11th/28th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment

11th/28th Battalion The Royal Western Australia Regiment
Unit colour patch

The 11th/28th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment (11/28 RWAR) is a Reserve infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Located in Western Australia, it is one of the two battalions of the Royal Western Australia Regiment which forms the infantry component of the 13th Brigade.

History

The 11th/28th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment was formed in 1987 by the amalgamation of the

The 28th Battalion shared a similar history to the 11th, being formed in 1915 as part of the 7th Brigade and fighting in Gallipoli, France and Belgium during the First World War.^[8] Following the war, it was re-raised as the 28th Battalion (Swan Regiment) in 1921 and was based in east Perth.^[9]

During the Second World War, the 2/28th Battalion served with the 9th Division at Tobruk, El Alamein, New Guinea and Borneo,^[10] while the 28th Battalion (Swan Regiment) fought in New Britain alongside the 11th Battalion in 1944–45.^[9]

Following the end of the war, these four units were disbanded. In 1948, when Australia's part-time military forces were re-raised as the Citizens Military Force (CMF),^[11] the 16th/28th Infantry Battalion was formed. They remained joined until 1952 when the two units were split once again.^[12] In 1960, when the Australian Army was reorganised along Pentropic lines, the regional regiments were amalgamated into multi-battalion State-based regiments.^[13] As a result, both the 16th and 28th Battalions were reduced to company-level formations within the larger 1st Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment, with the 16th providing one company known as 'B' (The Cameron Company),^[14] and the 28th providing one company known as 'A' (The Swan Company).^[12]

The 11th Battalion was also re-raised in 1948, although it was re-raised as an amalgamated unit known as the 11th/44th Battalion (The City of Perth Regiment).^[15] They remained on the order of battle until 1960 when they became a company-level organisation within the Pentropic 1st Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment, known as 'A' (The City of Perth Company).^[15]

In 1966, following the decision to revert to the tropical establishment and reorganise the CMF,^[16] the 28th Battalion was reformed as the 28th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment, and the following year the 11th Battalion was also reformed. In 1977, both units were redesignated as independent rifle companies; however, in 1987 they were amalgamated together to form the current unit known as the 11th/28th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment.^[1]

Battle honours

The 11th/28th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment currently holds the following battle honours:

• Boer War: South Africa 1899–1902.^{[Note 1][17]}
• First World War: Somme 1916–1918, Pozieres, Bullecourt, Ypres 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Amiens, Albert 1918, Mont Saint Quentin, Hindenburg Line, Beaurevoir, Lys, France and Flanders 1916–1918, Hazebrouck, Epehy, Landing at Anzac, Defence of Anzac, Suvla, Sari-Bair, Gallipoli, Egypt 1915–1916.^{[Note 2][17]}
• Second World War: Bardia 1941, Lae–Nadzab, North Africa 1940–1941, Busu River, North Africa 1941–1942, Finschafen, Derna, Defence of Scarlet Beach, Defence of Tobruk, Siki Cove, Defence of Alamein Line, Gusika, Tell el Makh Khad, Borneo, Sanyet el Miteirya, Labuan, Quattara Track, Beaufort, El Alamein, South West Pacific 1941–1945, Greece 1941, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Brallos Pass, Matapau, Middle East 1941–1944, Abau-Malin, Crete, Wewak, Retimo, Wirui Mission, Capture of Tobruk, Damour.^{[Note 3][17]}

Alliances

•  United Kingdom – The Rifles.^{[Note 4]}

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References