Please follow the unit sequence of Navy, Army, Airforce when creating Daily Unit pages
The Royal Australian Navy Beach Commandos were units formed by the RAN during
World War II to go ashore with the first waves of
amphibious assaults, to signpost the beaches, control boat traffic, and communicate with the maritime forces. The RAN's first Beach Commando unit was formed in January 1944 to support the
Australian Army. Four Beach Commandos were eventually formed and they were grouped administratively as the RAN Beach Unit. All four units took part in the Australian-led
Borneo Campaign in 1945 and were disbanded after the war.
The 16th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment (16 RWAR) is an
Australian Army reserve infantry battalion and one of the two battalions of the
Royal Western Australia Regiment. The 16th Battalion was first raised in September 1914. It was landed at
Gallipoli the following year and also saw service in
France. The battalion was disbanded at the end of the war, then re-raised as a Citizen Military Force unit. It amalgamated with the 11th Battalion in 1930. A new 16th Battalion was raised in 1936 as the Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia. This battalion formed part of the garrison of
Darwin in 1943 and took part in the
New Britain Campaign from November 1944 until the end of the war. 16 RWAR currently forms part of the 13th Brigade. RAAF Station Tocumwal was a major
Royal Australian Air Force base during
World War II. Located near the town of
Tocumwal, New South Wales the base was established in early 1942 to provide a secure base for
United States Army Air Forcesheavy bomber units. While the USAAF does not appear to have used the base, it was heavily used by the RAAF and, from 1944, was home to the RAAF's heavy bomber support and operational conversion units including
No. 7 Operational Training Unit. While RAAF Station Tocumwal was closed following World War II the airfield remains in use and is a renowned
gliding site. HMAS Balikpapan (L 126) was the
lead ship of the
Balikpapan class of heavy
landing craft and is currently in service with the
Royal Australian Navy. She was built at
Maryborough, Queensland and was commissioned into the
Australian Army's water transport force in December 1971. She transferred to the RAN in September 1974. HMAS Balikpapan first saw active service in 1999 when she formed part of the
International Force for East Timor and later
UNTAET. She completed several deployments to East Timor between 1999 and 2001 and returned to East Timor in 2006 during
Operation Astute. The vessel was retired from Australian service in 2012 and was transferred to the Philippines.
The Royal Australian Corps of Signals (RASigs) is one of the 'arms' (combat support corps) of the
Australian Army. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems. RASigs traces its history to the torpedo and signals corp formed in
New South Wales and
Victoria in 1869. The Australian Army established a Corps of Signallers in January 1906 and the Corps assumed its current name in January 1925. RASigs units have participated in all the Australian Army's major deployments and signal regiments and squadrons form vital elements of the modern Army.
The
Royal Australian Air Force'sAir Combat Group (ACG) is the air force
group which commands the RAAF's fighter and bomber aircraft. The ACG was formed in February 2002 by merging Tactical Fighter Group with Strike Reconnaissance Group. The ACG comprises
No. 78,
No. 81 and
No. 82 Wings of the RAAF. Since the Group's formation, ACG aircraft have deployed to
Diego Garcia during
Operation Slipper and formed part of the
Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Aircraft from the Group have also performed domestic security tasks and participated in overseas exercises. ACG's headquarters is located at
RAAF Base Williamtown. HMAS Quiberon (G81/F03) was a
Royal Australian NavyQ-classdestroyer. She was built in Britain and was commissioned in July 1942. Quiberon first served on
North Atlantic convoy escort duty and supported the Allied landings in
North Africa in October 1942. From 1943 to 1945 she mainly served on convoy escort duties in the
Indian Ocean. In March 1945 she joined the
British Pacific Fleet. Following the end of the war she served on occupation duties in
Japan and was converted to an anti-submarine frigate between 1950 and 1957. Quiberon performed routine dutines in South East Asian and Australian waters until she paid off to reserve in June 1964 and was sold for scrap in 1972. Fort Queenscliff is an
Australian Army facility located in
Victoria,
Australia. The fort was built between 1882 and 1885 by the colonial government of Victoria and was the headquarters for an extensive chain of forts around
Port Phillip Heads. On orders from Fort Queenscliff, the first British Empire artillery shots of
World War I were fired when a gun at Fort Nepean put a shot across the bow of a
German freighter attempting to escape to sea. The same gun, with a different barrel, also fired the first Australian artillery shot of
World War II. By 1946
coastal artillery was outmoded, and the fort became the home of the Army's
Staff College. After the three Service Staff Colleges were combined in
Canberra, it became the base for Army's Soldier Career Management Agency in 2001. No. 459 Squadron was a
Royal Australian Air Force squadron during
World War II. It was formed in
Egypt in February 1942 under the
Empire Air Training Scheme. The Squadron was initially equipped with
Lockheed Hudson and
Bristol Blenheim aircraft and operated in the maritime reconnaissance role. During 1942 and early 1943 the Squadron operated against German shipping in the Mediterranean. In September 1943 the Squadron temporally changed roles to become a bomber unit. The Squadron was equipped with
Lockheed Venturas from March to July 1944 when it was reequipped with
Martin Baltimore aircraft. No. 459 Squadron continued operating around the Greek islands until March 1945 when it redeployed to the
United Kingdom. No. 459 Squadron was disbanded in April 1945.
