went into battle for the first time.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa, Greece and Syria 1941–1942
During the fighting around Bardia, the battalion's commander, Wrigley, was seriously wounded in an artillery bombardment, and was temporarily replaced by Major George Sell, as the battalion was committed to the fighting in the second phase of the assault, advancing through the bridgehead that had been established towards the railway switchline. Later, during the assault on Tobruk, the 2/5th was tasked with conducting a diversionary attack to the east of the Italian perimeter. The battalion's time in Libya cost it 32 killed, and 60 wounded.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa, Greece and Syria 1941–1942
A few months later in April the 6th Division was sent to Greece in order to defend against a possible German invasion of that nation. The invasion took place as anticipated, although in the end the British and Commonwealth forces were unable to stem the tide of the German onslaught. The 2/5th Battalion began the campaign at Kalambaka on 14 April. In a series of withdrawals made necessary by the lightning advance of German forces, it was pushed back all the way to the port of Kalamata, where it was evacuated a couple of weeks later on 27 April 1941.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa, Greece and Syria 1941–1942
The battalion lost 21 men killed, 26 wounded and 47 as prisoners of war; most of the prisoners were drivers who were captured having been unable to make it out in time. The majority of the battalion, consisting of 560 personnel, was evacuated to Alexandria, and from there concentrated in Palestine; a few –  74 men – in the confusion of the evacuation were landed on Crete, where they formed a composite battalion along with other 17th Brigade units and personnel, including about 260 personnel from the 2/6th Battalion.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa, Greece and Syria 1941–1942
These personnel were assigned to Cremor Force in the Suda Sector, and occupied a position around Kalami. They then took part in the Battle of Crete following the German invasion on 20 May, during which the majority of the 2/5th personnel assigned to the composite battalion were captured. The battalion's casualties for the campaign amounted to three killed in action or died of wounds, three wounded and 58 captured.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa, Greece and Syria 1941–1942
Six men from the battalion are known to have evaded capture during the fighting in Greece or Crete, although one of these was later killed in action while fighting alongside Yugoslav resistance forces. Those that were taken prisoner were eventually moved to camps in Germany or Poland until they were liberated at the end of the war.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa, Greece and Syria 1941–1942
In June–July 1941, the Australians were deployed to Syria and Lebanon for the campaign against the Vichy French, which was launched by the British in order to prevent the French-held colonies from being controlled by the Germans; the majority of the Australian forces were drawn from the 7th Division, although the 16th and 17th Brigades were called upon to provide reinforcements, detaching the 2/3rd and 2/5th Battalions. The 2/5th Battalion's initial involvement in the campaign came in mid-June during the French counterattack, when one of its companies went into action around Merdjayuon.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa, Greece and Syria 1941–1942
After this, the battalion's main involvement came in early July, when it took part in the Battle of Damour, which proved to be the final battle of the campaign. After a preliminary move across the Damour River, during the final assault on Damour, the 2/5th Battalion, in concert with the 2/3rd, advanced from El Boum, moving through the 21st Brigade's position, to cut the road to the north of the Damour, while other forces advanced from the east.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa, Greece and Syria 1941–1942
In the days following the capture of Damour, the 2/5th had continued the advance north towards Khalde on the coastal road to Beirut; meanwhile, the Vichy commanders sought an armistice, bringing the campaign to an end on 12 July. The 2/5th's casualties during the brief campaign amounted to 41 men killed or wounded. In the aftermath, the battalion remained in the Middle East, serving as an occupation force in Syria and Lebanon until January 1942. Following Japan's entry into the war, the Australian government requested the return of the battalion as it was needed for the fighting in New Guinea and elsewhere in the Pacific.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
The battalion departed the Middle East on 10 March 1942 aboard the troopship SS Otranto; however, on the voyage back to Australia the 16th and 17th Brigades were disembarked in Ceylon, due to fears of a Japanese attack. For nearly four months they were stationed on the island, initially in Galle, around the fort, and then later around the bay, where observation posts and section defensive positions were established. Throughout April and May, the 2/5th Battalion endured heavy rains but nevertheless undertook a series of exercises and training.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
