The 7th Battalion was an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
of the
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 ...
. Raised in 1914 as part of the
Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, the battalion was completely recruited from the state of
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
and formed the
2nd Brigade,
1st Division. The battalion served during the
Gallipoli campaign where it had the distinction of having four of its members awarded the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
. In 1916, it was transferred to Europe, fighting in the trenches along the
Western Front for the next two and a half years.
Although disbanded in 1919 following the end of hostilities, it was re-raised in 1921 in the
Citizens Force (later known as the Militia) as a part-time infantry battalion based in Victoria. However, due to lack of funding following the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
and a shortage of manpower following the suspension of the
compulsory training scheme in 1929, the battalion was amalgamated with the
38th Battalion as the 7th/38th Battalion, although it was delinked again in 1936 when the Army was expanded due to rising tensions in Europe.
During the Second World War, the 7th Battalion served primarily in a garrison role, firstly being used to defend the Australian mainland before deploying late in the war to take part in the
Bougainville campaign
The Bougainville campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan, named after the island of Bougainville. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied ...
in 1944–1945. On Bougainville, as part of the
23rd Brigade, they took part in the fighting in the central sector of the island in the last months of the war. Following the end of hostilities, the battalion was once again used in the garrison role before being returned to Australia and disbanding in early 1946.
In 1948, the battalion was re-raised as an amalgamated unit with the
8th Battalion when the Citizens Military Force was reformed. Today, it exists as the
8th/7th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment
The 8th/7th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment (8/7 RVR) is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It is one of two battalions that make up the Royal Victoria Regiment (RVR), with its sister unit being 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria R ...
.
History
First World War
Formation
Following the outbreak of the First World War, the Australian government decided to raise an all volunteer force for overseas service due to the provisions of the ''Defence Act (1903)'' which precluded sending the Militia outside of Australian territory to fight. While this force would draw from the military forces that already existed—the part-time
Citizens Force and the Permanent Military Force—it would be largely be made up from recruits not currently serving. Known as the
Australian Imperial Force (AIF), initially it was to consist of 20,000 men, comprising one infantry
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
and a
light horse brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
. Recruitment for the first intake began on 10 August 1914, and the 7th Battalion was among the first units raised, forming less than a fortnight after the declaration of war.
Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
Harold Elliot, the battalion was brigaded with the
5th,
6th and
8th Battalions to form the
2nd Brigade under Brigadier
James Whiteside McCay
Lieutenant General Sir James Whiteside McCay, (21 December 1864 – 1 October 1930), who often spelt his surname M'Cay, was an Australian general and politician.
A graduate of the University of Melbourne, where he earned Master of Arts an ...
. Elliott took personal control over the recruitment process, selecting only those officers that he had known from his service in the Citizens Forces as his company commanders, who he in turn entrusted with choosing their own subordinates. Recruitment was conducted over a period of three weeks and by the end of the period the process had been so successful that the battalion was over establishment. Initially, the battalion was organised into eight
companies
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...
, designated 'A' to 'H', while recruitment and initial training was undertaken at
Broadmeadows
Broadmeadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hume local government area. Broadmeadows recorded a population of 12,524 at the 2021 census.
Broadmeadow ...
, however, this was later reduced to the new British standard four companies of double the size, designated 'A' to 'D'.
Gallipoli
In September the battalion marched through the city of Melbourne and a fortnight later they embarked upon HMT ''Hororata'' bound for the Middle East. They arrived in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
on 2 December 1914
after which they undertook further training before being called to undertake defensive duties along the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
following the failed Turkish
First Suez Offensive
The Raid on the Suez Canal, also known as Actions on the Suez Canal, took place between 26 January and 4 February 1915 when a German Empire, German-led Ottoman Army force advanced from Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem, Southern Palestine to attack the ...
in February 1915. However the battalion did not take part in direct combat, and during this time a number of its
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
s were allowed to apply for
commissions in British Army units.
