Portal:Military of Australia/Units/December

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Units

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A No. 4 Squadron Boomerang aircraft and ground crew in 1943
No. 4 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter and army co-operation squadron. No. 4 Squadron was first formed in 1916 and saw action over the Western Front, destroying 128 German aircraft. Following the war the Squadron formed part of the British Army of Occupation in Germany until it returned to Australia and was disbanded in 1919. No. 4 Squadron was reformed as an Army cooperation squadron in June 1940. In this role the Squadron supported Allied ground forces in New Guinea and Borneo. No. 4 Squadron was renamed No. 3 Squadron in March 1948 and is scheduled to be reactivated in 2009.


HMAS Manoora after conversion to a LSI
The first HMAS Manoora was a motor vessel laid down for the Adelaide Steamship Company by Alex Stephen and Son at Govan in Scotland in July 1934, launched on 25 October 1935 and completed in 1935. The ship entered service on the Cairns to Fremantle run but was requisitioned by the Navy on 11 October 1939, outfitted at Sydney for service as an armed merchant cruiser and commissioned on 12 December 1939. The ship arrived in Sydney on 30 September 1942 and was converted to a Landing Ship, Infantry (LSI) by 2 February 1943. HMAS Manoora paid off on 6 December 1947 and was returned to her owners on 31 August 1949. She was sold to an Indonesian company in 1961 and renamed Albulombo. The ship was finally sold for scrap to a Japanese firm in 1972.


2/14 LHR ASLAVs during a training exercise in 2007
The 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry) is a regiment of the Australian Army and part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. It was formed in 1930 through the amalgamation of two other regiments. While the 2nd/14th was disamalgamated into its antecedent units during World War II, it was re-established as a single regiment in 1949. During the Cold War the regiment was a Citizens' Military Forces armoured regiment. The Regiment was re-equipped with ASLAV vehicles between 2001 and 2004 and became a Regular Army unit in 2005.


Two Hudson aircraft from No. 13 Squadron near Darwin in 1940
No. 13 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force is currently a RAAF Reserve unit located in Darwin. No. 13 Squadron was first established in 1940 as a general reconnaissance squadron equipped with Lockheed Hudson aircraft. In this role the Squadron participated in the unsuccessful defence of the Netherlands East Indies in 1941-42. No. 13 Squadron conducted raids over the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies until 1943 when it was reequipped and primarily operated in the anti-submarine role until the end of the war. Future Prime Minister Gough Whitlam served as a navigator with the Squadron during this period. While No. 13 Squadron was disbanded in 1946 it was re-established as a non-flying Air Force Reserve Squadron located at RAAF Base Darwin in 1989.


HMAS Sirius
HMAS Sirius (formerly MT Delos) is a commercial tanker that was purchased by the Royal Australian Navy and converted into a fleet replenishment vessel to replace HMAS Westralia. Delos was built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea and was purchased by the Australian Government on completition. Delos was converted to her new role at Fremantle and was commissioned into the RAN on 16 September 2006. Sirius is expected to remain in service for approximately 15 years.


4th Armoured Brigade Matilda II and M3 Grant tanks firing small calibre weapons during a demonstration.
The Australian 4th Armoured Brigade was an Australian Army brigade of World War II. The Brigade was formed in January 1943 to provide armoured support for Australian Army units operating in the South West Pacific Area. The Brigade was never intended to serve as a single formation, rather its role was to provide a pool of armoured units from which units and sub-units could be provided to augment infantry forces. The Brigade was also responsible for developing doctrine and specialised armoured vehicles for armoured warfare in tropical terrain. Several detached regiments and squadrons from the 4th Armoured Brigade saw action in New Guinea, Bouganville and Borneo. The 4th Armoured Brigade was disbanded in March 1946.


A 11 Squadron Catalina being beached for maintenance in 1943
No. 11 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force is a maritime patrol squadron. No. 11 Squadron was formed in September 1939 and deployed to Port Moresby in New Guinea later that year. Upon the outbreak of war in the Pacific No. 11 Squadron flew patrol missions across the South West Pacific area. In 1943 the Squadron began conducting offensive mine-laying operations. These operations continued until the end of the war. While No. 11 Squadron was disbanded in 1946 it was reformed in 1948. No. 11 Squadron has been based at RAAF Base Edinburgh and equipped with P-3 Orion aircraft since 1968.


HMAS Advance at the Australian National Maritime Museum
HMAS Advance (P-83) was an Australian Attack-class patrol boat laid down by Evans Deakin and Company at Brisbane in Queensland in March 1967, launched on 16 August 1967, and commissioned on 24 January 1968. During her career, Advance performed many duties, including costal surveillance, customs and immigration enforcement, training, and rescue. Advance was paid off on 6 February 1988 and was transferred to the Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour in Sydney.


NORFORCE;s unit colour patch
NORFORCE (North-West Mobile Force) is a regiment of the Australian Army. The regiment is one of three Regional Force Surveillance Units employed in the surveillance and reconnaissance mission in the north of Australia. NORFORCE was established in 1981 by expanding the 7th Independent Rifle Company. NORFORCE's area of operation covers 1.8 million square kilometres, encompassing the entire Northern Territory and the Kimberley region of Western Australia.


No. 84 Squadron aircraft over Horn Island in 1943
No. 84 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron of World War II. No. 84 Squadron was formed in February 1943 and was the first squadron to be equipped with the Australian-designed CAC Boomerang fighter. In April 1943 No. 84 Squadron was deployed to Horn Island, Queensland in the Torres Strait. The Squadron was reequipped with P-40 Kittyhawk aircraft in September 1943 but did not see action. In May 1944 No. 84 Squadron returned to mainland Australia and supported Army training until being re-equipped with P-51D Mustang aircraft in May 1945. No 84 Squadron was disbanded in January 1946.


HMAS Jervis Bay (II) was a wave piercing catamaran built by Incat in Tasmania and leased by the Australian Government. Although a purely civilian design, Jervis Bay had the distinction of being the first large catamaran in the world to enter naval service. Jervis Bay was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy for logistics operations in May 1999, due to delays in the refitting of the Kanimbla class vessels. Jervis Bay was commissioned primarily to serve as a fast sea link for Australian troops between Darwin and Dili in East Timor. HMAS Jervis Bay was returned to her owners in May 2001.


A patrol from the 2/13th Infantry Battalion at Tobruk
The 9th Division of the Australian Army was formed to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF). The division was raised from regular army units and volunteer infantry brigades, from October 1940 onwards. In common with several other Australian divisions, the 9th Division was one of only a few Allied army units to serve with distinction against both Nazi Germany (in North Africa) and the Empire of Japan (in New Guinea and Borneo). The Division was gradually disbanded from October 1945 with its final elements disbanding in May 1946.


Members of No. 454 Squadron RAAF celebrate Anzac Day in Cesenatico, Italy
No. 454 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force was an Australian bomber and maritime patrol squadron formed during World War II. No. 454 Squadron was formed in May 1941 at Williamtown in New South Wales. The squadron was raised under the Empire Air Training Scheme. While the Squadron was disbanded in July 1941 it was reformed in Palestine in September 1942. The Squadron operated in the maritime patrol role until July 1944 when it moved to Italy to operate as a bomber squadron. No. 454 Squadron was disbanded at Villaorba on 14 August 1945.


HMAS Una was a Royal Australian Navy sloop that began its life as the German motor launch Komet. The Una was captured by an infantry detachment of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force lead by John Paton on 9 October 1914. The Komet and all 57 crew were captured with no loss of life, Komet was then sailed to Sydney as a prize. Una, renamed Akuna after World War I, was finally broken up in Melbourne in 1955.


The 2nd Battalion was raised for the First Australian Imperial Force during the First World War. Along with the 1st, 3rd and 4th Battalions it was recruited from New South Wales and formed the 1st Brigade. The battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove on April 25, 1915 as part of the second and third waves. The battalion remained at Gallipoli until the evacuation in December. In March 1916, it sailed to France and deployed to the Somme, the battalion took part in multiple batttles including the German spring offensive. The battalion continued operations to late September 1918 and was demobilised in 1919.


No. 79 Squadron is a RAAF training squadron. The Squadron currently operates Hawk 127 aircraft from RAAF Base Pearce. The squadron was formed in April 1943 flying Spitfires out of New Guinea and was disbanded there in November 1945. In June 1962 No. 79 Squadron was re-formed at Ubon in Thailand and remained in South East Asia until it was disbanded again in July 1968. No. 79 Squadron was re-formed at Butterworth in March 1986 but was disbanded again in June 1988. In 1998 No. 79 Squadron was re-formed at RAAF Base Pearce to provide introductory jet aircraft training to RAAF pilots and remains in this task today.


HMAS Stuart in 2006
The third HMAS Stuart (FFH-153) is an Anzac class frigate, laid down by Tenix Defence Systems at Williamstown in Victoria on 25 July 1998, launched on 17 April 1999 by Mrs. Maxine Barrie, the wife of Admiral Chris Barrie, the Chief of the Defence Force and commissioned on 24 August 2002. In 2004 Stuart deployed to the Persian Gulf on active service contributing to Operation Catalyst, Australia's military contribution to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq.


The Royal New South Wales Regiment is a reserve infantry regiment of the Australian Army based in the state of New South Wales. The Regiment was formed in 1960 as a result of the amalgamation of all the Citizen's Militia Force infantry battalions in NSW. The size of the regiment has fluctuated between three and seven infantry battalions. The Royal New South Wales Regiment currently consists of four battalions; the 1st/19th Battalion, 2nd/17th Battalion, 4th/3rd Battalion and 41st Battalion.


An Australian F-111C in 2006
The RAAF Washington Flying Unit was a temporary Royal Australian Air Force unit formed to ferry Australia's first twelve F-111 aircraft from the United States to Australia upon their delivery to Australia. The unit was formed at McClellan Air Force Base, California on 31 March 1973 and was disbanded at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland on 26 July 1973 after all twelve aircraft had safely reached Australia.


HMAS Australia in 1935
HMAS Australia (III) was a County class heavy cruiser operated by the Royal Australian Navy. Australia was laid down on August 26, 1925, launched on March 17, 1927 and commissioned on April 24, 1928. HMAS Australia was one of the RAN's few major units during the 1930s and saw active service around the world during World War II. Australia first saw action off Dakar in September 1940 and escorted convoys and patrolled the Atlantic and Indian Oceans during 1941. Following the onset of the Pacific War, Australia was re-deployed to the South West Pacific Area where she took part on the Battle of the Coral Sea. From August 1942 until mid-1944 Australia provided supporting fire and surface protection for Allied land forces. HMAS Australia was damaged by the first-ever kamikaze attack while operating off the Philippines on October 21, 1944. While Australia returned to service in January 1945 she was hit by further kamikazes and was under repair at the end of the war. Following the end of the war, Australia served as a training ship until she was paid off for disposal on August 31, 1954.


1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers unit colour patch
The 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers is a current Australian Army Reserve Reconnaissance Regiment. The regiment is based at Lancer Barracks in Parramatta, New South Wales. The regiment is currently equipped with M113A1 APC but is is currently being converted to a light cavalry role and is being equipped with 4x4 Land Rover patrol vehicles. The current regiment was formed in 1956 when the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers and the 15th Northern River Lancers were joined, 1st/15th carries the former regiments' battle honours. The band of the 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers is one of the few RAAC regimental bands still in existence.


The Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC) formerly Air Training Corps (AIRTC) is a government funded aviation youth organisation. The parent force of the AAFC is the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The general aim of the Australian Air Force Cadets is to better equip young people for community life by fostering initiative, leadership, discipline and loyalty through a training program designed to stimulate an interest in the Royal Australian Air Force. Due to the relationship the AAFC has with the RAAF, the focus of much of the training is related to aviation and the RAAF which leads many cadets into a career in the RAAF or in the civilian aviation industry. However, aviation related subjects are not the only subjects taught within the organisation. There is also a great focus on Fieldcraft and Survival Training, Weapons Training, and Drill and Ceremonial as well. As well as all the RAAF and aviation training involved, the AAFC is also an organisation which allows teenagers to socialise and meet new people not only local to them, but throughout the country.


HMAS Ovens at Fremantle Maritime Museum.
HMAS Ovens (S-70) was an Oberon class submarine laid down by Scott’s Shipbuilding and Engineering Company at Greenock in Scotland on 17 June 1966, launched on 4 December 1967 by the Viscountess Slim and commissioned on 18 April 1969. HMAS Ovens paid off on 1 December 1995 and is preserved at the Western Australian Maritime Museum at Fremantle.


Australian Light Horsemen during World War I
The Australian Light Horse soldiers were mounted infantry who served during the Second Boer War and World War I. The Light Horse differed from cavalry in that they usually fought dismounted, using their horses as transport to the battlefield and as a means of swift disengagement when retreating or retiring. A famous exception to this rule was the charge of the 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments at Beersheba on 31 October 1917. In 1918 some light horse regiments were equipped with sabres, enabling them to fight in a conventional cavalry role during the advance on Damascus. All the Light Horse Regiments were converted to motorised infantry or armoured regiments during World War II. A number of Australian light horse units are still in existence today, generally as RAAC (Royal Australian Armoured Corps) Cavalry units.


First Australian Tactical Air Force Headquarters following the Japanese surrender. One further strike was flown after this picture was taken.
The Australian First Tactical Air Force (1 TAF) was formed on October 25, 1944 by the Royal Australian Air Force to provide fighter and ground attack support to Allied ground and naval forces, fighting the Empire of Japan in the South West Pacific Area. It was one of several Allied tactical air forces formed during World War II. 1 TAF had come into existence as No. 10 Operational Group (10 OG) and later grew to encompass more than 20 squadrons and more than 18,000 personnel. Its mainstay was initially the P-40 Kittyhawk although conversion to P-51D Mustangs was underway by the time the war ended. As the conflict gradually shifted further north, 1 TAF was relegated — in the absence of a Japanese air presence — to patrol, reconnaissance and some ground attack duties, including the Philippines campaign in 1944 and the Borneo campaign (1945). 1 TAF was disbanded following the end of the war.


HMAS Sheenan (front left), one other submarine, HMAS Sirius (back left) and ex-HMAS Westralia at HMAS Stirling in 2006
HMAS Stirling is the name given to the administrative centre of the Royal Australian Navy's main naval base on the west coast (Fleet Base West), located on Garden Island just off the Western Australian coast near the city of Perth. HMAS Stirling was formally commissioned on July 28, 1978. Since this date Stirling has expanded enormously within its existing boundaries and has seen building such as the Submarine Escape Training Facility – one of only six in the world and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere. Stirling is home to many of the RAN's surface combatants and all 6 of the Collins class submarines that are used by the RAN.


The AIF Cricket Team in London in 1919
An Australian Imperial Forces cricket team played a number of first-class matches shortly after the First World War. The bulk of these were played in England in 1919, but there were also games played the following winter in South Africa and Australia. The team was captained by Australian Test player Herbie Collins, who in November 1919 made 235 (out of 441) in a win over South Africa.


No. 2 Airfield Defence Squadron is an Australian military unit whose primary roll is to protect and defend airfields, buildings, equipment, and personnel. The unit was formed on 7 April 1945 in Morotai as "2 Aerodrome Defence Squadron" (2ADS). The unit saw action during the Second World War in Morotai, Labuan, Brunei, Borneo, Balikpapan and the Philippines. The Squadron was disbanded on 29 October 1945. The ADG was reformed in early 1966 as the "Aerodrome Defence Guard" (ADG) to meet the need to protect assets in the South East Asia area during the Vietnam War. 2AFDS was reformed at RAAF Base Richmond on 17 March 1983, and in 1989 it relocated to RAAF Base Amberley, where it is currently based.


HMVS Cerberus
HMVS Cerberus was an ironclad warship launched in 1868 to defend the Australian colony of Victoria. She was the first major British warship to be powered entirely by steam and was one of seven similar vessels. HMVS Cereberus arrived at Melbourne from Britain on April 9, 1871 and was made the flagship of the Victorian Navy. After the federation of the Australian colonies Cereberus was incorporated into the Commonwealth Naval Forces, and then into the Royal Australian Navy when it was founded in 1911. HMAS Cerebus was decommissioned from the Royal Australian Navy in 1924 and was sunk as a breakwater at Half Moon Bay in Black Rock, Victoria.


The 3rd Battalion was raised for the First Australian Imperial Force during the First World War. Like the 1st, 2nd and 4th Battalions it was recruited from New South Wales and formed the 1st Brigade. The battalion first saw action in Gallipoli and landed as the second and third wave. The battalion served at Gallipoli until the evacuation in December. In March 1916, it sailed to France and deployed to the Somme. The battalion's first major action was at Pozières in July 1916. Later the battalion fought at Ypres, Belgium, before returning to the Somme. In 1918 the battalion saw action during the German spring offensive and then in the Hundred Days Offensive near Amiens on 8 August 1918. The battalion was fully demobilised by May 1919.


A No. 73 Squadron Anson at Nowra in 1944
No. 73 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron of World War II. The Squadron was formed at Cootamundra in Queensland in May 1942. Equipped with Avro Anson aircraft the Squadron conducted anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort missions off eastern Australia. These flights did not result in any sightings of Japanese submarines and the Squadron did not fire any shots in anger. No. 73 Squadron was disbanded at Nowra on 9 September 1944.