2/22nd Battalion (Australia)

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For other uses, see 22nd Battalion (Australia).

2/22nd Battalion
Australian prisoners of war, including members of the 2/22nd Battalion, in Japan c. 1942–45.
Active1940–1942
CountryAustralia
BranchAustralian Army
TypeInfantry
Size~900 men[Note 1]
Part of23rd Brigade, 8th Division
EngagementsWorld War II
Insignia
Unit colour patch

The 2/22nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force for service during World War II, the battalion formed part of the 23rd Brigade, attached to the 8th Division. It was captured by the Japanese during the Battle of Rabaul in 1942. After being captured, the battalion was not re-raised and a large number of its personnel died in captivity; those that did not were returned to Australia at the end of the war in 1945.

History

Formation and training

Formed on 1 July 1940 at

unit colour patch (UCP) were the same as those of the 22nd Battalion, a unit which had served during World War I before being raised as a Militia formation in 1921. These colours were purple over red, in a diamond shape, although a border of gray in an oval shape was added to the UCP to distinguish the battalion from its Militia counterpart; the oval border denoted that the battalion was an 8th Division unit.[3]

With an authorised strength of around 900 personnel, like other Australian infantry battalions of the time, the battalion was formed around a nucleus of four rifle

Lieutenant Colonel Howard Carr; he would remain in command of the battalion throughout its brief existence.[6]

Rabaul

Embarking upon the troopship

Imperial Japanese started bombing Rabaul in early January 1942,[10] in advance of an invasion. By 22 January, No. 24 Squadron had only three aircraft remaining and was forced to withdraw back to New Guinea, so the decision was made to crater both aerodromes in order to prevent the Japanese from landing aircraft.[6]

In anticipation of the coming invasion, the battalion withdrew from around Rabaul and set up defences on the western shores of Blanche Bay,[11] only hours before the Japanese landings commenced at 01:00 on 23 January. A series of desperate actions followed near the beaches around Simpson Harbour, Keravia Bay and Raluana Point as the Australians attempted to turn back the attack.[12] As they were pushed back by overwhelming Japanese forces, the commander of Lark Force, Colonel John Scanlan, issued an order to withdraw.[13] Elements of the 2/22nd that had not been captured escaped along New Britain's north and south coasts, moving in groups of varying sizes up to company-strength, with about 300 men from the battalion managing to escape to Australia via New Guinea.[6] A small number of these men were sent to Salamaua where they took part in a brief defence following the Japanese landing at Salamaua in March 1942.[14] The battalion was not re-raised at this time and those personnel that made it back to Australia were absorbed into the amalgamated 3rd/22nd Battalion, which was formed from the 2/22nd survivors along with volunteers for overseas service from the 3rd Battalion,[15] which was ordered to disband following its return from New Guinea. Later, this battalion was also disbanded and its personnel transferred to the 2/3rd Battalion.[16]

Some of the battalion who surrendered or were captured by the Japanese on New Britain were massacred at Tol Plantation, where around 160 Australians were killed.

Hainan Island. While at sea, however, on 1 July, the ship was sunk by the submarine USS Sturgeon off the Philippines, with 1,053 prisoners and civilian internees losing their lives.[6][20] Those members of the 2/22nd that had remained at Rabaul were later transported aboard the Natuno Maru to Japan where they remained in captivity until they were released in September 1945, following the end of hostilities.[6]

The battalion lost 608 men who died or were killed in captivity and one man wounded. Members of the 2/22nd received the following decorations: one

Mentioned in Despatches.[6]

Battle honours

The 2/22nd received only one battle honour during the war, that of "Rabaul 1942".[6]

Commanding officers

The following officers commanded the 2/22nd Battalion during the war:[21]

  • Lieutenant Colonel Howard Carr (1940–1942).

Notes

Footnotes
  1. ^ At the start of World War II, the authorised strength of an Australian infantry battalion was 910 men all ranks.[1]
Citations
  1. ^ Palazzo 2004, p. 94.
  2. ^ Gamble 2006, p. 14.
  3. ^ Long 1952, pp. 321–323.
  4. ^ Long 1952, p. 52.
  5. ^ Gamble 2006, p. 17.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 2/22nd Battalion.
  7. ^ Wigmore 1957, p. 394.
  8. ^ Johnson 2004, p. 17.
  9. ^ AWM52 8/3/22/6: April – June 1941, pp. 2–3.
  10. ^ Wigmore 1957, p. 398.
  11. ^ Wigmore 1957, p. 401.
  12. ^ Gamble 2006, pp. 95–104.
  13. ^ Wigmore 1957, p. 408.
  14. ^ McCarthy 1959, p. 58.
  15. ^ Wigmore 1957, p. 490.
  16. ^ 3rd Battalion (Werriwa Regiment).
  17. ^ Gamble 2006, p. 157.
  18. ^ Kingswell 1986, pp. 124–128.
  19. ^ Wigmore 1957, p. 410.
  20. ^ Wigmore 1957, p. 593; 674.
  21. ^ Pratten 2009, p. 326.

References

Further reading

External links
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