49th Battalion (Australia)
49th Battalion | |
---|---|
Active | 1916–1919 1921–1930 1940–1946 1966–1997 |
Country | Australia |
Branch | Australian Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | ~600–1,000 all ranks |
Part of | 13th Brigade, 4th Division 30th Brigade |
Nickname(s) | The Stanley Regiment |
Motto(s) | Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful) |
Colors | Navy Blue over Sky Blue colors_label=Colours |
Engagements | First World War
Second World War |
Insignia | |
Unit colour patch |
The 49th Battalion was an
History
First World War
The 49th Battalion was originally formed on 27 February 1916 as part of an expansion of the all-volunteer
After forming at Tel-el-Kebir, the battalion moved 40 miles (64 km) to the Suez Canal where they undertook a period of training in the desert until early June. At that time, the four AIF infantry divisions that were based in Egypt were transferred to Europe, where they would later be joined by the 3rd Division, which undertook its initial training in Australia before finalising its preparations in the United Kingdom at the end of the year.
The 49th Battalion suffered heavy casualties in making their debut – 14 officers and 417 other ranks killed or wounded
The Australians wintered in Belgium during which time they undertook mainly defensive actions as they held various positions along the line,
After the German offensive was halted, a brief period of lull during which "
According to the Australian War Memorial, throughout the course of the war the 49th Battalion lost 769 men killed and 1,419 men wounded. Members of the unit received the following awards: one
Inter-war years
During the inter-war years, the focus of Australia's defence planning was primarily upon the maintenance of a part-time military force, known as the Citizen Force. During the war years, this force had existed alongside the AIF, albeit largely only on paper. After the demobilisation of the AIF, a process which was only completed in early 1921, the Citizens Force was reorganised to mirror the divisional structure of the AIF, forming five infantry divisions and two cavalry divisions, and the previously existing structures were redesignated to adopt the numerical designations of the AIF units.
Initially, the manpower of the Citizen Forces was maintained through a mixture of voluntary and
Second World War
Throughout the initial stages of the war, the Militia battalions were used primarily to provide training for conscripts who were called up for short periods of continuous service once the scheme was re-established in January 1940. The provisions of the Defence Act prevented them from being sent overseas, though, and the main focus of Australia's combat effort was the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force. The 9th/49th, before it was split, undertook several concentrations in the early months, beginning in February 1940, firstly at Redbank and then later at Chermside.[33] As tensions in the Pacific grew and the possibility of war with Japan became more likely, measures were taken to improve the defences of the islands to Australia's north. A detachment of around 200 soldiers from the 15th Battalion were sent to Port Moresby in the middle of 1940 and in October that year this detachment was transferred to the 49th.[39][40] In March 1941, the rest of the 49th Battalion was dispatched to join the detachment in New Guinea, with a strength of 26 officers and 527 other ranks.[41] At Moresby, the 49th was occupied mainly digging defences and labouring; some training was achieved, although it was largely rudimentary, and a small detachment was also sent to Thursday Island. Later, after the 39th and 53rd Battalions joined them, the 49th was transferred to the 30th Brigade. Boredom amongst the troops was high, though, and discipline described as "the worst ... in Moresby" according to the Australian War Memorial.[33]
The Japanese entered the war in December 1941 and as they advanced south towards Papua, the 49th found itself under air attack. Throughout the Kokoda Track campaign, an attempt was made to fly elements of the battalion to Kokoda to support the 39th Battalion during the Battle of Kokoda, but this proved abortive.[42][43] Later, troops from the 49th Battalion joined Honner Force, an ad hoc unit tasked with conducting long-range patrols along the Goldie River to prevent the Japanese from cutting the track, while the rest of the battalion established standing patrols between the Goldie and Laloki Rivers. Although no contact was made with the Japanese, the combat role helped improve the outlook of the soldiers and morale improved. Throughout the preceding months the battalion's strength had been increased and by September 1942 it had a strength of 37 officers and 818 other ranks,[44] including a draft of 12 officers who had been posted from experienced Second Australian Imperial Force units in August.[45] The battalion continued to expand throughout October and November, by which time more than half its personnel had volunteered to transfer to the AIF. Training opportunities remained limited, though, even as preparations were made to send the unit into battle.[44] Around this time, the battalion's machine gun company was detached and in conjunction with several other Militia machine gun companies, it was used to form the 7th Machine Gun Battalion.[46]
As the tide of the fighting in Papua turned towards the Allies, the 49th Battalion joined the fighting on the northern coast around
For the remainder of the month the 49th remained at the front, but their actions were confined mainly to patrolling, providing fire support to neighbouring units and defensive operations. It had been deployed for nearly two years and many of its personnel were suffering from illnesses such as
