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 Defence of Tobruk El Alamein South-West Pacific 1943-45 Lae-Nadzab Liberation of Australian New Guinea Sio North Africa 1941-42 Er Regima El Adem Road Tobruk 1941 Belhamed Defence of Alamein Line Finschhafen Scarlet Beach Bumi River Defence of Scarlet Beach Jivenaneng-Kumawa Borneo Brunei Miri Casualties 256 died 556 wounded For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases. Commanding Officers Burrows, Frederick Alexander 'Bull' Colvin, George Edward Turner, Robert William Newton Decorations 1 DSO and bar 1 DSO 10 MC 1 MBE 6 DCM 1 MM and bar 10 MM 1 BEM 40 MID For more information please see Honours and Awards database Collection Items Search for related collection items References 2/13 Battalion Association, We had some bother : tales from the infantry, (Sydney : 2/13 Battalion Association, 1985) 2/13th Battalion, A.I.F., Bayonets abroad : a history of the 2/13 battalion, A.I.F. in the Second World War, (Sydney : Waite & Bull, 1953) A pictorial history of the 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion A.I.F. : from photographs supplied by members of the 2/13th Battalion, (Milsons Point, N.S.W. : R. Mason, 1979) AWM52: 8/3/13 2/13 Battalion war diary
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 North Africa 1941-42 El Adem Road Alam el Halfa West Point 23 Finschhafen Scarlet Beach Bumi River Defence of Scarlet Beach Nongora Borneo Brunei Miri Defence of Tobruk The Salient 1941 El Alamein South-West Pacific 1943-45 Lae-Nadzab Liberation of Australian New Guinea Sio Casualties 197 died 504 wounded For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases. Commanding Officers Braham, Raymond James Grace, Colin Henry Magno, Charles Keith Massy Marlan, Robert Francis 'Spike' Ogle, Robert William George Decorations 3 DSO 4 MBE 9 MC 1 MC and bar 7 DCM 16 MM 2 MM and bar 1 BEM 47 MID For more information please see Honours and Awards database Collection Items Search for related collection items References AWM52: 8/3/15 2/15 Battalion war diary Austin, Ronald James; 2/15th Battalion, AIF, Remembrance Club, Let enemies beware! : "Caveant hostes" : the history of the 2/15th Battalion, 1940-1945, (McCrae, Vic : The 2/15th Battalion, AIF, Remembrance Club in asscoiation with Slouch Hat Publications, 1995)
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 North Africa 1941-42 Defence of Tobruk El Adem Road El Alamein South-West Pacific 1943-45 Lae-Nadzab Finschhafen Scarlet Beach Defence of Scarlet Beach Jivenaneng-Kumawa Liberation of Australian New Guinea Sio Borneo Brunei Alam el Halfa Casualties 188 died 573 wounded For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases. Commanding Officers Broadbent, John Raymond Crawford, John Wilson Fergusson, Maurice Alfred 'Ant Eater' Simpson, Noel William 'Red Fox' Decorations 1 VC 3 DSO 1 DSO and bar 3 OBE 1 MBE 1 BEM 11MC 3 DCM 11 MM 46 MID For more information please see Honours and Awards database Collection Items Search for related collection items References 2/17th Battalion History Committee (Australia), "What we have - we hold!" : a history of the 2/17th Australian Infantry Battalion, 1940-1945, (Loftus, N.S.W. : Australian Military History Publications, 1998) AWM52: 8/3/17 2/17 Battalion war diary Halliday, David, "The 'stay puts': a history of the 2/17th Battalion" Wells, H D, 'B' Company second seventeenth infantry, (Toowoon Bay, N.S.W. : H.D. Wells, 1984)
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 North Africa 1941-42 Defence of Tobruk The Salient 1941 Defence of Alamein Line El Alamein South-West Pacific 1943-45 Lae-Nadzab Finschhafen Liberation of Australian New Guinea Borneo Tell el Eisa Busu River Sattelberg Wareo Wareo-Lakona Tarakan Casualties 362 died 852 wounded For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases. Commanding Officers Finlay, Charles Hector Gillespie, Andrew Basil Spowers, Allan 'Jiggy' Warfe, George Radford (Warfie) Decorations 3 DSO 1 DSO and bar 2 OBE 3 MBE 12 MC 8 DCM 21 MM 1 BEM 5 ED 35 MID For more information please see