2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
The Orcades, a fast transport capable of 26 knots, set sail for Colombo before even the battalion's baggage could be brought on board. On 8 February 1942, the ship reached its intermediate destination from where it was escorted by the cruiser HMS Dorsetshire. As the situation in the Pacific worsened for the Allies – Singapore had fallen in early February and the Japanese were steadily advancing through the Netherlands East Indies – the Allies made the decision to hastily make a stand.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
The Orcades reached Oosthaven, in Sumatra, on 15 February, and the troops from Orcades were ferried ashore on the tanker Van Spillsbergen, where they were grouped together as "Boost Force" under orders to take up the defence of the Palembang airfields and providing protection to civilians as they were evacuated. Missing many of their weapons, the troops were re-equipped with rifles from the Orcades's armoury. However, shortly after their arrival, they were ordered to re-embark on the tanker, which eventually caught up with Orcades and transferred its personnel for the remainder of the journey to Batavia.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
There, fresh orders reached them. The units aboard the Orcades (the 2/2nd Pioneers, an engineer field company, an anti-aircraft regiment as well as transport and medical personnel) were ordered to form an ad hoc force along with a squadron from the British 3rd The King's Own Hussars and an artillery battery from the US 131st Field Artillery Regiment. This force, under Blackburn who was promoted to brigadier, came to be known as "Blackforce",  with headquarters being established at Batavia. In Blackburn's stead, the 'D' Company commander, Major Edward Lyneham, was promoted to take over command of the battalion.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
Blackburn established his force into a brigade formation, utilising the pioneers and machine gunners as infantry battalions, and forming a third infantry battalion from troops that were assigned to garrison the base, as well as logistics and administrative personnel, and members of the AIF who had been able to get out of Singapore before it fell.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
Due to the presence of a large amount of equipment on the wharf, which had been intended to be sent to Singapore before its fall, Blackforce was able to re-equip itself handsomely with vehicles including carriers and armoured cars, Bren guns, Thompson sub-machine guns and mortars; but there were no machine guns. Concentrating around the civilian airport at Kemajoian, the battalion formed part of Blackforce's defensive garrison, tasked with protecting Batavia's five airfields from Japanese paratroopers; 'B' Company was detached in this time to defend the Buitenzorg military airfield.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
Shortly afterwards, they came under air attack from Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zeroes on 22 February, during which one member of the 2/3rd was killed, while six others were wounded. Two of these wounded were later smuggled out of the Indies by medical personnel back to Australia, with one rejoining the battalion there later in the year.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
As the Japanese began advancing further in the Indies, Blackburn sought to re-orient his troops, and the machine gunners were subsequently moved to the Leuwiliang area, 15 miles (24 km) west of Buitenzorg along an expected main avenue of advance, and they were given the task for defence the bridge over the Tjianten River.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
Following the Battle of the Java Sea, the Japanese were able to land a force around Banten Bay and Marek, on the western tip of Java, and subsequently began advancing east towards Batavia and Buitenzorg, forcing Blackforce to reorientate itself east of the Tjianten River, to make a stand south of Buitenzorg. On 3 March, the battalion went into action around Leuwiliang for the first time as Dutch troops began to withdraw. Occupying positions in support of the 2/2nd


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
Pioneers who held the bridge over the Tjianten River, they were alerted to the advancing Japanese by the presence of fifth columnists, who were seen to be laying out marking panels. A short time later, a force of five Japanese light tanks attempted to cross the river, but were rebuffed by anti-tank rifles and small arms. The plan had been for the Dutch troops to make a stand at Djasinga, but faulty intelligence resulted in a rout and the Dutch began to withdraw back to Bandung, flooding through Blackforce's lines.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
In the ensuing chaos, Dutch engineers blew up the bridge at the Tjianten River. For the next couple of days, the battalion fought several skirmishes with 'C' Company bearing the brunt of the Japanese attacks, suffering seven killed and 28 wounded, while inflicting about 200 casualties on the Japanese. As the Allied defence of the island began to collapse, the machine gunners were ordered to hold up the Japanese around Leuwiliang for a day.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Into action against the Japanese: Java and captivity
After this, Blackforce began moving towards Soekaboemi on 5 March, as part of efforts to reach Tjilatjap on the southern coast of the island to secure passage back to Australia. Ultimately, this never eventuated and Blackforce was ordered to surrender on 9 March 1942 following the Dutch capitulation the day before. They would subsequently endure three-and-a-half years in captivity as Japanese prisoners of war, being sent to camps across south-east Asia, including the infamous Thai–Burma Railway. Forced to endure brutal conditions, over worked in labour camps, and inadequately provided for, casualties amongst these men were high.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Re-organisation and garrison duties in Australia
While the troops who had boarded the Orcades went into captivity on Java, the five officers and 257 other ranks that had been transported on the eight smaller ships returned to Australia in the last week of March 1942. Arriving at Port Adelaide, the battalion's vehicles, weapons and heavy equipment was moved to Morphettville Racecourse and the remaining personnel concentrated at Sandy Creek. On 15 April 1942, the order was passed to re-form the battalion, under Lieutenant Colonel Sidney Reed, the battalion's original second-in-command. Reinforcements arrived from various locations, including the Machine Gun Training Battalion based at Camden, New South Wales, while others came from the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion to provide a cadre of experienced personnel.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Re-organisation and garrison duties in Australia
In May, the battalion moved to Balcombe on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, where they undertook range shoots, planning exercises and bivouacks. In mid-July, the 2/3rd received orders to move north to Cowra by road. Along the way, they stopped at Ingleburn, New South Wales where a draft of almost 400 reinforcements was received; the result of this was that in its second incarnation, about half the battalion came from New South Wales, instead of South Australia. The battalion remained in Cowra, where they carried out training, for ten months, eventually proceeding north to south-east Queensland in May 1943.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Re-organisation and garrison duties in Australia
Based around the Deception Bay area, north of Brisbane, a company was deployed to Moreton Island and another to Bribie Island. In late June, 'B' Company embarked upon the Dutch vessel, the SS Jansens and deployed to Netherlands New Guinea as part of Merauke Force, remaining there in a defensive capacity until May 1944.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Re-organisation and garrison duties in Australia
While 'B' Company was deployed to Merauke, the remainder of the battalion moved to the Atherton Tablelands in mid-August 1943, at which time the battalion was transferred to the command of the 6th Division, assigned as a corps unit rather than a direct command unit. Lieutenant Colonel Roy Gordon, who had raised the original 'C' Company in 1940, took over command of the battalion in February 1944.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Re-organisation and garrison duties in Australia
A long period of relative inactivity subsequently followed as a result of inter-Allied service politics which saw the US Army assume primacy of operations in the Pacific, and indecision about the future role of Australian forces in the Pacific campaign. During this time, the battalion was based around Wondecla, south-west of Cairns. The battalion was transferred to the "tropical war establishment" during this period as part of an Army-wide reorganisation intended to optimise units for jungle warfare.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Re-organisation and garrison duties in Australia
As a result of this change, the battalion was required to return all of its vehicles, with the intention that its guns would largely be carried across the battlefield by soldiers moving on foot. The 2/3rd remained at Wondecla until 2 December 1944, when they entrained for Cairns and subsequently boarded the transport Evangeline, a former cruise ship, bound for New Guinea, where they were to undertake their final campaign of the war.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Aitape–Wewak: The final campaign
Although it had been intended to deploy the Australians as part of the Allied efforts to recapture the Philippines, this did not eventuate. Instead, the Australian troops were tasked with relieving the US forces around New Guinea, so that they could be redistributed in the Pacific. The 6th Division was subsequently assigned to take over from the US XI Corps around Aitape–Wewak.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Aitape–Wewak: The final campaign
The campaign that followed was, in the words of author Eustace Keogh, essentially a "mopping up campaign", with the division being tasked with security of the airstrip and base area, and ensuring that contact was maintained with Japanese forces in the area. These tasks were to be achieved without large-scale offensive action, due to contingency plans for the division to be re-deployed to the Philippines; in the event this did not occur and the 6th Division remained in Aitape–Wewak for the remainder of the war.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Aitape–Wewak: The final campaign
With priority of effort being given to the campaigns in the Philippines and Borneo, the arrival of the 6th Division took place over several months. Initially, they were camped around Tadji defending the airfield there, but after Christmas, the majority of the battalion – headquarters, headquarters company and two machine gun companies – was assigned to the 19th Brigade as they advanced west along the coast towards the Danmap, switching to providing support to the 16th Brigade in early January as it drove towards Abau; in the open country of the coastal area the machine guns proved quite effective. While this took place, 'B' and 'D' Companies were assigned to the 17th Brigade, with whom they undertook a mainly defensive role around Aitape, while accompanying infantry patrols into the interior.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Aitape–Wewak: The final campaign
In February 1945, as the Australians began advancing into the thick, hilly interior, the utility of the machine guns decreased. At the behest of Brigadier Roy King, commander of the 16th Brigade, the 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion was hastily converted into a standard infantry battalion, which was achieved with a quick issue of rifles, sub-machine guns and mortars.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Aitape–Wewak: The final campaign
From then until the end of the war, the battalion took part in the ground advance through Wewak and beyond, fighting a series of small scale patrol actions, initially advancing through Arohemi and Muguluwela, and finally the town of But, while 'B' Company was assigned to Farida Force and carried out an amphibious landing around Dove Bay, in early May. The battalion later moved into the Mandi and Brandi areas where they were tasked with re-invigorating the Australian operations in the area, as Japanese resistance around the plantations increased.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Aitape–Wewak: The final campaign
By late July, the majority of the battalion moved to Wewak Point, while two companies remained in the vicinity of Mandi–Bandi; operations in the area had killed 59 Japanese, for the loss of four men from 2/3rd killed in action and eight wounded. The battalion's final action of the war came on 7 August when a patrol killed four Japanese. A week later, the Japanese surrender was announced, bringing combat operations officially to an end. The battalion's final campaign of the war cost them 94 battle casualties.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment
In late August, following the conclusion of hostilities the 2/3rd was concentrated at Wewak Point, in the 19th Brigade's area, where final parades were held and education classes commenced to prepare the soldiers for discharge and return to civilian life. Meanwhile, following the conclusion of hostilities, the battalion's personnel were slowly transferred to other units or repatriated back to Australia for demobilisation. In early December 1945, the 2/3rd's remaining personnel returned to Australia aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Implacable, arriving in Sydney, and the following month, in January 1946, after final clearances had been obtained the unit was disbanded.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment
During the war the battalion lost 202 men killed or died on active service, of which 56 were killed in action, 139 died while prisoners of war and seven in accidents or illness on active service. Members of the battalion received the following decorations: one Distinguished Service Order, three Military Crosses, four Military Medals, one British Empire Medal and 21 Mentions in Despatches. In addition, one member was appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and four were appointed as Members of the Order of the British Empire.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment
After the war, the Australian Army moved away from the machine gun battalion construct and consequently no similar units have been raised since, with the role being subsumed into the support companies of individual infantry battalions. The concept 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 that the machine gun battalions would provide highly mobile fire support; however, this was largely only applicable in theatres where principles of open warfare could be applied.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, 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 fire support weapons that could have been employed to provide long range fire support. The medium machine guns were also largely utilised in the same manner as light machine guns, such as the Bren.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), History, 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. For the 2/3rd, the Syrian campaign was the only one of its three campaigns where it was employed wholly as a machine gun unit in support of the infantry; on Java and in Aitape–Wewak, it was utilised as infantry.


