55th/53rd Battalion (Australia)
| 55th/53rd Battalion | |
|---|---|
 Walking wounded from the 55th/53rd Battalion after an attack on 7 December 1942 around Sanananda | |
| Active | 1919 1937–41 1942–46 |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | ~800–900 men all ranks[Note 1] |
| Part of | 30th Brigade 14th Brigade 11th Brigade |
| Nickname(s) | New South Wales Rifle/West Sydney Regiment |
| Colours | Brown beside green |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Insignia | |
Unit colour patch |  |
The 55th/53rd Battalion was an
History
The 55th/53rd Battalion was formed briefly in 1919 in Belgium following the cessation of hostilities through the amalgamation of the 55th and 53rd Battalions as men were transferred out of these units as part of the demobilisation of the Australian Imperial Force. As this process reached completion, however, the battalion was disbanded shortly afterwards.[2] In 1921, both the 55th and 53rd Battalions were re-raised as part of the Citizen Forces, in the Sydney,[3][4] region part of a reorganisation of Australia's part-time military forces.[5]
The economic hardships of the 1930s and the suspension of the compulsory training scheme meant that training opportunities were limited during this time and there were few volunteers. As a result, a number of battalions were amalgamated as numbers dropped.[6] The 55th and 53rd remained on the order of battle as separate units until 1937 when they were amalgamated once more, adopting the combined territorial designation of the "New South Wales Rifle/West Sydney Regiment".[7]
Following the outbreak of
In early December 1942, the 55th/53rd were sent to the Sanananda Track, having marched from Popondetta. On 7 December the battalion dispatched a single company, 'B' Company, to launch a diversionary attack, while the rest of the battalion supported the 49th Battalion's attack at Sanananda. Coming up against strong defensive positions, the Australians were beaten back and the 55th/53rd suffered 130 casualties. For the next week they probed the Japanese perimeter before launching a second attack on 19 December, which saw them suffer a further 108 casualties.[7] Further probes were undertaken until 26 December when the 55th/53rd – now a part of the 14th Brigade[8] – followed up an unsuccessful attack by the 36th Battalion. Early the following month, the battalion was moved back to Gona, where they remained until they were returned to Australia in March 1943 on the troopship Duntroon.[7]
Landing in
Following the end of hostilities in August 1945 they undertook garrison duties in
Battle honours
The 55th/53rd Battalion received four
- Sanananda Road, Liberation of Australian New Guinea.[7]
Notes
- Footnotes
- ^ By the start of World War II, the authorised strength of an Australian infantry battalion it was 910 men all ranks. However, following the adoption of the Jungle divisional organisation, it dropped to 803.[1]
- ^ Essentially this meant that because more than 65% of its establishment volunteered for overseas service, the battalion could be sent to fight anywhere, rather than just within the definition of Australian territory set out in the Defence Act 1903.[9]
- Citations
- ^ Palazzo 2004, p. 94.
- ^ "53rd Battalion". First World War, 1914–1918 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
- ^ "53rd Battalion (West Sydney Regiment)". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
- ^ "55th Battalion (New South Wales Rifle Regiment)". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 125
- ^ Keogh 1965, pp. 43–44.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "55th/53rd Battalion (New South Wales Rifle/West Sydney Regiment)". Second World War, 1939–1945 units, World War II. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 14 September 2009.
- ^ McCarthy 1959, p. 512.
- ^ a b Johnston 2007, p. 9.
References
- ISBN 978-0-521-69791-0.
- Johnston, Mark (2007). The Australian Army in World War II. Elite 153. Botley, Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-123-6.
- OCLC 7185705.
- McCarthy, Dudley (1959). South-West Pacific Area – First Year. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army. Vol. 5. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 3134247.
- Palazzo, Albert (2004). "Organising for Jungle Warfare". In Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey (eds.). The Foundations of Victory: The Pacific War 1943–1944. Canberra: Army History Unit. ISBN 978-0-646-43590-9. Archived from the originalon 9 March 2016.