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2/32nd Battalion (Australia)

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Not to be confused with32nd Battalion (Australia).

2/32nd Battalion
Troops from 'D' Company, 2/32nd Battalion coming ashore at Jesselton, September 1945
Active1940–1946
CountryAustralia
BranchAustralian Army
TypeInfantry
Size~800–900 personnel[Note 1]
Part of25th Brigade,9th Division
24th Brigade,9th Division
EngagementsWorld War II
Insignia
Unit colour patch
(1940–1942)
(1942–1946)

The2/32nd Battalionwas aninfantrybattalionof theAustralian Army,which served during theSecond World War.Formed in June 1940 from surplus Australian troops who had been sent to the United Kingdom shortly after theFall of France,the battalion was originally designated the "71st Battalion", before being redesignated. After completing training in theUnited Kingdom,the 2/32nd served inNorth Africain 1941–1942 as part of the25th Brigade,which was assigned to the9th Division,before being assigned to the24th Brigade.In early 1943, the battalion returned to Australia and later took part in campaigns against the Japanese inNew Guineain 1943–1944 aroundLaeand on theHuon Peninsula,and inBorneo,landing on Labuanin mid-1945, before being disbanded in 1946.

History

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Initially designated the 71st Battalion,[2]the unit was raised in theUnited Kingdomin June 1940, as part of the25th Brigade,which was formed from Australian troops that had beensent to the countryto help bolster the garrison after theFall of France.Understrength upon formation, the battalion consisted of only three riflecompaniesat the outset, rather than the usual four, and drew personnel from infantry reinforcements and surplus support corps troops.[3]Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alonzo Sparkes, individual and collective training was completed atTidworth BarracksandColchester,and by October 1940, the battalion was redesignated as the 2/32nd Battalion,[Note 2]to bring them into line with the other units of theSecond Australian Imperial Force.At the time, along with the troops of the18th Brigade,they were tasked with responding in the event of a cross-Channel invasion.[3]

The circumstances of the battalion's establishment overseas resulted in the unique situation of the battalion's personnel being issued two differentunit colour patches.Personnel who were in the United Kingdom at the end of 1940 were issued with a circular UCP consisting of purple over red, with a border of grey. However, this UCP was issued without reference to Army Headquarters in Australia, who issued battalion reinforcements in Australia with a UCP consisting of an upright white and yellow rectangle inside a grey circle: this was intended to link the battalion to the32nd Battalion,which had served during the First World War. Upon arrival at the unit, though, these patches were replaced with the purple and red patches.[5]The battalion received a third UCP, following the unit's involvement in the fighting atTobruk,when the 9th Division units adopted a T-shaped UCP.[6]

The feared invasion of the United Kingdom never eventuated, and by early 1941, the two Australian infantry brigades that had been sent to the United Kingdom were transferred to the Middle East.[3]Arriving there in March 1941, the 2/32nd Battalion, along with the rest of the 25th Brigade, joined the9th Division.A fourth company was raised while the battalion completed further training inPalestineand then, in April, the battalion joined the fighting in theWestern Desert.After the Allies were pushed back toTobruk,the 2/32nd Battalion was moved forward by train toMersa Matruh,and then by ship to the encircled port of Tobruk. By May, they were firmly established and around this time, the battalion was transferred to the24th Brigade,joining its other two battalions in thedefence of the port.They remained there, conducting patrols and manning the line, until 23 September 1941, when the majority of the Australian garrison was withdrawn by sea. The 2/32nd subsequently served in Palestine and Lebanon until July 1942 when the 9th Division was called upon to help stem the tide of the German and Italian advance around El Alamein; throughout the remainder of the year, the battalion took part in theFirstandSecond Battles of El Alamein.[3]

In December 1942, the battalion was withdrawn back toGaza,where the 9th Division concentrated prior to departure from the Middle East; the Japanese had entered the war in the Pacific the previous year, and the Australian government had requested that their troops be returned as they were needed for the fighting inNew Guinea.After a parade at Gaza in December, the 9th Division departed the Middle East in January 1943, arriving back in Australia the following month.[3]

A period of reorganisation followed, during which time the battalion was converted to thejungle divisional establishment,before being committed to the fighting for the first time in the Pacific in September 1943, when they were assigned to captureLae,during the final stages of theSalamaua–Lae campaign.After conducting an amphibious landing north-west of the town, the battalion's involvement in the fighting was limited as it was held back as part of the divisional reserve throughout the operation and Lae was captured sooner than expected. The battalion's next campaign followed only a few weeks later, when the operations to secure theHuon Peninsulawere launched, with the 24th Brigade landing at Finchhafen in late September. Throughout the following months, the 2/32nd was involved in the fighting around the landing beaches and then the advance inland. It was heavily involved in the fighting around Pabu, where over 195 Japanese were killed before the Australians continued the advance into the Christmas Hills in December 1943. The battalion's campaign ended in February 1944, when it was withdrawn back to Australia for rest.[3]

