27th Battalion (Australia)

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27th Battalion
Members of the 27th Battalion marching through Beaucourt-sur-l'Ancre in the Somme, France, 7 April 1918
Active1915–1919
1921–1946
1948–1960
1965–1987
CountryAustralia
BranchAustralian Army
TypeInfantry
Size~800–1,000 men[Note 1]
Part of7th Brigade (1915–19)
3rd Brigade (1921–42)
23rd Brigade (1942–46)
9th Brigade (1948–60; 1965–87)
Nickname(s)South Australian Scottish Regiment
Motto(s)Primus inter Pares
ColoursBrown over blue
MarchThe Campbells Are Coming
EngagementsWorld War I

World War II

Insignia
Unit colour patch
A two-toned diamond shape, one half of which is brown and the other half light blue

The 27th Battalion was an

Citizens Force, which later became the "Militia". During World War II the battalion was used mainly in a garrison role until the last year of the war when it was committed to the fighting against the Japanese during the Bougainville campaign. Following the end of hostilities it was disbanded in May 1946. Between 1948 and 1965 the battalion was re-raised and disbanded a number of times before eventually becoming part of the Royal South Australia Regiment. It was disbanded for a final time in 1987, when it was amalgamated with the 10th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment to form the 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment
.

History

World War I

Because of the restrictions that the Defence Act (1903) placed upon deploying units of the Citizens Force overseas, following the outbreak of World War I, the Australian government decided to raise an all volunteer force for overseas service. This force was known as the

HMAT A2 Geelong on 31 May 1915,[7] arriving there on 6 July.[8]

Gallipoli

They then undertook a further two months of training in

Lemnos Island.[13]

Following this the 27th Battalion returned to Egypt, where the AIF undertook a period of training and re-organisation as reinforcements arrived from Australia.

cadre staff for the newly raised battalions. The battalions of the 2nd Division, however, were not split up in this manner and the 27th Battalion remained intact.[14]

Western Front

In early 1916, the decision was made to transfer part of the AIF to Europe to take part in the fighting in the trenches along the Western Front in France and Belgium.[6][15] Still attached to the 7th Brigade, the 27th Battalion entered the front-line for the first time on 7 April 1916 as the Australians took over a quiet sector near Armentières. On 8 July 1916, the 7th Brigade was ordered to march to the Somme to support the Australian 1st Division which was taking part in the fighting around Pozières.[16] On 28 July, the 7th Brigade undertook an attack on the German line, however, during this time the 27th Battalion was held back in reserve.[17] The attack proved unsuccessful and as a result it was ordered to launch a second attack on 4 August, centred upon German positions around Bapaume.[18]

This time the 27th Battalion was to play a key role. Moving off from positions around La Boiselle in the afternoon, the battalion advanced with two companies forward and two back in reserve under the cover of an intense artillery barrage. Due to congestion around the assembly trenches, the battalion arrived at its objective late. Nevertheless, the first wave managed to capture the first line of German trenches and although the follow-up waves became lost amidst thick smoke, the two assault companies began to consolidate their position during the night.[18] In the early morning of 5 August, a heavy German counterattack was launched. This was turned back at considerable cost, with the Germans suffering an estimated 100 men killed and 60 men captured. Following this, the battalion sent out patrols into no man's land as reinforcements were brought up. Later during the day their positions were subjected to heavy shellfire from German guns positioned around Thiepval.[19] Although successful, the attack proved costly with the battalion reporting the following casualties: 40 killed, 289 wounded and 67 missing.[20] Afterwards they were relieved by the 48th Battalion and were eventually transferred to Belgium where they were rested in a 'quiet' sector south of Zillebeke.[21]

In early October, the battalion undertook a number of small scale raids on the German line, capturing a number of prisoners, before they were withdrawn from the line on 27 October and transferred back to the Somme where they subsequently took part in two unsuccessful attacks against German positions east of Flers.[6] In January 1917, the 7th Brigade moved into the Le Sars sector where they took over from British units that were holding the line near Mametz.[22] Offensive operations during this time were largely curtailed by bad weather, but on 2 March the battalions of the 5th and 7th Brigades launched a combined attack north of Warlencourt.[22] The initial assault yielded some ground, but the Germans completed a successful outflanking move on the left, which threatened to take the momentum out of the attack. As reinforcements were brought up, the 27th Battalion linked up with the 26th Battalion on its left flank near the Loupart Road and, under the cover of mist, managed to establish a new trench line 500 yards (460 m) long and captured a number of prisoners.[23]