In early July, the battalion finally received orders to return to Australia and, after being relieved at the Galle Fort by the 3rd Battalion, 8th Gurkhas, was transported to Colombo to embark upon the Athlone Castle. On 4 August 1942, the battalion arrived in Melbourne, having been away for over two years.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
A short period of home leave followed, before the battalion's personnel concentrated at Royal Park for a march through Melbourne. A draft of reinforcements arrived around this time also, incorporating men from New South Wales and several others states. In mid-September, the battalion moved to Greta, New South Wales, travelling by rail through Shepparton, Tocumwal and Newcastle. A brief period of training was undertaken there, during which the battalion's khaki uniforms were dyed green.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
During this time, the battalion was re-organised and converted to the jungle establishment; as part of this process its authorised strength was reduced to around 800 personnel of all ranks. The situation in the Pacific had deteriorated dramatically, and the Australian forces holding out against the Japanese in New Guinea were hard-pressed and desperately in need of reinforcement. Thus in early October 1942, not more than two months after returning to Australia, the 2/5th moved to Brisbane, Queensland, where it deployed to Milne Bay, which had only recently been held in the face of a Japanese landing, aboard the Dutch transport Maetsuyker.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
The battalion did not take part in any fighting until a few months later when, in January 1943, it took part in the defence of Wau after the 17th Brigade was despatched to reinforce Kanga Force. Sailing to Port Moresby from Milne Bay on the MV Duntroon, an advance party of two companies from the battalion was flown into Wau on 24 January to hastily reinforce the small force around Ballams.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
The remainder – totalling about 450 men – arriving on 29 January, after which they secured the airfield, which was now under direct Japanese fire, as the two companies that had arrived earlier were pulled back from Ballams. In early February, as the Australians gained the initiative, the battalion was relieved from holding the airfield, and went on the offensive, attacking alongside the 2/7th Battalion, in an effort to push the Japanese away from their positions on the bank of the Bulolo River, around Crystal Creek, to the south-west of Wau. The fighting was intense, and over the course of three days, the battalion lost 27 killed and 31 wounded.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
After Wau was secured, the battalion undertook patrolling operations around Mubo, along with the rest of Kanga Force, before joining the advance on Salamaua in support of the 3rd Division, with a view to drawing Japanese reinforcements away from Lae, where a landing was planned for September.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
The Japanese put up a strong resistance and the battalion became involved in heavy fighting around Mubo in May, before fighting at Goodview Junction and Mount Tambu in July and August as part of actions to secure Komiatum; around Goodview, two companies were deployed in a holding action and to attempt to outflank Mount Tambu to cut the Japanese line of communication, while the other two companies attacked Mount Tambu itself. Casualties for the battalion between April and September amounted to 34 killed and 95 wounded.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
As the 5th Division arrived to take over from the 3rd following the capture of Mount Tambu and the link up with US forces, the 2/5th Battalion was withdrawn from the line, concentrating around Nassau Bay in late August as the 17th Brigade was relieved by the 29th. After a fortnight of unloading ships around the bay, the battalion was moved by landing craft to Milne Bay, where it embarked on the Liberty ship Charles Steinmetz and the Dutch transport Boschfontein. On 23 September 1943, the battalion arrived back in Australia, landing at Cairns, Queensland. The fighting in the Salamaua area resulted in the following losses for the 2/5th: 94 killed and 165 wounded.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
Concentrating at Wondecla, on the Atherton Tablelands in north Queensland, after an extended period of home leave during which time the Victorian and South Australian personnel took part in a march through Melbourne, the 2/5th Battalion spent the next year training on the Tablelands along with the rest of the 6th Division.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
