Other reasons identified for the concept's limited use include distrust of overhead fire by some commanders, a preference for organic fire support over attached sub-units, over-estimating the difficulty of transporting Vickers guns in the jungle, and a tendency to ignore targets that could not be seen. [42] A long period of relative inactivity subsequently followed as a result of inter-Allied service politics which saw the US Army assume primacy of operations in the Pacific, and indecision about the future role of Australian forces in the Pacific campaign. [2] The relevant companies came from several units assigned to the 1st Division,[3] specifically: the 1st, 13th, 17th, 18th, 20th/19th, and 34th Infantry Battalions. The plaque commemorates those who served in the 2nd / 3rd Australian Machine Gun Battalion during World War Two. A small number of the battalion's personnel returned to Australia and it was subsequently re-raised in mid-1942. The 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion was formed in June 1940 as part of the 7th Division and served in Egypt, Syria, the Netherlands East Indies and New Guinea during World War II. Joined February 1917. The troops had to endure a two-day wait before disembarkation whereupon they were taken to the eastern side of the Suez Canal by lighter and then transferred by train to Kantara. [15] Sailing via Fremantle where 'D' Company rejoined the battalion, they sailed on to Colombo, which was reached in late April, where the troopship put in for repairs and shore leave was given to all battalion personnel. The convoy reached Gourock in Scotland in mid-June. Legacy. The 2nd Machine Gun Battalion was an infantry support unit of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War I as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force.It was one of five such units raised as part of the AIF during the war. [10] Training was completed around Wollongong and Shellharbour, New South Wales. [21] In the aftermath of the campaign, the 2/3rd stayed on as part of the Allied occupation force established in Syria and Lebanon to defend against a possible drive south by Axis forces through the Caucasus. In November 1919, following the end of the First World War, the war-raised battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers were disbanded. Four personnel from the 6th Machine Gun Battalion drowned during the rescue effort. There, fresh orders reached them. 2nd 3rd machine gun battalion POWs My Great Uncle 'Charles Leonard Shea' was the Sergeant Major of this battalion. Lieutenant Colonel Sidney Reed (1942–1944), This page was last edited on 13 January 2021, at 23:35. Similar formations had also been established amongst the Australian Light Horse units serving in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. The online shop will remain open however any orders won't be processed and dispatched until after the 4th January, 2021. [54], In late August, following the conclusion of hostilities the 2/3rd was concentrated at Wewak Point, in the 19th Brigade's area, where final parades were held and education classes commenced to prepare the soldiers for discharge and return to civilian life. The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was raised on 22 August 1942, at Narellan, New South Wales. In early 1942, as the Japanese advanced through the Netherlands East Indies, the majority of the battalion was captured during the Battle of Java. The 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion was formed in June 1940 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Blackburn, VC. [3], The battalion was relieved around Gusap in March 1944, and returned to Dobodura by air. Please note that we are taking some time off over Christmas and New Year from 19th December, 2020 to 3rd January, 2021. During WW2, the task set for Lieutenant-Colonel Terry Farrell, his officers and NCOs was to form, train and prepare for battle a new machine gun battalion. [11][12], Several months later, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion was sent to New Guinea, where the Australians were fighting against the Japanese. [11] At this point, the unit's establishment was completed, as the battalion structure was finalised. Relieving the 7th Machine Gun Battalion,[13] the battalion was attached to the 3rd Division and undertook defensive duties in Port Moresby, mainly located at Ward's Airfield, starting in July. Headquarters was based at Horsham. When they returned from New Guinea they were again based at Wallgrove Army Camp from 12 June 1944 till their disbandment on 1 December 1944.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The units aboard the Orcades (the 2/2nd Pioneers, an engineer field company, an anti-aircraft regiment as well as transport and medical personnel) were ordered to form an ad hoc force along with a squadron from the British 3rd The King's Own Hussars and an artillery battery from the US 131st Field Artillery Regiment. Therefore, most of Australian weapons and equipment during war was imported from either Britain or USA, although many were replaced with locally produced versions later in war. [5], In early April 1941, the battalion, less 'D' Company which travelled west for home leave, entrained at Oakbank, near to Woodside, South Australia where they had moved the previous February. The author served with the 2/2 Machine Gun Battalion during its Desert Campaigns North Africa, New Guinea and was on Tarakan with Brigadier Whitehead's 26th Brigade, which included Don Company of the machine gunners, when the war ended. Each Infantry Brigade had a Machine Gun Company under command. By December, the unit ceased to exist. When the units had been established, the intent had been that the machine gun battalions would provide highly mobile fire support;[57] however, this was largely only applicable in theatres where