The battalion's next engagement came on 26 March 1917 when they undertook an

Battle of Menin Road, which resulted in success for the Australians.[25] During the battle, they were committed to the fighting as part of the first wave which routed the German forces.[6] Advancing under a cover of artillery and machine gun fire, the battalion captured a section of the German line known as the 'Blue Line' between Polygon Wood and a position known as the Iron Cross Redoubt.[25][26] Later, they successfully took part in the Battle of Broodseinde on 4 October,[6] which was their last major offensive action in 1917.[27]

A soldier from the 27th Battalion in the trenches at Villers-Bretonneux, July 1918

In early 1918, the 7th Brigade was placed in divisional reserve around

Boulogne.[29] In March 1918, the Germans launched their Spring Offensive in an effort to bring about an end to the war. The offensive saw considerable tactical gains, and although the Australian Corps missed the opening phase of the offensive as they were out of line at the time, they were brought up in April to help stem the tide of the German advance.[30] As a part of this effort, the 27th Battalion returned to the battlefields of the Somme, as the 7th Brigade relieved the 13th Brigade around the Somme Canal on the night of 7/8 April.[31] At the end of the month they moved to the Camon–Rivery area. As the German offensive became focused upon Villers–Bretonneux they were called upon to undertake a supporting role to the Australian counterattack,[32] relieving the 6th Brigade around Ville-sur-Ancre following the 6th's assault on the town.[33]

In early June, plans were made for the Australian 2nd Division to attack around

peaceful penetration operations against the German line as the Allies began to prepare to launch their own offensive.[37]

On 8 August 1918, the Allies launched their

Battle of Beaurevoir.[6] During this battle, the battalion attacked around Prospect Hill,[40] suffering 67 casualties.[41] The following night they crossed the Estrees Road and took up position northeast of Estrees to support the 6th Brigade which was attacking positions beyond Beaurevoir.[42]

Following this, the battalions of the Australian Corps were removed from the line for rest on 5 October, after a request from the Australian prime minister, Billy Hughes.[30] They had been severely depleted and were suffering from acute manpower shortages as a result of the combination of a decrease in the number of volunteers from Australia and the decision to grant home leave to men who had served for over four years.[43] Subsequently, when the armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, the Australian Corps had not returned to the front and was still in the rear reorganising and training.[43] With the end of hostilities the demobilisation process began, and men were slowly repatriated back to Australia. The process took a considerable period of time, though, and a large number of men were able to undertake tertiary and vocational training in England and France to prepare for their return to civilian life.[44] Finally, as numbers dwindled, the battalion was disbanded on 4 June 1919.[6]

The battalion suffered 762 men killed or died on active service during the war, as well as a further 2,155 wounded.

Mentions in Despatches (MIDs) and six foreign awards.[6][Note 3] A total of 16 battle honours were awarded to the 27th Battalion for its involvement in the fighting on Gallipoli and the Western Front.[45]

Interwar years

In 1921, the decision was made to perpetuate the battle honours and traditions of the AIF by re-organising the units of the Citizens Force to adopt the numerical designations of their related AIF units.[46][Note 4] The 27th Battalion had been recruited mainly from personnel that had served in the 74th (Boothby) Infantry Regiment, and as a result, on 1 May 1921, the 74th's successor units—the 2nd and 5th Battalions, 27th Regiment—were amalgamated to re-raise the 27th Battalion.[45][47] Through this link, the 27th inherited the battle honour "South Africa 1899–1902".[45] Upon establishment, the battalion formed part of the 3rd Brigade and was based in South Australia where it formed part of the 4th Military District.[48][Note 5]

In 1927, territorial titles were adopted by the units of the Citizens Force,

MacKenzie tartan, after forming an alliance with the Seaforth Highlanders. At the same time it also raised a pipe band.[48]

World War II

Following the outbreak of World War II, due to the provisions of the Defence Act (1903) which precluded deploying the Militia outside of Australian territory, the government decided to raise an all volunteer force for overseas service, known as the

Darwin in northern Australia where it formed part of the garrison force to defend against possible Japanese attack. During this time it was based at Winnellie and took part in building defences in the north.[48]

Later, in December 1942, the 27th Battalion was transferred from the 3rd Brigade to the

Atherton Tablelands in Queensland for jungle training,[48] as the 23rd Brigade—then part of the 3rd Division[54]—was converted to the jungle establishment, in preparation for them undertaking active service in New Guinea.[55] Around this time the battalion was gazetted as an AIF battalion,[45][56] meaning that because more than 65 per cent of its personnel had volunteered for service outside of Australian territory, it could be deployed beyond the limits set out in the Defence Act (1903).[57]