Casualties amongst the 49th Battalion are listed on the Australian War Memorial as 97 killed and 111 wounded, the majority of which were suffered during the fighting around Sanananda.[33] Author Fred Cranston, who served with the 49th Battalion during the New Guinea campaign, disagrees with these figures, listing the 49th Battalion's casualties during the fighting around Sanananda as 14 officers and 282 other ranks killed or wounded, and 313 all ranks evacuated sick.[54] Members of the battalion received the following decorations: one DSO, three MCs, one DCM, three MMs and 10 MIDs.[33] For their involvement in the fighting in New Guinea, in 1961 the 49th Battalion was awarded three battle honours.[30] Throughout the majority of their involvement in the New Guinea campaign, the battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Owen Kessels.[55]
Post-war years
After the war, Australia's military was rapidly demobilised and then re-formed with the part-time element, the Citizens Military Force (CMF), being established in 1948.[56] The force was recreated on a reduced scale, though, and there was no room on the order of battle initially for the 49th Battalion. In 1965, conscription was reintroduced in the form of the national service scheme, and this saw an influx of manpower into the CMF.[57] The following year, the 49th Battalion was re-raised as a "special conditions" battalion within the Royal Queensland Regiment,[58][59] catering for the training needs of men who were eligible for call up who elected to serve in the CMF rather than the Regular Army, but who could not parade regularly due to where they lived or what civilian occupation they held.[60][61] The national service scheme ended in December 1972,[62] after which many who had joined the CMF to defer national service took discharges. The immediate effect on the battalion was significant, with its personnel dropping from around 1,000 to approximately 200, but later it was able to rebuild its numbers to the extent that by 1982 it had a strength of 22 officers and 548 other ranks.[63] In 1984–1985, the 49th Battalion was moved from the 7th Brigade, to the 6th, becoming that brigade's third infantry battalion.[64] In 1991, the 49th Battalion became a Ready Reserve battalion, offering Reservists an increased training opportunity over and above normal Reserve service; when the scheme ended in 1997 it was once again amalgamated with the 25th Battalion to become the 25th/49th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, and returned to the 7th Brigade.[65]
Battle honours
The 49th Battalion received the following battle honours:
- First World War:
- Second World War: Sanananda Road.[30]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "49th Battalion". First World War, 1914–1918 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
- ^ Grey 2008, pp. 99–100.
- ^ Roberts 2013, p. 66.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 1.
- ^ "Lieutenant Colonel Francis Maxwell de Flayer Lorenzo, DSO". People. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- ^ Kuring 2004, p. 47.
- ^ Grey 2008, pp. 100–105.
- ^ Cranston 1983, pp. 2–3.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, pp. 119–120.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 11.
- ^ Cranston 1983, pp. 14–18.
- ^ Bean 1941, p. 252.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, pp. 125–126.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 21.
- ^ Bean 1941, pp. 631–632.
- ^ Cranston 1983, pp. 24–25.
- ^ Cranston 1983, pp. 23–28.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, pp. 130–131.
- ^ Cranston 1983, pp. 33–36.
- ^ Baldwin 1962, pp. 126 & 141.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 108.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 141.
- ^ Cranston 1983, pp. 42–44.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 145.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 53.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 55.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 63.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 158.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 109.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Festberg 1972, p. 107.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 125.
- ^ Shaw 2010, p. 9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "49th Battalion (Stanley Regiment)". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
- ^ "Australian Infantry Unit Colour Patches 1921–1949". Digger History. Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 77.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 44.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 78.
- ^ Cranston 1983, pp. 79–81.
- ^ Park 2010, p. 35.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 92.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 129.
- ^ Brune 2004, p. 108.
- ^ Williams 2012, p. 55.
- ^ a b Cranston 1983, pp. 169–171.
- ^ Brune 2004, p. 166.
- ^ Morgan 2019, p. 7.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 260.
- ^ Keogh 1965, pp. 262–263.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 185.
- ^ Cranston 1983, pp. 191–192.
- ^ Dexter 1961, p. 17.
- ^ Cranston 1983, pp. 192–193.
- ^ "2/1st Battalion". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 192.
- ^ "Owen Arthur Kessels". People. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 200.
- ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 145.
- ^ McCarthy 2003, p. 145.
- ^ Palazzo 2001, p. 278.
- ^ "The History of the 25th/49th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment". Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ^ Cranston 1983, pp. 197–199.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 250.
- ^ Cranston 1983, p. 199.
- ^ Belham & Denham 2009, p. 146.
- ^ Belham & Denham 2009, pp. 167–169.
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- OCLC 215762427.
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