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), Battle honours
The 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion received the following battle honours:


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), Commanding officers
The following officers commanded the 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion during the war:


2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), Commanding officers
Of these, both Blackburn and Reed were World War I veterans who had later served in the Militia in the 18th Light Horse Regiment, in South Australia, during the inter-war years. Lyneham and Gordon had both served in the Militia before the war, with Lyneham serving in the 28th Battalion, The Swan Regiment in Western Australia and Gordon in the 6th Battalion, Royal Melbourne Regiment. Gordon later reached the rank of major general.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia)
The 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion was a pioneer battalion of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. Formed in 1940, the battalion served in the Middle East where it fought in Syria and Palestine before taking part in the fighting around El Alamein. In 1943, the battalion returned to Australia and subsequently took part in the fighting against the Japanese in New Guinea in 1943–1944. Their final campaign came in mid-1945, when they took part in the Battle of Tarakan during the Borneo campaign. The battalion was disbanded in early 1946.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
The 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion was raised for service during World War II as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) in May 1940 and drew the majority of its initial intake of personnel from Sydney, New South Wales. The concept of pioneer battalions had originally been explored by the Australians during World War I, when five such battalions were formed and utilised as support troops assigned at divisional level on the Western Front.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
Notionally organised along a traditional infantry structure, pioneer battalions consisted of a headquarters and four companies, and were expected to serve to undertake minor engineering tasks during combat in order to free up trained engineers for more complex tasks. Four such units were raised during World War II to provide engineer support to the 2nd AIF's four infantry divisions, and within the divisional structure, the pioneers were administered as corps troops under the direction of the divisional engineer commander.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
After undertaking training in various locations in New South Wales, in March 1941 the battalion was moved to Darwin, Northern Territory, to undertake garrison duties. At that time they were assigned to the 7th Division and they remained in the north of Australia until September when they were transported to Sydney. Two months later they embarked on the Queen Mary, bound for the Middle East.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
They disembarked in Egypt in November and after spending some time in Palestine, they were sent to Syria to undertake garrison duties following the completion of the campaign against the Vichy French forces there. Following this, the battalion was transferred to the 9th Division after the decision was made to bring the 7th Division back to Australia in early 1942 in response to Japan's entry into the war. In July 1942, the 9th Division was moved from Syria to Egypt and between August and November, the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion took part in the fighting around El Alamein, temporarily being assigned to the 24th Brigade when the 2/28th Battalion was virtually destroyed following an unsuccessful attack on Ruin Ridge.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
In early 1943, the battalion returned to Australia as the 9th Division was brought back from the Middle East to deal with the threat posed by Japan's entry into the war. After this, training was undertaken on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland before the 2/3rd were committed to the fighting in the New Guinea campaign around Lae in September 1943. The battalion's main involvement in the campaign was to carry out manual tasks such as unloading and carrying stores. Later, during the Huon Peninsula campaign, they landed at Scarlet Beach, north of Finschhafen, where they served in a defensive role and helped to turn back a Japanese counter-attack before undertaking various construction tasks around Sattelberg.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
In March 1944, the battalion was withdrawn back to Australia for rest and reorganisation. They subsequently spent over a year training in Queensland before taking part in the fighting on Tarakan during the Borneo campaign in mid-1945, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Anderson. During the landing on Sadau, in the Balagau Strait, the battalion's personnel manned machine-guns on the landing craft that brought the Australians ashore. Following this, the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion undertook engineering tasks around the beachhead.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
As the Australians advanced along the Anzac Highway towards the Japanese airfield, the battalion was withdrawn from construction tasks and put into the line as infantry. On 4 May, they were assigned to support the 26th Brigade and after relieving the 2/23rd Battalion, they commenced patrolling operations around the Tarakan town and the adjacent oilfields. The following day they launched an attack against Japanese positions located on two hills dubbed "Helen" and "Sadie" by the Australians.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
By 14 May, with artillery and air support, these positions were captured and two days elements of the battalion were able to advance through the Japanese lines, reaching the mouth of the Amal River on the coast. It was during the fighting on "Helen" in early May that one of the battalion's soldiers, Corporal Jack Mackey, performed the deeds that resulted in him being posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
The fighting on Tarakan came to an end in mid-June when organised Japanese resistance was overcome. Small pockets of Japanese troops remained at large, however, and so mopping up operations were undertaken throughout June and into July until these groups began to surrender due to their increasingly desperate shortage of food. During this time, the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion conducted barge patrols between Tarakan and the neighbouring islands, as well as undertaking foot patrols in the south of the island.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
On 15 August, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese surrendered and the war came to an end. Upon the completion of hostilities, the demobilisation process, which had begun to a limited extent in July, gained impetus. As a part of this, individual personnel were repatriated back to Australia, or transferred to other units for subsequent service, however the battalion remained in Borneo, undertaking garrison duties, and did not return to Australia until January 1946, when they were subsequently disbanded.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
Throughout the course of its service the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion lost 97 men killed in action or died of wounds or on active service. A further 262 men were wounded. Members of the battalion received the following decorations: one Victoria Cross, two Military Crosses, one Distinguished Conduct Medal, five Military Medals and 22 Mentions in Despatches.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), History
After the war, the functions of the pioneers were subsumed into traditional infantry battalions, which each raised a platoon of assault pioneers within their support companies. As a result, no pioneer battalions have been re-raised in the Australian Army since the end of World War II.


2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia), Commanding officers
The following officers served as commanding officer of the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion:


2/40th Battalion
The 2/40th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Formed in mid-1940 from personnel recruited from Tasmania, the battalion was assigned to the 23rd Brigade, which formed part of the 8th Division. After completing basic training, the 2/40th was sent to Darwin to form part of the defensive garrison there as tensions with the Japanese grew throughout 1941. Following Japan's entry into the war, the battalion was deployed to Timor as part of Sparrow Force and in early 1942 they took part in the fighting on the island against the Japanese. Outnumbered and lacking supplies, the majority of the 2/40th's personnel were captured and spent the rest of the war as prisoners of war, although some were able to wage a guerrilla campaign across the island before being withdrawn by the end of year.


2/40th Battalion, History, Formation and garrison duty in Australia
Raised for service during the Second World War as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), the 2/40th Battalion  formed part of the 23rd Brigade attached to the 8th Division; the majority of its personnel were drawn from the state of Tasmania. The colours chosen for the battalion's unit colour patch (UCP) were the same as those of the 40th Battalion, a unit which had served during the First World War before being raised as a Militia formation in 1921. These colours were white over red, in an oval shape, although a border of gray was added to the border of the UCP to distinguish the battalion from its Militia counterpart; the oval shape designated the battalion as being part of the 8th Division.


