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Difference between revisions of "16th Australian Infantry Battalion (Cameron Highlanders Regiment)"

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==Brief History==
 
==Brief History==
The 16th Battalion was originally raised in September 1914. It landed at Gallipoli the following year, and also saw service in France. The battalion was disbanded at the end of the war.
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The 16th Battalion was originally raised in September 1914. It landed at Gallipoli the following year, and also saw service in France. The battalion was disbanded at the end of the war. Following the end of WW 1, Australia's defence was conducted by the part time soldiers of the Citizens Military Force (Militia). It was re-raised as a Citizen Military Force unit, and amalgamated with the 11th Battalion in 1930. Organised to mimic the 1st AIF in structure and name, in 1936 the 16th Battalion became the Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia. Together with the 11th and 28th Battalions it formed the 13th Brigade, a part of the 4th Division and during WW 2 it was mobilised for war service , and gazetted as an AIF battalion. During the early war years, it formed part of the garrison of Western Australia, before moving north to Darwin in 1943.  
  
  
It was re-raised as a Citizen Military Force unit, and amalgamated with the 11th Battalion in 1930. A new 16th Battalion was raised in 1936 as the Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia, and mobilised for war service , gazette as an AIF battalion. During the early war years, it formed part of the garrison of Western Australia, before moving north to Darwin in 1943.
 
  
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In late 1944, the 13th Brigade, of which it was part, was reassigned to the 5th Division and subsequently took part in the New Britain Campaign from November 1944 until the end of the war. The campaign was limited to containing the larger Japanese force, and the battalion's involvement was focused primarily around undertaking long range patrols. They did not carry out a major offensive against the Japanese, seeking instead to confine them to Rabaul and the Gazelle Peninsula. They were based in the Bulus district and patrolled the peninsula closure daily. At the end of the war the battalion, along with the rest of the 13th Brigade moved to Rabaul to supervise the Japanese prisoners before returning to Australia in January 1946. In February 1946 the battalion was disbanded at Puckapunyal. One member of the battalion was missing in action in New Britain. One member of the Australian Army Medical Corps attached to the battalion was Mentioned in Despatches, and one died from injuries received in New Britain.
  
In late 1944, the 13th Brigade, of which it was part, was reassigned to the 5th Division and subsequently took part in the New Britain Campaign from November 1944 until the end of the war. The campaign was limited to containing the larger Japanese force, and the battalion's involvement was focused primarily around undertaking long range patrols. Only limited combat occurred before the end of the war, and the battalion's casualties were light, amounting to 10 killed and 14 wounded. After undertaking garrison duties at Rabaul, the battalion returned to Australia in early 1946 and was disbanded in February at Puckapunyal.
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===Battalion Personnel===
 
 
===Battalion personnel===
 
 
* † [[Leslie John (Jock) Powell DFC]] April 1938- November 1940 to RAAF
 
* † [[Leslie John (Jock) Powell DFC]] April 1938- November 1940 to RAAF
 
* [[Colin Lindsay Ottaway DFC]] 16 Dec 1940 - 17 Jan 1942 - to RAAF
 
* [[Colin Lindsay Ottaway DFC]] 16 Dec 1940 - 17 Jan 1942 - to RAAF
 
* † [[Vernon Harold Minchin]] 6 Mar 1941 - 30 Oct 1942 - to RAAF
 
* † [[Vernon Harold Minchin]] 6 Mar 1941 - 30 Oct 1942 - to RAAF
* [[Douglas George Edgar Alexander]]
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* [[Douglas George Edgar Alexander]] 12 Dec 1942 - 19 Jul 1945
* [[Herbert Andrew Thomas Alexander]]
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* [[Barry Martin Keeley]] 12 - 19 Dec 1942
* [[Robert Neil Anderson]]
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* [[Herbert Andrew Thomas Alexander]] 28 Dec 1942 - 19 Jul 1945
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* [[Robert Neil Anderson]] 30 Apr 1940 - 2 Jan 1946
 
* [[Noel Aubrey Brown]] 19 Sep 1941 - 17 Apr 1944
 
* [[Noel Aubrey Brown]] 19 Sep 1941 - 17 Apr 1944
* [[Keith James Buckingham]]
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* [[Keith James Buckingham]] 6 Mar 1941 - 27 Mar 1944
 
* [[Maxwell John Buckingham]]
 
* [[Maxwell John Buckingham]]
 
* [[Raymond Ernest Buckingham]] to RAAF
 
* [[Raymond Ernest Buckingham]] to RAAF
 
* [[Herbert Bunney]] 16 Feb 1940 - 8 Feb 1946
 
* [[Herbert Bunney]] 16 Feb 1940 - 8 Feb 1946
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* [[Jack David Bunney]] 7 Jul 1941 - 19 Nov 1943
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* † [[Raymond Edward Norton Butcher]] ?? - Apr 1941 to RAAF
 
* [[Herbert Patrick Carter]] 18 Feb 1944 - 28 May 1945
 
* [[Herbert Patrick Carter]] 18 Feb 1944 - 28 May 1945
* [[Richard Noel Craigie]] 6 Nar 1941 - 9 Dec 1943
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* [[Richard Noel Craigie]] 6 Mar 1941 - 9 Dec 1943
 
* [[Roy William Davey]] 24 Jul 1942 - ????
 
