The 11th Engineer Regiment (11ER) is an
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
Reserve engineer
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
trained for sapper/
combat engineer
A combat engineer (also called pioneer or sapper) is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, tunnel and mine warfare ta ...
and
construction engineer operations. While 11 ER was formed on 1 January 2014 as a result of recent Australian Army modernisation efforts, 11 ER's lineage is traced back to early Queensland volunteer engineer units as early as 1879. In 1916, 11th Field Company (11 Fd Coy) was formed and during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, this unit was renowned for action during the
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...
and the
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 191 ...
. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, it fought the Japanese during the
Kokoda Track campaign
The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 in what was then the Australian Territory of Papua. It was prima ...
and on
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island (Tok Pisin: ''Bogenvil'') is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. It was previously the main landmass in the German Empire-associated North Solomons. Its land area is ...
. The Regiment's Headquarters is located at
Gallipoli Barracks
Enoggera Barracks (also known as Gallipoli Barracks) is an Australian Army base in the northwestern Brisbane suburb of Enoggera in Queensland, Australia. It was officially established in the early 20th century when the area was used for field ...
in
Brisbane, Queensland
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
with subunits located across Queensland. 11ER is part of
11th Brigade, attached to
Forces Command.
History
Pre World War I
As a Queensland unit, 11th Engineer Regiment traces its history back to 19th century Queensland based volunteer engineer units. In 1879, an engineer unit was formed in Brisbane. In response to international tensions with Russia in 1885, further engineer capability was developed by the
Queensland Defence Force
Until Australia became a Federation of Australia, Federation in 1901, each of the six colonies were responsible for their own defence. From 1788 until 1870 this was done with British regular forces. In all, 24 British infantry regiments served i ...
(QDF) and focused on supporting garrison defences with submarine mining. By 1900, a submarine mining drill shed was built at Alice Street, Brisbane. In 1903, just after the
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Western A ...
and the amalgamation of the previously separate colonial defence forces into one Australian defence force, the Queensland Garrison consisted of No. 5 Field Company, Electric Section and No. 3 Submarine Mining Company. In 1912, after the 1910 Kitchener Review, No. 3 Electric Company Royal Australian Engineers and No 5 FTE Royal Australian Engineers, both Brisbane units, were disbanded.
In 1913, engineer units in Queensland consisted of 15th, 23rd and 32nd Field Companies of the Royal Australian Engineers located in Brisbane, the 1st Eng Royal Australian Engineers at Maryborough and the 2nd Eng Royal Australian Engineers at Ipswich. In October 1915, 23rd and 15th Engineer Companies were accommodated in a newly constructed Engineer's depot at what is now called
Gona Barracks
Gona Barracks is a heritage-listed barracks at 3, 7,12, 25 & 26 Gona Parade, Kelvin Grove, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built from to 1960s. It is also known as Kelvin Grove Military Reserve and Kelvin Grove Training Area. ...
in Kelvin Grove. This two-storey timber building was rectangular in shape, and was constructed to the design of Queensland Public Works Department architects. This building was completed at a cost of just over £1500 and included two wagon sheds and two harness rooms.
World War I
The 11th Engineer Regiment's lineage is linked to the 11th Field Company, Australian Engineers (AE), which consisted of Queensland and South Australian soldiers who concentrated in Mitcham Camp on the 29 April 1916. The 11th Field Company was raised for overseas service with the
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during the First World War. It was formed as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) following Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 15 Aug ...
(AIF) and served with distinction in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
during World War I, where it saw action in the
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...
and the
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 191 ...
before returning to Australia and disbandment in 1919.
In 1921 the Australian government decided to restructure the part-time
Citizens Forces
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen ...
units to replicate the numerical designations and perpetuate the honours of the AIF. As a result, on 1 May 1921, the unit was re-raised as the 7th Field Company of the
1st Division, based in
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
.
World War II
Due to the provisions of the ''Defence Act (1903)'' which precluded deploying the Militia outside of Australian territory, following the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Australian government decided to raise an all volunteer force for overseas service, known as the
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the name given to the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initial ...
(2nd AIF).