principles of open warfare could be applied. The plaque location is indicated by the red poppy in the second image. Later, they moved to Semina where they established a camp until shipping became available for the return to Australia. A second armoured car regiment was formed in Sydney in 1939. For the next couple of days, the battalion fought several skirmishes with 'C' Company bearing the brunt of the Japanese attacks, suffering seven killed and 28 wounded, while inflicting about 200 casualties on the Japanese. From there, the battalion travelled overland to Sydney where they embarked upon the SS Ile de France from Pyrmont Wharf, bound for the Middle East, as part of a large convoy of troopships. At the beginning of the Second World War, Australia did not have an extensive manufacturing industry. The 6th Division was subsequently assigned to take over from the US XI Corps around Aitape–Wewak. Lyneham and Gordon had both served in the Militia before the war, with Lyneham serving in the 28th Battalion, The Swan Regiment in Western Australia and Gordon in the 6th Battalion, Royal Melbourne Regiment. The medium machine guns were also largely utilised in the same manner as light machine guns, such as the Bren. [8] In common with the other Australian machine gun battalions, the colours chosen for the battalion's unit colour patch (UCP) were black and gold. The 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion[Note 1] was one of four machine gun battalions that were raised as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) for service overseas during World War II. 1st Australian Divisional Train. 6 MACHINE GUN BATTALION, 2AIF IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2 . In June/July 1941 it saw action against Vichy Fre… Shortly afterwards, they came under air attack from Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zeroes on 22 February, during which one member of the 2/3rd was killed, while six others were wounded. Company Headquarters (2 Officers, 57 Other Ranks) 4 x Platoon. [4][5], Assigned at divisional level, the role of the machine gun battalion was to provide direct fire support in addition to the machine guns that were organic to infantry battalions. Australian Machine Gun Battalions – World War 2. [36][37], In May, the battalion moved to Balcombe on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, where they undertook range shoots, planning exercises and bivouacks. Those who had survived the fighting spent the rest of the war as prisoners. [22], In late 1941, the Japanese entered the war, attacking Pearl Harbor and launching an invasion of Malaya. ), the 1st Line Territorial Force battalions of the regiment wer… The final elements of unit identity were issued at the time: pugarees and colour patches. Others who did not board the Orcades included the battalion's 'B' Echelon, essentially all its vehicles, baggage and heavy weapons, and its maintenance personnel. [26] This force, under Blackburn who was promoted to brigadier, came to be known as "Blackforce",[7] with headquarters being established at Batavia. The Battalions took the number of their Division. The 2/3rd left the village of Fih and moved to a camp at Hill 69, in Palestine, on 14 January 1942. Faced with a threat closer to home, the Australian government pressed for the return of its troops from the Middle East, and so in early 1942 the 7th Division began withdrawing from their garrison posts in Syria and Lebanon. [56] Members of the battalion received the following decorations: one Distinguished Service Order, three Military Crosses, four Military Medals, one British Empire Medal and 21 Mentions in Despatches. [47] Instead, the Australian troops were tasked with relieving the US forces around New Guinea, so that they could be redistributed in the Pacific. [45] The 2/3rd remained at Wondecla until 2 December 1944, when they entrained for Cairns and subsequently boarded the transport Evangeline, a former cruise ship, bound for New Guinea, where they were to undertake their final campaign of the war. Furthermore, it was only partially independent from the United Kingdom (Britain). Ultimately, this never eventuated and Blackforce was ordered to surrender on 9 March 1942 following the Dutch capitulation the day before. 1st Australian Machine Gun Battalion. A Light Aid Detachment of electrical and mechanical engineers was also attached. [17], In the end, this did not eventuate, as the 7th Division was committed to the Syria–Lebanon campaign in early June, to secure the Allied eastern flank from attack. After this, Blackforce began moving towards Soekaboemi on 5 March, as part of efforts to reach Tjilatjap on the southern coast of the island to secure passage back to Australia. They were designated with the same number as the parent Brigade. Conditions around the airfield were highly malarial and the machine gunners were subjected to a number of aerial attacks. [31], Following the Battle of the Java Sea, the Japanese were able to land a force around Banten Bay and Marek, on the western tip of Java, and subsequently began advancing east towards Batavia and Buitenzorg, forcing Blackforce to reorientate itself east of the Tjianten River, to make a stand south of Buitenzorg. [13][14] Within the machine gun companies there were three platoons; these were numbered sequentially starting from 1 to 3 in Headquarters Company through to 13 to 15 in 'D' Company. Platoon Headquarters (1 Officer, 4 Other Ranks) 3 x Rifle Section 1 x Lewis Gun Section. [7] The battalion's commanding officer on establishment was Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Hearne. [5], Developed by the British Army, the concept within the Australian Army had its genesis during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915, when the machine guns assigned to the infantry battalions – initially two and then, later, four – had been