There was also a large turn over in the battalion's personnel at this time, as it had been severely depleted due to illness during its previous campaign, and it was brought up to strength by April 1944 with several drafts of reinforcements, with the majority coming from New South Wales. To counter boredom and malaise amongst the men during late 1944, the battalion was occupied with a series of various sporting events and further leave. In the new year, a series of amphibious exercises were undertaken during this time with a view to preparing the battalion for future operations.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
Finally, late in the war, the battalion received orders to deploy overseas again. Boarding the Duntroon on 24 November 1944, a week later the battalion arrived at Aitape in New Guinea. There, the 6th Division took over from the American garrison in order to free up the US troops for further fighting in the Philippines. Following disembarkation, the 2/5th concentrated around Tadji airstrip. In December, the Australians began offensive operations against the Japanese forces that were operating in the surrounding areas.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–1945
For the next seven months until the war ended the 2/5th undertook patrols through the Torricelli and Prince Alexander mountain ranges, as the 17th Brigade worked to initially establish and hold the Australian base around Aitape, before moving inland towards Maprik and then on to Kiarivu to pursue the Japanese forces that had withdrawn into the interior. Although only intended as a mopping up campaign, it was an arduous and costly period. Consisting primarily of small unit actions which resulted in disproportionately heavy casualties for the Australians, throughout the course of the campaign the 2/5th suffered 146 casualties, including eight officers killed or wounded.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment and legacy
Following the end of the war, the 2/5th remained in New Guinea as personnel were posted into the unit from other units that were being disbanded. In September, the battalion was withdrawn from the Kaboibus area and flown back to Wewak. The battalion took part in a divisional parade in October while later that month it was declared "redundant" under demobilisation plans, and during this time many soldiers undertook educational or vocational training to prepare them for civilian life while they waited to return to Australia.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment and legacy
In November, there was a considerable turn over in the battalion's troops, as members were posted to other units depending upon their demobilisation priority: these units included the 2/1st, the 2/2nd, the 2/6th, the 2/7th, and the 30th Infantry Battalions. After this, the battalion was left with only 108 personnel, all of whom possessed the required points for discharge. Finally, on 1 December 1945, the remaining personnel embarked upon the transport Duntroon, bound for Brisbane. A brief stay in camp at Chermside, in the Brisbane suburbs, followed before the battalion moved by rail to Victoria. Personnel detrained at Seymour and then moved by road to Puckapunyal. From there the Victorian, South Australian and Western Australian contingents marched out for discharge, leaving behind a small cadre staff.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment and legacy
The battalion was subsequently disbanded in early February 1946 while at Puckapunyal. Throughout its involvement in the war, a total of 2,967 men served with the 2/5th Battalion of whom 216 were killed, and 390 wounded. Members of the battalion received two Distinguished Service Orders, 14 Military Crosses, six Distinguished Conduct Medals, 20 Military Medals, and 56 Mentions in Despatches; one member of the battalion was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and three were appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire. Alongside the 2/3rd Battalion, the 2/5th was the only other Australian infantry battalion to fight against all the major Axis powers during the war.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment and legacy
In 1948, the Citizen Military Forces was re-constituted and the 5th Battalion, Victorian Scottish Regiment was re-raised. At the time many of its members were drawn from the 2/5th Battalion and because of its territorial and personnel links it was decided that the Victorian Scottish Regiment would take custody of the 2/5th Battalion's World War II battle honours.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment and legacy
As a result of the reorganisation of the Australian Army in the 1960s, which saw the disbandment of the regionally-based single battalion regiments and the raising of new multi-battalion state-based regiments these battle honours were inherited by the 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment, an Australian Army Reserve battalion based around Melbourne.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), Battle honours
The 2/5th Battalion received the following battle honours for its service during World War II:


2/5th Battalion (Australia), Battle honours
In 1961–1962, these battle honours were entrusted to the 5th Battalion, and through this link are maintained by the Royal Victoria Regiment.


