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10-12-2007, 05:46 AM
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| Super Moderator   Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia
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You're Top Poster: #3   | Australian 9th Division Battalions 2/13th Battalion Courtesy of: Australians at War The 2/13th Infantry Battalion (also known as the “Devil’s Own”) was formed in April 1940 at Ingleburn army camp, south-west of Liverpool. The battalion was part of the 20th Brigade of the newly formed 7th Division. It completed basic training at Ingleburn before marching to Bathurst army camp to undergo subunit field training. In October the 20th Brigade, comprising the 2/13th, 2/15th, and 2/17th Battalions, sailed from Sydney Harbour for the Middle East. The brigade transferred to the newly formed 9th Division en route to Egypt. Arriving in November the battalion travelled by train to Palestine and went into camp at Kilo 89. Early in March 1941 the 9th Division moved into Cyrenaica replacing the 6th Division going to Greece. The Axis were also reorganising their forces. German forces landed at Tripoli, bolstering the Italians, and advanced east. The British were forced to evacuate Benghazi and fall back to Tobruk, referred to as the “Benghazi handicap”. The 2/13th covered the division’s withdrawal. The 2/13th was first complete Australian unit to fight German troops during the Second World War. The battle took place at Er Regima on 4 April 1940. The battalion was thinly spread along an 11 kilometre front against a German force of about 3,000 men. The battle began mid-afternoon and continued into the night. Outnumbered and vulnerable the battalion fought on until 10 pm before withdrawing. They initially moved of on foot but were soon picked up by trucks and driven 16 km east of Barce to rest. By 9 April the 2/13th joined the rest of the division at Tobruk. It helped defend the “fortress” for eight months, being the only Australian battalion to see out the siege. It planned to evacuate in October but was delayed when their convey was forced to turn back from enemy air attack. The battalion remained in Tobruk until the siege was lifted in December. The 9th Division returned to Palestine before going to Syria to perform garrison duties. The 2/13th rejoined the division at Lattakia. By July 1942 the war in North Africa was critical for the British Eighth Army. German and Italian forces had reached El Alamein, about seventy miles from Alexandria. The 9th Division rushed to Alamein and held the northern sector for almost four months while the Eighth Army reinforced under new a commander. The 2/13th reached the forward British defences in mid-July and moved to Tel El Eisa in early-August. It fought in the Alamein battle from 23 October to 5 November 1942. The 9th Division was recalled to Australia to face a new enemy – the Japanese. The 2/13th left Egypt in January 1943 and disembarked at Sydney in February. After leave and jungle training on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland in August the battalion embarked for Milne Bay in Papua. On 4 September the battalion departed Milne Bay on landing craft and landed on Red Beach, north-west of Lae, without casualties. It carried out subsequent jungle operations until Lae fell 12 days later. The battalion also landed at Scarlet Beach near Finschhafen on 22 September, helping defend the area against Japanese counter-attack. The 2/13th returned to Australia in March 1944, disembarking in Brisbane. After leave, it reformed at Ravenshoe and did not return to action until the final months of the war. Towards the end of April the 9th Division was transported to Morotai to prepare for amphibious landings on Borneo as part of the OBOE operations. The 2/13th landed at Brunei on 10 June before making another landing in the Miri–Lutong area ten days later. The battalion captured the Lutong airfield and oil tanks and moved inland along the Pujut Road to the Pujut oilfields. It then moved along Canada Hill to Lobang, where it remained until the end of the war. Following Japan’s surrender, the 2/13th’s ranks thinned, as men were discharged or transferred. The battalion moved to Luban in November and in December sailed to Australia to “wind up” in preparation for disbandment. Colour Patch  Glossary 2nd Australian Imperial Force ; 9 Division ; Battles for Tobruk ; Capture of Lae ; El Alamein Battle Honours
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__________________ 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 12:56 PM. |
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10-12-2007, 05:48 AM
| #2 (permalink) |
| Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia
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You're Top Poster: #3 | 2/15th Battalion 2/15th Battalion Courtesy of: Australians at War The 2/15th Infantry Battalion was raised at Redbank army camp in Brisbane on 1 May 1940, as part of the 20th Brigade. The battalion did its basic training at Redbank and went to Darwin to undertake three months of garrison duty in July. It moved to Sydney in November and at the end of the year sailed aboard the Queen Mary with the 20th Brigade to Palestine via India, transhipping to the Rohna at Bombay. The 20th Brigade transferred from the 7th to the 9th Division en route to the Middle East. It arrived at El Kantara in Egypt at the start of February 1941 and moved to Kilo 89 in Palestine for desert training. At the end of the month the 2/15th travelled through the Libyan Desert to the front line at Kilo 789 near Mersa Brega, including Mersa Matruh, Bug Bug, Tobruk, Derna, Tocra, Benghazi, and Agedabia. The battalion relieved elements of 6th Division, becoming the most advanced part of the line. The 2/15th moved to Gabel El Gira on 27 March and then Barce. German forces had landed at Tripoli and were advancing east. It was involved in the withdrawal of British forces to Tobruk, referred to as the “Benghazi handicap”. The withdrawal cost the battalion heavily: the commanding officer, second in command, and 154 men were captured at El Gazala.The battalion moved to Hill 69 near Gaza where it remained into 1942, before undertaking training and garrison duties in Lebanon and Syria. In early July 1942 the Second World War in North Africa became critical for the British Eighth Army, when Axis forces reached El Alamein in Egypt. The 9th Division rushed from Syria to the Alamein area and held the northern sector for almost four months, while the British Eighth Army reinforced under new a commander. The 2/15th relieved the 2/28th Infantry Battalion, holding the line from Hill 33 to the coast throughout August. On 1 September the 2/15th participated in Operation Bulimba, designed to test tactics and strategies for the upcoming battle. The fighting was vicious and the battalion suffered 183 casualties – about half its fighting strength. From 23 October to 4 November it fought with the brigade during the battle of Alamein. The 9th Division was recalled to Australia to face a new enemy – the Japanese. The 2/15th left Egypt aboard the Acquitania on 25 January 1943 and disembarked at Sydney on 27 February. After leave and jungle training on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland it embarked for Milne Bay in Papua on 2 August 1943. On 4 September the battalion landed on Red Beach, 15 miles north-west of Lae. Shortly after it fought its way ashore at Scarlet Beach near Finschhafen and defended the area against Japanese counter-attack. The battalion also took part in the Huon Peninsula campaign, advancing along the northern coast of New Guinea from Lae to Sio. Colour Patch  Glossary 2nd Australian Imperial Force ; 9 Division ; Redbank Camp ; Battles for Tobruk ; Capture of Lae ; El Alamein ; Mersa Matruh Battle Honours
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__________________ 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 12:57 PM. |
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10-12-2007, 05:50 AM
| #3 (permalink) |
| Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia
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You're Top Poster: #3 | 2/17th Battalion 2/17th Battalion Courtesy of: Australians at War The 2/17th Infantry Battalion was formed on 26 April 1940 at Ingleburn army camp, south-west of Liverpool, as part of the 20th Brigade of the newly formed 7th Division. The 2/17th did its basic training at Ingleburn, before marching to Bathurst army camp for subunit field training. In October 1940 the 20th Brigade sailed from Sydney Harbour to the Middle East. The brigade transferred to the newly formed 9th Division en route to Egypt, arriving in the Middle East in November. In early March 1941 the 2/17th relieved subunits of the 6th Division destined for Greece in the foremost defences near Mersa Brega, east of Tripoli. After German forces landed at Tripoli to bolster the Italians, they soon advanced to the east. The 2/17th was involved in a general withdrawal of British forces to Tobruk. When the Axis made a major attack to capture Tobruk at Easter, the 2/17th held against German tanks and remained in position with engaging enemy infantry. The German tanks were destroyed by artillery and supporting arms. Corporal John Hurst Edmondson was posthumously awarded Australia’s first Victoria Cross for his involvement in the battle. Tobruk was under siege for over eight months. During this time, the remaining 9th Division was successfully relieved by the 70th British Division, arriving by units in stages by sea to Alexandria and by land to Palestine. The 2/17th moved to Hill 69, near Gaza, between 20 and 27 October 1941. They remained there for the rest of the year. In the first half of 1942 the battalion undertook training in Lebanon and Syria. The war in North Africa became critical for the British Eighth Army in early-July 1942. German and Italian forces reached the vicinity of El Alamein in Egypt, about 100 miles north of the capital. The 9th Division moved to the area from Syria and held the northern sector in protracted defence for almost four months, while the British prepared