A 27th Battalion mortar team during a training exercise in December 1944

In late May 1944, the 27th Battalion was shipped to

Green Island, in September 1944, relieving the American troops defending Lagoon Airfield. The Americans were subsequently redeployed to the fighting in the Philippines.[48]

In early 1945, the battalion moved to Bougainville to take part in the Australian campaign there. Initially, it was tasked with relieving the 55th/53rd Battalion at Laruma River in the central sector of the island in March. In April, the battalion pressed on to Pearl Ridge where they took over from the 31st/51st Battalion and began to carry out patrols in front of the ridge. Over the course of six weeks, the battalion carried out a number of minor attacks and in the process captured several key features before moving to the northern sector of the island on the Bonis Peninsula around Ratsua where they continued to harass Japanese forces through active patrolling and ambushing. This continued until the end of the war in August 1945.[48]

Following the Japanese surrender, the 27th Battalion ceased operations and was transported to

British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan.[60] Finally, on 1 May 1946, the battalion was disbanded.[48]

The 27th Battalion lost 22 men killed in action or died and 54 wounded during its service in World War II, the majority of these coming in the final weeks of the war.[Note 6] In addition to the normal campaign ribbons, the battalion's personnel also received a number of decorations for distinguished service and bravery, these included: one DSO, one MC, one MM and 16 MIDs. The battalion received one battle honour for its involvement in the war.[48]

Post World War II

In 1948, with demobilisation of Australia's wartime army complete, the decision was made to re-raise the part-time forces of the Militia, albeit with the new name of the Citizens Military Force (CMF), on a reduced establishment.[61] The 27th Battalion was re-raised in May 1948,[56] and was once again assigned to the 3rd Division, attached to the 9th Brigade.[62][63] In 1951, the compulsory training scheme was reintroduced and as a result the size of many CMF units swelled.[64] The song, The Campbells Are Coming, was approved as the battalion's regimental march in 1953.[45] In 1959, the national service scheme was suspended, and as a result numbers dropped once more.[65] Following the introduction of the Pentropic divisional structure in early 1960, the CMF was reorganised and a number of infantry battalions were disbanded or amalgamated together to form six new State-based regiments.[66][67]

As part of these changes, in July 1960 the 27th Battalion was amalgamated with the 43rd/48th Battalion (Hindmarsh Regiment) and 10th Battalion (The Adelaide Rifles) to form the pentropic 1st Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment (1 RSAR),[56] with the 27th Battalion's personnel forming 'A' and 'B' Companies within this organisation.[68][69] The 16 battle honours awarded to the 2nd AIF's 2/27th Battalion, which had served in North Africa, Syria, and New Guinea with the 7th Division were entrusted to the battalion in 1961, through the promulgation of Army Order 135.[45] In 1965, the Australian Army's experiment with the pentropic structure was abandoned and the CMF was once again reorganised with many of the pentropic battalions being split once again to form additional battalions.[70] On 1 July 1965, 1 RSAR was split and the 10th, 27th and 43rd Battalions were reformed in their own right as battalions of the Royal South Australia Regiment.[56][71][72] On 29 November 1987, the 10th and 27th Battalions were linked to form the 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment (10/27 RSAR).[71] This unit continues to exist to this day, maintaining the battle honours and traditions of its predecessor units.[71]

Alliances

The 27th Battalion held the following alliances:[45]

Battle honours

The 27th Battalion was awarded the following battle honours:[45]

In 1961, the battalion – although no longer on the Australian Army's order of battle – was entrusted with the battle honours awarded to the 2/27th Battalion for its service with the 2nd AIF during World War II. The honours it inherited at this time were: North Africa; Syria 1941; The Litani; Sidon; Adlun; Damour; South-West Pacific 1942–1945; Kokoda Trail; Efogi–Menari; Buna–Gona; Gona; Liberation of Australian New Guinea; Ramu Valley; Shaggy Ridge; Borneo 1945; Balikpapan.[45]

Commanding officers

World War I

World War II

  • Lieutenant Colonel Francis Mayfield Best (1 May 1934);[48]
  • Lieutenant Colonel Lindsay Keith Farquhar (6 November 1939);[48]
  • Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Pope (14 April 1942).[48]

