| New South Wales Mounted Infantry (1888–1893)New South Wales Mounted Rifles (1893–1903) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1888–1903 |
| Country |  New South Wales |
| Allegiance | British Empire |
| Type | Mounted infantry |
| Engagements | Second Boer War |
The New South Wales Mounted Rifles was a mounted infantry regiment of the Colony of New South Wales.
The regiment was formed at the Victoria Barracks, Sydney on 17 September 1888, as the New South Wales Mounted Infantry. [1] The regiment was renamed on 1 August 1893, as the New South Wales Mounted Rifles. [2] This retitling was to clearly show that their role was that of mounted rifles not mounted infantry. [3]
A company of the regiment served in the Second Boer War in 1899, before they were amalgamated into the 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles, as "A" Squadron. [4] This regiment consisted eventually of five squadrons. In 1901, two more regiments of NSW Mounted Rifles, the 2nd and 3rd were sent to the war. The original NSW Mounted Rifles remained in existence for the duration of the war on home service with the additional responsibility for recruiting soldiers for regiments going to South Africa. In 1902 it was responsible for directly recruiting a squadron of 5th Australian Commonwealth Horse. [5]
Following the war, the regiment was retitled as 2nd Light Horse Regiment (New South Wales Mounted Rifles) in 1903, [6] [7] renumbered 9th Light Horse in 1908 [6] and served in this capacity including home service in World War One until the 1920s. [6] After the re-organisation of Australia's part-time military forces at the end of World War 1, the regiment was used to re-raise the 6th Light Horse Regiment. [6] and therefore was entitled to carry the 6th Australian Light Horse battle honours from World War 1 on its guidon.
In 1941 it was mobilized as the 6th Motor Regiment (New South Wales Mounted Rifles) and in 1942 it was retitled the 6th Australian Armoured Car Regiment. It saw only home service before being disbanded in 1943. [6] It was reraised in 1948 as the 6th Motor Regiment (NSW Mounted Rifles) and retitled 1949 as the 6th NSW Mounted Rifles. Reorganised as an Infantry battalion in 1956 it was disbanded and merged into the newly formed Royal New South Regiment in 1960. [8]
Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both cavalry and mounted infantry, who served in the Second Boer War and World War I. During the inter-war years, a number of regiments were raised as part of Australia's part-time military force. These units were gradually mechanised either before or during World War II, although only a small number undertook operational service during the war. A number of Australian light horse units are still in existence today.
The Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) is a corps of the Australian Army which provides the Australian Defence Force's armour capability. Armour combines firepower, mobility, protection and networked situational awareness to generate shock action and overmatch in close combat. Armour is an essential element of the combined arms approach that is employed by the Australian Army.
The 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse is a cavalry regiment of the Australian Army. The regiment in its current composition was formed in 1948 when the Citizens Military Force (CMF) was re-raised after the completion of the demobilisation process following the end of the Second World War and it was formed through the amalgamation of three previously existing regiments. Through these predecessor units, 4/19 PWLH can trace its lineage back to the 19th century and today it is the custodian of the battle honours earned by these units. The regiment had a Regular squadron, 1 Troop 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse Regiment, which was posted to South Vietnam in 1965 where it was attached to 1 RAR operating out of Bien Hoa Province. It returned to Australia on 28 May 1966 and became part of the Regular cavalry units that continue to exist in the Australian Army today. These units subsequently served during the Vietnam War and many of their personnel continued to wear regimental accoutrements while in South Vietnam.
The Royal New South Wales Regiment (RNSWR) is a reserve infantry regiment of the Australian Army based in the state of New South Wales.
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 10th Light Horse Regiment is a "light cavalry" regiment of the Australian Army Reserve, raised in Western Australia (WA).
The 2nd Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in September 1914, and by December as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade had moved overseas. During the war the regiment only fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan. After the armistice the regiment eventually returned to Australia in March 1919. For its role in the war the regiment was awarded nineteen battle honours.
The 3rd Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in September 1914, and by December as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade had moved overseas. The regiment only fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan. After the armistice the regiment eventually returned to Australia in March 1919. For its role in the war the regiment was awarded nineteen battle honours.
The 4th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in August 1914, as the divisional cavalry regiment for the 1st Division. The regiment fought against the forces of the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Western front, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan. After the armistice the regiment eventually returned to Australia in March 1919. For its role in the war the regiment was awarded twenty-one battle honours.
The 5th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in August 1914, and assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan. After the armistice the regiment eventually returned to Australia in March 1919. For its role in the war the regiment was awarded sixteen battle honours.
