 The
5th Battalions' have had a long and
distinguished career in the Australian Army
dating back to its formation in 1885 in the
city of Bendigo, as part of Victoria's
colonial military forces. After Federation
in 1901 the military forces were reorganised
and the 5th Infantry Regiment was
established in Melbourne. Following the
outbreak of war in August 1914, the 5th
Battalion was raised in Melbourne as part of
the First Australian Imperial Force.
(Left):
Staff Officers of the Victorian Volunteer
Force.
The
5th Battalion was among the first infantry
units raised for the AIF during the First
World War. Like the 6th, 7th and 8th
Battalions it was recruited from Victoria
and, together with these battalions, formed
the 2nd Brigade.
The battalion was raised within a fortnight
of the declaration of war in August 1914 and
embarked just two months later. After a
brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the
battalion proceeded to Egypt, arriving on 2
December. It later took part in the ANZAC
landing on 25 April 1915, as part of the
second wave. It was led by Lieutenant
Colonel D. S. Wanliss, the officer who had
raised the battalion. Ten days after the
landing the 2nd Brigade was transferred from
ANZAC to Cape Helles to help in the attack
on the village of Krithia. The attack
captured little ground but cost the brigade
almost a third of its strength. The
Victorian battalions' forming the 2nd
Brigade returned to ANZAC to help defend the
beachhead, and in August the 2nd Brigade
fought at the battle of Lone Pine. The
battalion served at ANZAC until the
evacuation in December.
(Right: Diggers in an Australian trench at
ANZAC. One man is using a periscope rifle,
invented by an Australian at Gallipoli,
while another spots for him.)
After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, the
battalion returned to Egypt and, in March
1916, sailed for France and the Western
Front. From then until 1918 the battalion
was heavily involved in operations against
the German Army. The battalion's first major
action in France was at Pozières in the
Somme valley in July 1916. After Pozières
the battalion fought at Ypres in Flanders
then returning to the Somme for winter.
 In
1917, the battalion participated in the
operations that followed-up the German
withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line, and then
returned to Belgium to join the great
offensive launched to the east of Ypres. In
March and April 1918, the battalion helped
to stop the German spring offensive. It
subsequently participated in the great
Allied offensive launched near Amiens on 8
August 1918. The advance by British and
empire troops was the greatest success in a
single day on the Western Front, one that
German General Erich Ludendorff described as
"the black day of the German Army in this
war".
(Above: The ruins of Ypres stands in the
background as Australians move towards a
frontline position on 25 October 1917.)
The battalion continued operations until
late September 1918. At 11 am on 11 November
1918, the guns fell silent. The November
armistice was followed by the peace treaty
of Versailles signed on 28 June 1919.
|
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5th battalion AIF
cloth colour patch |
CASUALTIES
|
In
November 1918 members of the 5th Battalion AIF began
to return to Australia for demobilisation and
discharge.
The 2/5th
Battalion formed in Melbourne on 18
October 1939, as part of the 17th
Brigade of the 6th Australian Division.
The nucleus of the battalion was
assembled in ensuing days at the Royal
Melbourne Showground's, but its first
drafts of recruits were not received
until after it moved to the
newly-established camp at Puckapunyal on
2 November. Basic training was completed
there prior to the battalion's departure
for overseas service on 14 April 1940.
After arriving in the Middle East on 18
May 1940, the battalion undertook
further training in Palestine and Egypt.
The 2/5th took part in its first
campaign - the advance against the
Italians in eastern Libya in January and
February 1941, and participated in
successful attacks at Bardia (3-5
January) and Tobruk (21-22 January). In
early April, the 2/5th, with the rest of
the 6th Division, deployed to Greece
to resist the anticipated German
invasion. For the 2/5th, the Greek
campaign was essentially one long
withdrawal from its initial defensive
positions at Kalabaka (occupied on 14
April) to the port of Kalamata, from
which it was evacuated on 27 April. A
party of approximately 50 transport
drivers were left behind in Greece and
became prisoners. A similar sized group
landed on Crete and, after fighting with
the 17th Brigade Composite Battalion,
also suffered the same fate.
(Above
Right: 2/5 soldiers moving on Bardia 3
January 1941.)
Back in Palestine, the 2/5th was given
little respite. In June and July 1941,
it took part in the campaign in Syria,
including the climactic battle of Damour
(6-10 July) that sealed the defeat of
the Vichy French forces. The battalion
was destined to remain in Syria and
Lebanon as part of the garrison force
there until January 1942. It left the
Middle East, heading for the war against
Japan, on 10 March 1942. The 16th and
17th Brigades, however, were diverted on
the voyage home. From early March to
early July they defended Ceylon
(present-day Sri Lanka) from possible
Japanese attack. The
 2/5th
finally disembarked in Australia, at
Melbourne, on 4 August 1942.
The 2/5th deployed to Milne Bay, in
Papua, in early October 1942 but did not
meet the Japanese in battle until the
end of January 1943, when it joined the
force defending Wau, in New Guinea.
After much desperate fighting, the
Japanese around Wau were defeated in
early February. The 2/5th subsequently
participated in the drive towards
Salamaua and was heavily engaged around
Goodview and Mount Tambu in July and
August. After arriving back in Australia
at Cairns on 23 September 1943, the
2/5th spent most of 1944 training in
northern Queensland.
(Left: Cpl L. Allen carrying a wounded
American Soldier out of the battle on
Mount Tambu.)