Notes

Footnotes
  1. ^ During World War I, the authorised strength of an Australian infantry battalion was 1,023 men. By the start of World War II, it was 910 men all ranks, however, later in the war it fell to 803.[1][2]
  2. ^ The wounded figure includes 86 men who were gassed.[6]
  3. ^ The Australian War Memorial source does not indicate what these foreign awards were specifically.[6]
  4. ^ Upon formation, the units of the 1st AIF were raised from men drawn from the recruitment territory of already established Citizens Force units and as a consequence many 1st AIF units retained links to Citizens Force units from where they drew the majority of the initial intake of personnel.[47]
  5. ^ In 1918, the infantry regiments of the Citizens Force were reorganised so that their numerical designations mirrored those of the AIF. Within these regiments a number of battalions were raised—sometimes as many as five—with the 1st Battalion being the inactive reserve battalion formed from ex-AIF personnel, the 2nd Battalion being the Citizens Force battalion, the 3rd Battalion formed from Senior Cadets and so forth. Consequently, the 74th (Boothby) Infantry Regiment was redesignated the 27th Regiment and raised five battalions.[47]
  6. ^ This includes died of wounds, accident or illness.[48]
  7. ^ These battle honours are currently maintained by the 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment.[71]
Citations
  1. ^ Kuring 2004, p. 47
  2. ^ Palazzo 2004, p. 94
  3. ^ a b Grey 2008, p. 85
  4. ^ a b Grey 2008, p. 98
  5. ^ Gray 1972, p. 22
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "27th Battalion". First World War, 1914–1918 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  7. ^ Mallett, Ross. "Part B: Branches – Infantry Battalions". First AIF Order of Battle 1914–1918. Australian Defence Force Academy. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  8. ^ Bean 1941, p. 806
  9. ^ Morgan 2014, p. 17
  10. ^ Bean 1941, p. 809
  11. ^ "AWM4, 23/44/2 – 27th Battalion War Diary, October 1915" (PDF). Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  12. ^ "AWM4, 23/44/3 – 27th Battalion War Diary, November 1915" (PDF). Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  13. ^ "AWM4, 23/44/4 – 27th Battalion War Diary, December 1915" (PDF). Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  14. ^ Grey 2008, pp. 99–100
  15. ^ Grey 2008, p. 100
  16. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 12
  17. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 13
  18. ^ a b Belham & Denham 2009, pp. 13–14
  19. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 14
  20. ^ "AWM4, 23/44/12 – 27th Battalion War Diary, August 1916" (PDF). Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  21. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, pp. 15–16
  22. ^ a b Belham & Denham 2009, p. 20
  23. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, pp. 20–21
  24. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 22
  25. ^ a b Belham & Denham 2009, p. 29
  26. ^ "AWM4, 23/44/25 – 27th Battalion War Diary, September 1917" (PDF). Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  27. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, pp. 29–31
  28. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, pp. 33–34
  29. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 34
  30. ^ a b Grey 2008, p. 108
  31. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 35
  32. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 36
  33. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 37
  34. ^ Bean 1983, p. 453
  35. ^ Bean 1983, p. 461
  36. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 39
  37. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 40
  38. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, pp. 53–55
  39. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 62
  40. ^ Bean 1942, p. 1017
  41. ^ Bean 1942, p. 1026
  42. ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 64
  43. ^ a b Grey 2008, p. 109
  44. ^ Scott 1941, p. 827
  45. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Festberg 1972, p. 87
  46. ^ Grey 2008, p. 125
  47. ^ a b c d Gray 1972, p. 18
  48. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "27th Battalion (South Australian Scottish Regiment)". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  49. ^ Stanley, Peter. "Broken Lineage: The Australian Army's Heritage of Discontinuity" (PDF). A Century of Service. Army History Unit. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  50. ^ Grey 2008, p. 138
  51. ^ Palazzo 2001, p. 110
  52. ^ Keogh 1965, p. 44
  53. ^ a b Grey 2008, p. 146
  54. ^ Palazzo 2002, p. 144
  55. ^ Palazzo 2001, p. 183
  56. ^ a b c d Gray 1972, p. 19
  57. ^ Grey 2008, p. 183
  58. ^ "AWM52 8/3/65/21 – 27th Battalion War Diary, May – June 1944". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  59. ^ Hasluck 1970, p. 614
  60. ^ Hasluck 1970, p. 615
  61. ^ Grey 2008, p. 200
  62. ^ Palazzo 2001, p. 209
  63. ^ Palazzo 2002, p. 163
  64. ^ Grey 2008, p. 205
  65. ^ Grey 2008, p. 207
  66. ^ Grey 2008, p. 228
  67. ^ Shaw 2010, p. 10
  68. ^ Palazzo 2001, p. 259
  69. ^ Palazzo 2002, p. 172
  70. ^ Grey 2008, p. 239
  71. ^ a b c d "10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment". Digger History. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  72. ^ Shaw 2010, pp. 10–11

References

Further reading

External links

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