for an offensive under new command. The 2/17th reached the forward defences in mid-July. After an excursion with 20th Brigade to block enemy threat in the south the battalion moved to the forward defended locality of Tel El Eisa in early-August. For over two months the 2/17th observed enemy defences, before moving to a reserve training area in preparation for the Battle of El Alamein. The battalion performed with great distinction throughout the battle from 23 October to 5 November 1942. The 9th Division was recalled from the Middle East to face the Japanese encroachment in the Pacific Islands which threatened Australia. The 2/17 left Suez aboard the Acquitania on 27 January 1943 and disembarked from Sydney on 27 February. After leave and jungle training on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, the battalion embarked for Milne Bay in Papua on 1 August 1943 aboard the Dutch MS Van Heurts and American SS William Ellery Channing. The battalion participated in the amphibious landing of Australian troops at Lae and Finschhafen. It returned to Australia a second time on 10 March 1944 aboard the Clip Fontain and disembarked at Townsville for leave. The battalion reformed on the Atherton Tablelands and spent the next 13 months training. It was not until the final months of the war the battalion returned to action. Embarking from Townsville in Queensland the 2/17th came ashore at Brunei on 10 June 1945. The Australian advance freed the country and its rich oilfields at Seria from the Japanese. Demobilization followed and the unit became redundant in Brunei on 29 October 1945. The battalion’s ranks thinned, as men were discharged, transferred, or volunteered for the occupation force for Japan. The 2/17th returned to Australia on 19 December 1945 and was disbanded at Ingleburn camp on 8 February 1946. Colour Patch  Glossary 2nd Australian Imperial Force ; 9 Division ; Battles for Tobruk ; Capture of Lae ; El Alamein Battle Honours
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__________________ 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 12:59 PM. |
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10-12-2007, 05:51 AM
| #4 (permalink) |
| Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 3,245
You're Top Poster: #3 | 2/24th Battalion 2/24th Battalion Courtesy of: Australians at War Victoria’s 2/24th Infantry Battalion was raised in Wangaratta in July 1940. It was part of the 26th Brigade, with the 2/23rd and 2/48th Battalions. The brigade was initially part of the 7th Division but in early 1941 became part of the 9th Division. The 2/24th trained at Bonegilla before sailing for the Middle East in November. In early 1941 the 26th Brigade, along with the rest of the 9th Division, moved into Cyrenica to complete its training. However, despite the successes of the British offensive at the start of the year, when the German Afrika Korps led the Axis counter-attack the 9th Division fell back to the Tobruk – colloquially referred to as the “Benghazi handicap”. The 2/24th entered Tobruk on 10 April and helped defend the “fortress” for the next eight months. The 2/24th saw extensive service at Tobruk, manning the Red Line at a number of different locations and participating in the bitter fighting in the Salient. The Red Line was Tobruk’s outer line of defence and consisted of a series of concrete pillboxes forming a semi-circle around the town. In October the majority of the 9th Division, except the 2/13th Infantry Battalion, was evacuated by sea. The 2/24th was evacuated on the night of 20 October, sailing to Alexandria. The division was transferred to Palestine and Syria for rest and garrison duties. By July 1942 German and Italian forces had reached El Alamein in Egypt, about seventy miles from Alexandra. The war in North Africa had become critical for the British Eighth Army. The 9th Division was consequently rushed from Syria to the Alamein area and held the northern sector for almost four months as the Eighth Army was reinforced for an offensive under new a commander. The division’s orders for the first attack were issued on 7 July. The 26th Brigade advanced along the coast, driving a wedge between the sea and German positions by capturing the feature known as Tel el Eise, which ran north-west between the railway line and the sea. During the main offensive from 23 October to 4 November, the 26th and, further south, the 20th Brigade, crossed the Australian start line south of Tel el Eisa. In a sweeping arc, using Trig 29 as the pivot point, the brigades moved through the Fig Orchard, Thompson’s Post, and numerous German mine fields, towards the sea. The heaviest fighting took place at the “Saucer”. By the end of the October the 26th Brigade had suffered heavy casualties and, in what was a bold move, disengaged from the fighting on the night of 31 October, successfully relieved by the 24th Brigade. Alamein was a great, although bloody, success for the Allies and by 6 November Axis forces were retreating. But the 9th Division was needed elsewhere and with the battle over it returned to Australia to