2/5th Battalion (Australia), Commanding officers
The following officers commanded the 2/5th Battalion during the war:


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia)
The 2/5th Commando Squadron was one of twelve independent companies and or commando squadrons of the Australian Army formed for service during World War II. Initially formed in 1942 as the "2/5th Independent Company", the 2/5th served in New Guinea, taking part in a major commando raid on Salamaua in June 1942. It was later withdrawn from New Guinea and reformed as the "2/5th Cavalry (Commando) Squadron", as part of the 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment which saw service in Borneo in 1945. It was disbanded in early 1946.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, Formation 1942
In February 1941, Lieutenant Colonel J.C. Mawhood, a British officer, arrived in Australia and established No. 7 Infantry Training Centre at Wilsons Promontory, Victoria, Australia. As a part of its wartime expansion, the Australian Army had originally intended to field four Independent Companies, trained to a high standard in irregular warfare for use in the sabotage and reconnaissance roles. The terrain surrounding the centre consisted of a number of high rugged mountains, swift streams and swamps and it was felt that this was ideal for training soldiers in the art of irregular warfare. The health and training of the trainees was affected by the long periods of wet weather; however, despite the hardships experienced by the trainees by October 1941, three companies (1st, 2nd and 3rd Independent Companies) had already been trained.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, Formation 1942
Following Japan's entry into the war, the training centre re-opened as the Guerilla Warfare School. In January 1942, volunteers from all branches of the Army were called for and began assembling at the school, where they were put through a rigorous six-week course. In March 1942, once sufficient numbers had completed the course, the "2/5th Independent Company" was formed. At the time, the company consisted of 17 officers and 256 other ranks and was commanded by a major. It was divided into a company headquarters, with attached engineer, signals, transport and medical sections and three infantry platoons, each under a captain, each consisting of three sections that were under the command of a lieutenant.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–43
On 13 April 1942 the company departed Townsville, Queensland, on the SS Taroona commanded by Major Thomas Kneen and was "very heavily armed". They arrived in Port Moresby, New Guinea on the 17th, during an air raid. They were deployed on 24 May to Wau, in a valley high inland from Lae and Salamaua. They were part of Kanga Force commanded by the controversial Colonel Norman Fleay, that consisted of the 2/5th, the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (NGVR) and a platoon from 1st Independent Company and were to observe the Japanese at Lae and Salamaua.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–43
They were the first Allied force in World War II to be flown into action as a complete unit. Despite appalling conditions, enduring soaking rain, pests, diseases, and a lack of supplies such as food and medication, they harassed the Japanese in the area from the Markham to the Bitol Rivers for one year.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–43, The Salamaua Raid
On 29 June 1942, the company launched a raid on a Japanese aerodrome at Salamaua, the first Allied attack on Japanese land forces anywhere. The raid was commanded by Captain Norman Winning, after initial careful reconnaissance by Sergeant Jim McAdam's NGVR scouts. Winning planned the assault with Captain Douglas Umphelby of the NGVR. The raiders, formed into several parties, with mortar support, set out from Butu in the early afternoon of 28 June.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–43, The Salamaua Raid
Heavy rain fell throughout the march, but it later cleared and early the following morning, the Australians attacked various areas between the Francisco River and Kela Point, destroying buildings, vehicles and a bridge, and killing about 100 Japanese before returning to Butu for the loss of only three Australians wounded. During the raid, a Japanese pilot, attempting to reach his aircraft, ran into the commandos and was killed. Important documents were found in a satchel carried by the pilot and these were sent to Kanga Force headquarters for analysis.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–43, The Salamaua Raid
An attack on Heath's Plantation, the following night was not as successful as the element of surprise had been lost, and Kneen was killed in action. Following the raids, the Japanese heavily shelled Kela Point and attacked the tracks leading away from Salamaua by air in an effort to cut off the raiders' withdrawal routes. The Australians withdrew from Butu to their main camp, as the Japanese sent patrols of up to 90 men into the foothills; they subsequently found the camp at Butu and destroyed it. They also sent reinforcements from their garrison at Lae to Kela village.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–43, July 1942 until April 1943