The first
HMAS Cessnock (J175/B240/A114) was a
Royal Australian NavyBathurst-classcorvette during World War II. Cessnock was built in Sydney and was commissioned in January 1942. The ship served as an escort in Australian and New Guinean waters during 1942, and primarily escorted convoys travelling between
Townsville and
New Guinea. In December 1942 she was reassigned to the British
Eastern Fleet and operated as an escort in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean during 1943 and 1944. She returned to Australia in January 1945 and became part of the
British Pacific Fleet in February. The ship operated as an escort in the Pacific until the end of the war and was present in
Tokyo Bay on
Victory over Japan Day. HMAS Cessnock paid off in July 1946 and was sold for scrap in April 1947
The 2/48th Battalion was an
infantrybattalion of the
Australian Army which served during the
Second World War. It was raised
Adelaide,
South Australia, in August 1940. Forming part of the
26th Brigade it was initially assigned to the
7th Division, before being transferred to the
9th Division in 1941 when it was deployed to the Middle East. While there, it saw action during the
siege of Tobruk and the
Second Battle of El Alamein before returning to Australia to take part in the fighting against the Japanese in
New Guinea. During the New Guinea campaign, the battalion took part in the advance on
Lae and the fighting around Finschhafen and
Sattelberg. Following this it was withdrawn to Australia, where the it remained for over a year. In mid-1945 the 2/48th Battalion took part in the
landing at Tarakan, which was its final involvement in the war. It was disbanded in October 1945. It is considered to be Australia's most highly decorated unit of the war. Seaplane Squadron was a
Royal Australian Air Force flight training squadron. Seaplane Squadron was formed in February 1934 at
RAAF Base Point Cook as part of No. 1 Flying Training School. The Squadron was equipped with
Supermarine Southamptonflying boats and was responsible for training aircrew to operate seaplanes and supporting the
Royal Australian Navy. The Squadron also frequently conducted survey flights over remote parts of Australia and mapped the Darwin to Sydney section of the British Empire Air Mail route. Seaplane Squadron was disbanded in June 1939.
The first HMAS Huon (D-50) was a
Royal Australian NavyRiver class torpedo boat destroyer. Huon was built in Sydney and was commissioned in December 1915. During
World War IHuon first served with the British Far East Patrol at
Borneo and
Singapore. She later operated in the
Mediterranean as part of the British 5th Destroyer Flotilla. Following the war Huon returned to
Australia in May 1919 and paid off into reserve in August 1920. She was recommissioned from April 1921 to June 1922 and was based at
Hobart for Naval Reserve training from September 1924 to May 1928. HMAS Huon paid off for the final time in June 1928 and was sunk as a target off Sydney in April 1931.
The Volunteer Air Observers Corps (VAOC) was an Australian air defence organisation of
World War II. The VAOC was formed in December 1941 to support the
Royal Australian Air Force by sighting and observing aircraft over
Australia. The VAOC swiftly established observation posts across Australia and provided information to the RAAF's regional air control posts. As the threat to Australia declined the VAOC's role was expanded to include coast watching, assisting
air traffic control and weather reporting. The VAOC was staffed by civilian volunteers and reached a peak strength of 24,000 personnel and 2,656 observation posts in 1944. After the end of the war the VAOC was reduced to a cadre in December 1945 and was disbanded in April 1946.