In early April the battalion was moved to
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
and from there on to
Lemnos Island
Lemnos or Limnos ( el, Λήμνος; grc, Λῆμνος) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos (regional unit), Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the Nor ...
. On the morning of 25 April 1915, the battalion took part in the
Landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915, also known as the landing at Gaba Tepe and, to the Turks, as the Arıburnu Battle, was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by the forces of the British Empire, which ...
, coming ashore as part of the second wave. Over the course of the first week the battalion was involved in establishing the beachhead and suffered heavily, losing five officers and 179 men killed or died of wounds. This was higher than any other subsequent battle that the battalion fought during the war.
On 29 April, the 2nd Brigade was relieved by the
12th (Deal) Battalion and in early May the battalion was able to reorganise itself after its baptism of fire. The respite did not last long, however, for only ten days after the landing at
Anzac Cove, the 2nd Brigade was transferred to
Cape Helles
Cape Helles is the rocky headland at the southwesternmost tip of the Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey. It was the scene of heavy fighting between Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Turkish and United Kingdom, British troops during the landing at Cape Helles at th ...
in order to take part in an attack on
Krithia on 8 May 1915.
The attack was a very costly failure, with the battalion losing a further six officers and 87 men killed. Nevertheless, they were involved in what is believed to be the first brigade-level attack conducted by an Australian force against an entrenched enemy and the attack earned the Victorians many plaudits.
After the attack the battalion was given a weeks rest at Cape Helles, where it received a number of reinforcements before being sent back to the lodgement at Anzac Cove, where a stalemate situation had developed. In an effort to break this deadlock, the Allies launched an
offensive in August and the battalion took part in the
Battle of Lone Pine.
After taking over positions that had been captured by the
1st Brigade, the battalion defended the trenches against repeated Turkish counterattacks and, in the process, four of its members performed acts of gallantry that later led to them receiving the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
(VC), the nation's highest military decoration. These men were: Corporal
Alexander Stewart Burton, Corporal
William Dunstan, Lieutenant
William John Symons and Lieutenant
Frederick Harold Tubb
Major Frederick Harold Tubb, VC (28 November 1881 – 20 September 1917) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Lif ...
.
Sergeant Ball and Corporal H. Webb received the
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...
(DCM). According to Ron Austin, during this fighting, the 7th Battalion lost 87 men killed;
Arthur Dean and Eric Gutteridge give the total casualties as twelve out of fourteen officers and 680 Other Ranks.
Despite the battalion's success in holding the trenches at Lone Pine, the August Offensive failed to break the deadlock as setbacks elsewhere resulted in continued stalemate and for the rest of the campaign the fighting was relatively static. Finally, in December the decision was made to evacuate the Allied force from the peninsula. During the evacuation, two of the battalion's soldiers,
William Scurry
William Charles Scurry, (30 October 1895 – 28 December 1963) was an Australian soldier who invented the self-firing "drip rifle" while serving as a private in the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. He was decorated for his inven ...
and Alfred 'Buntie' Lawrence played a significant part through their invention of a self-firing rifle, which assisted in making the Turks believe that there were still men manning the trenches even as they were being evacuated.
Western Front
After Gallipoli the 7th Battalion was withdrawn to Egypt, where the AIF underwent a period of reorganisation and expansion prior to being transferred to Europe. The 7th Battalion was split to provide a
cadre
Cadre may refer to:
*Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff
*Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
for the
59th Battalion which was being raised as part of the doubling of the Australian forces.
In March 1916, they sailed to France where for the next two and half years they would take part in the fighting in the trenches along the
Western Front.
Upon arrival, the battalion was sent to the
Somme, where its first major action came in July during the
Battle of Pozières. Throughout July and into August, the battalion was committed to the fighting twice, losing 55 men killed in the first battle and another 83 in the second.
