Operation Compass was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British Empire forces attacked Italian forces of the 10th Army in western Egypt and Cyrenaica, the eastern province of Libya, from December 1940 to February 1941.
The 3rd Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. Existing during various periods between 1916 and 1991, it is considered the "longest serving Australian Army division". It was first formed during World War I, as an infantry division of the Australian Imperial Force and saw service on the Western Front in France and Belgium. During this time it fought major battles at Messines, Broodseinde Ridge, Passchendaele, Amiens, and the St Quentin Canal.
The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery is the artillery personnel branch of the Canadian Army.
The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, normally referred to as the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA), is a Regiment of the Australian Army descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australia's federation. Australia's first guns were landed from HMS Sirius and a small earthen redoubt built, near the present-day Macquarie Place, to command the approaches to Sydney Cove. The deployment of these guns represents the origins of artillery in Australia. These and subsequent defences, as well as field guns, were operated by marines and the soldiers of infantry regiments stationed in Australia. Unlike their British and Canadian equivalents, there are no regiments of horse artillery in the order of battle of the Royal Australian Artillery. The First World War saw the raising of 60 field, 20 howitzer, and two siege batteries along with the heavy and medium trench mortar batteries. Until 19 September 1962 the Australian Artillery was referred to as the 'Royal Australian Artillery', however, on this date Queen Elizabeth II granted the RAA the title of 'The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery'. The Regiment today consists of Regular and Reserve units.
The 3rd Armoured Division was an armoured unit of the Australian Army during World War II. Originally raised in 1921 as the 1st Cavalry Division, the formation had been converted into a motor division in early 1942, before adopting the armoured designation in November 1942. A Militia formation, the division undertook garrison duties in New South Wales and then Queensland and did not see combat before being disbanded in late 1943 and early 1944.
The 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is a close support regiment attached to the 7th Brigade at Enoggera Barracks in Queensland. The unit was formed in 1914 under the name 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade, part of 1st Division Artillery during World War I and later served in World War II and the Vietnam War. It is currently re-equipping with M777A2 lightweight towed howitzers.
The 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is an artillery unit of the Australian Army. Currently it provides close artillery support to the 3rd Brigade and is based at Chau Pha Lines, Lavarack Barracks in Townsville, Queensland. The regiment was raised in its current form in 1960 and is currently re-equipping with M777A2 lightweight towed howitzers. The regiment deployed during Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War and has subsequently deployed to Singapore and East Timor.
The 2nd/10th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery was an Australian Army Reserve artillery regiment, assigned to the 2nd Division. Formed in 1991, and based in Victoria, the regiment drew on the lineage of a number of disbanded units that had previously existed in that state. In 2013, the regiment was reduced to a single battery, designated the 2nd/10th Light Battery. It was assigned to the 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment, and tasked with training artillery observers and organic fire support to the battalion. It was equipped with the L16 81mm Mortar as the primary armament, while M2A2 Howitzers were retained for ceremonial purposes.
'A' Field Battery is an artillery battery of the Australian Army. The unit has been in existence since 1871, having originally been raised as part of the New South Wales colonial defence force. As part of several different larger formations, the battery has served in many conflicts including the Sudan Campaign, the Second Boer War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Malayan Emergency, Confrontation, and the Vietnam War. Today it is part of the 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, attached to the 7th Brigade based at Enoggera, Queensland. It was previously an airborne unit, but no longer maintains that role. It is currently equipped with M777 howitzers.
The 8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, was formed at the Holsworthy Barracks on 16 November 1973 through the amalgamation of the 8th Medium Regiment (RAA) and the 12th Field Regiment (RAA). The Regiment provides field artillery support to the 1st Brigade based in Darwin. It is currently equipped with 155mm M777 Howitzers.
The 2/4th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed on 2 May 1940, as part of the 7th Division during World War II. The regiment was involved in campaigns in North Africa, Syria–Lebanon, Salamaua–Lae, the Finisterre Ranges and Borneo. After training in Victoria, the regiment deployed to North Africa in late 1940. After being deployed in the defence of Mersa Matruh in Egypt in early 1941, the regiment took part in the fighting against the Vichy French in Syria and Lebanon, before undertaking garrison duties there. It returned to Australia in early 1942 following Japan's entry into the war, and in September 1943, a small group of artillerymen from the 2/4th parachuted with two short 25 Pounder guns in the airborne landing at Nadzab airstrip in New Guinea in support of the US Army's 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. Later, the regiment took part in the 7th Division's advance through the Finisterre Range before returning to Australia in early 1944. Its final involvement in the war came around Balikpapan in 1945. After the war, the regiment was disbanded on 7 February 1946.