2/40th Battalion, History, Formation and garrison duty in Australia
With an authorised strength of around 900 personnel, like other Australian infantry battalions of the time, the battalion was formed around a nucleus of four rifle companies – designated 'A' through to 'D' – each consisting of three platoons. The battalion's first commanding officer was a Tasmanian, Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Youl, a Militia officer who had previously commanded the 12th/50th Battalion and who, according to author Garth Pratten, was appointed largely as a result of political pressure from the Tasmania government.


2/40th Battalion, History, Formation and garrison duty in Australia
In July 1940, the 2/40th began training at Brighton, Tasmania, before moving to Bonegilla, Victoria, to join the rest of the 23rd Brigade in January 1941. While the 8th Division's other two brigades—the 22nd and 27th—would both subsequently be sent to Malaya, the 23rd was held back in Australia as the government decided to use it to defend the islands to Australia's north—Timor, Ambon and Rabaul—in the event of Japan's entry into the war; as part of this plan, the 2/40th was allocated to the defence of Timor.


2/40th Battalion, History, Formation and garrison duty in Australia
In late March, the 2/40th moved north to the Katherine region, in the Northern Territory, with the last elements of the battalion arriving on 25 April 1941. There they undertook further training as the battalion received further drafts of men, before moving to Darwin over the course of a month between June and July. In Darwin they undertook defensive duties as part of the town's military garrison, with companies detached to defend various locations around Noonamah and Adelaide River.


2/40th Battalion, History, Fighting in Timor and fate
Throughout October 1941 plans were put in place for the battalion's deployment to Timor, with a reconnaissance party being dispatched to the island between 6–12 October. Upon return, the battalion's commanding officer, Youl, was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel William Leggatt in "controversial circumstances" on 5 November 1941. The following month, shortly after the Japanese entered the war in the Pacific, the 2/40th Battalion embarked upon the transports Zealandia  and Westralia on 8 December, and were deployed to Timor. Arriving there on 12 December 1941, they formed part of Sparrow Force which was tasked with defending the island against invasion by the Japanese.


2/40th Battalion, History, Fighting in Timor and fate
After Japanese air strikes began in January 1942, the invasion came the following month on 20 February 1942, with Japanese soldiers carrying out airborne and amphibious landings around the island. Outnumbered and with limited supplies, after the initial contact the battalion destroyed the airfield and moved inland, reducing a number of Japanese positions as they went, including an attack upon Usua ridge where the Japanese 228th Infantry Regiment suffered at least 123 casualties on 22 February. By the morning of 23 February the situation was desperate and the battalion all but surrounded around Champlong.


2/40th Battalion, History, Fighting in Timor and fate
Lacking air cover and faced with an ultimatum to capitulate or be subjected to an intense aerial bombardment that would likely have wiped out the battalion, Leggatt was forced to surrender his command and as a result most of the 2/40th was captured. Some managed to escape, however, while others who had been detached elsewhere evaded capture and took part in the guerrilla campaign that followed before being evacuated back to Australia in December 1942. These personnel were dispersed to other units, with some being transferred eventually to the 2/12th Battalion, and the 2/40th Battalion was never reformed.


2/40th Battalion, History, Fighting in Timor and fate
The men who were taken as prisoners spent the rest of the war in captivity in camps throughout Southeast Asia including Java, Burma, Thailand, Japan, Singapore and Sumatra and did not return to Australia until September 1945. The battalion had 271 men killed in action or died while prisoners of war, while a further 79 were wounded. For their involvement in the fighting on Timor members of the battalion received the following decorations: one Distinguished Service Order, one Military Medal and seven Mentions in Despatches.


2/40th Battalion, Battle honours
The battalion was awarded two battle honours for its service: "South-West Pacific 1942" and "Koepang". Koepang is unique to the 2/40th, with no other unit in the Australian Army holding this battle honour. In 1961–62, these honours were entrusted to the Royal Tasmania Regiment, and they are maintained by the 12th/40th Battalion, Royal Tasmania Regiment.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia)
The 2/43rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in July 1940 in South Australia as part of the 24th Brigade, the battalion was initially part of the 8th Division, until the 24th Brigade was re-allocated to the 9th Division in late 1940. It was with this formation that the 2/43rd saw service in the Middle East in 1941–1942, taking part in the fighting at Tobruk and in the First and Second Battles of El Alamein. It also undertook garrison duties in Syria, before returning to Australia early in 1943 to fight against the Japanese in the Pacific.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia)
In 1943–1944, after re-organisation and training to prepare for jungle warfare, the 2/43rd fought in New Guinea, as part of operations to capture Lae and secure the Huon Peninsula. After returning to Australia in early 1944, a long period of training followed on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, before the battalion undertook its final campaign of the war, taking part in Allied operations to re-take Borneo from the Japanese in June 1945. Following the end of the war, the battalion was disbanded in February 1946. One member of the battalion, Private Tom Starcevich, was awarded the Victoria Cross.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
The 2/43rd Battalion was raised at Woodside, South Australia, on 17 July 1940 from Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) volunteers. It was one of three infantry battalions assigned to the 24th Brigade – the other two being the 2/25th and 2/28th Battalions – which was initially assigned to the 8th Division.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
Like other Australian infantry battalions of the time, the 2/43rd had an authorised strength of around 900 personnel, and was organised into four rifle companies – designated 'A' through to 'D' – each consisting of three platoons; these were supported by a battalion headquarters and a headquarters company with six specialist platoons: signals, pioneer, anti-aircraft, transport, carriers and mortars.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
Upon formation, the 2/15th was placed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William Crellin, an Australian Staff Corps officer and Duntroon graduate of the Permanent Military Forces who arrived on promotion from major, having previously served in World War I with the 14th Battalion. The colours initially chosen for the battalion's unit colour patch (UCP) were chocolate and dark blue in an oval shape, inside a circle of grey.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
These were the same as those of the 43rd Battalion, a South Australian unit that was part of the First Australian Imperial Force during World War I. That unit had been re-raised in South Australia in 1921 as a Militia formation, eventually adopting the designation of the Hindmarsh Regiment. The 2/43rd's unit colour patch was later changed, following the unit's involvement in the fighting at Tobruk, when it adopted a 'T'-shaped UCP consisting of red and white.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
The battalion's personnel during the early stages of its existence were volunteers who enlisted within the 4th Military District, which encompassed South Australia and Broken Hill, New South Wales. Many of the commissioned officers and some of the non-commissioned officers had previous military experience in the Militia, while the bulk of the enlisted personnel had no prior military service. Rudimentary individual soldier training was conducted along with sports meets throughout August, followed by skill-at-arms training and range shoots in September, while key appointment holders were sent away on various promotion and other specialist training courses.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
In early October, the battalion was presented with its battle flag by veterans who had served in the 43rd Battalion during World War I, and a short time later it was announced that the 24th Brigade would be transferred to join the 9th Division in the Middle East. More intense training, including company and battalion-level field training was conducted in the weeks that followed. In late November, the 2/43rd received their Unit colour patches in preparation for deployment and the battalion marched through the centre of Adelaide. Finally, on 28 December 1940, the men entrained at Oakbank, and were transported by rail to Melbourne, where they embarked on the transport Mauretania.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
Escorted by the cruiser HMAS Canberra, the Mauretania proceeded along the southern Australian coast as part of a convoy of four other troopships. Reaching Fremantle, Western Australia, on 3 January 1941, a brief shore leave was granted before the convoy set sail across the Indian Ocean. From there, the convoy berthed at Colombo in Ceylon, where further shore leave was granted while arrangements were made to transfer the battalion to another ship, the Nevasa, for the remainder of the journey to Port Tewfik in Egypt, where it disembarked on 2 February 1941.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
From there, the battalion moved by rail to Palestine, where the 9th Division was attempting to make good its equipment and training deficiencies while the more experienced divisions – the 6th and 7th Divisions – led the Australian Army's efforts in Libya and later Greece. The 2/43rd subsequently moved into camp at Khasa, linking up with another South Australian battalion, the 2/27th, which had prepared the camp for their arrival.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
In early February, acclimatisation training was conducted until the battalion's heavy equipment arrived in camp, including Bren carriers and trucks, when section level and platoon tactical training began. This increased in complexity and progressed to company-level exercises, culminating in battalion offensive manoeuvres. Leave was granted for the soldiers to visit Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. This ceased mid-March, when the battalion was ordered to cross the Suez Canal and take up positions west of the port of Tobruk to complete training prior to relieving the 6th Division in the desert.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
As British troops advanced west, pushing the Italians back through Libya during Operation Compass, plans were made for the 9th Division to move forward. In the end, only part of the division advanced past Tobruk and, due to lack of transport, the 24th Brigade garrisoned the port itself. In early April the advance turned into a withdrawal as Axis forces, bolstered by the arrival of the Afrika Korps, which had landed around Tripoli, launched a determined counter-attack. The 9th Division, along with the Australian 18th Brigade, from the 7th Division, withdrew intact to Tobruk, and within a week the advancing Axis forces had placed the strategic port under siege. The 2/43rd would remain there, manning defences, mounting patrols and conducting raids, for the next six months.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
The battalion's most significant action around Tobruk came on 3 August, when 'A' and 'B' Companies attacked a German outpost on the right flank of the "Salient", designated "R7" by the Allied operational staff. The attack was part of an attempt to reduce the German-held Salient, which had developed in the line south-west of Bianca. In conjunction with the 2/43rd's attack, the 2/28th Battalion attacked the left flank around posts "S6" and "S7" from the north.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
Heavy fighting around R7 resulted in 100 Australian casualties, the majority being borne by 'B' Company, and the fighting ended in the Australian assault being repulsed followed by a temporary truce for both sides to collect casualties. During the truce, German sappers led the Australian stretcher bearers through the German-laid minefields. Finally, in October, the decision was made to withdraw the Australian garrison from Tobruk by sea. By this time, the 2/43rd was holding the Bardia Road sector, and after two successful raids on Italian positions, which resulted in around 75 Italian casualties, the battalion was withdrawn.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
As part of the evacuation, the 2/43rd was taken aboard the Australian destroyer HMAS Nizam and the Royal Navy's HMS Latona on 17 October 1941. The Australians were replaced by British troops from the 70th Division, with the 2/43rd handing over to troops from the Durham Light Infantry. Casualties for the battalion during the siege of Tobruk amounted to 38 killed in action, 13 died of wounds, 156 wounded, and four captured.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
Following its evacuation from Tobruk, the 2/43rd was landed in Alexandria, after which it moved by buses to Amiriya and then by train, crossing the Suez at Kantara, and arriving in camp at Kilo 89 in Palestine on 20 October. There, the battalion was rested, and received several drafts of reinforcements, mainly consisting of volunteers from Western Australia.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
In mid-December, after the battalion had moved to Khassa, Crellin handed over command of the battalion to Lieutenant Colonel William Wain, a former Militia officer who had served with the 7th Battalion during World War I, and who came on promotion from the 2/16th Battalion, where he had served as battalion second-in-command.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
After a bitterly cold Christmas in Palestine, early in the new year, the 9th Division was ordered to move to Syria, where it was to join the Allied garrison that had been established there following the brief Syria–Lebanon campaign to counter a possible Axis attack on the Allied flank through the Caucasus Mountains. The 9th Division was assigned to guard the Tripoli area, in the northern sector of the Allied defence system.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
Under this plan, the 2/43rd was assigned winter quarters at Arbe, and it spent four months in the Lebanese mountains near Jebel Tourbol, before moving to Bechmezzine in May. Guard duties included manning checkpoints at the mouth of the Chekka Tunnel, while brigade-level exercises were conducted in the Syrian desert around Forgloss in early June. At the end of the month, the 9th Division received orders to move back to Egypt as the situation in North Africa became critical for the Allies, as the Afrika Korps advancing steadily in the Western Desert.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
Committed to the fighting around El Alamein in early July, the 24th Brigade, having recently completed desert training, moved to Ruweisat Ridge, over 5 miles (8.0 km) south of El Alamein, situated on the coast. For the next four months, the 2/43rd formed part of the northern sector of Allied defences within what came to be known as the "Alamein box".