In late August, the 7th Battalion, with a frontage equal to just over half its authorised strength, was transferred to
Ypres
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
, in Belgium, where they manned trenches near the
Ypres
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
–
Commines canal. During this time they were not involved in any major attacks, however, each night they sent patrols out into
no man's land
No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...
and established listening posts to gather intelligence. On 30 September, the 7th Battalion, along with its sister battalion, the 8th Battalion, mounted a raid on the German line at Hollebeke with a force roughly equivalent to two
platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
s. The raid was a great success, with the Australians overwhelming the defenders and capturing a section of the German line and killing up to 13 Germans, before withdrawing.
In October, the battalion returned to the Somme where they spent the winter months manning trenches and training.
In early 1917, precipitated by the loss of the high ground around Pozières, the Germans withdrew back to 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 ...
in order to shorten their defensive line and to straighten a
salient that had developed. In February, the German withdrawal was discovered and the Allies, finding an open battlefield for the first time since 1914 and believing that the German Army was suffering from limited manpower, began an advance to follow them up. On the night of 26/27 February, the 7th Battalion launched what was meant to be a trench raid, but turned into an open advance, seeing them extend their lines by . The Allied advance, however, was brief as the Germans had established themselves in strength, and was halted before the Australians reached
Bullecourt.
In May the battalion was withdrawn from the front line for re-organisation and training. It did not return until the
Third Battle of Ypres
The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...
in September and October 1917, when they were committed to the fighting first at
Menin Road Menin may refer to:
*Menin, the French name for the Belgian town of Menen
*Menin, a little village in the municipality of Cesiomaggiore, Italy
*Menin or MEN1, a tumor suppressor associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1
*Měnín, villag ...
. The 7th Battalion had 57 men killed in this phase, and then later at
Broodseinde another 98 were killed.
Following these battles, the 7th Battalion was withdrawn from the front line once more in December. In March 1918, however, following the start of the
German spring offensive, the battalion was called back to help stem the tide of the German advance.
As the German offensive ran out of momentum, the battalion kept up the pressure on the German line through a series of
peaceful penetrations, before subsequently taking part in the Allied
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allies of World War I, Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (1918), Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Wester ...
, which was launched near Amiens on 8 August 1918. As a part of this offensive, the battalion fought major actions at
Lihons
Lihons is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Lihons is situated east of Amiens, on the D337 road
Population
Places of interest
The tomb of Prince Murat.
Louis Marie Joachim Napoléon Michel ...
on 9–11 August where they captured a number of German
mortars
Mortar may refer to:
* Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon
* Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together
* Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind
* Mortar, Bihar, a villag ...
and
Herleville Woods on 23 August. They continued operations until late September 1918 when they were withdrawn with a strength of just 410 men and it was out of the line when the
armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
came into effect in November. Shortly afterwards the demobilisation process began and as the battalion's numbers fell as men were repatriated back to Australia, it was amalgamated with 6th Battalion. This battalion was amalgamated with another, formed from the 5th and 8th Battalions, to form the 2nd Brigade Battalion.
Throughout their service during the war, the battalion suffered 1,045 killed and 2,076 wounded.
Members of the battalion received the following decorations: four VCs, one
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III.
...
(CMG), two
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...
s (DSOs), 20
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC i ...
es (MCs) with two
Bars, 31
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...
s (DCMs) with one Bar, 100
Military Medal
The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...
s (MMs) with five Bars, six
Meritorious Service Medals (MSMs), 37
Mentions in Despatches (MIDs) and six foreign awards.
The battalion received a total of 26 battle honours for its service during the war.
Inter war years
In 1921, the decision was made to perpetuate the
battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
s and traditions of the AIF battalions that had served during World War I by reorganising the Citizens Force along AIF lines, with previously existing part-time units adopting the numerical designations of the AIF units that had been drawn from their traditional recruitment territories. In May 1921, the 7th Battalion was reformed in regional
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
around a headquarters in
Mildura
Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area had ...