The 2/5th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed in May 1940 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force for service during World War II. Assigned to the 7th Division, the regiment undertook defensive duties in Egypt during the North African campaign in early 1941, before taking part in the Syria–Lebanon campaign. Occupation duties followed before the regiment was brought back to Australia in early 1942, in response to Japan's entry into the war. The regiment subsequently fought two significant battles in New Guinea in 1942–1943 at Milne Bay and Buna before undertaking garrison duties around Port Moresby until early 1944. Withdrawn to Australia, the regiment's final campaign came late in the war when it was committed to the Borneo campaign, taking part landing at Balikpapan. The regiment was disbanded in early 1946.
The 2/1st Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment raised as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II. Formed in October 1939, the regiment was assigned to the 6th Division. Shortly after it was raised, the regiment was deployed to the Middle East, where it was briefly re-roled as an anti-aircraft regiment before returning to the field artillery role. In 1941, the regiment served in North Africa and in Greece, before being withdrawn back to Australian in early 1942, following Japan's entry into the war. In late 1942, and early 1943, the regiment took part in the defence of Port Moresby during the fighting along the Kokoda Track, before taking part in the Battle of Buna–Gona and the defence of Wau, remaining in New Guinea on garrison duties until August 1943. Withdrawn to Australia, a long period of training followed before the regiment took part in its final campaign of the war Aitape–Wewak campaign in 1945.
The 103rd Medium Battery is an artillery battery unit of the Royal Australian Artillery. The battery was formed in 1916, known as the 103rd Field (Howitzer) Battery and served during World War I. Its successors have fought in the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and the Vietnam War and the battery is currently part of the 8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, based in Darwin, Northern Territory, as part of the 1st Brigade.
The 9th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is an artillery regiment of the Australian Army. It draws lineage from an artillery unit raised in 1903, which provided personnel to artillery units raised for service during World War I seeing action on the Western Front. It was mobilised for service during World War II and undertook defensive duties in Australia before being disbanded in 1944. The regiment was re-raised as part of the Australian Army Reserve in 2018, and currently provides artillery support to the 2nd Division. It consists of six light batteries, which are based at numerous depots around the country. The regiment's headquarters is based in Sydney, New South Wales.
The 22nd Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery was an artillery regiment of the Australian Army. Formed in 1916 as a howitzer brigade assigned to the 2nd Division, the unit served on the Western Front during World War I until it was disbanded in early 1917. In 1921, it was raised as a part-time unit in Victoria. It undertook defensive duties in Australia during World War II and in the late 1940s and into the mid-1950s the regiment served as a self propelled artillery unit assigned to the 2nd Armoured Brigade. It was disbanded in 1957.
The 2/1st Medium Regiment was an artillery regiment of the Australian Army during World War II. Raised in 1940 as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force, the regiment undertook garrison duties in Australia, Nauru and on Ocean Island, and served in the Middle East. It was converted to a field regiment, designated the 2/13th Army Field Regiment, due to a lack of howitzers, but was later converted back into a medium regiment. During 1943–1944, the regiment served as the 2/13th Composite Anti Aircraft Regiment before returning to the medium role. It was disbanded in July 1945, in Queensland.
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.
The 2/1st 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. Formed in November 1939, it was sent to the United Kingdom in mid-1940, but was broken up and converted into infantry. In late 1940, the regiment was re-formed and deployed to the Middle East, joining the 6th Division. It took part in the Battle of Greece before being evacuated to Egypt. Later, the regiment took part in the Syria–Lebanon campaign. In early 1942, it was withdrawn back to Australia for service in the Pacific. En route the regiment was diverted to Ceylon for garrison duties. It served in New Guinea around Port Moresby and Milne Bay in 1942–1943 and then again in early 1945 during the Aitape–Wewak campaign, serving there until the end of the war.
The 2/3rd 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 July 1940, and was assigned to the 8th Division, but was later reassigned to the 9th Division. With this formation, the regiment took part in the Siege of Tobruk in 1941 and then the First and Second Battles of El Alamein in 1942. After returning to Australia in early 1943, the regiment became a corps-assigned unit, and its individual batteries served in New Guinea in 1943–1944, and then Borneo against the Japanese in 1945.
Australia 