The 2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment was a cavalry regiment of the Australian Army that served during the Second World War and was later converted into a commando unit. Formed at Ingleburn, New South Wales, in November 1939, it was originally raised as an armoured reconnaissance regiment attached to the 6th Division. In that role, the 2/6th saw action in the North Africa campaign and in the Middle East during 1940–41, where the regiment distinguished itself at Bardia, Tobruk and in Syria. Later, following Japan's entry into the war, the 6th Division was brought back to Australia and following a re-organisation, the regiment was converted into a cavalry commando regiment, incorporating the independent companies that had been formed at the start of the war. In late 1944, the 2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment was deployed to New Guinea, where it participated in one of the final Australian campaigns of the war in the Aitape–Wewak area.
The regiment was raised at Ingleburn, New South Wales, on 3 November 1939, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), which was raised from volunteers for overseas service.[2] Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Fergusson,[3] a First World War veteran who had previously commanded the 8th Light Horse Regiment while serving in the Militia during the inter war years, the regiment was assigned to the 6th Division and was named the "6th Division Reconnaissance Regiment".[4] The cadre of commissioned and senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs) upon which the regiment was raised was drawn largely from the Militia and were selected by Fergusson or his adjutant, Captain Charles Finlay, a regular Army officer who would later go on to command the 2/24th Infantry Battalion and eventually reach the rank of major general and serve as commandant of the Royal Military College, Duntroon.[4] The regiment's first regimental sergeant major was Eric Hennessy, who eventually rose to command the regiment.[5]
Upon establishment, the regiment's personnel were drawn from all Australian states. It consisted of three fighting squadrons, 'A', 'B' and 'C'. 'A' Squadron was recruited from men from Queensland and New South Wales, while Victorians formed 'B' Squadron and 'C' Squadron consisted of troops from South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.[6] Later, a headquarters squadron was formed, as was a regimental aid post.[7] It took some time for the regiment to concentrate at Ingleburn and it was not until mid-December that the regiment's interstate recruits had arrived and training began.[8] From the outset, the regiment was set apart from others by way of its distinctive headdress as it was issued with the black armoured corps beret, upon which members of the regiment wore the large Rising Sun hat badge.[3] Its unit colour patch consisted of the same colours of the Royal Tank Corps– brown, red and green– which it wore in that order, in contrast to other armoured units which displayed the green followed by red and brown.[9]
It took some time for the regiment to form and by the end of the first week of the regiment's existence there were only a total of 107 men on its books at Ingleburn. Initial training was only very rudimentary in nature, consisting mainly of drill and basic signals. Lacking vehicles, at the outset only limited driver training could be undertaken using private vehicles. Finally, on 13 November a quantity of weapons arrived for individual training and two days later a number of utility vehicles and lorries arrived.[10] More involved signals and driver training followed and on 23 November, the regiment was inspected by the divisional commander, Lieutenant General Thomas Blamey.[9]
Over the course of the next fortnight, personnel arrived from South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, however, it was not until mid-December that the regiment was fully concentrated at Ingleburn when the last troops arrived from Victoria.[11] By this time, the decision had been made that the troops of the 2nd AIF would be sent to the Middle East to train while they waited for transportation to Europe, and on 15 December an advanced party of eight officers and NCOs from the regiment departed.[12] Throughout December, the regiment received more advanced instruction in navigation and signals and two Vickers light tanks were received for training.[7] Shortages prevented hands-on training on the new Bren light machine-gun and Boys anti-tank rifle, although demonstrations were provided, and live-firing was undertaken on the Vickers machine-gun before a period of leave was granted over the Christmas and New Year period.[13]
After reforming, the regiment's dispatch to the Middle East was confirmed and it subsequently took part in a divisional march through Martin Place, Sydney, in full dress uniform on 4 January 1940, watched by over 500,000 spectators. Later that week, 10,000 civilians farewelled the regiment at a parade at Ingleburn.[14]
Middle East 1940–1942
Parade of the 6th Australian Divisional Cavalry Regiment at Casa camp, September 1941.