The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main expeditionary force of the
Australian Army during
World War I. It was formed from August 15, 1914, following
Britain's declaration of war on
Germany. The 1st AIF was a purely
volunteer force for the duration of the war and was gradually expanded to a peak strength of five infantry divisions, most elements of two mounted divisions and various supporting units. The 1st AIF included the
Australian Flying Corps, which was later separated to form the Royal Australian Air Force. Most units of the 1st AIF were disbanded after the war, though some were later reactivated. HMAS Coonawarra is a
Royal Australian Navy base located in the city of
Darwin, Northern Territory. The first naval depot at Darwin was established in January 1935. This base, which was designated HMAS Melville, was gradually expanded and played an important role during
World War II. In 1970 the RAN moved its main base in Darwin to Wireless Transmitting Station Coonawarra which was commissioned as HMAS Coonawarra, though Melville was retained until December 1974 when
Cyclone Tracy destroyed it. HMAS Coonawarra is currently the Navy's main base in
Northern Australia and is home to most elements of the
Australian Patrol Boat Group and several other small warships.
The 105th Medium Battery, Royal Australian Artillery is an
Australian Army artillery battery. The Battery was first raised in March 1916 in Egypt as a part of the 22nd Howitzer Brigade. The Battery saw extensive action on the
Western Front during
World War I and was disbanded in March 1919. The 105th Battery was re-raised in 1921 as a Citizen's Military Force unit but was disbanded in 1940. The Battery was again re-raised in 1955 and was deployed to
Malaya in 1955 and
South Vietnam in 1965 and 1969. The 105th Battery is currently active as a regular unit and is one of three batteries that make up the
1st Field Regiment. No. 1 Operational Training Unit (1OTU) was a
Royal Australian Air Forceoperational training unit of
World War II. 1OTU was formed in December 1941 to train pilots, air observers and wireless operator/air gunners for multi-engine squadrons. The unit was equipped with
Hudson,
Beaufort,
Oxford and
Anson aircraft. While 1OTU was primarily a training unit, it did play an active role in the war, with a detachment from the unit providing air transport in
Papua and other aircraft conducting anti-submarine patrols off the Australian coast. 1OTU was disbanded in December 1945. HMAS Hobart (DDG 39), is the
lead ship of the
Hobart-class air warfare destroyers used by the
Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Based on a Spanish design, the ship was constructed at
ASC's shipyard in
Osborne, South Australia from modules fabricated at different yards. Ordered in 2007, errors and delays in construction caused the ship's commissioning to be delayed until September 2017 after initially being planned for December 2014.
The 3rd Armoured Division was an
Australian Armydivision of
World War II. The division was established in November 1942 by redesignating the 1st Motor Division (which was previously the 1st Cavalry Division). As an armoured formation the division was equipped with
M3 Grant medium tanks and
M3 Stuart light tanks. As large armoured units were not suitable for the
jungle warfare the Army was engaged in, the 3rd Armoured Division was not deployed outside of Australia. The division's
3rd Motor Brigade was gradually disbanded between March to August 1943 and the 3rd Armoured Division was disbanded in Queensland in October 1943 to provide manpower for operational units. RAAF Base Richmond is a
Royal Australian Air Force base located in the north-western fringe of
Sydney. A military flying school was established at the site in August 1916 and RAAF Base Richmond was established in June 1925 as the RAAF's second base. RAAF Base Richmond was an important base during
World War II, with many flying squadrons being formed at the base. Following the war Richmond became home to most of the RAAF's
transport aircraft and has developed into a key logistics hub for the
Australian Defence Force. The Base is currently home to all the RAAF's
C-130 Hercules and
Boeing 707 aircraft, Airlift Group and various non-flying units from other Groups.
The second HMAS Stuart (F 21/DE 48) was a
Royal Australian NavyRiver classfrigate/
destroyer escort. She was built at
Sydney and was commissioned in June 1963. HMAS Stuart was the first RAN ship conduct trials on the
Seacat short range anti-air missile system and the
Ikara anti-submarine missile system. After 16 years of routine service she was extensively modernised in 1979 and was fitted with new sensors and weapons. In January 1984 Stuart became the first major RAN warship to be homeported in Western Australia. HMAS Stuart paid off in July 1991.
The 6th Battalion was an
Australian Army unit which was raised as part of the
First Australian Imperial Force during
World War I. The battalion was completely recruited from
Victoria in August 1914 and formed part of the
1st Division. The 6th Battalion took part in the
Landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915 and remained at
Gallipoli until the evacuation in December. Following this the Battalion served on the
Western Front from March 1916 until the end of the war. During this period the battalion participated in a number of major battles. The Battalion was merged with the
7th Battalion in March 1919 and was later disbanded.