In the months following the raid on Salamaua, the 2/5th continued patrol operations around the Huon Gulf. When it became apparent that the Japanese were concentrating their forces at Mubu with the intention of launching an attack against Wau, the 2/5th launched another raid on 1 October 1942, consisting of a party of 60 men, again under Winning's command. During the approach march, Lieutenant Bill Drysdale was wounded by a booby trap, which alerted the nearby Japanese. The Japanese defenders came out to meet the raid, driving the outnumbered Australians back.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–43, July 1942 until April 1943
Heavy fighting followed, and while attempting to cover the withdrawal, one of the raiders, Sergeant William O'Neill, killed up to 16 Japanese with sub-machine-gun fire. The Japanese were later estimated to have lost 50 killed, including the company commander; nevertheless, the raid was broken up and the Australians spent several days regrouping.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–43, July 1942 until April 1943
Soon after the Mubo raid, the unit moved to the nearby Markham valley on long range patrols. In January 1943, the 2/5th with the 2/7th flew to Wau airfield which was under Japanese attack. They went straight into action leaving the aircraft under fire, and repelled the Japanese invasion. Finally, in February 1943, exhausted from starvation, illness and injury, and beset by atrocious weather, they were withdrawn for rest, with the majority of the sick congregating at Wau, before being transported to Edie Creek at Kaindi to recuperate.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, New Guinea 1942–43, July 1942 until April 1943
On 20 March 1943, the 2/5th was ordered to return to the Markham area to conduct patrols around the Snake River and to prepare defensive positions. Throughout April they undertook active patrols with the 2/6th Battalion and established observation posts. By 21 April the lead elements of the 24th Battalion began arriving at Bulolo as the 3rd Division moved forward and prepared to relieve the forward Australian troops, including the 2/5th, which was subsequently withdrawn to Port Moresby after almost a year of continuous operations.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, Reorganisation 1943–44
The 2/5th departed New Guinea for Australia on the troopship Duntroon on 13 May 1943. It was sent to the Jungle Warfare Centre at Canungra, Queensland to refit and regroup. In August it moved to Wongabel on the Atherton Tablelands where it was reformed as the "2/5th Cavalry (Commando) Squadron".


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, Reorganisation 1943–44
Following a reorganisation of the Australian Army's independent companies, the 2/5th was incorporated with the 2/3rd and 2/6th Independent Companies into the 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment, which was attached to the 7th Division and was to act as the administrative headquarters to the squadron during the next phase of the conflict. Later, the designation of "cavalry" was dropped and the unit simply referred to as "2/5th Commando Squadron". Throughout the remainder of 1943 and all of 1944 the 2/5th trained with the rest of the 7th Division, conducting a number of complex brigade and divisional level exercises, but it did not go into action again until almost the end of the war.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, Borneo campaign 1945 and disbandment
The final campaign that the 2/5th Commando Squadron took part in came in mid-1945, when as a part of the 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment, attached to the Australian 7th Division, when it participated in the Borneo campaign as part of the "Oboe" operations. The squadron landed on Green Beach on Balikpapan on the first day of the battle and moved up the Vasey highway into the nearby hills, occupying first Lady Shofield's and then Jade and Jelly hills. By 7 July, it had occupied the Sepinggang airfield. It then moved into the hills between the airfield and Batakan Besar. On 25 July, the squadron was transferred to support the 25th Brigade in its advance along Milford Highway. Patrols continued up until the end of the war, when it was then used to conduct mobbing up operations around the island.


2/5th Commando Squadron (Australia), History, Borneo campaign 1945 and disbandment
At the end of December the 2/5th left Borneo for Australia, and in early 1946, in Chermside camp, Brisbane, the squadron was disbanded. During the course of the war, the 2/5th lost 24 men killed. For their actions during the New Guinea and Borneo campaigns, Sergeants Malcolm Bishop (later colonel) and Bill O'Neill were awarded Military Medals for rescuing the badly injured Drysdale under heavy fire during the raid on Mubu.