grouped together and co-ordinated at brigade level to help compensate for the lack of artillery support. [33] As the Allied defence of the island began to collapse, the machine gunners were ordered to hold up the Japanese around Leuwiliang for a day. A Plaque commemorates those who served with the 2nd / 3rd Australian Machine Gun Battalion during World War Two. 2/3rd Australian Machine-Gun Regiment (Victoria) 2/4th Australian Pioneer Battalion; 9th Australian Divisional Cavalry - From 8th Infantry Division in May 1941; 2/3rd Field Company, RAE - Tasmania/Western Australia/South Australia - From 6th Infantry Division; 2/13th Field Company, RAE - Queensland - Ex 2/1st Field Park Company [48] The campaign that followed was, in the words of author Eustace Keogh, essentially a "mopping up campaign", with the division being tasked with security of the airstrip and base area, and ensuring that contact was maintained with Japanese forces in the area. They remained there until 31 January when they boarded a train which took them to Kantara where they were ferried across the canal to continue the journey to Port Tewfik where the majority of the battalion, totalling 636 personnel of all ranks, boarded the troopship Orcades. Merged into 1st Australian MG Battalion February 1918. These companies were supported by assorted service support soldiers including signallers, stretcher bearers, administration clerks, caterers and quartermasters. Home / Australia / Army / Patches / Colour Patches (World War 2) / Colour Patches - WW2 (Full Size) (Machine Gun and Pioneer Battalions) Please note that we are taking some time off over Christmas and New Year from 19th December, 2020 to 10th January, 2021. Formed in late 1942 from the machine gun companies of several infantry battalions, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion undertook training on the New South Wales south coast before being deployed to New Guinea where they took part in the Markham and Ramu Valley – Finisterre Range campaign, defending the airfield at Gusap, and undertaking patrols. In the ensuing chaos, Dutch engineers blew up the bridge at the Tjianten River. The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was a battalion of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War II. Charlie left us with a substantial collection of diaries, maps and logs of his days under the Japanese. [32] Occupying positions in support of the 2/2nd Pioneers who held the bridge over the Tjianten River, they were alerted to the advancing Japanese by the presence of fifth columnists, who were seen to be laying out marking panels. [28] Due to the presence of a large amount of equipment on the wharf, which had been intended to be sent to Singapore before its fall, Blackforce was able to re-equip itself handsomely with vehicles including carriers and armoured cars, Bren guns, Thompson sub-machine guns and mortars; but there were no machine guns. [23], The Orcades, a fast transport capable of 26 knots, set sail for Colombo before even the battalion's baggage could be brought on board. A short time later, a force of five Japanese light tanks attempted to cross the river, but were rebuffed by anti-tank rifles and small arms. As with the rest of the Australian Army, the outbreak of war in 1939 lead to a dramatic expansion of Australia's armoured force. The battalion was disbanded in January 1946. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Blackburn when it was raised, the battalion was primarily a South Australian unit, although it had sub-units formed in Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia. After completing training in Australia, in April 1941 the battalion embarked for the Middle East. These ships were to follow the Orcades up at its eventual destination, which was at the time, still being kept secret even to the troops on board. At the behest of Brigadier Roy King, commander of the 16th Brigade, the 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion was hastily converted into a standard infantry battalion, which was achieved with a quick issue of rifles, sub-machine guns and mortars. [16] The main element arrived in Townsville in March, but one company was sent to Sydney. The 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion was formed in June 1940 as part of the 7th Division and served in Egypt, Syria, the Netherlands East Indies and New Guinea during World War Two. In addition, a small number of personnel were received from the 2nd and 41st Infantry Battalions. Upon formation, the battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Blackburn,[7] a World War I veteran who had received the Victoria Cross for actions at Pozieres. The single exception was the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion. The battalion subsequently returned in two contingents, both aboard the Katoomba. [6] With an authorised strength of 700 to 800 men, the battalion was equipped with 48 Vickers medium machine guns that were spread between four main companies. The 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion was formed in June 1940 as part of the 7th Division and served in Egypt, Syria, the Netherlands East Indies and New Guinea during World War II. Two of these wounded were later smuggled out of the Indies by medical personnel back to Australia, with one rejoining the battalion there later in the year. Its role during this period was to defend Gusap Airfield,[15] amidst heavy fighting around Shaggy Ridge. The battalion's final action of the war came on 7 August when a patrol killed four Japanese. Meanwhile, following the conclusion of hostilities, the battalion's personnel were slowly transferred to other units or repatriated back to Australia for demobilisation. Along the way, they stopped at Ingleburn, New South Wales where a draft of almost 400 reinforcements was received; the result of this was that in its