Honours and Awards database Collection Items Search for related collection items References AWM52: 8/3/24 2/24 battalion war diary Baillieu, Everard, Both sides of the hill : the capture of Company 621 a German intercept and intelligence unit, by the sea near Tel el Eisa, Egypt, 10 July 1942, (Burwood, Vic : 2/24 Battalion Association, 1987) Monotti, F R, Tanks and infantry : the story of B Company, 2/24th Infantry Battalion, 9th Australian Division, at Point 24, Tel el Eisa, 11-15 July, 1942, (Australia : F. Monotti, 1987) Serle, R P, The Second twenty-fourth : Australian Infantry Battalion of the 9th Australian Division : a history; with a foreword by R.W. Tovell, (Brisbane : Jacaranda Press, 1963) Spowers, Allan 'Jiggy'; Pioneers' Memorial Trust, The story of the 2/24th battalion ("Wangaratta's own") / delivered at Wangaratta on 21st September, 1946, by Allan Spowers, (Wangaratta {Vic.} : Pioneer's Memorial Trust, 1946)
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 North Africa 1941-42 Tell el Makh Khad Sanyet el Miteirya Qattara Track Busu River Siki Cove Gusika Labuan Beaufort Defence of Tobruk Defence of Alamein Line El Alamein South-West Pacific 1943-45 Lae-Nadzab Finschhafen Defence of Scarlet Beach Borneo Casualties 274 died 511 wounded 480 prisoners For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases. Commanding Officers Hendry, James Gordon Lloyd, John Edward Loughrey, Jack McCarter, Lewis Norman, Colin Hugh Boyd Decorations 2 DSO 6 MC 4 DCM 15 MM 51 MID For more information please see Honours and Awards database Collection Items Search for related collection items References AWM52: 8/3/28 2/28 Battalion war diary Clohessy, Daryl; Masel, Philip, Wouldn't have missed it for quids : the history of the 28th Battalion, 2nd A.I.F., 1939-1945, (Bassendean, W.A. : D.G. Clohessy, 2005) Loffman, Phillip, 2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion, including the antitankers who fought with them : prisoners of war captured during actions at defence of Tobruk, Ruin Ridge - El Alamein, (City Beach, W.A. : P. Loffman, 1999) Masel, Philip, The Second 28th : the story of a famous battalion of the Ninth Australian Division, with a foreword by Sir Henry Wells and an appendix: The 24th Anti-tank Company, (Perth : 2/28th Battalion and the 24th Anti-tank Company Association, 1961)
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 Tell el Makh Khad Sanyet el Miteirya Pabu North Africa 1941-42 Defence of Tobruk Defence of Alamein Line El Alamein South-West Pacific 1943-45 Finschhafen Defence of Scarlet Beach Liberation of Australian New Guinea Borneo Lae-Nadzab Beaufort Casualties 214 died 567 wounded 225 prisoners For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases. Commanding Officers Anderson, Raymond Keith Balfe, John Walter Conroy, Thomas Mayo Scott, Thomas Henry Sparkes, Alonzo Sydney Clive Whitehead, David Adie 'Torpy' Decorations 3 DSO 3 OBE 4 MC 4 DCM 16 MM 42 MID For more information please see Honours and Awards database Collection Items Search for related collection items References AWM52: 8/3/32 2/32 Battalion war diary Trigellis-Smith, Syd; 2/32 Australian Infantry Battalion Association, Britain to Borneo : a history of 2/32 Australian Infantry Battalion, (Sydney : 2/32 Australian Infantry Battalion Association, 1993)
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 under fire from two Japanese machine-gun posts, Starcevitch went forward and attacked each post in turn, killing the occupants or forcing them to retreat. The Australian attack continued until they came under fire from another two machine-gun posts. “Firing his Bren from the hip”, Starcevitch again went forward and single-handedly captured both posts. Following the end of the war and Japan’s surrender, the ranks of the 2/43rd thinned, as men were discharged, transferred, or volunteered for the occupation force for Japan. By 24 December only 25 men remained in the battalion. They returned to Australia in January 1946 and the 2/43rd, now just seven men, was disbanded at Puckapunyal on 22 February. Glossary 