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spidge · 28-11-2007, 07:52 AM

Courtesy of: Australians at War

2/25th Battalion

The 2/25th Battalion was formally raised in Brisbane on 1 July 1940. Recruited in Queensland, it began assembling at Grovely Camp on 15 July, and subsequently trained at Grovely (15 July–15 October) and around Darwin (23 October 1940–1 February 1941). It returned to Brisbane to complete its preparations for overseas service, and embarked at Sydney on 7 April 1941.
On 3 May 1941, the 2/25th landed in Egypt and moved out into the desert to join the 25th Brigade of the 7th Australian Division that was manning defences along the Egypt–Libya frontier against an expected German attack. The 2/25th occupied positions at Mersa Matruh throughout much of April and May 1941, before returning to Palestine in preparation for its first offensive operation – the invasion of Syria and Lebanon, which began on 8 June.
The 2/25th initially constituted the 25th Brigade’s reserve for its drive into eastern Lebabnon, and its companies were widely scattered. Reunited, the battalion fought its only major battle of the campaign at the inland town of Merdjayoun on 19 June. Given inadequate time to prepare, and confronted by Vichy French tanks, the 2/25th failed to capture Merdjayoun, which had previously been occupied by Australian forces but lost to a counter offensive. The battalion suffered heavy casualties, including over 50 men taken prisoner. On 25 June the 2/25th was temporarily placed under the command of the 21st Brigade to secure a route from the coast to the inland town of Beit ed Dine against the possibility of a Vichy French counter attack. It was still thus engaged when the armistice came into effect on 12 July, and remained in Lebabnon as part of the Allied garrison until 13 January 1942.
After sailing from Egypt on 9 February 1942, the 2/25th disembarked in Adelaide on 10 March. It trained in Australia until August and on 9 September arrived in Port Moresby to reinforce the battered Australian units on the Kokoda Trail. Joining the fray at Ioribaiwa on 15 September, the battalion participated in the last Australian withdrawal on the trail – to Imita Ridge. It subsequently participated in the advance that followed the Japanese withdrawal, fighting major battles near Templeton’s Crossing (13–21 October) and at Gorari (7–11 November). The 2/25th was briefly involved in the operations at Gona between 23 November and 4 December, before returning to Port Moresby by air on 13 December and eventually sailing back to Australia in early January 1943.
The 2/25th returned to Port Moresby on 22 July in preparation for the 25th Brigade’s next operation – the advance on the Japanese base at Lae, in New Guinea. The brigade flew into Nadzab on 7 September, commenced its advance on the 11th and Lae was in its hands by the 16th – the 2/25th was the first battalion to enter the town. On 29 September the 2/25th was flown from Nadzab to Kaipit and spent the rest of the year principally engaged in patrol actions in the Ramu Valley and the foothills of the Finisterre Range. The battalion returned to Australia on 16 February 1944.
Like most of the AIF battalions, the 2/25th spent over a year training in Australia prior to its ffinal operation of the war. It departed Australia on 2 June 1945 and landed at Balikpapan in Borneo on 2 July. The 2/25th’s operations were concentrated around the Milford Highway, the site of the most determined Japanese resistence at Balikpapan. It was still involved in active operations when the war ended on 15 August. Drafts of long-service personnel began returning home from October, and what was left of the battalion disembarked in Brisbane on 4 February 1946. It disbanded there on 7 March 1946.18 Marchlater that month.
Glossary

21 Brigade ; 25 Brigade ; 2nd Australian Imperial Force ; Battle of Gorari ; Battle of Templeton's Crossing ; Balikpapan ; Kokoda Trail Campaign ; Milford Highway Operations ; Mersa Matruh ; Ramu Valley-Finisterres Operations ; Syrian Campaign Battle Honours

Casualties

176 dead, 365 wounded

For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases.
Commanding Officers

Decorations

1 VC
2 DSO
1 MBE
4 MC and one bar
1 DCM
8 MM
33 MID

For more information please see Honours and Awards database
Collection Items

Search for related collection items
References

AWM52: 8/3/25 2/25th Battalion war diary
A. W. Draydon, Men of courage: A history of 2/25 Australian Infantry Battalion, (Chermside: 2/25 Australian Infantry Battalion Association, 2000).

