2/6th Battalion (Australia)
2/6th Battalion | |
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Second World War
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Insignia | |
Unit colour patch |
The 2/6th Battalion was an
In mid-1942, the battalion was withdrawn from the Middle East to help face the threat posed by the Japanese in the Pacific. A period of garrison duty was undertaken in
History
Formation and training
The 2/6th Battalion
In early November, after it had started concentration, the battalion – consisting at that stage of just a small
A short period of rudimentary training followed under the tutelage of members of the
Middle East, Greece and Crete
Upon their arrival in mid-May, the battalion established itself around Beit Jirja, and completed its training at various locations in Palestine and Egypt.
In early April 1941, the 6th Division was dispatched to
The battalion's losses in Greece and Crete were heavy, totaling 30 dead, 54 wounded and 353 captured.[26] As a result, the 2/6th had to be re-formed in Palestine and brought back up to strength with reinforcements before it was dispatched Syria in December 1941, to join the Allied garrison that had been established there as occupation force at the conclusion of the Syria–Lebanon campaign against the Vichy French. In early 1942, the Australian government decided to bring the 6th Division back to Australia to help bolster its defences following Japan's entry into the war. Consequently, in March the battalion embarked from Suez on the transport HMT Otranto, bound for Australia.[3][27]
Ceylon and New Guinea
On its way home, the battalion – along with the 16th Brigade and the rest of the 17th Brigade – was landed on
A period of reorganisation and training followed as the battalion was prepared for the rigours of jungle warfare. The battalion concentrated at the
In late September 1943, the 2/6th were withdrawn to Australia for rest, sailing from Milne Bay on a Dutch transport, the Bosch Fontein, landing in Cairns.
The war came to an end in mid-August 1945 following Japan's surrender in the wake of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At the conclusion of the fighting, the 2/6th remained in New Guinea, concentrating in the area around Wewak. The battalion's strength was slowly reduced as personnel were repatriated back to Australia individually for demobilisation based upon a formal points system.[41] On 13 December 1945, the battalion's remaining personnel sailed for Australia, eventually returning to Puckapunyal. As the battalion's personnel were slowly demobilised or transferred out to other units its strength decreased rapidly until it was finally disbanded on 18 February 1946.[3] Those personnel who were not discharged were transferred to other units for further service.[41]
During the war, a total of 2,965 men served with the battalion,
Battle honours
The 2/6th received the following battle honours:
- Kaboibus–Kiarivu.[3]
These honours were subsequently entrusted to the 6th Battalion in 1961,[42] and through this link are maintained by the Royal Victoria Regiment.[43]
Commanding officers
The following officers commanded the 2/6th during the war:[3]
- Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Harry Langham Godfrey (1939–41);[10]
- Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Wrigley (1941–42);[44]
- Lieutenant Colonel Frederick George Wood (1942–45);[45]
- Lieutenant Colonel David Arion Collingwood Jackson (1945).[46]
See also
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]
- 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 "2/6th Battalion". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 146.
- ^ Hay 1984, frontcover.
- ^ Long 1952, pp. 321–323.
- ^ Hay 1984, pp. 1–2.
- ^ Long 1952, p. 52.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 15.
- ^ a b "VX25 Brigadier Arthur Harry Langham Godfrey, DSO". People. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 2.
- ^ Hay 1984, pp. 27, 32 & 35.
- ^ Hay 1984, pp. 234–235
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 5.
- ^ Hay 1984, pp. 35–36, 51.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, pp. 176–177.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 91.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, pp. 177–178.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 107.
- ^ Hay 1984, pp. 119–120.
- ^ Hay 1984, pp. 127–134.
- ^ a b Johnston 2008, p. 242.
- ^ a b Hay 1984, p. 193.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 186.
- ^ Hay 1984, pp. 184 & 193.
- ^ Johnston 2008, p. 243.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 226.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 227.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 236.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 245.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 253.
- ^ Bradley 2008, p. 114.
- ^ Bradley 2008, p. 116.
- ^ Bradley 2010, pp. 124–134; 165–181; 277–279.
- ^ a b Johnston 2008, p. 244.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 367.
- ^ Keogh 1965, pp. 400–408.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 422.
- ^ Hay 1984, p. 441.
- ^ Hay 1984, pp. 466–468.
- ^ a b Hay 1984, p. 473.
- ^ Festberg 1972, p. 64.
- ^ Festberg 1972, pp. 29–30.
- ^ "VX171 Colonel Hugh Wrigley, OBE, CBE, MC". People. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
- ^ "VX166 Brigadier Frederick George Wood, DSO". People. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
- ^ "WX32 Lieutenant Colonel David Arion Collingwood Jackson, OBE, MC". People. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
References
- ISBN 978-0-521-89681-8.
- Bradley, Phillip (2010). To Salamaua. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-76390-5.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1998). Where Australians Fought: The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles (1st ed.). St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-611-2.
- 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.
- Hay, David (1984). Nothing Over Us: The Story of the 2/6th Australian Infantry Battalion. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. ISBN 978-0-64299-470-7.
- ISBN 978-0-521-51411-8.
- OCLC 7185705.
- OCLC 18400892. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- Palazzo, Albert (2004). "Organising for Jungle Warfare". In ISBN 978-0-646-43590-9. Archived from the originalon 9 March 2016.
Further reading
- Gullett, Henry (1976). Not As a Duty Only: An Infantryman's War. Carlton, Victoria: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 9780522841060.