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
Tasked with harassing Axis forces, the 2/43rd's first action came on the night of 7/8 July, when 'D' Company launched a very successful raid, which caught the German forces in the area by surprise and resulted in the destruction of many vehicles and artillery pieces, as well as the re-capture of a British Bren carrier that was driven away from German lines. On 17 July, the 2/43rd was involved in actions around Ruin Ridge, in conjunction with the 2/32nd Battalion's attack on a position known as Trig 22 on Makh Khad Ridge.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
Advancing astride the Qattara track, during the action the 2/43rd captured over 1,000 Italian prisoners, for the loss of 81 casualties, before withdrawing from Ruin Ridge. The 24th Brigade launched a follow-up attack on 22 July on Makh Khad Ridge and Ruin Ridge, in conjunction with an attack by the 26th Brigade on Tel Eisa; this attack saw the 2/43rd, having detached one company to support the 2/32nd, heavily committed once again.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
A further thrust was put in on 26/27 July, with the 2/43rd being tasked with a follow-up role, which was cancelled after attacks by the 2/28th and the British 69th Infantry Brigade failed; instead the battalion only played a supporting role during the attack, bringing up ammunition under fire with its carriers, and providing supporting fire to the 2/28th Battalion. In August and September, during a lull in the fighting, the battalion undertook patrols into no-man's land. Casualties during the first phase of the battalion's involvement in the fighting around El Alamein between early July and mid-October amounted to 36 killed in action, 12 died of wounds, two accidentally killed, 28 wounded and four captured.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
Later, after the British forces were reinforced, the Allies launched a counter-offensive, the Second Battle of El Alamein, in late October and early November. During the initial phase of the fighting, the 9th Division was tasked with drawing Axis forces into the northern sector, to allow other elements to prepare for the breakout attempt, codenamed Operation Supercharge. The 2/43rd Battalion formed part of the divisional reserve during the initial stages of the attack, before the 24th Brigade relieved the depleted 26th Brigade, adopting positions around the railway barracks (dubbed the "Blockhouse") on 31 October.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
The fighting was so intense that it suffered 108 casualties in a single night on 1 November 1942, including 43 killed and seven missing, after being partially overrun. By early November, the tide of the fighting turned and the offensive ultimately wrested control of the fighting in North Africa back towards the Allies. Shortly afterwards the 9th Division was withdrawn from battle for redeployment to the Pacific to fight against the Japanese.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, North Africa and the Middle East
The battalion's casualties in the second phase, between 23 October to 5 November 1942, amounted to 45 killed in action, 11 died of wounds, 96 wounded and 27 captured. Those captured ultimately spent the rest of the war in camps in Italy, Austria and Germany, before being repatriated at war's end.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
The 2/43rd was withdrawn to Khassa in Palestine in December and took part in a divisional parade that month in Gaza, before embarking aboard the Queen Mary, bound for Australia, in January 1943. The Queen Mary formed part of a large convoy established under Operation Pamphlet to transport the 9th Division back to Australia to fight the Japanese in the Pacific. After around a month at sea, the division arrived at Fremantle on 18 February and, after the Western Australian members disembarked, it continued eastwards, reaching Sydney on 27 February.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
From there, the battalion entrained from Pyrmont, and by 1 March 1943 had arrived in Adelaide, after which members were granted three weeks leave. A welcome-home parade through the city streets was held that month, watched by a crowd of over 200,000, after which the battalion concentrated at Springbank in Adelaide. They entrained for the Atherton Tablelands on 29 March 1943, reaching Kairi, on 6 April 1943. They would remain there for the next four months, training in preparation for jungle warfare against the Japanese in New Guinea.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
During this time, the battalion was converted to the jungle divisional establishment, which saw the reduction of its authorised strength to about 800 personnel. The number of vehicles allocated to the battalion was also reduced with heavy vehicles being replaced by jeeps. The carrier and anti-aircraft platoons were removed from the battalion's establishment, while a Vickers machine-gun platoon was raised and the number of mortars allocated for organic indirect fire support was increased. A batch of 338 reinforcements arrived to make up for earlier losses and transfers; many of these men came from states other than South Australia, resulting in a more diverse demographic within the battalion.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
Training teams arrived from the 2/3rd Battalion, which had already fought the Japanese in New Guinea, and a program of jungle warfare training began, progressing from individual fieldcraft to large-scale exercises. In June, amphibious training was carried with the Australians working with the US 532nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment around Trinity Beach. The following month, a new commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Joshua, arrived. In early August, the battalion moved by road to Cairns. On 8 August 1943, the 2/43rd embarked upon HMAS Manoora, bound for Milne Bay in New Guinea.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
There, the battalion undertook further training in preparation for its debut in the Pacific. In mid-August, it moved by landing craft to Buna. It continued training there until 5 September, when the 24th Brigade embarked in landing craft for beaches near Lae, arriving the day after the main landing as part of follow-on forces behind the 20th and 26th Brigades. For 11 days, the battalion advanced west as part of a two-pronged advance on Lae, the 7th Division advancing overland from Nadzab while the 9th Division moved along the coast.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
Initially, there was only limited opposition from the Japanese as the battalion advanced through the villages of Buso and Apo, and the Singaua Plantation. The Burep River was crossed, but the Australian advance west was slowed by numerous water obstacles and eventually torrential rain which flooded the Busu River. At this point, Japanese resistance stiffened and after the 24th Brigade forced its way across the Busu, the 2/43rd advanced slowly along the coast, reaching Wagan to the south of Malahang airfield. On 16 September, the 7th Division entered Lae, with the 2/43rd situated around the Butibum River. The advance on Lae cost the battalion 18 killed and 25 wounded.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
Later in September, the Australians undertook an opposed amphibious landing at Scarlet Beach, on the Huon Peninsula. The 20th Brigade led the 9th Division ashore on 22 September, and the 2/43rd Battalion arrived on 30 September as part of reinforcements that were sent when it became clear that the Japanese in the area were stronger than first believed. As Japanese opposition to the lodgement increased, the 2/43rd relieved the beleaguered 2/17th around Jivevaneng, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) east of Sattelberg.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
While the 2/17th joined the Australian advance south, the 2/43rd established a blocking position around Jivevaneng to guard the western flank and in early October fought off a strong attack by a battalion from the Japanese 80th Infantry Regiment amidst a strong Japanese counterattack around the Finschhafen area. Later, the battalion pushed north of Scarlet Beach over the Song River to reconnoitre the area around North Hill, Pino Hill and Pabu in preparation for an advance towards Bonga and Guisika, during which it located several key tracks and junctions.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
In late November, it fended off an attack around North Hill before taking part in the advance towards Wareo, relieving the 2/32nd around Pabu, during which Japanese artillery and mortar attacks caused heavy casualties. The battalion then advanced towards the Kalueng Lakes and later into the Christmas Hills, severing the Bonga–Wareo track, which the Japanese had been using for resupply. In one ambush, 37 Japanese were killed around a position the Australians called "Horace the Horse".