The 6th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in September 1914, and assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought against the forces of the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan. After the armistice the regiment eventually returned to Australia in March 1919. For its role in the war the regiment was awarded sixteen battle honours. During the inter-war years, the regiment was re-raised as a part-time unit based in New South Wales, adopting the designation of the "New South Wales Mounted Rifles". It was later converted to a motor regiment during the early years of the Second World War before being redesignated as an armoured car regiment. Nevertheless, it was disbanded in early 1943 without having been deployed overseas. During the post war years, the regiment was re-raised as part of the Citizens Military Force, and in 1956 was converted into an infantry unit, and in 1960 was subsumed into the Royal New South Wales Regiment.
The 7th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in October 1914, and assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan. After the armistice the regiment eventually returned to Australia in March 1919. For its role in the war the regiment was awarded sixteen battle honours. During the inter-war years, the regiment was re-raised as a part-time unit based in New South Wales. It was later converted to a motor regiment during the Second World War but was disbanded in late 1943 without having been deployed overseas.
The 13th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in March 1915, and eventually assigned as the mounted regiment for the Australian Corps. During the war the regiment fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, at Gallipoli, and against the German Empire on the Western Front. For its role in the war the regiment was awarded twelve battle honours. In 1921, it was later re-raised as a part-time unit of the Citizens Forces, and was briefly amalgamated with the 19th Light Horse. During the Second World War, the regiment was converted into an armoured regiment, designated the "13th Armoured Regiment", although it was disbanded in late 1943 without seeing action.
The 15th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in Palestine in 1918, from soldiers that had been serving with the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade, and assigned to the 5th Light Horse Brigade. During the war the regiment fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and was awarded fourteen battle honours. During the inter-war years, the regiment was re-raised as a part-time unit based in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. It was later converted to a motor regiment during the Second World War but was disbanded in 1944 without having been deployed overseas. In the post war period, the regiment was briefly re-formed, before being amalgamated into the 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers in 1956.
The 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army Reserve. Formed in 1948, the regiment initially operated M3 Grant medium tanks, but was later re-equipped with Centurion tanks in the late 1950s. Operating out of several depots across northern Victoria and southern New South Wales, throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s the regiment undertook both an armoured and reconnaissance role operating both tanks and armoured cars before being re-equipped with M113A1 armored personnel carriers in the early 1970s. In 1976, the regiment was reduced to a squadron sized element. It was eventually merged with the 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse in 1992.
The 18th Light Horse Regiment was a Citizens Military Force unit of the Australian Light Horse, formed during the post-World War I reorganisation of the Australian Army. The regiment traces its origins back to the militia cavalry regiments raised in the colony of South Australia, such as the Adelaide Cavalry Squadron, the Adelaide Mounted Rifles and the South Australian Mounted Rifles. This is a different unit to the pre-World War I, 18th Australian Light Horse.
The 17th Light Horse Regiment was a Citizens Military Force (CMF) unit of the Australian Light Horse, formed during the 1912 reorganisation of the Australian Army. The regiment traces its origins back to the militia cavalry regiments raised in the colony of Victoria, such as the Royal Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, the Prince of Wales's Light Horse Hussars and the Sandhurst Cavalry Troop.
The 23rd Light Horse Regiment (Barossa) was a Citizens Military Force (CMF) unit of the Australian Light Horse, formed during the 1912 reorganisation of the Australian Army. The regiment traces its origins back to the militia cavalry units raised in the colony of South Australia, specifically the South Australian Mounted Rifles.
The South Australian Mounted Rifles (SAMR) was a mounted infantry unit of the Colony of South Australia that served in the Second Boer War. The first contingent of South Australian Mounted Rifles was raised in 1899, followed by a second contingent in 1900.
The 20th Pioneer Battalion was an Australian Army pioneer unit that served in New Guinea during World War II. A Militia unit, the battalion was originally formed as a light horse regiment in 1918. Through the 20th Light Horse Regiment, the unit drew lineage back to early Victorian colonial forces, raised in 1885. During the early part of World War II, the unit was converted from a light horse regiment to a motorised unit – the 20th Motor Regiment – and undertook defensive duties in Victoria and then Queensland. In 1944, it deployed in a dismounted role to Merauke in Dutch New Guinea, to defend the Allied airfield that had been constructed there. The unit was later converted into a pioneer battalion in early 1945, deploying to New Guinea in the final stages of the war. It was disbanded in November 1945.
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