2/4th Battalion (Australia)

2/4th Battalion
Parade at Gaza, April 1940
Active	1939–45
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~800–900 all ranks[Note 1]
Part of	19th Brigade, 6th Division
Colours	White and Green
Engagements	Second World War North African campaign Greek campaign New Guinea campaign Aitape–Wewak campaign
Insignia
Unit Colour Patch

The 2/4th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised on 3 November 1939 at Victoria Barracks, Sydney, New South Wales, for service during World War II as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, the battalion was initially attached to the 16th Brigade, 6th Division. Following a re-organisation of the structure of the Australian Army, which saw each infantry brigade reduced from four infantry battalions to three, the battalion was re-allocated to the 19th Brigade. The battalion saw action in Egypt, Libya and Greece before returning to Australia to fight the Japanese in New Guinea. Following the end of hostilities, the 2/4th Battalion was disbanded in Chermside on 12 November 1945. One of the unit's soldiers, Private Edward Kenna, received the Victoria Cross for his actions during the Aitape–Wewak campaign in May 1945. The unit was disbanded in November 1945.^[2]

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

• Palazzo, Albert (2004). "Organising for Jungle Warfare". In Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey. The Foundations of Victory: The Pacific War 1943–1944. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Army History Unit. pp. 86–101. ISBN 978-0-646-43590-9. 

Further reading

• 2/4th Infantry Battalion Unit History Editorial Committee (1963). White Over Green: The 2/4th Battalion and Reference to the 4th Battalion. Sydney, New South Wales: Angus and Robertson. OCLC 19985329. 
• Ewer, Peter (2008). Forgotten Anzacs: The Campaign in Greece, 1941. Carlton North, Victoria: Scribe Publications. ISBN 978-1-921215-29-2. OCLC 457093199.