The regiment had only been in existence for two months when it deployed overseas.[3] Departing Sydney on the transport Strathnaver on 10 January,[15] the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment would not make it to Europe. Instead, they would spend the best part of the next two years in the Middle East and would see action in Syria, Libya, Egypt and Lebanon against Vichy French, Italian and German forces.[16] Arriving in Egypt on 12 February, they were initially sent to Palestine where they joined the rest of the 6th Division and began training on Bren carriers and six old Vickers light tanks.[16] This training continued for most of the year, until December 1940 when the 6th Division moved into the Western Desert where they concentrated along with a large number of British troops in preparation for an offensive. Two days later, on 11 December 1940, the regiment– having been renamed the "6th Australian Division Cavalry Regiment" on 8 June 1940[17]– became the first unit of the 2nd AIF to see action in the war,[3] when elements from 'B' Squadron fought a brief but sharp encounter with the Italian garrisons at Garn el Grein and Fort Maddalina on 11/12 December.[16][18]
In January 1941, 'A' Squadron took part in the fighting around Bardia and then assisted the 19th Brigade in capturing Tobruk, during which time they used their Bren carriers and a number of captured Italian Italian M11 tanks, which were adorned with kangaroo symbols to distinguish them from Italian tanks.[16] The regiment's use of tanks in this fighting was significant, representing the first time that Australian forces had operated tanks in action.[19] After this, further actions were undertaken around Derna and Benghazi,[16] before supporting the 18th Brigade's attack on Giarabub in March.[20]
In April, the regiment received a number of Vickers light tanks and more Bren carriers from the 7th Division Cavalry Regiment, and the unit was re-organised at Helwan, near Cairo.[21] At this time, the squadrons were organised into six troops, of which two would operate tanks and four would operate carriers. Further training was undertaken before the regiment moved to Mersa Matruh in the middle of the month.[22] In mid-May, the regiment operated around Sollum in support of British troops during Operation Brevity before being moved to Palestine in May to join the 7th Division in the Syria–Lebanon campaign against the Vichy French.[16][23]
After the start of the campaign in early June, the regiment took part in two main drives. The first of these was undertaken by the carrier troops from 'A' Squadron were attached to the 21st Brigade and took part in the coastal advance until being relieved by a squadron from the 9th Division Cavalry Regiment in mid-June.[16][24] The squadron later received four French R35 Renault light tanks, which had been captured from the Vichy French,[25] and on 20 June, 'A' Squadron was recommitted to the fighting, sending patrols towards Damour and to the north of Sidon.[26] The second drive came in the centre, where 'C' Squadron was attached to 25th Brigade.[27] Initially, 'B' Squadron was held back in reserve, but after 'C' Squadron's light tanks and carriers had taken part in sharp fighting around Fort Khirbe,[28] it was committed to the advance up the Rosh Pinna Road, fending off assaults by Vichy French tanks before the fighting eventually ended in an armistice on 14 July.[16][29]
During the campaign, the regiment was responsible for making a unique contribution to Australia's involvement to the war. Due to the rugged terrain along the Merdjayoun–Banis Road, which was unsuited to armoured vehicles, a small force of about 70 men drawn mainly from 'C' Squadron– later dubbed the "Kelly Gang"[30]– were used to form a horse troop.[31][25] Conducting patrols through the hills using horses that they had captured from the French, they were active until the armistice, and gathered important intelligence information and harassed the French by calling down artillery strikes.[32]
Re-organisation 1942–1944
Following the completion of the Syrian campaign in July, the regiment returned to Palestine in August, where a period of leave followed before the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment returned to Syria to undertake occupation duties around Aleppo and mount patrols along the Turkish border and the Euphrates.[33] In November, the regiment was moved to Labboue, 15 miles (24km) north of Baalbek where they endured harsh winter conditions while working to dig defensive positions as part of the Djedeide line. They remained there until March 1942, when the regiment was ordered to move to Palestine to return to Australia, following the outbreak of the Pacific War with Japan.[34][35]
The regiment embarked on the United States Navy troop transport USS West Point at Suez and landed at Port Adelaide on 30 March, with a strength of just over 500 men of all ranks.[36] After entraining, the regiment was moved to Tanunda in the Barossa Valley where it was billeted with the local population before concentrating at Warradale in mid-April. From there, a short period of inter-state leave followed. The following month, the regiment reformed at Ingleburn where the regiment undertook exercises using its Bren carriers.[37] The 2/6th remained in New South Wales until June 1942, when the regiment was transported by train up the east coast of Australia to Townsville and then west to Mount Isa. From there, the regiment's vehicles were transferred to trucks for the remainder of the journey to the Northern Territory.[38]
A parade on the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, 11 September 1944. B Troop salutes during the march past.
Upon arrival in the Northern Territory, the regiment was sent to the Adelaide River,[25] as part of "Northern Territory Force" where it was stationed in anticipation of a possible Japanese advance on mainland Australia. During this time, the regiment undertook further training. They also manned defensive positions and undertook long-range patrols from the Daly River to its confluence with Anson Bay,[39] and undertook search and rescue operations for downed pilots.[40] The regiment was re-designated the "2/6th Australian Cavalry Regiment" in early 1943, at which point the regiment's link to the 6th Division was broken.[41] In July 1943, the regiment was relieved of its duties in the Northern Territory by the 8th Cavalry Regiment, and after being transported to Adelaide, a month of inter-state leave was granted.[42]
The regiment reassembled in Murgon, Queensland, north of Brisbane, where they occupied the lines previously vacated by the 8th Cavalry Regiment.[43] The change of location failed to provide the men with further opportunities for combat, though, and the lack of action resulted in poor morale amongst the regiment's personnel. Steadily the unit's strength fell as men sought transfer to units that were taking part in the fighting elsewhere; by November 1943 the regiment consisted of 26 officers and 254 other ranks.[43]
On 2 December 1943, the unit's name was changed to the "2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment".[44] This was part of an Army-wide re-organisation as the focus of Australian land operations moved away from the Middle East towards the jungles of the Pacific and fighting the Japanese.[45] As a result of this, it was decided to convert three 2nd AIF divisions– the 6th, 7th and 9th– into light infantry Jungle Divisions, equipped and trained especially for combat in the South-West Pacific.[45] It was found that the armoured reconnaissance units of these divisions were not suited to serving in the Pacific and as such it was decided to disband these units and use their headquarters units to amalgamate the independent companies of commandos that had been raised at the start of the war.[44][46]
At this time, the regiment's armoured vehicles were handed back to the Army and it was used as the administrative headquarters for three commando squadrons, the 2/7th, 2/9th and 2/10th Commando Squadrons.[16][47] Shortly after this, the regiment moved to the Atherton Tablelands, taking up residence in a camp near Ravenshoe, where they began training for their new role.[48]
South West Pacific 1944–1945
After undertaking infantry and specialised jungle training for more than a year, the 2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment finally received orders for overseas in October 1944. Once again the regiment was attached to the 6th Division. Initially it had been believed that the division would take part in the fighting in the Philippines, however, inter-Allied politics prevented this and the division was sent to New Guinea instead,[49] where the individual squadrons, some of them having earlier distinguished themselves during previous campaigns in the South West Pacific as independent units, fought against the Japanese until the end of the war in the Aitape–Wewak campaign.[50]
Karawop, New Guinea, 18 September 1945.
Embarking in Brisbane on the transport Katoomba, the regiment arrived at Aitape on 22 October 1944.[51][52] Almost immediately the regiment began patrolling operations in the surrounding area and began the task of relieving the Americans as they awaited for the rest of the 6th Division to arrive.[53] Once the 6th Division had concentrated in the area and completed the task of taking over from the American garrison, the regiment began reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering operations in the Torricelli Mountains throughout November in preparation for the coming offensive.[47] During this time the regiment had a number of contacts with the enemy, the most notable of which occurred on 30 November 1944 when, for the loss of just one Australian, 73 Japanese were killed and seven were captured.[47]
While the Americans that had previously held the area had undertaken a defensive campaign maintaining a series of standing patrols,[54] the Australians decided to employ more aggressive tactics.[55] The offensive began in mid-December and as the Australians advanced eastwards over the course of the following months, elements from the 2/6th found themselves involved in a number of roles, patrolling ahead of the rest of the 6th Division.[56] Where necessary they were also used in a traditional infantry role to seize and hold ground, such as during the landings around Dove Bay in May, when the regiment was tasked with capturing the village of Sauri.[57] This was achieved by the 2/7th Commando Squadron on 11 May when an attack was put in by two troops with artillery support, which resulted in two Australians and 16 Japanese killed and five Australians wounded.[58] In June and July, the fighting began to draw to a close, and the regiment was used mainly in "mopping up" operations in the Boiken area, where Japanese raiding parties continued to cause havoc amongst the Australian forces right up until the end of the war.[59] The danger continued after the war had officially come to an end. The regiment's final fatality came on 18 August when a trooper triggered a booby trap while on a patrol.[60]
The regiment's casualties in this final campaign were high. There were 29 killed in action, nine died of wounds, four died in accidents, and 99 wounded in action. This is a total of 141 casualties. When this is compared with the overall total of 204 for the regiment for the entire war, it can be seen that the final campaign was the most costly.[61] Against this, 778 Japanese were killed and 23 were captured by the 2/6th.[60]
Following the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific, the regiment undertook guard duties at Boiken where a Japanese prisoner of war centre was established. While the men awaited transfer, educational programs were instituted to prepare the soldiers to return to civilian employment.[62] The regiment was disbanded in September 1945,[63] and the individual squadrons were slowly depleted of their manpower, as they were deemed surplus to requirements, their personnel either repatriated back to Australia for discharge, or used to fill gaps in other units that would be used later for occupation and garrison duties in Japan and elsewhere, before they were finally disbanded in early 1946.[64]
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment was chosen by the past members of the 2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment to hold and preserve these battle honours and on 9 October 1971 at a ceremonial parade the regiment was presented with a scroll and bronze plaque affiliating the two regiments.[72]
The 1st Armoured Division was an armoured formation of the Australian Army, raised in 1941 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during World War II. While the Division was originally to be deployed to North Africa in late 1941, it was retained in Australia following the outbreak of the Pacific War. The 1st Armoured Division formed a key element of Australia's defences against a feared Japanese invasion and was disbanded in Western Australia in September 1943.
The siege of Tobruk lasted for 241 days in 1941, after Axis forces advanced through Cyrenaica from El Agheila in Operation Sonnenblume against Allied forces in Libya, during the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) of the Second World War. In late 1940, the Allies had defeated the Italian 10th Army during Operation Compass (9 December 1940 – 9 February 1941) and trapped the remnants at Beda Fomm. During early 1941, much of the Western Desert Force (WDF) was sent to the Greek and Syrian campaigns. As German troops and Italian reinforcements reached Libya, only a skeleton Allied force remained, short of equipment and supplies.
The Waikato Mounted Rifles (WMR) is the New Zealand Army's only Territorial Force squadron of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps (RNZAC). The Squadron's origins can be traced back to 1869 when the first mounted unit was raised in the Waikato. Today the Squadron is part of Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles (QAMR) where it forms the regiment's reserve squadron. WMR's role is mounted reconnaissance and surveillance.
The name commando has been applied to a variety of Australian special forces and light infantry units that have been formed since 1941–42. The first Australian "commando" units were formed during the Second World War, where they mainly performed reconnaissance and long-range patrol roles during Australia's campaigns in New Guinea and Borneo, although other units such as M and Z Special Units performed more clandestine roles. These units were disbanded following the end of the war; however, in the 1950s it was realised that there was a need for such units again in the Australian forces. Today, the Australian Army possesses a number of units that perform more conventional direct-action type commando roles, as well as counter-terrorism response, long-range patrolling, and clandestine deep-penetration operations.
The 4th Armoured Brigade was an armoured formation of the Australian Army established during the Second World War. It was formed in February 1943 to provide armoured support for infantry units operating in the South West Pacific Area. Its composition varied over time, but usually comprised several armoured regiments equipped with Matilda II or M3 Grant tanks as well as some support units.
Armoured units made a relatively small, but important, contribution to Australia’s war effort during World War II. While Australia formed three armoured divisions and two independent armoured brigades during the war, Australian armoured units only saw action as independent regiments and companies supporting larger infantry formations. Early actions were fought in the Middle East by the divisional carrier regiments that supported the 6th, 7th and 9th Divisions, fighting in Libya, Egypt and Syria in 1941–42, before the Australian divisions returned to Australia in 1942–43. During the early fighting in the Pacific, there was a limited role for armoured formations, although one armoured regiment – the 2/6th – took part in the fighting around Buna–Gona in late 1942. Later in the war, though, during the Huon Peninsula, Bougainville and Borneo campaigns of 1943–45, several armoured units were used by Australian forces in the infantry support role.
The 2/4th Commando Squadron was one of 12 independent companies and commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army during the Second World War. Raised in August 1941, it was disbanded not long after due to conceptual problems, but it was quickly reformed following the entry of Japan into the war in December 1941. After a period of about six months performing garrison duties in northern Australia, the 2/4th was deployed to Portuguese Timor to reinforce the other Australian units already waging a guerilla war on the island. After a brief campaign the 2/4th was returned to Australia and from there it went on to serve in New Guinea in 1943, taking part in the Salamaua-Lae campaign attached to the 9th Division. Later, the squadron was involved in one of the last campaigns of the war when it landed on Tarakan Island in May 1945 and took part in the Borneo campaign. Following the end of hostilities, the 2/4th returned to Australia and was disbanded at Ingleburn, New South Wales, on 8 January 1946.
The 12th/16th Hunter River Lancers is an Australian Army Reserve cavalry regiment. It was formed on 1 May 1948, although it draws its lineage from units that were originally formed in the 1880s. It is currently a Light Cavalry unit equipped with Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles. The regiment forms part of the 11th Brigade, attached to the 2nd Division and draws its members from regional centres in northern New South Wales, hence the reference to the Hunter River. Since 2000 the regiment has provided individuals as reinforcements to round-out Regular Army units deploying overseas on peacekeeping operations and in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 2/6th Commando Squadron was one of 12 independent companies or commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army during the Second World War. Raised in May 1942 as the 2/6th Independent Company, the 2/6th's main role was to conduct irregular type warfare including small scale raiding, sabotage, long-range patrolling and reconnaissance operations rather than the traditional commando type direct action operations. As such, for the most part the unit conducted operations in small groups operating inside enemy territory, or out in front of larger friendly forces. Between 1942 and 1945, the 2/6th undertook four major campaigns during the war—Kokoda, Buna, Markham–Ramu and Borneo—and was involved in arguably one of the most spectacular small unit actions of the war during the Battle of Kaiapit. The unit was disbanded in January 1946, following the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific.
The 2/3rd Commando Squadron was one of twelve independent or commando companies and squadrons formed by the Australian Army for service during World War II. Raised in October 1941 as the 2/3rd Independent Company, it served in New Caledonia and New Guinea before being amalgamated into the 2/7th Cavalry Commando Regiment and adopting the name 2/3rd Commando Squadron in 1943. After this, the squadron did not see action again until 1945, when it participated in the Borneo campaign. Throughout the course of the war, the 2/3rd lost 69 members killed in action. No battle honours were awarded to the unit, although it participated in a number of notable engagements in these campaigns and its members received numerous decorations for their service. Following the end of hostilities in the Pacific, the unit was disbanded in early 1946, upon their return to Australia.
The 2/7th Commando Company was one of 12 independent companies or commando squadrons raised by the Australian Army during the Second World War. Raised in May 1942, as the 2/7th Independent Company, the 2/7th served in New Guinea in 1943 during the Salamaua–Lae campaign before being redesignated as the 2/7th Commando Squadron when it was amalgamated with two other commando squadrons to become part of the 2/6th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment. Later at the end of 1944, it was sent to New Guinea again, where it took part in the Aitape–Wewak campaign. Following the end of the war, the squadron was returned to Australia and disbanded early in 1946.
The 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment was one of three commando regiments raised by the Australian Army for service during World War II. It was originally raised as the 7th Division Cavalry Regiment in 1940 and in this guise it served in North Africa and the Middle East at the beginning of the war, before it was brought back to Australia and sent to New Guinea in late 1942 to serve against the Japanese. In mid-1943 the Australian high command decided to disband the divisional cavalry regiments and use their headquarters elements to administer the independent companies that had been raised earlier in the war. In the process the 7th Division Cavalry Regiment disbanded its squadrons, gave up their vehicles and changed its name to the 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment, as it became the administrative headquarters for the 2/3rd, 2/5th and 2/6th Commando Squadrons.
The 2/9th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment was one of three commando regiments raised by the Australian Army for service during World War II. It was originally raised in 1940 as an armoured cavalry unit as part of the 8th Division, before being transferred to the 9th Division. Between 1941 and 1942 the regiment saw action in the Middle East before being returned to Australia in early 1943. At this time the regiment was re-organised as the administrative headquarters for the 2/4th, 2/11th and 2/12th Commando Squadrons and it was converted into a commando regiment. Later in 1945 the unit saw action during the landings on Tarakan on Borneo before being disbanded upon the cessation of hostilities.
The 2/9th Commando Squadron was a commando unit raised by the Australian Army for service in World War II. Raised in 1944, the unit saw action late in the war against the Japanese during the Aitape–Wewak campaign taking part in number of long range patrol operations across the Torricelli Range in New Guinea before being used in an amphibious landing near Wewak in May 1945. After the war the unit was disbanded.
The 2/11th Commando Squadron was a commando unit raised by the Australian Army for service in World War II. Raised in 1944, the unit saw action late in the war against the Japanese during the Borneo campaign in 1945. As a part of this campaign the squadron undertook landings on Labuan Island and at Brunei Bay. Following the end of the war, the squadron returned to Australia and was disbanded in early 1946.
The 2/12th Commando Squadron was a commando unit raised by the Australian Army for service in World War II. Raised in 1944 following a re-organisation of Australia's military forces, the unit participated in the Borneo campaign in 1945 but played only a limited role before hostilities ended. Following the end of the war, the squadron returned to Australia and was disbanded in early 1946.
The 2nd Armoured Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in July 1941, at Puckapunyal, Victoria, from Second Australian Imperial Force volunteers. It was assigned to the 1st Armoured Division in July 1941, with the intention of deploying it to the Middle East. However, it was reassigned to home defence following Japan's entry into the war, and was then transferred to the 3rd Armoured Division in October 1942. The brigade remained in Australia, undertaking defensive duties in Victoria and Queensland before being disbanded in January 1944. While it did not see any active service as a formation, some of its constituent units eventually took part in the campaigns on Tarakan, Labuan, Bougainville and around Aitape–Wewak in 1944–1945 after transferring to other brigades.
The Divisional Cavalry Regiment, was an armoured cavalry regiment of the 2nd New Zealand Division during the Second World War and was New Zealand's first armoured unit. It served as a reconnaissance force for the 2nd New Zealand Division. Formed on 29 September 1939, the regiment embarked for Egypt on 4 January 1940. It fought with the division, as part of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy. The regiment formed part of J Force, New Zealand's contribution to the occupation of Japan at the end of the war.
The Australian Army has used tanks from after the First World War, through the interwar period, the Second World War, the Cold War and to the present day. Throughout this period the Army has primarily been a light infantry force, with its tanks mainly being used in the direct support role. The Australian Army's tanks have seen combat during the Second World War and the Vietnam War, where they proved successful despite some of the designs employed being considered obsolete. The first Australian tanks were a small number of British medium and light tanks which were operated mainly for training purposes during the 1920s and 1930s.
The 14th Armoured Regiment was a unit of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. The regiment was formed in May 1942 as part of the 6th Australian Armoured Brigade. It was originally a Militia unit which originated from the 17th Light Horse Regiment. It was disbanded in early 1943 without seeing combat.
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