, with depots at
Merbein
Merbein is a town just north of Mildura, Victoria, in the Sunraysia region of Australia. It is on the Calder Highway between Mildura and the Murray River crossing at the Abbotsford Bridge to Curlwaa. At the , the town had a population of 1,9 ...
,
Wentworth Wentworth may refer to:
People
* Wentworth (surname)
* Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth (1873–1957), Lady Wentworth, notable Arabian horse breeder
* S. Wentworth Horton (1885–1960), New York state senator
* Wentworth Miller (born 1 ...
and
Red Cliffs.
At this time, the battalion drew its personnel from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment. Through its link with these units, the battalion inherited the battle honour of "South Africa 1899–102".
In 1927, when territorial titles were introduced into the Militia,
the battalion adopted the title of the "Mount Alexander Regiment". It was also granted the motto ''Cede Nullius'' at this time.
In 1929, however, the
compulsory training scheme was suspended by the newly elected
Scullin Labor government. In its place a voluntary system was established and the Citizens Force renamed the "Militia". The end of compulsory training, coupled with low levels of defence spending and economic hardships brought about by the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
greatly reduced the manpower available to many Militia units at this time and as a result a number of units were disbanded or amalgamated at this time. The 7th Battalion was also affected and on 1 July 1929 it was amalgamated with the
38th Battalion to form the 7th/38th Battalion.
The two battalions remained linked until 9 November 1936 when,
following concerns about growing tensions in Europe, it was decided to delink them in order to double the size of the Militia as the prospect of another war became apparent. In 1937, the battalion's designation was changed to the "North Murray Borderers".
Second World War
Following the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, the Australian government once again decided to raise an all volunteer force for service overseas as the legal restrictions on employing the Militia outside of Australia still applied. Regardless a number of Militia units attempted to join up en masse as already formed units and the 7th Battalion was one of these units.
However, as they were required to remain in Australia to provide home defence in the case of war spreading to the Pacific this did not occur.
In October 1939, the Militia was mobilised in stages to undertake a short period of 30 days continuous training and this was undertaken again in 1940, but for a period of 90 days instead. The compulsory training scheme was also reintroduced and the 7th Battalion's ranks were filled out with national servicemen.
Throughout 1940 and 1941 the battalion undertook a number of training camps in Victoria. In December 1941, with Japan's entry into the war following the attacks on Malaya and Pearl Harbor, the battalion was mobilised for war service and tasked with defending the
Dandenong
Dandenong is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated mainly ...
area.
In 1942, however, it received orders to move north to
Darwin, where it carried out garrison duties to defend the town and experienced a number air raids from Japanese aircraft. During this time also, the battalion was transferred to the
23rd Brigade. Originally the 23rd Brigade had been part of the
8th Division 8th Division, 8th Infantry Division or 8th Armored Division may refer to:
Infantry divisions
* 8th Division (Australia)
* 8th Canadian Infantry Division
* 8th Air Division (People's Republic of China)
* 8th Division (1st Formation) (People's Repu ...
and made up of
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) battalions, however, after these units were captured or destroyed on Rabaul, Ambon and Timor, it had been rebuilt using Militia battalions and placed under the command of Brigadier
Arnold Potts
Brigadier Arnold William Potts, (16 September 1896 – 1 January 1968) was an Australian grazier and army officer who served in the First World War and led the 21st Brigade of the Second Australian Imperial Force during its defence of the Koko ...
, and assigned to the
12th Division.
They remained in Darwin for 18 months before being relieved and sent back to Melbourne in April 1943. After taking leave, the 7th Battalion was sent to the
Atherton Tablelands
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia.
The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tinar ...
in
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
for a period of intensive pre-deployment training in November.