2nd Australian Imperial Force ; 6 Division ; 9 Division ; Puckapunyal ; North Borneo ; Capture of Lae ; Morotai ; El Alamein Battle Honours North Africa 1941-42 Defence of Tobruk Defence of Alamein Line Tell el Makh Khad El Alamein South-West Pacific 1943-45 Lae-Nadzab Busu River Finschhafen Defence of Scarlet Beach Pabu Borneo Labuan Beaufort Casualties 251 died 558 wounded 39 prisoners For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases. Commanding Officers Crellin, William Wauchope Jeanes, Mervyn Roderick Joshua, Robert Simpson, Noel William 'Red Fox' Wain, William John 'Hells Bells' Decorations 1 VC 2 DSO 14 MC 3 DCM 23 MM 1 MM and Bar 1 OBE 42 MID For more information please see Honours and Awards database Collection Items Search for related collection items References AWM52: 8/3/35 2/43 Battalion war diary Boss-Walker, Geoffrey, Desert sand and jungle green : a pictorial history of the 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion (Ninth Division) in the Second World War 1939-45, (Hobart : Distributors: Oldham, Beddome and Meredith, 1948) Combe, Gordon Desmond; Ligertwood, Frank; Gilchrist, Tom; Second 43rd Battalion A.I.F. Club, The second 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion 1940-1946, (Adelaide : Second 43rd Battalion A.I.F. Club, 1972) Graham, Vincent Edwin, At Scarlet Beach : the story of a soldier, (Boorowa, N.S.W. : P. Bateman, 1995)
2/48th Battalion 2/48th Battalion Courtesy of: Australians at War The 2/48th Infantry Battalion was Australia’s highest decorated unit of the Second World War, awarded four Victoria Crosses (three of them posthumously) and more than 80 other decorations. The battalion was raised at the Wayville Showgrounds in Adelaide in August 1940. It was part of the 26th Brigade, with the 2/23rd and 2/24th Battalions. The brigade was initially part of the 7th Division and in early 1941 became part of the 9th Division. The 2/48th did its initial training at Woodside, before sailing to 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. Despite the successes of the British offensive at the start of the year, the 9th Division fell back to the Tobruk after the German-led counter-attack. The 2/48th entered Tobruk’s defences on 9 April, helping to hold the “fortress” for the next eight months. On Easter Monday 14 April the 2/48th helped defeat the Axis assault on Tobruk, while manning part of the Red Line with the 26th Brigade. The Red Line was the outer line of Tobruk’s defences and consisted of series of concrete pillboxes forming a semicircle around the town. Between 15 and 16 April patrols from the 2/48th captured nearly 800 officers and men – virtually the entire 1st Battalion of the Italian 62nd Trento Regiment. In October the 9th division, except the 2/13th Infantry Battalion, was withdrawn from Tobruk and sent 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 Alexandria. 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 9th Division’s orders for the fist main attack were issued on 7 July. The 26th Brigade would advance along the coast and capture the feature known as “Tel el Eise”, running north-west between the railway line and the sea. This would create a wedge between the Germans and the sea. Attacking just before dawn on 10 July, the 2/48th took its first objectives and captured about 400 prisoners. Tel el Eisa was captured the following morning. It was for his part in the bitter fighting in this area on 22 July that Private Arthur Stanley Gurney was awarded a posthumous VC. When his company came under enemy machine-gun fire, Gurney went ahead to capture the post and bayoneted the gun crew. He also captured a second post but was killed while trying to take a third. The battalion’s second VC was also awarded posthumously, this time during the main offensive in October. It was awarded to Sergeant William “Bill” Henry Kibby for his series of “heroic actions” dating from the initial attack on 23 October to the night of 30 October. On that night Kibby’s platoon had been destroyed by fire from a machine-gun post. Kibby moved forward, throwing grenades in an attempt to destroy the position, but was killed. Several nights earlier on 25 October, Private Percival “Percy” Eric Gratwick was killed in a similar attack in the same area. Gratwick’s platoon commander, sergeant, and many others in the platoon had been hit or killed by enemy fire. The platoon was reduced to just seven men, so Gratwick, acting on his own initiative, charged the nearest enemy position, destroyed it with grenades, and killed the occupants. He attacked another position where he was killed. Gratwick was awarded the 2/48th’s third VC. 