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
By early December, having suffered many casualties from disease, the battalion returned to the North Hill area to assume defensive positions, and a lull followed before it was withdrawn back to Finschhafen for Christmas. On 23 January 1944, the 2/43rd embarked upon the Thomas B. Corwin, reaching Townsville on 31 January. Casualties during operations around Finschhafen resulted in 56 killed and 86 wounded.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
After its return to Australia, the battalion was granted a 24-day leave period before re-grouping  in March at Ravenshoe, Queensland, to begin preparations for the next phase of the war. The battalion experienced a high turnover of personnel, and by the time it went into combat again in mid-1945, only 141 personnel who had deployed to the Middle East in 1940 remained. A new commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Noel Simpson, arrived in May 1944, along with a large batch of other reinforcements, replacing many men still suffering malaria from the previous campaign.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
A long training period ensued, as there was a degree of uncertainty about the Australian Army's role in future operations in the Pacific after the US military assumed primary responsibility for combat operations in the theatre. Nevertheless, in the final months of the war the 2/43rd took part in efforts to recapture Labuan and North Borneo as part of Operation Oboe Six.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
Embarking in April 1945 on board the General H.W. Butner from Townsville, the 2/43rd staged out of Morotai Island. Now under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Mervyn Jeanes, who had taken over from Simpson following his elevation to command the 29th Brigade on Bougainville, the 2/43rd spent six weeks on Morotai Island preparing for the Labuan operation.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
Finally, in June, the battalion embarked on the Manoora and two US Landing Ship Tank vessels, LST 640 and LST 585, and made the seven-day voyage to the island of Labuan, where it came ashore unopposed in three waves, landing on Brown Beach on the southern tip of the eastern headland to Victoria Harbour.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
Supported by tanks and artillery, the 2/43rd pushed inland and, after some brief skirmishes, advanced along the southern coast on the right of the 2/28th Battalion, and then north to secure Labuan airfield, which was taken by the end of the first day for the loss of four casualties. The battalion then cleared the eastern coast towards the Kerupang River and exploited west across on the island along the axis of Hamilton Road towards Timbalai airfield. Mopping up as they went, the troops fought several actions  as Japanese opposition stiffened around MacArthur's Road, while mines and booby traps also caused several casualties. The battalion's total losses during the 11-day campaign amounted to one killed and 12 wounded.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
By 17 June, Allied planes began operating from Labuan airfield and the 2/43rd Battalion was transferred across Brunei Bay to the mainland, landing at Menumbok and Mempakul, after an amphibious reconnaissance, along with the 2/11th Commando Squadron. Two companies and the battalion headquarters landed at Mempakul on 19 June, and the 2/43rd subsequently advanced up the Klias River, using barges and landing craft, while the 2/32nd Battalion advanced along the Padas River.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
By late June, the two battalions converged on Beaufort, linking up to the west of Kandu, and between 26 and 29 June 1945, the town was the scene of heavy fighting during which the 2/43rd lost 13 men killed and 30 wounded. The 2/43rd was tasked with taking the high ground to the north of the town around the Woodford Estate and Mount Lawley, and carrying out a flanking attack to the east. For his actions in destroying four Japanese machine-gun positions, Private Tom Starcevich was awarded the Victoria Cross.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, New Guinea and Borneo
After the capture of Beaufort, the fighting continued in the area as the 2/28th Battalion kept up the pressure on the withdrawing Japanese; for the 2/43rd, though, Beaufort proved to be the last significant action of the war, as hostilities ended in mid-August, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The battalion's final campaign of the war cost it 56 casualties, including those killed or wounded on Labuan.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment
Following the conclusion of hostilities, the 2/43rd Battalion remained on Borneo, around Beaufort, processing Japanese prisoners of war, conducting civic engagement programs, and undertaking vocational education courses in preparation for discharge. The demobilisation process began with personnel being prioritised based on length of service and other factors. A number of drafts were repatriated to Australia over several months. Just before Christmas, the remnants of the battalion, now down to a strength of about 250 personnel, moved to Mempakul, where they relieved the 2/15th Battalion. In January 1946, the battalion's remaining cadre returned to Australia aboard the motor vessel Reynella, reaching Brisbane on 17 January 1946. At Chermside, the battalion's equipment and weapons were accounted for, before the unit was disbanded on 20 February 1946 at Puckapunyal, Victoria.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment
During the conflict a total of 2,711 men served with the battalion. Its casualties amounted to 186 killed in action, 57 died from wounds, 12 died from other causes, 556 wounded, and 36 captured. Decorations awarded included one Victoria Cross, two Distinguished Service Orders, 13 Military Crosses, three Distinguished Conduct Medals, 24 Military Medals including one Bar, one British Empire Medal, and 45 Mentions in Despatches. In addition, one member of the battalion was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire.


2/43rd Battalion (Australia), Battle honours
These honours were subsequently entrusted to the 43rd Battalion in 1961. This unit was re-raised in 1966 as a national service battalion, and through this link the honours are maintained by the Royal South Australia Regiment.


2/48th Battalion (Australia)
The 2/48th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during the Second World War. Raised in Adelaide in South Australia in August 1940, the battalion formed part of the 26th Brigade and was initially assigned to the 7th Division, although it was later transferred to the 9th Division in 1941 when it was deployed to the Middle East. While there, it saw action during the siege of Tobruk and the First and Second Battles of El Alamein before being returned to Australia to take part in the fighting in New Guinea following Japan's entry into the war.


2/48th Battalion (Australia)
During the campaign in New Guinea, the battalion took part in the advance on Lae during the Salamaua–Lae campaign and the fighting around Finschhafen and Sattelberg, during the Huon Peninsula campaign. Following this it was withdrawn to Australia, where it remained for over a year. In mid-1945, the 2/48th Battalion took part in the landing on Tarakan, which was its final involvement in the war. It was disbanded in October 1945 and is considered to be Australia's most highly decorated unit of the war, with four members receiving the Victoria Cross, the nation's highest decoration for gallantry, while over 90 other decorations were also made to its members.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation
The 2/48th Battalion was raised on 9 August 1940 at the Wayville Showgrounds, in Adelaide, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Victor Windeyer, a former Militia officer who had previously commanded the Sydney University Regiment. A unit of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), the 2/48th Battalion was formed specifically for service overseas and recruited mainly from the state of South Australia. The battalion's headquarters staff began arriving early in the month, with many of the key personnel having served previously in South Australian Militia units, including the 27th Battalion (South Australian Scottish Regiment).