* [[Roy William Davey]] 24 Jul 1942 - ????
* [[Harold Frank Davy]] 6 Mar 1941 - 6 Jan 1944
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* [[Harold Frank Davy]] 6 Mar 1941 - 19 Dec 1943
 
* [[Norman Lenard (Bob) Dunnell]] 6 Mar - 27 Nov 1941  
 
* [[Norman Lenard (Bob) Dunnell]] 6 Mar - 27 Nov 1941  
* [[Cecil Sydney Fahey]]
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* [[Cecil Sydney Fahey]] 6 Mar 1941 - 1 Jun 1945
 
* [[Jack Raymond Fuller]]
 
* [[Jack Raymond Fuller]]
* [[Alfred James Gregory]] ??? - 27 Nov 1945
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* [[Alfred James Gregory]] 31 Oct 1942 - 27 Nov 1945
 
* [[Thomas Robert Halliday]] 6 Mar 1941 - 15 Jan 1942
 
* [[Thomas Robert Halliday]] 6 Mar 1941 - 15 Jan 1942
* [[John Milton Hand]]
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* [[John Milton Hand]] 2 Dec 1940 - 4 Jul 1945
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* [[Arthur Gordon Hubbard]] 12 Dec 1942 - 15 Apr 1943
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* [[Harold Stanley Jenkins]] 19 Feb - 15 Oct 1941
 
* [[Maxwell Robert Joyner]] 21 Nov 1940 - Oct 1942
 
* [[Maxwell Robert Joyner]] 21 Nov 1940 - Oct 1942
 
* [[Mervyn Maitland]] 24 Sep 1941 - 22 Jan 1942
 
* [[Mervyn Maitland]] 24 Sep 1941 - 22 Jan 1942
* [[Charles Kenneth Neilson]]
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* [[Arthur McVeigh]] 10 Sep 1941 - 223 Dec 1941
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* [[Charles Kenneth Neilson]] 6 Mar 1941 - 13 jan 1946
 
* [[Thomas Donald Neilson]] 6 Mar 1941 - 23 Jul 1943
 
* [[Thomas Donald Neilson]] 6 Mar 1941 - 23 Jul 1943
* [[Gordon Charles Page]]
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* [[Colin Lindsay Ottaway DFC]] 16 Dec 1940 - 17 Jan 1942
8 [[Leslie John (Jock) Powell DFC]] - to RAAF
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* [[Gordon Charles Page]] 6 Mar 1941 - 24 Jan 1944
* [[Oliver Benson Sharpe]]
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* [[Leslie John (Jock) Powell DFC]] - to RAAF
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* [[Oliver Benson Sharpe]] 17 Jul 1941 - 21 Nov 1944
  
 
===Battle Honours===
 
===Battle Honours===
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===Individual Honours===
 
===Individual Honours===
  
 
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1 x Mentioned in  Despatches
 
====Notes====
 
====Notes====
  

Latest revision as of 20:17, 7 December 2023

16 Battalion.jpg
16th Cameron Highlanders.jpg
c 1937
16th Cameron Highlanders 1.jpg
Marching east on St Georges Terrace - note Barracks in rear.


Brief History

The 16th Battalion was originally raised in September 1914. It landed at Gallipoli the following year, and also saw service in France. The battalion was disbanded at the end of the war. Following the end of WW 1, Australia's defence was conducted by the part time soldiers of the Citizens Military Force (Militia). It was re-raised as a Citizen Military Force unit, and amalgamated with the 11th Battalion in 1930. Organised to mimic the 1st AIF in structure and name, in 1936 the 16th Battalion became the Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia. Together with the 11th and 28th Battalions it formed the 13th Brigade, a part of the 4th Division and during WW 2 it was mobilised for war service , and gazetted as an AIF battalion. During the early war years, it formed part of the garrison of Western Australia, before moving north to Darwin in 1943.


In late 1944, the 13th Brigade, of which it was part, was reassigned to the 5th Division and subsequently took part in the New Britain Campaign from November 1944 until the end of the war. The campaign was limited to containing the larger Japanese force, and the battalion's involvement was focused primarily around undertaking long range patrols. They did not carry out a major offensive against the Japanese, seeking instead to confine them to Rabaul and the Gazelle Peninsula. They were based in the Bulus district and patrolled the peninsula closure daily. At the end of the war the battalion, along with the rest of the 13th Brigade moved to Rabaul to supervise the Japanese prisoners before returning to Australia in January 1946. In February 1946 the battalion was disbanded at Puckapunyal. One member of the battalion was missing in action in New Britain. One member of the Australian Army Medical Corps attached to the battalion was Mentioned in Despatches, and one died from injuries received in New Britain.

Battalion Personnel

Battle Honours

  • Waitavolo

Individual Honours

1 x Mentioned in Despatches

Notes


External Links