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16th Australian Infantry Battalion (Cameron Highlanders Regiment)

From Our Contribution

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


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