2/32nd Battalion stores being transported by jeep on Borneo, July 1945

A long period of training followed on theAtherton Tablelands,as inter-Allied politics resulted in limited opportunities for the employment of Australian troops throughout 1944 and into 1945. As a result, it was not until mid-1945 that the 2/32nd went into battle again. TheBorneo campaignultimately proved to be their final involvement in the war. During the initial operations tocapture Labuan,the battalion remained in reserve, and only came ashore on 12 June.[7]The battalion was transported from Labuan to Padas Bay four days, on 16 June, via landing craft, and following this took part in capturingWestonthe next day.[8][9]The 2/32nd subsequently patrolled towards Beaufort, carrying out anattack on the townin concert with the2/43rd Battalionon 26 June, to secure the Weston–Beaufort railway line.[10]Throughout early July the battalion advanced towards Papar. The main advance was made along the railway line with a flanking move being provided by one company that conducted an amphibious landing to the south; after these moves, the town was subsequently taken on 12 July 1945.[3]

Following the end of hostilities in August, the 2/32nd's personnel were repatriated to Australia in drafts for demobilisation or transfer to other units for further service. The remaining personnel were transported back to Australian as a cadre in January 1946, at which time the 2/32nd was disbanded.[3]During its service, a total of 2,916 men served with the battalion[11]of whom 214 were killed, 567 wounded and 225 captured. Members of the 2/32nd received the following decorations: threeDistinguished Service Orders,fourMilitary Crosses,fourDistinguished Conduct Medals,16Military Medals,and 42Mentions in Despatches;in addition, three members of the battalion were appointed asOfficers of the Order of the British Empire.[3]

Battle honours

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The 2/32nd Battalion received the followingbattle honours:

  • North Africa 1941–42, Defence of Tobruk, Defence of Alamein Line, El Alamein, South-West Pacific 1943–45, Finschhafen, Defence of Scarlet Beach, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Borneo, Lae–Nadzab, Beaufort, Tell el Makh Khad, Sanyet el Miteirya and Pabu.[3]

In 1961, these battle honours were entrusted to the 32nd Battalion, and through that link are now maintained by theRoyal Victoria Regiment.[12]

Commanding officers

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The following officers served ascommanding officerof the 2/32nd:[3][13]

  • Lieutenant Colonel Alonzo Sydney Clive Sparkes (1940–1941);
  • Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Keith Anderson (1941);
  • Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Mayo Conroy (1941–1942);
  • Lieutenant ColonelDavid Adie Whitehead(1942).
  • Lieutenant Colonel John Walter Balfe (1942); and
  • Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Henry Scott (1942–1945).

Notes

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Footnotes
  1. ^By the start of World War II, the authorised strength of an Australian infantry battalion was 910 men all ranks, however, later in the war it fell to 803.[1]
  2. ^The numerical designation of 2nd AIF units was prefixed by "2/", which was used to set them apart from Militia units with corresponding numerical designations.[4]
Citations
  1. ^Palazzo 2004,p. 94.
  2. ^Festberg 1972,p. 118.
  3. ^abcdefghijk"2/32nd Battalion".Second World War, 1939–1945 units.Australian War Memorial. Archived fromthe originalon 7 April 2012.Retrieved17 July2012.
  4. ^Long 1952,p. 51.
  5. ^"Colour Patches: Infantry Battalions of the Second Australian Imperial Force".Digger History.Archived fromthe originalon 12 July 2007.Retrieved4 January2016.
  6. ^Long 1952,pp. 321–323.
  7. ^Long 1963,p. 472.
  8. ^Coulthard-Clark 2001,p. 252.
  9. ^Long 1963,p. 475.
  10. ^Dennis 1995,p. 114.
  11. ^Johnston 2002,p. 247.
  12. ^Festberg 1972,pp. 29 & 92.
  13. ^Johnston 2002,p. xv.

References

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Further reading

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  • Trigellis-Smith, Syd (1993).Britain to Borneo: A History of the 2/32 Australian Infantry Battalion.2/32 Australian Infantry Battalion Association.ISBN978-0-646-13407-9.
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