Deputy Prime Minister of Australia accepted the view put to him by McEwen that to commission a Liberal temporarily as Prime Minister would give that person an unfair advantage in the forthcoming party room ballot for the permanent leader. McEwen's appointment was in keeping with the previous occasion when the main non-Labor party was without a leader; Earle Page of the Country Party was interim Prime Minister between 7 and 26 April 1939—the period between Joseph Lyons' sudden death and the United Australia Party naming Robert Menzies his successor. Since 1968 only two Deputy Prime Ministers have gone on to become Prime Minister: Paul Keating
26th Battalion (Australia) 26th Battalion: The 26th Battalion was awarded the following battle honours: In 1961, the battalion – although no longer on the Australian Army's order of battle – was entrusted with the three battle honours awarded to the 2/26th Battalion for its service with the 2nd AIF during World War II. The honours it inherited at this time were: Malaya 1941–42; Johore; and Singapore Island. 26th Battalion (Australia) The 26th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised in April 1915 for service in World War I as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), it was assigned