2/17th Battalion (Australia)
2/17th Battalion | |
---|---|
Active | 1940–1946 |
Country | Australia |
Branch | Australian Army |
Role | Infantry |
Size | ~800–900 men[Note 1] |
Part of | 20th Brigade, 9th Division |
Motto(s) | What We Have We Hold |
Colours | White and green |
Engagements | World War II
|
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | |
(1942–46) |
The 2/17th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in April 1940 in New South Wales, it formed part of the 20th Brigade, and was eventually allocated to the 9th Division. After completing basic training in Australia, the unit was deployed to the Middle East. In early 1941, it took part in the fighting at Tobruk, defending the port until relieved. A period of garrison duties followed in Syria and Lebanon before the battalion took part in the First and Second Battles of El Alamein in mid-1942. As the focus of the Australian Army's operations shifted to the Pacific theatre to fight the Japanese, the 2/17th Battalion returned to Australia early in 1943.
In 1943–1944, the battalion fought in
History
Formation
Formed for service during the World War II, the 2/17th Battalion[Note 2] was raised on 26 April 1940 from Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) volunteers at Ingleburn, New South Wales.[3] With an authorised strength of around 900 personnel, like other Australian infantry battalions of the time,[4] the 2/17th was formed around a nucleus of four rifle companies – designated 'A' through to 'D' – each consisting of three platoons; these were supported by a battalion headquarters and a headquarters company with six specialist platoons:[5] signals, pioneer, anti-aircraft, transport, administrative and mortars.[6]
Upon formation, the battalion was placed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
After completing individual training at Ingleburn, the battalion moved on foot to
Middle East
Arriving in the Middle East in late November, the battalion undertook further training near
Following their relief from Tobruk by units of the British 70th Division, the 2/17th Battalion was evacuated by the sea to Alexandria, and then moved to Palestine, arriving there in mid-October, establishing a camp at Julis.[17] Shortly afterwards, a company was detached from the battalion to undertake guard duties in Broumane, in Syria, and in January 1942 the rest of the battalion followed. There, they were tasked with undertaking garrison duties as part of the occupation force that had been established there after the Syria–Lebanon campaign,[3] to defend against a possible German attack on the Allied flank through the Caucasus. Relieving the 2/12th Battalion, the battalion established itself around Afrine, north of Aleppo; in March, after the 2nd New Zealand Division arrived, the battalion moved to Latakia.[18]
Later, in July, as Axis forces launched an offensive in the
In late October and early November 1942, the battalion took part in the Second Battle of El Alamein as the British Commonwealth forces went on the offensive.[3] Engaged on the right of the Allied line around the coast, at dawn on 24 October, the Australians left their assembly area and advanced westward astride the coast road towards Tel el Eisa, and then cut inland towards the "Kidney Ridge", with the 2/17th on the right of the brigade during the initial advance, attacking with three companies forward.[22] As the battle continued, they endured heavy counterattacks as the Germans sought to regain control of the strategically important coast road. Once these had been repelled, the focus of the fighting shifted away from the Australians as British forces were able to launch a break out, which subsequently forced the Germans to withdraw.[23] The 9th Division was subsequently withdrawn to Gaza. During the battle, the 2/17th was heavily committed, losing 62 men killed in action or died of wounds, 203 wounded and four captured.[24][Note 3]
Pacific
In early 1943, along with the rest of the 9th Division, the battalion was brought back to Australia in order to take part in fighting against the Japanese in the Pacific.[3] This was the final stage in the withdrawal of the 2nd AIF divisions from the Middle East, as the Australian Army's focus had shifted to operations in the Pacific theatre against the Japanese. As part of this process the 6th and 7th Divisions had been brought back to Australia earlier the previous year. Embarking upon the transport Aquitania on 27 January 1943, the battalion sailed as part of a large convoy established as part of Operation Pamphlet; this convoy included the transports Ile de France, Nieuw Amsterdam, and the armed merchant cruiser Queen of Bermuda, and was escorted by HMS Devonshire and several destroyers.[26] The voyage lasted a month, with the troops arriving in Sydney on 27 February.[3]
Converted to the
In March 1944, the battalion returned to Australia for rest and re-organisation, sailing on the transport Clip Fontain.
On Morotai, the 2/17th concentrated along with the rest of the 9th Division, which had been allocated to take part in operations to
Disbandment
Following the end of hostilities the
During the course of the war, a total of 2,903 personnel served in the battalion, of whom 177 were killed in action or died of wounds, three died on active service, 542 were wounded in action and 18 were taken prisoner.
Battle honours
For their service during World War II, the 2/17th Battalion received the following battle honours:[3]
- Borneo, Brunei.