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 was time for it to return to Australia and fight a new enemy – the Japanese. The 2/48th left Alamein on 3 December and headed back to Gaza in Palestine, where it participated in the 9th divisional parade on 22 December. The battalion left Palestine in the third week of January 1943 and, sailing with the rest of the division, reached Sydney at the end of February. Reorganised for jungle operations, on 4 September the 2/48th participated in the division’s amphibious landing at Red Beach, north-west of Lae, and fought in the battles around Lae, Finschhafen, and Sattelberg. It was for his actions at Sattelberg, that Sergent Thomas “Diver” Currie Derrick was awarded the battalion’s fourth VC. On 22 November the 2/48th and tanks had reached the southern slopes of Sattelberg feature. Here the Japanese were entrenched but after two days the battalion’s patrols were probing forward. Derrick, who had already received a Distinguished Conduct Medal at Alemein, led his patrol forward. He personally captured ten Japanese positions, allowing the rest of the battalion to take Sattelberg the next day. After fighting in New Guinea, the battalion returned to Australia in February 1944. After some leave, the 2/48th reformed in Queensland in June 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 1945 the 9th Division was transported to Morotai. Morotai was used as a staging in area before the 7th and 9th Divisions made their amphibious landings on Borneo as part of the OBOE operations. The 26th Brigade landed on Tarakan on 1 May. The two lead battalions were the 2/48th and the 2/23rd, with the 2/24th in reserve. After a massive pre-invasion air and naval bombardment, there was no opposition on the beaches. However, sharp Japanese fire came from Lingkas Hill. The two battalions pushed inland towards the Tarakan township, overcoming Japanese resistance as they went and by that night had established a beachhead 2.5 km wide and 2 km deep. Almost all objectives had been taken but tougher fighting was still to come. From 6 May to 16 June the mountain ridges behind the town were the scene of bitter fighting. In this area of tangled hills and jungle-covered ridges, the Japanese used mines, booby traps, and suicide raids to delay the Australian advance. The 2/48th was involved in the bitter fighting to capture Sykes and Freda features. It was at Freda, on 23 May, where Derrick was mortally wounded while commanding his platoon. In the meantime, the 2/24th had captured the Australians’ last main objective, Hill 90, and the fighting on Tarakan was all but over. The island was divided into areas given to each unit to clear of any remaining Japanese survivors. The 2/48th’s sector was on the island’s east coast Pamusian in the south, the town, and an area in the island’s centre, which it garrisoned with some Dutch troops. Following Japan surrendered and the end of the war in August, the ranks of the 2/48th thinned, as men were discharged, transferred, or volunteered for occupation force for Japan. While still on Tarakan, the 2/48th Battalion was disbanded on 25 October. Colour Patch Glossary 2nd Australian Imperial Force ; 9 Division Battle Honours North Africa 1941-42 Defence of Tobruk El Adem Road The Salient 1941 Defence of Alamein Line Tell el Eisa El Alamein South-West Pacific 1943-45 Lae-Nadzab Finschhafen Defence of Scarlet Beach Sattelberg Borneo Tarakan Casualties 318 died 703 wounded