face a new enemy – the Japanese. The 2/24th left Alamein during the first week of December and went to Gaza in Palestine, where it participated in the 9th Division parade on 22 December. The battalion left its camp in Palestine on 23 January 1943 for the Suez Canal and the return voyage to Australia. It reached Melbourne on 25 February. Reorganised for jungle operations, on 4 September the 2/24th participated in the division’s amphibious landing at Red Beach, north-west of Lae. After fighting in the battles around Lae, Finschhafen, and Sattelberg, the battalion returned to Australia in March 1944. After some leave, the 2/24th reformed in Queensland at Ravenshoe on the Atherton Tablelands, for what proved to be an extensive training period. Indeed the war was almost over before the battalion went into action again. In April the 9th Division was transported to Morotai, which was being used as a staging in area in preparation for the 7th and 9th Divisions amphibious landings on Borneo. The 26th Brigade landed on Tarakan on 1 May. The two lead battalions were the 2/48th and 2/23rd, while the 2/24th was in reserve. After the massive pre-invasion air and naval bombardment, there was no opposition on the beaches but sharp Japanese fire came from Lingkas Hill. The two battalions pushed inland towards the Tarakan township, overcoming Japanese resistance as they went. By nightfall they had established a beachhead 2.5 km wide and 2 km deep. Almost all objectives had been taken but the Japanese on the position called “metho” held out a little longer. The 2/24th was ordered to push through and capture the airfield the next day. However, the Japanese stubbornly fought back and the airfield was not taken until 5 May. Tougher fighting was still to come. From 6 May to 16 June the mountain ridges behind the town were the scene of difficult fighting. In the area of tangled hills and jungle-covered ridges, the Japanese used mines, booby traps, and suicide raids to delay the Australian advance. The 2/24th fought along Crazy Ridge. On 20 June it captured the Australians’ last main objective, Hill 90, after the hill had been hit by 21,000 artillery rounds and 600 mortar bombs. With Hill 90’s capture, the fighting on Tarakan was all but over. The island was divided into areas, which each unit had to clear any remaining Japanese survivors. The 2/24th sector was the northern part of the island, covering the Juata Oilfields with the 2/4th Commando Squadron and some Dutch troops. Following the end of the war in August and Japan’s surrender, the ranks of the 2/24th thinned, as men were discharged, transferred, or volunteered for the occupation force for Japan. Those who remained in the battalion returned to Australia in December. The 2/24th disbanded at Puckapunyal in early 1946. Glossary 2nd Australian Imperial Force ; 9 Division Battle Honours
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__________________ 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 01:00 PM. |
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10-12-2007, 05:52 AM
| #5 (permalink) |
| Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 3,245
You're Top Poster: #3 | 2/28th Battalion 2/28th Battalion Courtesy of: Australians at War Western Australia’s 2/28th Infantry Battalion was raised in 1940, with the nucleus of the battalion coming together at Melville Camp, near Fremantle, on 17 July. The battalion was initially raised as part of the 24th Brigade of the 8th Division and was transferred to the newly formed 9th Division in December. In early January 1941 the 2/28th moved to Fremantle, where it joined a troopship convoy to the Middle East. The battalion arrived at Egypt at the end of the month. Disembarking at Port Tewfik in Suez, the battalion travelled by train to Palestine. Southern Palestine was being used as a base for the Australians where they could complete their training. The 2/28th went into camp at Khassa, north of Gaza. By early 1941 the British advance in the Western Desert had reached El Agheila. In March the 9th Division was brought from Palestine to Libya to garrison the area east of Tobruk. The division did not have enough vehicles to bring all of its units forward towards Benghazi and the 24th Brigade (composed of the 2/28th, 2/43rd, and 2/32nd Battalions) remained in Tobruk. This situation had quickly changed in April. The German Afrika Korps led the Axis counter-attack, pushing the British from El Agheila. The 9th Division withdrew to Tobruk and, with the 18th Brigade, defended the “fortress” for the next six months. The 2/28th participated in the usual pattern of defensive duties, manning parts of the Red Line, working on the Blue Line, and aggressively patrolling no man’s land. The Red Line was Tobruk’s outer line of defence and was a series of concrete pillboxes forming a semicircle around the town. The Blue Line was the second line of defence. In September and October the majority of Australians were evacuated by sea. The 2/28th was evacuated on 23 September and sailed to Alexandria, from where it was transferred to the camp at Kilo 89 in Palestine. The brigade later moved to Syria and then Lebanon for rest, training, and garrison duties. By July 1942 the war in North Africa had become critical for the British forces. The Germans and Italians had reached El Alamein in Egypt, about seventy miles from Alexandra. Consequently, the 9th Division was rushed to the Alamein “box” and held the northern sector for almost four months, as the British Eighth Army was reinforced for a new offensive. The 2/28th reached the Alamein front on 10 July and the division attacked a week later. On 17 July the 2/32nd and 2/43rd moved inland, fighting along the ridgeline from Trig 22 and approaching Ruin Ridge. The 2/32nd led the attack, advancing from Trig 22 to the Qattara Track. The 2/43rd then followed towards Ruin Ridge. Just after midnight on 27 July, the 2/28th attacked Ruin Ridge and by 1 am they were on the feature. But things were starting to go wrong: the Germans were attacking the Australians from rear positions; three company commanders were wounded; and many of the vehicles that should have brought forward ammunition were destroyed or damaged. Increasingly cut off, an attempt by British tanks to relieve the battalion was abandoned after 22 vehicles were “knocked out”. Shortly before 10 am enemy tanks began moving in on the Australians from three directions. A company was overrun and the battalion’s commander had little choice but to surrender. The Australians were rounded up and marched through the British artillery barrage, resulting in more casualties, as they moved behind the German lines. The 2/28th suffered heavily at Ruin Ridge. Sixty-five officers and men from the battalion and its support units were killed or wounded; nearly 500 were captured and became prisoners of war. From those who participated in the attack, only 92 men remained. The 2/28th was withdrawn and rebuilt during the following weeks. It was back on the front line by September. During the general Allied offensive from 23 October to 4 November the 24th Brigade was in reserve. Its task was to deceive the Axis forces by faking an attack. The 2/28th and 2/43rd raided enemy lines, while the 2/32nd directed a smokescreen and placed “dummy soldiers” in no man’s land. The 24th Brigade did not take part in the main fighting until the night of 31 October, when it relieved the 26th Brigade in the “Saucer”, where the heaviest fighting took place. Alamein was a great, although bloody, success for the Allies and by 6 November enemy forces were retreating. But the 9th Division was needed elsewhere. The 2/28th left Alamein in December and went to Gaza in Palestine to participate in the 9th Division parade on 22 December. In January 1943 the battalion left Palestine for the Suez Canal, from where it was sailed back to Fremantle on 18 February. Reorganised for jungle operations, the 2/28th participated in the 9th Division amphibious landing at Red Beach, north-west of Lae, in early September. Following the fall of Lae the 20th Brigade landed at Scarlet Beach, north of Finschhafen, on 22 September. It gradually moved to Scarlet Beach, the 2/28th arriving on 14 October. Days later the Japanese made a strong counter-attack against Scarlet Beach but the brigade was too strong and by the end of the month the main Japanese force withdrew to Sattelberg. But large numbers of enemy troops were still north of Scarlet Beach, near Pino Hill and Nongora. Moving inland, the 2/32nd captured Pino and then Pabu. The 2/28th followed the coast and captured Guiska. It then moved to Wareo, where it spent Christmas. The battalion returned to Australia at the end of January 1944. After some leave, the 2/28th reformed at Ravenshoe on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, for what proved to be an extensive period of training. Indeed, the war was almost over before the battalion went into action again. In April 1945 the 9th Division was transported to Morotai, which was being used as a staging area in preparation for the 7th and 9th Divisions amphibious operations on Borneo. The 24th Brigade landed on “Brown Beach” on Labuan Island on 10 June. It took the 2/28th and 2/43rd 11 days to clear the island. The strongest Japanese resistance came from the area called the “Pocket”. The battle began on 15 June and, after almost a week of shelling, air strikes, and naval bombardment, the 2/28th captured the position. The Pocket was captured on 21 June and the 2/28th moved to Beaufort, on the opposite side of Brunei Bay, spending the final weeks of the war patrolling the surrounding area. Following the end of the war and Japan’s surrender, the ranks of the 2/28th thinned, as men were discharged, transferred, or volunteered for the occupation force for Japan. They returned to Australia in January 1946, where the 2/28th was disbanded. Colour Patch  Glossary 2nd Australian Imperial Force ; 6 Division ; 9 Division ; North Borneo ; Capture of Lae ; Morotai ; El Alamein Battle Honours
Commanding OfficersDecorations
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__________________ 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 01:00 PM. |
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10-12-2007, 05:53 AM
| #6 (permalink) |
| Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 3,245
You're Top Poster: #3 | 2/32nd Battalion 2/32nd Battalion Courtesy of: Australians at War The 2/32nd Infantry Battalion was unique in being one of only three Australian infantry battalions formed in the United Kingdom. In June 1940 a troop convoy carrying almost 8,000 Australians, sailing to Middle East to join the 6th Division, was diverted to Britain. This force was based around the 18th Brigade and also consisted of infantry reinforcements and other support troops. In late-June it was decided these reinforcements and support troops would form the basis of a new infantry brigade, the 25th Brigade, for the 7th Division. However, each battalion only had three rifle companies instead of the usual four. The brigade’s three battalions were the 70th, 71st, and 72nd Battalions. The 71st Infantry Battalion, established on 27 June, became the 2/32nd on 28 October. The 70th and 72nd Battalions became the 2/31st and the 2/33rd Battalions respectively. The 25th Brigade carried out its training at Tidworth and Colchester. In January 1941 it left Britain and sailed to the Middle East. The 2/32nd left Scotland on 4 January 1941 and disembarked in Egypt on 9 March. With the rest of the brigade, the battalion travelled by train to Palestine and went into camp at Kilo 89. It then absorbed its fourth rifle company, D Company, that had formed and trained in Palestine. By April the war in the Western Desert had turned against the Allies. The German Afrika Korps led the Axis counter-attack, pushing the British back from El Agheila and Benghazi. The 9th Division was subsequently forced to withdraw to Tobruk. One of the division’s brigade’s, the 24th Brigade, had only two battalions in the “fortress” and it was decided the 2/32nd would transfer to Tobruk. The 2/32nd remained with the 24th Brigade for the rest of the war. On the night of 11 April the 2/32nd travelled by train from Gaza to Ikingi Maryut, near Alexandria, before going to Mersa Matruh. From 27 April to 4 May units from the battalion were transported by sea to Tobruk. The 2/32nd participated in the usual pattern of defensive duties, manning parts of the Red Line and aggressively patrolling no man’s land. The Red Line was Tobruk’s outer line of defence and consisted of a series of concrete pillboxes forming a semicircle around the town. Between September and October the 9th Division, except the 2/13th Infantry Battalion, was evacuated by sea. The 2/32nd left Tobruk on night of 23 September and sailed to Alexandria, from where it was transferred to Palestine and then Lebanon for rest and training. The war in North Africa had become critical for the British forces. In July 1942 Germans and Italians had reached El Alamein in Egypt, about seventy miles from Alexandra. The 9th Division was consequently rushed to the El Alamein area and held the northern sector for almost four months as the British Eighth Army was reinforced for an offensive under new a commander. The division’s orders for the first attack were issued on 7 July. Moving inland from the coast, the 2/32nd and 2/43rd Battalions (comprising the 24th Brigade) would attack along the ridgeline from Trig 22 and approach Ruin Ridge. The 2/32nd would lead the attack, advancing from Trig 22 to the Qattara Track. The 2/43rd would then proceed towards Ruin Ridge. The attack began on 17 July at 2.30 am. The 2/32nd captured the Trig 22 and linked with the 2/43rd but the Germans resisted fiercely and counter-attacked with tanks. The 2/32nd suffered heavily: nearly half its number were either killed or wounded and nearly 200 became prisoners of war. The fighting continued for several days. On 4 August the 2/32nd was relieved and moved back to a position astride the Alexandria–Mersa Matruh road to rest. During the general Allied offensive from 23 October to 4 November, the 24th Brigade stayed in reserve, while the 26th and the 20th Brigades made the initial attack. The task was to deceive the Axis forces by faking an attack. The 2/28th and 2/43rd raided enemy lines, while the 2/32nd directed a smokescreen and placed “dummy soldiers” in no man’s land. The 24th Brigade did not take part in the main fighting until the night of 31 October, when it relieved the 26th Brigade in the “Saucer”, where the heaviest fighting took place. Alamein was a great, although bloody, success for the Allies and by 6 November Axis forces were retreating. But the 9th Division was needed elsewhere. The 2/32nd left Alamein during the first week of December and went to Gaza in Palestine, where it participated in the 9th Division parade on 22 December. The battalion left Palestine in January 1943 for the Suez Canal and the return voyage to Australia, reaching Sydney on 27 February. Reorganised for jungle operations, on the 2/32nd participated in the 9th Division’s amphibious landing at Red Beach, north-west of Lae. While the division’s other brigades had landed on 4 September, the 24th Brigade came ashore during the night of 5 September. The 2/28th and 2/43rd went into the fighting around Lae but the 2/32nd, which had been the divisional reserve, did not take part in the fighting until 14 September. Following the fall of Lae, the 20th Brigade landed at Scarlet Beach, north of Finschhafen, on 22 September. On 11 October the 24th Brigade moved to Scarlet Beach and successfully defended the area when the Japanese counter-attacked later that month. By the end of the month the main Japanese offensive had withdrawn to Sattelberg but large numbers of troops were still north of Scarlet Beach on Pino Hill and at Nongora. Advancing along the coast the 2/28th captured Guiska and the 2/32nd, further inland, captured Pino and then Pabu on 20 November. Between 22 to 25 November the Japanese launched a series of unsuccessful attacks against Pabu. The 2/32nd held on – “an Australian island in a Japanese sea” – and suffered 25 men killed and 51 wounded. It counted 195 dead Japanese. Ten days later the 2/43rd joined the 2/32nd and both moved further inland, despite being seriously depleted by illness. They advanced to Christmas Hill on 10 December and the 2/32nd was relived two days later. It returned to Australia in February 1944. After some leave, the 2/32nd reformed at Ravenshoe on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland and undertook an extensive period of training. The war was almost over before the battalion went into action again.In April 1945 the 9th Division was transported to Morotai, which was being used as a staging area in preparation for the 7th and 9th Divisions amphibious operations on Borneo. The 24th Brigade landed on Brown Beach on Labuan Island on 10 June. After 11 days of fighting the 2/28th and 2/43rd had cleared the island. Meanwhile, the 20th Brigade landed at Brunei Bay. With the Japanese falling back in British North Borneo, the 9th Division commander decided to clear the Klias Peninsula and follow the railway from Weston to Papar. The 2/32nd had been in reserve during the earlier operations. On 17 June it crossed Brunei Bay in landing craft to Weston. The 2/43rd landed at Menumbok and the 2/11th Commando Squadron landed at Mempakul on 19 June. By end of the first day, patrols from the 2/32nd had reached Lingkungan. The next day a platoon moved further inland along the railway from Weston to Maraba. Patrols also followed the Padas River, enabling the 2/32nd to advance on Beaufort. Similarly the 2/43rd moved on Beaufort via the Klias River. Beaufort was captured on 29 June. Thereafter, the 2/32nd moved along the railway towards Papar and on 10 July one of its companies made an amphibious landing south of the town. Papar was occupied two days later. Following the end of the war and Japan’s surrender, the ranks of the 2/32nd thinned, as men were discharged, transferred, or volunteered for the occupation force for Japan. Those who remained with the unit returned to Australia in January 1946 and the 2/32nd was disbanded at Ingleburn at the end of the month. Colour Patch  Glossary 2nd Australian Imperial Force ; 6 Division ; 9 Division ; Ingleburn ; North Borneo ; Capture of Lae ; Morotai ; El Alamein ; Mersa Matruh Battle Honours
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__________________ 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 01:02 PM. |
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10-12-2007, 05:55 AM
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You're Top Poster: #3 | 2/43rd Battalion 2/43rd Battalion Courtesy of: Australians at War The 2/43rd Infantry Battalion was formed on 17 July 1940 at Woodside camp, near Adelaide in South Australia. The battalion was initially raised as part of the 8th Division’s 24th Brigade and was transferred to the newly formed 9th Division in December. The 2/43rd left South Australia at the end of December and moved to Melbourne, where it joined the convoy taking the brigade to the Middle East. The battalion arrived at Egypt at the end of January 1941. Disembarking at Port Tewfik, the port of Suez, it travelled by train to Palestine. Southern Palestine was being used as a base for the Australians, where they could complete their training. The 2/43rd went into camp at Khassa, north of Gaza. By early 1941 the British advance in the Western Desert had reached El Agheila. In March the 9th Division was brought to Libya, to garrison the area east of Tobruk. The division did not have enough vehicles to bring all its units forward towards Benghazi. Consequently, the 24th Brigade (comprising the 2/43rd, 2/28th, and 2/32nd Battalions) remained in Tobruk. The situation quickly changed in April. The German Afrika Korps, leading the Axis counter-attack, pushed the British from El Agheila and the 9th Division withdrew to Tobruk. The division and the 18th Brigade defended the “fortress” for the next six months. The 2/43rd participated in the usual pattern of defensive duties, manning parts of the Red Line, working on the Blue Line, and aggressively patrolling no man’s land. The Red Line was a series of concrete pillboxes forming a semi-circle around Tobruk. It was the town’s outer line of defence, while the Blue Line was the second line. In September and October the majority of the Australian force was evacuated by sea. The 2/43rd evacuated Tobruk in the early hours of 17 October and sailed to Alexandria, from where it was transferred to the camp at Kilo 89 in Palestine. It later moved to Syria and Lebanon for rest, training, and garrison duties. By July 1942 the war in North Africa had become critical for the British forces. The Germans and Italians had reached El Alamein in Egypt, about seventy miles from Alexandra. Consequently, the 9th Division was rushed to the Alamein “box” and held the northern sector for almost four months as the 8th Army was reinforced for a new offensive. The 2/43rd reached the Alamein front on 5 July and two days later conducted a highly successful night raid. The division attacked ten days later. On 17 July the 2/43rd and 2/32nd (comprising the 24th Brigade) moved inland, fighting along the ridgeline from Trig 22 to Ruin Ridge. The 2/32nd led the attack, advancing from Trig 22 to the Qattara Track. The 2/43rd then followed towards Ruin Ridge, which was briefly captured by the ill-fated 2/28th later that month. During the general Allied offensive from 23 October to 4 November, the 24th Brigade was in reserve. Its task was to deceive the Axis forces by faking an attack. The 2/43rd and 2/28th raided enemy lines, while the 2/32nd directed a smokescreen and placed “dummy soldiers” in no man’s land. The 24th Brigade did not take part in the main fighting until the night of 31 October, when it relieved the 26th Brigade and moved forward to the Blockhouse area. On 1 November the battalion suffered over a hundred casualties in just one day, testament to the intensity of the battle. Alamein was a great, although bloody, success for the Allies and by 6 November Axis forces were retreating. But the 9th Division was needed elsewhere. In December the 2/43rd went to Gaza, participating in the 9th Division parade on 22 December. In January 1943 the battalion left for the Suez Canal and boarded troopships to Australia. The battalion reached Sydney on 27 February. Reorganised for jungle operations, the 2/43rd participated in the 9th Division amphibious landing at Red Beach, north-west of Lae. The 2/43rd came ashore during the night of 5 September. One of the unit’s historians described the next 11 days as the battalion’s most difficult, with the men crossing rivers, drenched with rain and sweat, and “Hacking their way through jungle and swamp”. Little resistance in the early stages soon intensified after the battalion crossed the Busu River, at which point the Japanese “contested every step of the way”. The 2/43rd reached the Butibum River on the outskirts of Lae on 16 September. Following the fall of Lae, the 20th Brigade landed at Scarlet Beach, north of Finschhafen, on 22 September. It was followed by the 24th Brigade, with the 2/43rd moving to Scarlet Beach in the early hours of 30 September and the rest of the brigade in October. It successfully defended the area against the Japanese counter-attack. By the end of October the main Japanese force had withdrawn to Sattelberg but large numbers of troops remained north of Scarlet Beach, near Pino Hill and Nongora. Advancing along the coast, the 2/28th captured Guiska, while further inland the 2/32nd captured Pino and Pabu. Between 22 and 25 November the Japanese launched a series of unsuccessful attacks against Pabu. After ten days the 2/43rd joined the 2/32nd. Although the battalions were seriously depleted by illness, they continued inland and to Christmas Hill by 10 December. The 2/43rd was relieved shortly afterwards and spent Christmas at a rest area near Scarlet Beach. The battalion returned to Australia at the end of January 1944. After some leave, the 2/43rd reformed at Ravenshoe on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, for what proved to be an extensive period of training. Indeed the war was almost over before the battalion went into action again. In April 1945 the 9th Division was transported to Morotai, which was being used as a staging area in preparation for the 7th and 9th Divisions amphibious operations on Borneo. As part of a series of landings, the 24th Brigade landed on “Brown Beach” on Labuan Island on 10 June. It took the 2/43rd and 2/28th 11 days to clear the island. With the Japanese falling back in British North Borneo, the 9th Division commander decided to clear the Klias Peninsula and the follow the railway from Weston to Papar. Crossing Brunei Bay in landing craft, the 2/32nd Battalion landed at Weston on 17 June. The 2/43rd and 2/11th Commando Squadron landed at Menumbok and Mempakul two days later. Patrolling up Klias and Padas Rivers the 2/43rd moved on Beaufourt. The 2/32nd had also reached Beaufort and on 26 June the two battalions attacked the town. Beaufourt was secured three days later. Private Leslie Thomas Starcevitch, a section Bren gunner, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during the fighting on 28 June. When his section came |