[Grey 2008, p. 146.] During this time the units of the Militia undertook brief periods of continuous service to participate in training and other defensive tasks in Australia in an effort to improve the nation's defences in case of war in the Pacific. With Japan's entry into the war following the attacks on
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and
Malaya
Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia:
Political entities
* British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
, the strategic situation worsened and units of the Militia were mobilised for war service. No. 2 Section 2/11 Field Company was deployed to Timor in support of
Sparrow Force
Sparrow Force was a detachment based on the 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion and other Dutch, British, US and Australian 8th Division units during World War II. The force was formed to defend the island of Timor from invasion by the Empire ...
in December 1941. 7 Field Company was called out for full-time service in May 1942 and was eventually gazetted as an Australian Imperial Force unit. The unit served in
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
and fought against the Japanese along the
Kokoda Track
The Kokoda Track or Trail is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs overland – in a straight line – through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The track was the location of the 1942 World War II battle between Japanese ...
and on
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island (Tok Pisin: ''Bogenvil'') is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. It was previously the main landmass in the German Empire-associated North Solomons. Its land area is ...
until the end of the war. 7 Field Company returned to Australia on 3 January 1946 and disbanded once again on 4 February 1946. A second Queensland unit, the 11th Field Company, which had been based at Kelvin Grove and Toowong before the war, also saw active service in New Guinea and Bougainville during this time.
Post World War II
On 1 December 1971, Divisional Engineers reorganised into regiments and 7 Field Squadron became part of the 2nd Field Engineer Regiment (2 FER). 2 FER consisted of 7 Fd Sqn, 2 Field Squadron (2 Fd Sqn), 24 Support Squadron (24 Spt Sqn) and a Workshops. 17 Construction Squadron, on its return from
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
in late 1971, was renamed 17 Field Squadron (17 Fd Sqn) and in mid-1973 was merged with 7 Fd Sqn, 2 FER.
[Greville 2002, pp. 43–44.]
In August 1981, 2 FER became 2/3 FER following the disbandment of 1 FER and the merging of 3 FER. 2/3 FER was based at Enoggera, Queensland and consisted of 1 Field Squadron (Holsworthy), 7 Fd Sqn (Enoggera), 18 Field Squadron (Townsville) and a Workshop. In July 1987, 35 Field Squadron and 11 Field Squadron (11 Fd Sqn—formerly 11th Field Company and ex-5 FER located at Kelvin Grove and Ipswich), was transferred to 2/3 FER.
Following the Force Structure Review in 1991, 2/3 FER was restructured into
1, 2 and
3 Combat Engineer Regiments (CERs) with 2 CER being raised first on 24 November 1991 and remaining at Enoggera as part of 7th Brigade. During the Ready Reserve implementation of the 1990s, 2 CER increased its establishment of
Reserve
Reserve or reserves may refer to:
Places
* Reserve, Kansas, a US city
* Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish
* Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County
* Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...
members. These members were initially concentrated in 7 Combat Engineer Squadron, however by 2003, these reservists were eventually concentrated in 11 Combat Engineer Squadron.
After the implementation of
Plan Beersheba
Plan Beersheba was a significant restructure of the Australian Army, announced in 2011. The process of implementing the organisational changes began in 2014, and was completed in 2017.
Changes to the regular Army
Under Plan Beersheba, the Army's ...
in 2013, 11 Combat Engineering Squadron transferred to the newly titled 11 ER on 1 January 2015. 11 ER now comprises two Combat Engineer Squadrons and a Construction Squadron.
In 2015, 104 Construction Squadron commenced the renovation of the historic Ipswich Training Depot, signaling a symbolic return of military engineering back to Ipswich.
Composition/Location
The regiment consists of the following:
[
*Regimental HQ (Enoggera)
**11 Works Section (Enoggera)
**35 Combat Engineer Squadron (Townsville)
*** 1 Combat Engineer Troop (Townsville)
*** 2 Mobility Support Troop (Townsville)
*** 3 Combat Engineer Troop (Rockhampton)
** 11 Combat Engineer Squadron (Enoggera)
*** 27 Combat Engineer Troop (Enoggera)
*** 28 Combat Engineer Troop (Enoggera)
*** 29 Combat Engineer Troop (Enoggera)
** 104 Construction Squadron (Ipswich)
*** Plant Troop (Greenbank)
*** Construction Troop (Ipswich)
*** Resources Troop (Ipswich)
**11 CIMIC Tactical Support Team (Enoggera)
]
Notes
References
* 11th Engineer Regiment. (2014). ''Regimental Journal 2014''. Brisbane: Department of Defence.
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{{Australian Defence Force
Engineer regiments of Australia
Military units and formations established in 1991
1991 establishments in Australia
Military units in Queensland