For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases. Commanding Officers Ainslie, Robert Inglis Hammer, Heathcote Howard 'Sledge' Windeyer, William John Victor Decorations 4 VC 4 DSO 11 MC 10 DCM 23 MM 39 MID For more information please see Honours and Awards database Collection Items Search for related collection items References AWM52: 8/3/36 2/48 Battalion war diary Glenn, John G, Tobruk to Tarakan : the story of the 2/48th Battalion, A.I.F., (Adelaide : Rigby, 1960) Halliday, David, "Sons of ANZACs: The history of the 2/48th Battalion" Visit About the Memorial Commemoration Australians at War Australian military history overview This month in history Australia's official war histories Australian military units Who's Who Military organisation and structure Military statistics Anniversary talks Australia's Prime Ministers Research & family history Biographical databases Collections Education Events & exhibitions Products and Services Corporate information Friends of the Memorial Online shop & photo sales Home Contact Feedback Databases Encyclopedia Glossary Shop Online Newsletter Links Search
The 9th Division suffered heavy casualties at Tobruk - amounting to 832 men killed, 2177 wounded and 941 captured. Tobruk was the first place that the German Army had been beaten, and became a ray of hope for all the Allied nations. Indeed, the overall war situation was still extremely serious for the Allies, but Tobruk gave some hope. The 9th Division was involved in most of the fighting at El Alamein between July and September 1942, with casualties exceeding 2,500 men. The casualties of the 9th Division in the El Alamein battles equalled those of the entire British 10th Armoured Corps which was tasked with the breakthrough. Montgomery's first act after the battle was seen to be won, was to travel to 9th Division HQ and thank them for their redemption of the initially-failed 10th Armoured Corps attack. The commander of 30 Corps stated that the El Alamein breakthrough was "only made possible by the 9th Division's Homeric fighting". By early 1943 the 9th Division was back in Australia. It was stationed with the 7th at Atherton in North Queensland, and training for the jungle fighting against the Japanese yet to come north of Australia. Together they were formed into the 11th Australian Corps, with the entire Corps being under the command of Lt.General Morshead, the 9th Division's experienced North African commander. On 4 September 1943, the lead Brigade of the 9th Division (20th Brigade with 2/13th, 2/15th and 2/17th Battalions) landed near Lae on the northern New Guinea coast. Lae was quickly captured, and the 9th advanced to Finschafen and Sio on the Huon Peninsula. On 21 January 1944, the division handed over to the Australian 5th Division at Sio. They had suffered 1028 casualties (including 283 men killed) since landing at Lae in September. In May 1945 the Division was again in action, this time in Borneo. The 26th Brigade invaded Tarakan Island on the east coast to create a base for supporting operations elsewhere in Borneo. Fighting was fierce and the Australians suffered nearly 900 casualties. The balance of the 9th Division (the 20th and 24th Brigades) went ashore at Labuan Island and Brunei on the north-west coast of Borneo on 10 June 1945. The opposition was sporadic, but sometimes determined, and when the Japanese surrendered on 15 August 1945 and ended the fighting in Borneo, the 9th division had suffered 114 men killed during this final campaign. Many tributes were paid to the Division, but what many would regard as the ultimate tribute was paid on 6 June 1944 (D Day), when the Allies landed in Normandy. With the freedom of the world at stake, Major-General Francis de Guingaund, Chief of Staff of Field Marshal Montgomery's Land-force Headquarters, said: "My God, I wish we had 9th Australian Division with us this morning". The 9th Division was awarded 6 VC's in total with the 2/48th battalion earning 4 of those. Total casualties to the division were 6884 with 2060 killed and another 1,000 taken prisoner (mostly from the Tobruk seige).