On 29 November 1944, the 2/5th
disembarked at Aitape in New Guinea for
its last campaign of the war. It spent
much of the next seven months engaged
mainly in arduous patrolling to clear
the Japanese from the Torricelli and
Prince Alexander mountain ranges. It was
still engaged in this role when the war
ended on 15 August 1945. The battalion
embarked to return to Australia on 1
December and disbanded at Puckapunyal in
early February 1946. It was one of only
two battalions that fought all of
Australia's major enemies during the
Second World War.
|
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2/5th Battalion
AIF colour patch |
CASUALTIES
|
The 2/5th
Battalion was disbanded in 1946 but the
Victorian Scottish Regiment has
continued the unbroken service of the
5th Battalions' since that time.
| 5th Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment |
On the 1st
of March 1965, the 5th Battalion, the
Royal Australian Regiment was raised at
Holsworthy Barracks Liverpool, NSW. It's
first tour of South Vietnam commenced in
March-April 1966 and returned to
Australia April 1967. The Battalion
carried out 18 full scale operations
against NVA Main Force and guerrilla
units. The Battalion lost 25 men killed
in action or died of wounds and 79
wounded in action. In February 1969 the
Battalion returned to South Vietnam. The
Battalion this time conducted many
operations outside of the borders of
Phuoc Tuy Province and over the next 12
months saw the Battalion carry out 17
full scale operations including the
Battle of Binh Ba. The Battalion
returned to Australia in February 1970.
Operations conducted by the Battalion
during its first tour Here and second
tour Here
(Above: A patrol from the 5th Battalion
returning to Nui Dat.)
On the 3rd
of December 2006 saw 5RAR de-linked from
7RAR and became once again a battalion
within its own right within the Royal
Australian Regiment. The De-Linking
Ceremony was conducted at 1 Brigade
Parade Ground, Robertson Barracks
Darwin.
On the 14 February 2007, on a hilltop
overlooking Port Augusta, the Tiger
Battalion re-dedicated itself
to its Colours in a ceremony at Cultana
Field Training Area. CO 5RAR, Lt-Col
Jake Ellwood, said the Colours, which
were originally consecrated and blessed
on October 29, 1967, symbolise the
regiment's important links with its
history, traditions and its soldiers.
"The rededication of the Colours was
perfectly timed as members of the Tiger
Battalion prepare for a deployment on Op
Catalyst," he said.
OBG(W)-3 comprises 5RAR, and elements of
2 Cav Regt, 1CSSB, 1CSR and the
Australian Army Training Team-8, are
training hard in the countdown to their
deployment to Operation Catalyst."
(Right
above: re-dedication of the colours in
the field).
Lt-Col Ellwood said the re-dedication of
the Colours follows the de-linking of
5/7 RAR and the re-raising of 5RAR on
December 3, 2006, after 33 years to the
day as 5/7RAR. The original Colours were
laid up at Kapooka (with 7RAR Colours)
in April 2004.
The ceremony marked a small milestone in
Australian military history, with the
Tiger Battalion being the first unit to
re-dedicate itself to its original
Colours.
"In peace, there
is nothing so becomes a man as modest
stillness and humility; But when the
blast of war blows in our ears, Then
imitate the action of the Tiger. Stiffen
the sinews, summon up the blood,
disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd
rage; Then lend the eye a terrible
aspect."
"William Shakspeare, HENRY V, 111,i";
The above was quoted by the first
commanding officer of 5RAR, Lt-Col P.H.G.
Oxley OBE in March 1965, in the battalion's
auditorium when addressing members of
the newly formed battalion on advising
them of the selection of the Tiger as
mascot.
COMMANDING OFFICERS
 |
 |
 |
 |
Lt Col P. H. G. Oxley
OBE
1 Mar 1965 - 30 Aug 1965
Bio Pending |
Lt Col J. A. Warr DSO
1 Sept 1965-
17 Nov 1967
Bio
»Here |
Lt Col C. Khan DSO AM
27 Nov 1967 -
30 June 1970
Bio
»Here |
Lt Col G. O. Thompson
13 Jul 1970 -
13 Sept 1970
Bio
»Here |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Lt Col J. A. Hooper CBE
14 Sept 1970 -
13 Jan 1972
Bio
»Here |
Lt Col K. E. Newman OA
14 Jan 1972 -
2 Dec 1973
Bio
»Here |
Lt Col J. Ellwood DSC
3 Dec 2006 -
31 Dec 2008
Bio
»Here |
Lt Col D. Huxley
31 Dec 2008 - Current
Bio
»Here |
REGIMENTAL SERGEANT MAJORS
 |
Mar 1965 - Jan 1966 |
|
WO1 F. J. Glynn-Armstrong
|
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Jan 1966 - Oct 1967 |
|
WO1 L. T. Foale |
|
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Oct 1967 - Jan 1968 |
|
WO2 R. R. Burns |
|
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Jan 1968 - Feb 1970 |
|
WO1
C. R. Vagg |
|
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Feb 1970 - Jul 1970 |
|
WO2 R. G. Armitage BEM
|
|
|
Jul 1970 - May 1971 |
|
WO1 R. C. Wormald |
|
|
May 1971 - Dec 1973 |
|
WO1 J. McFadzean |
|
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Dec 2006 - Dec 2007 |
|
WO1 G. Burns |
|
|
Jan 2008 - |
|
WO1 C. Howe |
BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE
|
