2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia)
| 2/4th Armoured Regiment | |
|---|---|
M3 Grant and Matilda II tanks | |
| Engagements | World War II
|
The 2/4th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the
Bougainville Island
, where it provided individual squadron-group sized elements which operated in support of infantry operations against the Japanese. During its service the regiment received 10 battle honours.
History
The 2/4th Armoured Regiment was one of the last armoured units raised by the Australian Army during the war,
At the beginning of 1943, the regiment was relocated to Manumbah in
Murgon. The move north was punctuated by heavy rain that turned the road into a quagmire that was meant that at times the tank transporters had to be towed by the tanks that they were supposed to be transporting.[7] Upon reaching their destination they commenced training and would remain in Queensland for the best part of a year. In October 1943, however, the 3rd Armoured Division was disbanded and the 2/4th was allocated to the 4th Armoured Brigade,[2] an independent armoured brigade,[1] and was re-equipped with Matilda II tank which were better suited for jungle warfare than the Grant and Stuart tanks.[1]
In August 1944, after training at
Aitape–Wewak campaign from November 1944;[1][8] in doing so, they took part in the advance towards Wewak, the capture of Niap in January 1945 followed by the capture of Wewak in May. In April, the tanks moved to the town of But in April and from there, the squadron's tanks supported further actions along the Hawain River and around the Wirui Mission. By the end of the war they had occupied Boram.[9]
Elsewhere, in December 1944, the 'B' Squadron Group was sent to
Bougainville Campaign.[1][4] This squadron first saw action on 31 March 1945, when it played an important role in supporting the 3rd Division during the Battle of Slater's Knoll.[10][11] The Regimental Headquarters and the 'A' Squadron Group were also sent to Bougainville in May 1945[4] and the regiment continued to provide support to the Australian infantry until the Japanese surrender taking part in a number of battles during the advance towards Buin in the southern sector, including the fighting around the Hongorai River and the crossings of the Hari and Mivo Rivers.[1][12] In July, a troop-sized detachment was allocated to the 23rd Brigade which was fighting along the Ratsua front in the northern sector of the island in the Bonis Peninsula.[1][2]
Following the end of the war a detachment from the regiment was deployed to
Commanding officers
The following officers commanded the 2/4th during the war:[1][14][15]
- Lieutenant Colonel Donald Allen Cameron (November 1942 – December 1942)
- Lieutenant Colonel Arnold Jack Caddy (December 1942 – May 1944)
- Lieutenant Colonel Tom Mills (May 1944 – September 1946)
Battle honours
The 2/4th Armoured Regiment received 10
battle honours
for its service during World War II, these were:
- South-West Pacific 1945, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Hawain River, Wewak, Wirui Mission,
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "2/4th Armoured Regiment". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Handel 2003, p. 151.
- ^ Hopkins 1978, p. 318.
- ^ a b c Long 1963, p. 183.
- ^ "2nd/4th Australian Armoured Regiment". Australian Armour.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
- ^ Hopkins 1978, p. 104.
- ^ Hopkins 1978, p. 109.
- ^ Hopkins 1978, p. 140.
- ^ McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2476.
- ^ Maitland 1999, p. 145.
- ^ Hopkins 1978, p. 146.
- ^ Hopkins 1978, pp. 147–155.
- ^ Handel 2003, p. 152.
- ^ "Commanding Officers of the 2/4th Armoured Regiment". Australian-armour.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
- ^ Hopkins 1978, p. 318.
- ^ Maitland 1999, pp. 144–145.
References
- Handel, Paul (2003). Dust, Sand & Jungle: A History of Australian Armour During Training and Operations, 1927–1948. Puckapunyal, Victoria: RAAC Memorial and Army Tank Museum. ISBN 978-1-876439-75-0.
- Hopkins, Ronald (1978). Australian Armour. A History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps 1927–1972. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 978-0-642-99414-1.
- Long, Gavin (1963). The Final Campaigns. Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Series 1—Army. Volume VII (1st ed.). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 1297619.
- Maitland, Gordon (1999). The Second World War and its Australian Army Battle Honours. East Roseville, New South Wales: Kangaroo Press. ISBN 0-86417-975-8.
- ISBN 978-1-925675-146.
Further reading
- Tank Tracks: The War History of the 2/4th Australian Armoured Regimental Group. Sydney: Halstead Press. 1953. OCLC 215989051.