28-11-2007, 07:52 AM	#6 (permalink)
spidge Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 3,319 You're Top Poster: #3 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 6	2/25th Battalion Courtesy of: Australians at War 2/25th Battalion The 2/25th Battalion was formally raised in Brisbane on 1 July 1940. Recruited in Queensland, it began assembling at Grovely Camp on 15 July, and subsequently trained at Grovely (15 July–15 October) and around Darwin (23 October 1940–1 February 1941). It returned to Brisbane to complete its preparations for overseas service, and embarked at Sydney on 7 April 1941. On 3 May 1941, the 2/25th landed in Egypt and moved out into the desert to join the 25th Brigade of the 7th Australian Division that was manning defences along the Egypt–Libya frontier against an expected German attack. The 2/25th occupied positions at Mersa Matruh throughout much of April and May 1941, before returning to Palestine in preparation for its first offensive operation – the invasion of Syria and Lebanon, which began on 8 June. The 2/25th initially constituted the 25th Brigade’s reserve for its drive into eastern Lebabnon, and its companies were widely scattered. Reunited, the battalion fought its only major battle of the campaign at the inland town of Merdjayoun on 19 June. Given inadequate time to prepare, and confronted by Vichy French tanks, the 2/25th failed to capture Merdjayoun, which had previously been occupied by Australian forces but lost to a counter offensive. The battalion suffered heavy casualties, including over 50 men taken prisoner. On 25 June the 2/25th was temporarily placed under the command of the 21st Brigade to secure a route from the coast to the inland town of Beit ed Dine against the possibility of a Vichy French counter attack. It was still thus engaged when the armistice came into effect on 12 July, and remained in Lebabnon as part of the Allied garrison until 13 January 1942. After sailing from Egypt on 9 February 1942, the 2/25th disembarked in Adelaide on 10 March. It trained in Australia until August and on 9 September arrived in Port Moresby to reinforce the battered Australian units on the Kokoda Trail. Joining the fray at Ioribaiwa on 15 September, the battalion participated in the last Australian withdrawal on the trail – to Imita Ridge. It subsequently participated in the advance that followed the Japanese withdrawal, fighting major battles near Templeton’s Crossing (13–21 October) and at Gorari (7–11 November). The 2/25th was briefly involved in the operations at Gona between 23 November and 4 December, before returning to Port Moresby by air on 13 December and eventually sailing back to Australia in early January 1943. The 2/25th returned to Port Moresby on 22 July in preparation for the 25th Brigade’s next operation – the advance on the Japanese base at Lae, in New Guinea. The brigade flew into Nadzab on 7 September, commenced its advance on the 11th and Lae was in its hands by the 16th – the 2/25th was the first battalion to enter the town. On 29 September the 2/25th was flown from Nadzab to Kaipit and spent the rest of the year principally engaged in patrol actions in the Ramu Valley and the foothills of the Finisterre Range. The battalion returned to Australia on 16 February 1944. Like most of the AIF battalions, the 2/25th spent over a year training in Australia prior to its ffinal operation of the war. It departed Australia on 2 June 1945 and landed at Balikpapan in Borneo on 2 July. The 2/25th’s operations were concentrated around the Milford Highway, the site of the most determined Japanese resistence at Balikpapan. It was still involved in active operations when the war ended on 15 August. Drafts of long-service personnel began returning home from October, and what was left of the battalion disembarked in Brisbane on 4 February 1946. It disbanded there on 7 March 1946.18 Marchlater that month. Glossary 21 Brigade ; 25 Brigade ; 2nd Australian Imperial Force ; Battle of Gorari ; Battle of Templeton's Crossing ; Balikpapan ; Kokoda Trail Campaign ; Milford Highway Operations ; Mersa Matruh ; Ramu Valley-Finisterres Operations ; Syrian Campaign Battle Honours North Africa Syria 1941 Merjayun Chenim and Rharife Damour Mazaraat ech Chouf South-West Pacific 1942-1945 Kokoda Trail Ioribaiwa Eora Creek-Templeton's Crossing II Oivi-Gorari Buna-Gona Gona Lae-Nadzab Lae Road Liberation of Australian New Guinea Ramu Valley Shaggy Ridge Borneo 1945 Balikpapan Milford Highway Casualties 176 dead, 365 wounded For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases. Commanding Officers Marshall, Norman Withy, Charles Burton Marson, Richard Harold Decorations 1 VC 2 DSO 1 MBE 4 MC and one bar 1 DCM 8 MM 33 MID For more information please see Honours and Awards database Collection Items Search for related collection items References AWM52: 8/3/25 2/25th Battalion war diary A. W. Draydon, Men of courage: A history of 2/25 Australian Infantry Battalion, (Chermside: 2/25 Australian Infantry Battalion Association, 2000). __________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm Last edited by spidge; 11-12-2007 at 02:21 PM..