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation
At the end of August, a large draft of recruits arrived from the 2nd Infantry Training Depot, and rudimentary individual training was undertaken in the nearby park lands. The colours initially chosen for the battalion's unit colour patch (UCP) were the same as those of the 48th Battalion, a unit which had served during the First World War before being raised as a Militia formation in 1921. These colours were white over dark blue, in a circle shape, although a diamond-shaped border of gray was added to the UCP to distinguish the battalion from its Militia counterpart; this was later changed, though, following the unit's involvement in the fighting at Tobruk, when it adopted a 'T'-shaped UCP.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation
With an authorised strength of around 900 personnel, like other Australian infantry battalions of the time, the battalion was formed around a nucleus of four rifle companies—designated 'A' through 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. Forming part of the 26th Brigade along with the 2/23rd and 2/24th Battalions, it was assigned to the 7th Division during its initial training period but was later transferred with the rest of the 26th Brigade to the 9th Division.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation
After pre-embarkation leave, the battalion undertook three weeks of collective training at Woodside, in October. The following month, the battalion marched through the city of Adelaide prior to its deployment overseas, and shortly afterwards embarked for North Africa. Entraining at Oakbank, after undertaking a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) route march in full equipment, the battalion embarked upon the troopship Stratheden on 17 November 1940; the large transport set sail the following day.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
Sailing via Colombo where the troops were given a brief shore leave, the Stratheden entered the Suez Canal in mid-December 1940. Upon arrival in the Middle East, the battalion briefly occupied a camp at El Kantara, before moving to Dimra, in Palestine. At Dimra, the battalion joined the rest of the 26th Brigade for the first time, and undertook further training until March 1941. At this time, it moved to Cyrenica, along with the rest of the 9th Division, to undertake further training in the desert and to relieve the 6th Division which was deploying to Greece.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
Shortly after this, the Germans landed forces in Africa to reinforce the Italians and as the Axis went on the offensive, the British and Commonwealth forces in Libya were forced to retreat from Benghazi to the strategically important port town of Tobruk. In early April, the 2/48th fell back as part of the general retreat, setting up a blocking position around Tmimi during the withdrawal to prevent a German force cutting the division's route along the coast road. After eight days of constant movement through the desert, the battalion reached the port. They subsequently took part in the defence of Tobruk, where the battalion saw its first action of the North African Campaign for which it would receive one of its many battle honours.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
The 2/48th first entered Tobruk's defences on 9 April 1941 with the rest of the 9th Division commanded by Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead. Instructed to hold the fortress for eight weeks by General Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief of British Middle East Command, the 9th Division ended up defending the fortress for over eight months before being gradually withdrawn.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
The defensive system at Tobruk consisted of several lines: the outer position consisted of scattered perimeter posts and reserve company positions and was dubbed the "Red Line", while the secondary defence system, which was about 2 miles (3.2 km) behind the "Red Line", was dubbed the "Blue Line". During this time the battalion alternated between occupying part of the main defence line, working in the rear areas, and conducting patrols.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
In mid-April, while the battalion was stationed in the western sector, these patrols resulted in the battalion capturing virtually the entire 1st Battalion of the Italian 62nd Regiment, Trento Division, totalling nearly 800 officers and men. Later that month, the 2/48th took part in a daylight raid on a hill opposite their perimeter, behind which the Italians were massing artillery, tanks and infantry.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
Supported by British tanks from the 7th Royal Tank Regiment, the raid caught the defenders by surprise, resulting in the capture of over 360 more Italians, as well as large quantities of weapons and vehicles for only light casualties. In late May, a 2/48th patrol snuck out from the perimeter overnight, and evading German patrols, pushed 5 miles (8.0 km) south, where they set up an ambush and laid a series of land mines along a bypass track that was being used by German supply lorries, two of which were subsequently destroyed.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
In July, the battalion moved to the Bardia road sector, opposite the Italians. By October, the majority of the 9th Division, including the 2/48th Battalion, was withdrawn by sea as the British 70th Division arrived to take over the garrison. Overall, the 2/48th suffered 160 casualties at Tobruk, including 38 men killed and another 18 who died of their wounds.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
After Tobruk, the 9th Division was sent to Palestine and Syria in order to train and rest, and to undertake garrison duties as part of the Allied occupation force that had been established their following the Syria–Lebanon campaign. Under their new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Heathcote Hammer—who had assumed command after Windeyer took over the 20th Brigade—the 2/48th proceeded to train in high terrain and temperatures.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
In late June 1942, Axis forces commanded by General Erwin Rommel, crossed the Egyptian frontier as part of an offensive aimed at capturing Alexandria. After making a brief stand around Mersa Matruh, the British Eighth Army was forced to withdraw towards the Alamein line. In response, the 9th Division was transported south from Syria, and hurriedly committed to First Battle of El Alamein. On 1 July, Rommel's forces launched a determined assault on the Alamein line, and on 7 July the 9th Division was ordered to launch a counter-attack.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
As part of this plan, the 2/48th was ordered to traverse the coastline and capture the Trig 33 ridge north of the "Tel el Eisa" station, commencing their attack shortly before dawn on 10 July. After an initial artillery bombardment that disrupted the Italian troops, the main objective of the attack (Trig 33) was captured and 400 Italians were taken prisoner. The 2/48th then advanced south and captured Tel el Eisa station, which was successfully defended against a number of Axis counter-attacks.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
On 22 July, the battalion was ordered to capture West Point 24 on the Tel El Eisa ridge which was held by heavily entrenched Axis forces. However, after initial success, the 2/48th came under heavy artillery and mortar fire and was forced to withdraw, having suffered over 100 casualties. For actions during this attack, Private Stan Gurney was awarded the battalion's first Victoria Cross (VC) after he captured a machine-gun post and bayoneted the gun crew that was firing on his company, and then went on to capture a second post before being killed while taking a third. In total, the 2/48th suffered 215 casualties in the period 7 July to 23 October 1942, with 64 men killed, six dying of their wounds and 125 wounded.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
In August, Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery took over command of the British Eighth Army and he succeeded in preventing the Axis advance during the Battle of Alam el Halfa. Montgomery then began preparing for an Allied offensive against the Axis forces that were now entrenching themselves. The Second Battle of El Alamein started on 23 October and finished on 7 November with Axis forces withdrawing westwards towards Fuka to avoid encirclement.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
The 2/48th Battalion was engaged around Tel el Eisa, on the right of the Allied line near the coast, during this period, as the 20th and 26th Brigades pushed westwards and then endured numerous counterattacks as the Germans sought to regain control of the strategically important coast road. By the end of the month, the battalion had been heavily depleted. Having started with nearly 700 men in the line, after a week of fighting, the battalion could field only 41 fit men. As a result, the 26th Brigade was rotated out of the line just before the final German counterattack was repulsed, allowing the Allies to launch the final breakout phase of the operation.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
For their actions during this offensive two members of the 2/48th were awarded  Victoria Crosses. The battalion's second VC was awarded to Sergeant Bill Kibby for actions across a one-week period. Kibby had charged several Axis positions and was subsequently killed attacking an enemy position with grenades on 31 October. Private Percy Gratwick earned the battalion's third VC on 25 October in the same area as Kibby. His platoon had been reduced to seven men by enemy fire so Gratwick charged the nearest enemy position of his own volition.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
He killed the occupants, destroyed the post with grenades and was proceeding to neutralise another position when he too was killed. Overall, the 2/48th suffered a further 344 casualties in the period 23 October to 5 November 1942 with 85 men killed, 13 dying of their wounds and 243 wounded. These losses resulted in the battalion being withdrawn from the line just as the battle reached its climax in early November. As the Allies went on the advance, the battalion moved back to Tel el Eisa, during which time it was slowly rebuilt as men who had been wounded were returned to unit, or replaced by reinforcements; this process would continue into the new year.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Actions in North Africa
After helping to secure victory at El Alamein the 9th Division moved to Gaza in Palestine on 3 December. Since the previous October, the Australian government had sought to bring the division back to Australia in order to use it against the Japanese in the Pacific, along with the 6th and 7th Divisions which had been withdrawn the year before, and on 15 December the British prime minister, Winston Churchill, had finally agreed to provide the necessary shipping. Following a divisional parade at Gaza, the 2/48th Battalion embarked upon the troopship Nieuw Amsterdam on 24 January 1943.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
The convoy carrying the battalion put into Fremantle in mid-February, where the small number of Western Australian personnel disembarked to begin their home leave. The rest of the battalion continued on to Port Melbourne, before moving to Adelaide by rail. In late March, after the South Australian personnel had completed their leave, the battalion was re-constituted. At that time, a series of parades were held in every Australian capital city to welcome home the 9th Division; the 2/48th marched through Adelaide.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
After this, the 2/48th were transported to the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, where they established a camp on the Barron River, near Kairi. In April 1943, the battalion was re-organised and re-trained for jungle operations in the South-West Pacific theatre in order to prepare it for the conditions in New Guinea. Undertaking training on the Tablelands, the battalion was converted to the tropical establishment. Warfare in the Pacific posed unique problems and differed greatly to that which the 2/48th had experienced in North Africa.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
In the jungles of New Guinea logistics and transport were significant challenges and in order to meet them, the battalion's size was reduced by over 100 men, to around 800, as its anti-aircraft and Bren carrier platoons were disbanded, while each of the battalion's four rifle companies lost most of their organic motor transport; the mobility issue would be solved by marching on foot as vehicles were relatively useless in dense jungle, while supplies would be brought up using native carriers as well as by air. In July 1943, the battalion moved to Cairns where they undertook amphibious training with the American 532nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment around Trinity Beach as part of their final preparations before being committed to the fighting in New Guinea.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
Sailing aboard the Henry T. Allen, after arriving in New Guinea in early August, the 2/48th established a camp around Milne Bay where they undertook further amphibious training, before taking part in the landing around Lae on 4 September 1943, as part of the final phase of the Salamaua–Lae campaign. This was the first large-scale amphibious landing conducted by the Australian forces since the landings at Gallipoli in 1915, and the battalion, along with the rest of the 26th Brigade, landed on Red Beach, about 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Lae.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
They subsequently advanced westwards, and on 14 September captured Malahang airstrip. Following the fall of Lae to the 7th Division—which had advanced from Nadzab as part of the two-pronged assault—on 16 September, the Allies hurriedly launched a follow up campaign on the Huon Peninsula.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
Initially, only one brigade was committed to the operation, and so the 2/48th Battalion remained around Lae until the 26th Brigade was transported by sea to Finschhafen in late October in order to reinforce the 20th Brigade, which had landed the month previous in an effort to follow up troops withdrawing from Lae, before coming under heavy Japanese counterattack. During this time the battalion took part in repelling an attempted landing at Scarlet Beach, as the Japanese launched a counteroffensive against the Australian lodgement.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
After the Japanese counteroffensive was defeated in late October 1943, Australian attention turned to Sattleberg, the site of an abandoned Lutheran mission. The newly arrived 26th Brigade was chosen to lead the assault as it was fresher than the division's other brigades. The main advance began on 17 November, although the battalion took part in a preliminary attack on Green Ridge the previous day in order to secure the start line for the advance. Pushing north-west from Jivevaneng in company with Matilda tanks from the 1st Tank Battalion, the 2/48th began the drive towards Sattleberg. In difficult terrain and against stubborn Japanese defence, the advance made slow progress, nevertheless by 22 November Steeple Tree Hill was captured and the battalion reached the southern slopes of the Sattelberg feature, about 600 yards (550 m) from its summit.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
On 24 November, the 2/48th's 'C' Company carried out a surprise attack on the position from the south-east. Crossing Siki Creek, the company stepped off shortly before 17:30 hours and reached the base of a steep cliff, from where they began their assault on the summit. Held up by machine gun fire and grenades that were lobbed from the Japanese position above, and finding it almost impossible to move up the hill which had a gradient of between 45 and 60 degrees, the attack appeared in danger of failure as light began to fade and ammunition ran low.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
However, the actions of one of the company's platoon commanders, Sergeant Tom Derrick, reinvigorated the attack. Laying his sections down to provide covering fire, he went forward alone armed with a rifle and a quantity of grenades, attacking the Japanese positions as he went. In the end he accounted for 10 such posts, before the attack was halted 100 yards (91 m) from the summit.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
During the night, the company clung to the edge of the plateau upon which the Sattelberg mission was situated, as fresh supplies were brought up from the rear. The attack was resumed at 08:35 hours the next day, supported by heavy artillery and mortar fire, however, as the 2/48th crested the ridge they found the position unoccupied, with the Japanese having abandoned it the previous night.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
For his actions the previous day, Derrick was given the honour of raising the Australian flag over the mission and was later awarded a Victoria Cross—the battalion's fourth—to go with the Distinguished Conduct Medal he had received for actions during the fighting around El Alamein. Later, Derrick was sent to an Officer Training Unit, after which he was commissioned and, returned to the battalion as a lieutenant; this was a departure from usual Army policy and was the result of intensive lobbying on Derrick's behalf.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
Following the capture of Sattelberg, the 2/48th continued the advance north along with the rest of the 26th Brigade, pushing on over difficult terrain to Wareo, where they arrived on 8 December. Following this, the Japanese began to fall back to Sio in retreat and the battalion's involvement in combat operations on the peninsula came to an end as troops from the 5th Division arrived to relieve them. In January, the battalion camped around the Dallman River before being withdrawn back to Finschhafen, camping around the Song River.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Fighting in New Guinea
In February 1944, the 2/48th was withdrawn back to Australia along with the 9th Division. Sailing aboard an American Liberty ship, the battalion landed in Brisbane on 20 February, and made camp at Kalinga before personnel marched out for a long period of home leave. During its time in New Guinea, the battalion had suffered 125 casualties, of which 36 were killed, three died of wounds, eight died of illness and 77 were wounded.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Landing on Tarakan
The battalion began reforming near Ravenshoe, on the Atherton Tablelands in April 1944. During this time the composition of the units of the 9th Division underwent significant changes as many men were discharged due to medical reasons or transferred to other units and young replacements were brought in; many of the battalion's original members had been struck down by sickness during the fighting in New Guinea. A long period of training followed during which the battalion undertook a number of exercises, including amphibious operations with British Royal Marines on the Glenearn and HMS Empire Spearhead.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Landing on Tarakan
Finally, following more than a year training in Australia the battalion was committed to its final deployment of the war, moving to Morotai Island in April 1945 in order to take part in the landing on Tarakan as part of Operation Oboe. Embarking from Cairns, the battalion was transported in two ships, the Sea Cat and the Van Heutz, the battalion arrived on Morotai later in the month, where the battalion undertook a series of manoeuvres, exercising with armour and at night, to prepare them for the coming campaign. On 22 April, the battalion embarked upon HMAS Manoora, practicing beach landings for a week before setting sail for their objective.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Landing on Tarakan
The entire 26th Brigade group was assigned the task of capturing Tarakan Island and destroying the Japanese garrison and the assault began on 1 May 1945. Embarking on Manoora, the 2/48th was in the first wave of the attack, leading the brigade in at 07:15 hours, landing on Red Beach, on the left flank of the lodgement, 2 miles (3.2 km) from Tarakan town on the western side of the island, with the 2/23rd on their right.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Landing on Tarakan
The preliminary bombardment had been successful, and as the battalion came ashore they were largely unopposed, allowing the landing craft to get in close to the shore. Pushing inland, the 2/48th had secured its primary objectives by 08:38 hours. The right forward company took sporadic fire as it secured the oil tanks, while the battalion's left hand company was able to capture the bridge over the Sibengkok River and the high feature overlooking the landing beach without meeting any resistance.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Landing on Tarakan
Advancing inland, the Japanese pillboxes that had fired on the right forward company were secured after they were abandoned by the defenders. A company was then sent along the Anzac Highway to secure Collins Highway ridge. By 13:40 hours the western end of the ridge had been secured, however, the battalion began taking fire from the east. Forward momentum was maintained, although the 2/48th suffered a number of casualties, and by the end of the day a 2,000-yard (1,800 m) by 2,800-yard (2,600 m) beachhead had been established, and the battalion had companies on Collins Highway ridge, one on the "Parks" feature and another at "Finch".