second incarnation, about half the battalion came from New South Wales, instead of South Australia. By late July, the majority of the battalion moved to Wewak Point, while two companies remained in the vicinity of Mandi–Bandi; operations in the area had killed 59 Japanese, for the loss of four men from 2/3rd killed in action and eight wounded. The militia battalions belonged to the 7th Brigade (9th, 25th and 61st Battalions) in the successful defence of Milne Bay; the 30th Brigade (3rd, 39th and 55th/53rd Battalions) which had fought over the Kokoda Trail and the 14th Brigade (36th and 49th Battalions) which had joined the four AIF Brigades in the attack on Gona and Sanananda. There the battalion undertook a vigorous physical training regime to regain the fitness lost from the sea voyage. An armoured car regiment was formed in 1933 based on the 19th Light Horse Regiment. [34] They would subsequently endure three-and-a-half years in captivity as Japanese prisoners of war, being sent to camps across south-east Asia, including the infamous Thai–Burma Railway. [50] While this took place, 'B' and 'D' Companies were assigned to the 17th Brigade, with whom they undertook a mainly defensive role around Aitape, while accompanying infantry patrols into the interior. NOTE:-In May 1942 an Army Order was issued which inserted ‘Aust’ into all unit names to avoid confusion with US units.Note that this is ‘Aust’ not ‘Australian’. He served alongside Weary Dunlop and survived, to live out his days in Adelaide, passing away at 84 years old. Members of the 2/3rd battalion were captured by the Japanese in Java in 1942. [38] In late June, 'B' Company embarked upon the Dutch vessel, the SS Jansens and deployed to Netherlands New Guinea as part of Merauke Force, remaining there in a defensive capacity until May 1944. In addition, one member was appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and four were appointed as Members of the Order of the British Empire. Formed in February 1918 by merging the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 21st Australian Machine Gun Companies. The Owen was the only entirely Australian-designed and constructed service submachine gun of World War II and was used by the Australian Army from 1943 until the mid-1960s. The battalion remained in Cowra, where they carried out training, for ten months, eventually proceeding north to south-east Queensland in May 1943. [4] At its peak, the 2/3rd was equipped with 124 motor vehicles of various descriptions and 50 motorcycles. Although raised in South Australia, B Company came from Victoria, C Company came from Tasmania and D Company came from Western Australia. [3], Markham and Ramu Valley – Finisterre Range campaign, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=6th_Machine_Gun_Battalion_(Australia)&oldid=1000612482, Military units and formations established in 1942, Military units and formations disestablished in 1944, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 January 2021, at 22:01. When World War II broke out, the decision was made to raise several machine gun battalions within the 2nd AIF, allocated at a rate of one per division. Machine Gun Battalions. They were transported overland from Colac in early January 1942 to Winnellie. Reinforcements arrived from various locations, including the Machine Gun Training Battalion based at Camden, New South Wales, while others came from the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion to provide a cadre of experienced personnel. [lower-alpha 3] On 7 February 1920, following the establishment of the Territorial Army (T.A. Initially, they were camped around Tadji defending the airfield there, but after Christmas, the majority of the battalion – headquarters, headquarters company and two machine gun companies – was assigned to the 19th Brigade as they advanced west along the coast towards the Danmap, switching to providing support to the 16th Brigade in early January as it drove towards Abau; in the open country of the coastal area the machine guns proved quite effective. After the war, the machine gun battalion concept was discontinued in the Australian Army and in the 1920s medium machine gun platoons were added to standard infantry battalions. Gordon later reached the rank of major general. It was structured along the same lines as the other 2nd AIF machine gun battalions, which consisted of between 800 and 900 personnel organised into a headquarters element consisting of three platoons – signals, anti-aircraft and administration[12] – and four machine gun companies, each equipped with 12 Vickers machine guns, to make a total of 48 across the entire battalion. The battalion was transferred to the "tropical war establishment" during this period as part of an Army-wide reorganisation intended to optimise units for jungle warfare. Battalion Headquarters 4 x Company. It also finally began to receive its vehicles and heavy equipment, including its Vickers machine guns as preparations were made for the battalion to join the fighting in the Western Desert. These tasks were to be achieved without large-scale offensive action, due to contingency plans for the division to be re-deployed to the Philippines; in the event this did not occur and the 6th Division remained in Aitape–Wewak for the remainder of the war. Lewis Gun Section: 10 Other Ranks 1 Lewis light-machine gun. The battalion defended a position north-east of Beirut, around Bikfaya, initially but was moved around to various locations including Aleppo, on the Turkish border, throughout the remainder of 1941. Battalions based around the machine gun were established as part of the mobilisation of the British Army in the mid to late 1930s. In Blackburn's stead, the 'D' Company commander, Major Edward Lyneham, was promoted to take over command of the battalion. 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