In 1961, these battle honours were entrusted to the 17th/18th Battalion (North Shore Regiment),[48][49] which had been formed in 1948, when Australia's part-time military force was re-raised under the guise of the Citizens Military Force.[50] Through a series of re-organisations, these battle honours were passed to the 2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment, an Australian Army Reserve infantry battalion that is currently based in central New South Wales.[51]
Commanding officers
The following officers served as commanding officer of the 2/17th Battalion:[3][52]
- Lieutenant Colonel John Crawford (26 April 1940 – 14 January 1942);
- Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Fergusson (15 January 1942 – 6 March 1942);
- Lieutenant Colonel Noel Simpson (7 March 1942 – 27 February 1944); and
- Lieutenant Colonel John Broadbent(28 February 1944 – 8 February 1946).
Notes
- Footnotes
- ^ By the start of World War II, the authorised strength of an Australian infantry battalion was 910 men all ranks, however, later in the war it fell to 803.[1]
- ^ The numerical designation of 2nd AIF units was prefixed by "2/", which was used to set them apart from Militia units with corresponding numerical designations.[2]
- ^ Johnston provides two sets of figures for the battalion's casualties at El Alamein: two killed in action, one died of wounds, one died from accident, and 27 wounded for the period 7 July to 22 October 1942; and 40 killed in action, 20 died of wounds, 203 wounded in action and four captured for the period 23 October to 5 November 1942.[25]
- ^ Johnston provides the following figures: seven killed in action, two died of wounds, one died from accident, and 15 wounded in action.[41]
- ^ The Australian War Memorial provides slightly different figures: 188 men were killed in action or died on active service, and 573 wounded.[3]
- ^ The correct spelling is "Jivevaneng"; however, when the battle honour was awarded in 1961 by the Australian Army it appears to have been misspelt as "Jivenaneng".[47]
- Citations
- ^ a b Palazzo 2004, p. 94.
- ^ Long 1952, p. 51.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "2/17th Battalion". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
- ^ Long 1952 p. 52.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 12–13.
- ^ Kuring 2004, p. 494.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 1.
- ^ Long 1952, pp. 321–323.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 8.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 9–15.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 16–19.
- ^ Wilmot 1993, pp. 219, 224 & 238.
- ^ Wilmot 1993, p. 97.
- ^ Wilmot 1993, p. 98.
- ^ Wilmot 1993, p. 99.
- ^ Johnston 2002, p. 248.
- ^ Maughan 1966, p. 514.
- ^ Maughan 1966, pp. 515–516 & 529.
- ^ Maughan 1966, p. 618.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 129–136.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 136.
- ^ Maughan 1966, pp. 668–669.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, pp. 230–232.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 175.
- ^ Johnston 2002, pp. 248–249.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 186–187.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 213.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 315.
- ^ Johnston 2002, p. 158.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 224.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 245 and 275.
- ^ Johnston 2002, p. 249.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 14.
- ^ Dexter 1961, p. 763.
- ^ Johnston 2002, p. 186.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 284–288.
- ^ a b c 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 487.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 313–314.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 317–318.
- ^ Long 1963, p. 501.
- ^ Johnston 2002, p. 250.
- ^ James 2009, p. 14.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 318.
- ^ Long 1963, p. 565.
- ^ Johnston 2002, p. 247.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 273–274, 366.
- ^ Rodger 2003, p.361.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 319.
- ^ Festberg 1972, p. 79.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 200.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 333.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. xii.
References
- What We Have We Hold: A History of the 2/17 Australian Infantry Battalion, 1940–1945 (Revised ed.). Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military History Publications. 1998 [1990]. ISBN 1-876439-36-X.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1998). The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles. Sydney, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-611-2.
- Dexter, David (1961). The New Guinea Offensives. Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Series 1 – Army. Vol. VII (1st ed.). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 2028994.
- Festberg, Alfred (1972). The Lineage of the Australian Army. Melbourne, Victoria: Allara Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85887-024-6.
- ISBN 978-0-521-69791-0.
- James, Karl (2009). "Soldiers to Citizens". Wartime (45). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. ISSN 1328-2727.
- ISBN 1-74114-643-7.
- Johnston, Mark (2005). The Huon Peninsula 1943–1944. Australians in the Pacific War. Canberra: Department of Veterans' Affairs. ISBN 1-920720-55-3.
- OCLC 7185705.
- Kuring, Ian (2004). Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military History Publications. ISBN 1-876439-99-8.
- OCLC 18400892.
- Long, Gavin (1963). The Final Campaigns. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army. Vol. VII (1st ed.). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 1297619.
- Maughan, Barton (1966). Tobruk and El Alamein. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army. Vol. III (1st ed.). Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 954993.
- Palazzo, Albert (2004). "Organising for Jungle Warfare". In Dennis, Peter; ISBN 978-0-646-43590-9. Archived from the originalon 9 March 2016.
- Rodger, Alexander (2003). Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces 1662–1991. Marlborough, Wiltshire: The Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-637-5.
- ISBN 0-14-017584-9.
Further reading
- Wells, H.D. (1984). B Company, Second Seventeenth Infantry. Toowoon Bay, New South Wales: H.D. Wells. ISBN 978-0-9590178-0-9.