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Landing on Tarakan
Over the course of the next couple of days, Japanese resistance to the Australian advance increased. After the Australians secured the island's airfield and the low ground along the west coast, throughout May and into June significant engagements took place in the hills surrounding Tarakan town. On 2 May, the 2/48th captured Lyons Ridge, before pressing on towards Tarakan Hill, where they assaulted the "Sykes" feature supported by Matilda tanks from the 2/9th Armoured Regiment.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Landing on Tarakan
Here they experienced their heaviest losses of the campaign, losing six killed and 26 wounded during the three assaults up the steep slopes of the feature. Their next major engagement came in late May when the 2/48th took part in fighting around Freda Ridge as part of the drive on the main Japanese position around Fukukaku. A company-level attack was put in and after stiff resistance the ridge was captured. The following morning, as the battalion waited for a Japanese counterattack, Tom Derrick, who had played a key role in capturing the position the previous day, was mortally wounded. He subsequently died on 24 May 1945.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Landing on Tarakan
In June, major combat operations on the island ceased and the Australians began the mopping up phase of the campaign as the Australians sought to clear isolated pockets of Japanese troops that had evaded capture. These operations continued into July. During this time, the 2/48th was assigned a sector near the Pamusian River on the eastern coast, as well as Tarakan town and the centre of the island. The battalion's involvement in the Borneo campaign resulted in 174 casualties, including 37 killed and nine died of wounds or from accident.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment
Following the end of hostilities in August, the battalion remained on Tarakan to undertake garrison duties. During this time it undertook patrol operations to bring in the various pockets of Japanese troops who had not learned of the surrender; these were dangerous operations and in an effort to reduce casualties, the patrols went out with several Japanese prisoners to help talk their former comrades into surrendering. As the demobilisation process began, its numbers dwindled as long-serving men were repatriated back to Australia, while others with only limited service were transferred to other units for further service.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment
Finally, on 25 October 1945, while still on Tarakan, the battalion was disbanded. The occasion was marked by a small ceremony at Tarakan involving the unit's remaining members. The battalion's equipment was transferred to the newly raised 66th Battalion, along with a draft of volunteers for occupation duties in Japan with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. Those that did not volunteer to serve in Japan were transferred to the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion. During the course of the war a total of 2,838 men served with the 2/48th Battalion, of whom 343 men were killed in action or died on active service, 675 were wounded, and 20 captured.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), History, Disbandment
According to the Australian War Memorial the 2/48th Battalion was "Australia's highest decorated unit of the Second World War". Four members of the battalion received the Victoria Cross, three of them posthumously. Other decorations awarded to members of the 2/48th included: four Distinguished Service Orders, 12 Military Crosses, 10 Distinguished Conduct Medals, 24 Military Medals and 36 Mentions in Despatches.


2/48th Battalion (Australia), Commanding officers
The following officers commanded the 2/48th Battalion during the war:


2/48th Battalion (Australia), Battle honours
The 2/48th Battalion was awarded the 14 battle honours for its service during the war:


2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia)
The 2/4th Anti -Tank Regiment was an Australian Army anti-tank artillery regiment that was raised for service during the Second World War as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force. It was formed in November 1940, and was assigned to the 8th Division. In early 1942, the regiment took part in the Malayan campaign and the Battle of Singapore before being captured when Singapore fell to the Japanese at which time most of its personnel became prisoners of war. Over 170 members of the regiment died in captivity before the end of the war in August 1945.


2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia), History
Formed in November 1940 at Puckapunyal, Victoria,  as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force that was raised for overseas service during World War II. The regiment was assigned to the 8th Division, replacing the 2/3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, which was transferred to the 9th Division; its first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Cranston McEachern. It initially consisted of four batteries – the  13th, 14th, 15th and 16th – and had an authorised strength of 30 officers and 526 soldiers.