The
Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap (commonly called Pine Gap) is a joint Australian and United States
satellitetracking station near
Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Pine Gap was established in the late 1960s and has grown from the original two antennas to about a dozen and a half in 1999. The number of staff has also increased, from around 400 in the early 1970s, to 600 in the early 1990s and then to an expected 1000 early
this century. The biggest expansion occurred after the end of the
Cold War. Pine Gap has at times been controversial and has attracted a number of protests. HMAS Wagga (J315) was a
Royal Australian NavyBathurst-classcorvette of World War II. She was built in
Sydney and was commissioned in December 1942. During the war she escorted convoys in Australian and New Guinean waters. Following the war she was based at
Hong Kong until October 1945, where she conducted mine sweeping and anti-piracy patrols. While Wagga paid off to reserve in November 1945 she was reactivated as a training ship on several occasions during the 1950s. HMAS Wagga was the last of the RAN's 56 Bathurst class corvettes in seagoing commission when she paid off for the final time in October 1960. Wagga was sold for scrap in March 1962.
The Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) is a
Corps of the
Australian Army. The RAE was formed as The Corps of Engineers in July 1902 by the amalgamation of the various engineer corps of the
States and territories of Australia and assumed its current name in January 1936. RAE units have participated in all the Army's major deployments, including both world wars and numerous peacekeeping missions. The Corps currently provides
combat engineering, construction and other technical support to the
Australian Defence Force. No. 464 Squadron was a
Royal Australian Air Force squadron during
World War II. The Squadron was formed in September 1942 in the
United Kingdom and was equipped with
Lockheed Ventura light bombers. The Squadron conducted raids over France during 1943 and 1944 and was reequipped with superior
de Havilland Mosquito aircraft in July 1943. The Squadron's reputation for highly accurate bombing led it to be selected for
Operation Jericho in February 1944 and a number of other precision attacks on
Gestapo targets. The Squadron continued bombing missions over Europe until the end of the war. No. 464 Squadron was disbanded in
Belgium in September 1945.
The fourth
HMAS Parramatta (FFH 154) is a
Royal Australian NavyAnzac class frigate. Parramatta was built by
Tenix Defence Systems at
Williamstown, Victoria and was commissioned in October 2003. She conducted her first deployment to the
Persian Gulf between November 2005 and April 2006. During this duty period her crew carried out 186 vessel boardings and security patrols. She was also involved in training other vessels in the Iraq Coalition.
The 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment (5/6 RVR) is one of two battalions of the
Royal Victoria Regiment and is an
Australian Army Reserve unit. 5/6 RVR was formed in August 1982 by amalgamating 5 RVR and 6 RVR. 1 RVR was also absorbed into 5/6 RVR in November 1987. 5/6 RVR is located in
Melbourne, Victoria and forms part of the
4th Brigade. Individuals from 5/6 RVR have taken part in most of the recent Australian Army domestic and overseas operations, with the Battalion contributing about 200 soldiers to provide security for the
2000 Summer Olympics in
Sydney. No. 82 Squadron was a
Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. The Squadron was formed in June 1943 and was equipped with
P-40 Kittyhawk fighters. After a lengthy period of training the Squadron deployed to
New Guinea in August 1944. No. 82 Squadron conducted ground attack missions in New Guinea until March 1945 when it moved to
Morotai in the
Netherlands East Indies. From Morotai the Squadron supported the
liberation of Borneo. The Squadron moved to
Labuan island in June and supported the
Australian Army until the end of the war. Following the war No. 82 Squadron formed part of the
British Commonwealth Occupation Force and arrived in Japan in March 1946. No. 82 Squadron performed surveillance patrols over Japan until it was disbanded in October 1948.
The first HMAS Jervis Bay (GT 203) was a
Royal Australian Navy transport and training ship. She was built during the late 1960s as a roll-on, roll-off passenger-cargo ship in
Newcastle, New South Wales and was operated as a ferry in
Bass Strait by the
Australian National Line. The RAN purchased the ship in January 1977 to replace
HMAS Duchess as the fleet training ship and she was commissioned in August. Jervis Bay provided navigation and seamanship training and also provided transport to the
Army as required. Jervis Bay paid off in April 1994 and was sold in December. After ten years in civilian service, the ship was
scrapped.