In 1944 the 23rd Brigade had been attached to the
II Corps, which was tasked with taking over from the Americans and launching a renewed offensive on
Bougainville. The 23rd Brigade was given the task of relieving the garrisons in the outer islands and the 7th Battalion was primarily responsible for Mono island, although one company was detached to Munda, arriving there in October 1944. Tasked with defending the airfield from a Japanese attack that was at best remote, some members of the battalion sought to enliven their existence by acting as crews on US Navy
PT boat
A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, valued for its maneuverability and speed but hampered at the beginning of the wa ...
s carrying out raids on
New Britain
New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...
and
New Ireland.
In April 1945, after months of lobbying by Potts—who was keen to get back into action himself after having been relieved of his previous command during the
Kokoda 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 ...
—the 7th Battalion was transferred to
Torokina on Bougainville Island, where the Japanese garrison was still holding out. In June they moved up the
Numa Numa Trail
The Numa Numa Trail is a trail on Bougainville Island, Bougainville in Papua New Guinea that runs from Numa Numa, Papua New Guinea, Numa Numa on the east coast over the central mountains of Bougainville to Torokina on the western coast.
The trail ...
to Pearl Ridge in the central sector of the island where they relieved the
27th Battalion.
Almost immediately they began aggressive patrols in order to dominate the Japanese in their area of operations and were tasked with the capture of several key positions including Wearne's Hill, Base Point 3, Tokua and Sisivie and to establish a forward position in the Wakunai Valley.
Over the course of the next three months until the end of the war, the battalion captured 25 positions and killed around 200 Japanese soldiers.
Following the end of hostilities the battalion moved to the island of Fauro to guard Japanese prisoners of war.
As the
demobilisation process began, members of the battalion were slowly repatriated to Australia, while others were transferred to other units for further service elsewhere. By March 1946 the last of the battalion's personnel had been returned to Australia and on 10 May 1946, the 7th Battalion was formally disbanded.
During its service throughout the war the battalion lost 25 men killed or died on active service, with a further 50 men wounded. Members of the battalion received the following decorations: one DSO, one MC, one MM and 16 MIDs.
Legacy
Following the completion of the demobilisation process, the Citizens Military Force was reformed in 1948, albeit on a reduced scale.
At this time, the 7th Battalion was not re-raised in its own right, although an amalgamated unit known as the 8th/7th Battalion (North Western Victorian Regiment) was formed in order to perpetuate the two rural Victorian battalions. Today the honours and traditions of the 7th Battalion are maintained by the
8th/7th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment
The 8th/7th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment (8/7 RVR) is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It is one of two battalions that make up the Royal Victoria Regiment (RVR), with its sister unit being 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria R ...
,
an infantry battalion of the
Australian Army Reserve
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 ...
,
that was formed in 1960 as the 2nd Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment, following the introduction of the
Pentropic organisation
The Pentropic organisation was a military organisation used by the Australian Army between 1960 and 1965. It was based on the United States Army's pentomic organisation and involved reorganising most of the Army's combat units into units based on ...
, but which was later redesignated 8/7 RVR.
The 7th Battalion's battle honours include those of the 2nd AIF's
2/7th Battalion, which were entrusted to the 7th in 1961.
Commanding officers
The following is a list of officers that served as the 7th Battalion's
commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
during the two World Wars:
First World War:
* Lieutenant Colonel
Harold Edward Elliott
Major General Harold Edward "Pompey" Elliott, (19 June 1878 – 23 March 1931) was a senior officer in the Australian Army during the First World War. After the war he served as a Senator for Victoria in the Australian parliament.
Elliott e ...
;
* Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Jackson;
* Lieutenant Colonel
Carl Herman Jess;
* Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Edward Herrod.
Second World War:
* Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Marcell Conran;
* Lieutenant Colonel Howard Leslie Ewin Dunkley;
* Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Thomas Henry Goucher;
* Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Moore Norris;
* Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Markham Sadler;
* Lieutenant Colonel Peter Glynn Clifton Webster;
* