1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

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1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
Second World War
Vietnam War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Insignia
Unit colour patch

The 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is a close support regiment attached to the

1st Division Artillery during World War I and later served in World War II and the Vietnam War. It is currently re-equipping with M777A2 lightweight towed howitzers
.

History

Two Australian soldiers and an officer, at a camouflaged gun position of the 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade.

World War I

The 1st Field Regiment was formed in 1914 following the outbreak of

1st Field Artillery Battery, 2nd Field Artillery Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Battery, 101st Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery and the 1st Brigade Ammunition Column.[3]

On cessation of hostilities in 1918, the 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade returned to Australia where it was disbanded in 1919.[citation needed]

World War II

In the interwar years, the 1st Field Regiment was raised again as a Militia formation. Later, during World War II, this regiment served within Australia. In addition to this regiment, the 2/1st Field Regiment was raised as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force.[1]

The

Greece, but the campaign was short lived as the German invasion rapidly overwhelmed the defending Allied forces. The regiment was evacuated from Kalamata, having lost it guns, and was rebuilt in Palestine, before being withdrawn back to Australia in early 1942, following Japan's entry into the war.[5]

The regiment served two tours in

New Guinea. The first began in September 1942 when the regiment supported the 16th Brigade during the final stages of the Kokoda Track campaign, while other elements of the regiment took part in the Battle of Buna–Gona and the defence of Wau.[6] During this time, the regiment expanded existing doctrine for the deployment of artillery by deploying guns into forward areas by air.[citation needed] The regiment returned to Australia for reorganisation in August 1943, and did not see action again until late in the war. It returned to New Guinea in January 1945 to support operations in the Aitape–Wewak campaign, supporting the defence of the airfield around Aitape, the advance on Wewak and operations around Mount Shiburangu.[7] The regiment was in occupation of these areas when the war ended on 15 August 1945. The last of the regiment returned to Australia in January 1946 and was disbanded several weeks later as part of the post war demobilisation.[citation needed
]

Post World War II

1st Field Regiment was raised on 25 May 1949 at

A Battery, US 2/35th Artillery Battalion were permanently attached at Nui Dat.[8]

On 18 August 1966, the Regiment took part in the

Wacol. The 103rd Field Battery was re-roled as a medium battery and moved to 12th Medium Regiment. In February 1969, 105th Field Battery returned to Vietnam for a second tour of duty to be followed by the remainder of the Regiment a month later. On completion of their final tour of duty, the Regiment returned to Sanananda Barracks, Wacol in March 1970.[citation needed
]

Post Vietnam

A 1st Field Regiment L119 Field Gun in 1999

In February 1983, the Regiment was relocated to its current base at Barce Lines, Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera. In November 1985, the Regiment was integrated with the Army Reserve resulting in the re-raising of 104th Field Battery as an Army Reserve battery on 8 November 1985.[citation needed]

As part of the restructuring of the Army (RTA) program, 1st Field Regiment took command of 13th Field Battery on 1 May 1997 and amalgamated with 11th Field Regiment on 15 June 1997. As part of the RTA motorised Battalion trial, 101st Field Battery, to be known as Fire Support Company, was placed under command of 6 RAR on 1 July 1997. In November 1999, Fire Support Company 6 RAR was disbanded, with the former 101st Field Battery members joining 105th Field Battery in anticipation of deployment on operations in East Timor. Although the entire sub-unit did not deploy to East Timor with 6 RAR Battalion Group in April 2000, many 1st Field Regiment members did deploy to East Timor with various units and distinguished themselves during their operational tour.[citation needed]

In January 2011 the

combat team joint fires teams. Every gun battery now comprises three troops of 155 mm towed howitzers.[10]

Under the Land 17 project in 2011 1st Regiment received 8 M777A2 lightweight towed howitzers to replace its

L119 field guns and M198 howitzers, and the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), which is a fully automated digital battle-management system. In early 2012 it took delivery of the Digital Terminal Control System for observation post batteries. The regiment is currently based at Barce Lines, Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera.[10] In 2018, members of the Regiment deployed to Iraq on Operation Okra as a part of Task Group Taji VIII.[citation needed
]

Current formation

Notes

  1. ^ a b "1st Field Regiment". RSL Virtual War Memorial. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  2. ^ Horner 1995, pp. 99, 117 & 138.
  3. ^ "1st Field Artillery Brigade". RSL Virtual Memorial. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  4. ^ McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 3059.
  5. ^ a b McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 3060.
  6. ^ McKenzie-Smith 2018, pp. 3060–3061.
  7. ^ McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 3061.
  8. ^ Palazzo 2006, pp. 42–43.
  9. ^ McNeill 1993, p. 351.
  10. ^ a b Kennedy, Mitch; Doran, Mark (3 March 2011). "Changes in Artillery". Army News. Canberra: Australian Department of Defence. p. 3.

References

External links

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