2/32nd Battalion (Australia)
| 2/32nd Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1940–46 |
| Country |
 Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | ~800–900 personnel[Note 1] |
| Part of |
25th Brigade, 9th Division 24th Brigade, 9th Division |
| Engagements | |
The 2/32nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during the Second World War. Formed in June 1940 from surplus Australian troops who had been sent to the United Kingdom shortly after the Fall of France, the battalion was originally designated the "71st Battalion", before being redesignated.[2] After completing training in the United Kingdom, the 2/32nd served in North Africa in 1941–42 as part of the 25th Brigade, which was assigned to the 9th Division, before being assigned to the 24th Brigade. In early 1943, the battalion returned to Australia and later took part in campaigns against the Japanese in New Guinea in 1943–44 and Borneo in 1945, before being disbanded in 1946.
Battle honours
The 2/32nd Battalion received the following battle honours:
- 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, Tell el Makh Khad, Sanyet el Miteirya and Pabu.[3]
Commanding officers
The following officers served as commanding officer of the 2/32nd:[3]
- Raymond Keith Anderson;
- John Walter Balfe;
- Thomas Mayo Conroy;
- Thomas Henry Scott;
- Alonzo Sydney Clive Sparkes; and
- David Adie Whitehead.
Notes
- Footnotes
- Citations
- ↑ Palazzo 2003, p. 6.
- ↑ Festberg 1972, p. 118.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "2/32nd Battalion". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
References
- Festberg, Alfred (1972). The Lineage of the Australian Army. Melbourne, Victoria: Allara Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85887-024-6.
- Palazzo, Albert (2003). "Organising for Jungle Warfare". In Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey. The Foundations of Victory: The Pacific War 1943–1944 (PDF). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Army History Unit. ISBN 978-0-646-43590-9. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
Further reading
- Trigellis-Smith, Syd (1993). Britain to Borneo: A History of the 2/32 Australian Infantry Battalion. 2/32 Australian Infantry Battalion Association. ISBN 978-0-646-13407-9.