2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia), History
In February 1941, the 13th Battery deployed to Singapore to support the 22nd Infantry Brigade, which had been sent to bolster the garrison in Malaya in case of a Japanese invasion; the 14th Battery deployed to Darwin, Northern Territory with the 23rd Infantry Brigade. This battery was later transferred to the 103rd Anti-Tank Regiment, in December 1942. Meanwhile, the rest of the regiment was deployed to Malaya, to rejoin the 13th Battery. The regiment was based around Tampin, while the individual batteries deployed forward: the 13th around Malacca with the 27th Infantry Brigade, the 15th established itself at Mersing, and the 16th deployed with the 22nd Infantry Brigade around Jemaluang, where they were tasked with securing the eastern coast.


2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia), History
During the early war years, there was a shortage of artillery pieces with which to equip the artillery regiments that were formed as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force. The 2/4th was also affected by this, and even after being deployed it was short of its establishment. By December 1941, the regiment possessed only twelve 2-pounder anti-tank guns and twenty-four 75 mm pack howitzers, which was twelve guns short of its entitlement.


2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia), History
When the Japanese invasion of Malaya began, the 13th Battery moved to Kluang to continue to support the 22nd Infantry Brigade, but the rest of the regiment was focused on the west coast of the peninsula, supporting the 27th Infantry Brigade as the Japanese advance pushed the Allies back towards Johore. One battery was detached to support the 45th Indian Infantry Brigade during the Battle of Muar, while another battery took part in the Battle of Gemas on 14 January 1942, supporting an ambush on the advancing Japanese by the 2/30th Infantry Battalion.


2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia), History
During the battle, the 13th Battery engaged and destroyed four Japanese tanks, and damaged several others, that were advancing down the main road. Despite some local successes, the 22nd and 27th Infantry Brigades withdrew down the peninsula towards the island of Singapore, fighting several delaying actions. By 30 January, the last Allied troops had crossed the Johore Causeway, and it was deliberately blown up to prevent the Japanese from using it.


2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia), History
A short lull followed, as the Japanese prepared to cross the strait. During this time, the two Australian brigades occupied hastily prepared defensive positions on the north-west coast of the island. The 2/4th Anti -Tank Regiment deployed the 13th Battery to support the 27th Infantry Brigade in the Causeway Sector; the 15th supported the 22nd Infantry Brigade in the north-western sector, and the 16th Battery supported the 44th Indian Infantry Brigade in the south-west. Regimental headquarters was located at Yew Tee Village.


2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia), History
The regiment was bolstered during this time with its batteries expanding from three troops to four, and receiving more guns; at this time it had thirty 2-pounders, as well as thirteen 75 mm pack howitzers, and four other guns of Italian origin. On the evening of 8/9 February, the Japanese attacked, sending two divisions across the strait to land in the sector held by 22nd Infantry Brigade. Heavy fighting followed and over the course of a week, the regiment's batteries fought numerous local actions, often with just a single gun, as the Allies were pushed back towards Singapore town.


2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia), History
During this time, the regiment was heavily engaged. Several guns were placed on trucks for a mobile defence, from which they attempted to engage Japanese armoured vehicles before being knocked out, while others fired in direct support of the infantrymen in the same manner as field artillery. The Australian units were eventually concentrated around Tanglin Barracks where they prepared for a final stand. On 15 February, the garrison commander, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, ordered the remaining garrison to surrender.


2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Australia), History
The regiment's casualties during this time amounted to 11 killed, 34 missing in action, and 37 wounded. The surviving members of the regiment subsequently became prisoners of war and spent the next three-and-a-half years in captivity. They were sent to camps around south-east Asia including Thailand, Borneo, Sumatra and Japan before being released at war's end in August 1945. The conditions they experienced were brutal and of the almost 15,000 Australians who were captured during the Malayan campaign and fighting around Singapore, only two thirds survived. More than 170 members of the 2/4th died as prisoners.


2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia)
The 2/4th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. The regiment was formed in November 1942 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force by amalgamating a number of previously existing armoured units and was disbanded in September 1946 after seeing action in New Guinea and Bougainville Island, where it provided individual squadron-group sized elements which operated in support of infantry operations against the Japanese. During its service the regiment received 10 battle honours.


2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
The 2/4th Armoured Regiment was one of the last armoured units raised by the Australian Army during the war, being formed in order to replace the 2/6th Armoured Regiment which had been detached from the 1st Armoured Division to serve in New Guinea. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel D.A Cameron, the regiment was raised in November 1942 from elements of a number of Australian armoured reconnaissance units, including 'D' Squadron of the 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment and the 2/1st and 2/2nd Light Tank Squadrons, and was concentrated at Wee Waa, New South Wales. Initially, the regiment formed part of the 2nd Armoured Brigade of the 3rd Armoured Division and was equipped with M3 Grant medium tanks and M3 Stuart light tanks.


2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
At the beginning of 1943, the regiment was relocated to Manumbah in Queensland, travelling over 350 miles (560 km) from Narabri to their final destination near Murgon. The move north was punctuated by heavy rain that turned the road into a quagmire that was meant that at times the tank transporters had to be towed by the tanks that they were supposed to be transporting. Upon reaching their destination they commenced training and would remain in Queensland for the best part of a year. In October 1943, however, the 3rd Armoured Division was disbanded and the 2/4th was allocated to the 4th Armoured Brigade, an independent armoured brigade, and was re-equipped with Matilda II tank which were better suited for jungle warfare than the Grant and Stuart tanks.


2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
In August 1944, after training at Southport on the Gold Coast, the regiment received orders to deploy overseas and was moved to Madang in New Guinea, where it replaced the 1st Tank Battalion.


2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
Deployed to provide support to the Australian Army infantry units fighting the Japanese, the regiment provided a number of elements—organised into squadron-group sized elements each with its own support units—to different infantry formations and the first element of the regiment to see action was the 'C' Squadron Group which was attached the 6th Division during the Aitape–Wewak campaign from November 1944; in doing so, they took part in the advance towards Wewak, the capture of Niap in January 1945 followed by the capture of Wewak in May. In April, the tanks moved to the town of But in April and from there, the squadron's tanks supported further actions along the Hawain River and around the Wirui Mission. By the end of the war they had occupied Boram.


2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
Elsewhere, in December 1944, the 'B' Squadron Group was sent to Bougainville Island to support the Australian II Corps during the Bougainville Campaign. This squadron first saw action on 31 March 1945, when it played an important role in supporting the 3rd Division during the Battle of Slater's Knoll.


2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
The Regimental Headquarters and the 'A' Squadron Group were also sent to Bougainville in May 1945 and the regiment continued to provide support to the Australian infantry until the Japanese surrender taking part in a number of battles during the advance towards Buin in the southern sector, including the fighting around the Hongorai River and the crossings of the Hari and Mivo Rivers. In July, a troop-sized detachment was allocated to the 23rd Brigade which was fighting along the Ratsua front in the northern sector of the island in the Bonis Peninsula.


2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia), History
Following the end of the war a detachment from the regiment was deployed to Rabaul to assist with guarding the 100,000 Japanese troops in the region. As the regiment's numbers were gradually reduced due to the demobilisation process, the 2/4th Armoured Regiment returned to Australia in May 1946 and was finally disbanded in September 1946. During the course of the unit's war service it suffered 25 men killed in action or died on active service and 31 wounded. Members of the 2/4th received the following decorations: one Distinguished Service Order, three Military Crosses, two Orders of the British Empire, three Military Medal and seven Mentioned in Despatches.


2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia), Battle honours
The 2/4th Armoured Regiment received 10 battle honours for its service during World War II, these were:


2/4th Battalion (Australia)
The 2/4th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force. Deploying to the Middle East in early 1940, the battalion took part in the early fighting in North Africa in early 1941 along with the rest of the 6th Division, before being sent to Greece and then Crete, where it was heavily engaged and suffered heavy losses. Rebuilt in Palestine, the battalion undertook occupation duties in Syria.


2/4th Battalion (Australia)
In early 1942, the 2/4th returned to Australia in response to Japan's entry into the war, and subsequently undertook a long period of defensive duties and training in Darwin, and then in north Queensland. While other elements of the 6th Division saw action in New Guinea in 1942–1943, the 2/4th saw no combat again until late in the war, when it was committed to the Aitape–Wewak campaign in late 1944, fighting throughout the remainder of the war. Following the end of hostilities, the battalion was disbanded in Australia in November 1945.


2/4th Battalion (Australia), History, Formation and training
The 2/4th Battalion was raised on 3 November 1939 at Victoria Barracks, in Sydney, New South Wales, as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF). Amongst the first batch of troops raised as part of the new force, the battalion was initially attached to the 16th Brigade, which was assigned to the 6th Division. Consisting of four rifle companies – designated 'A' to 'D' – under a headquarters company and a battalion headquarters, like other 2nd AIF infantry battalions raised at the time, the battalion had an authorised strength of around 900 personnel.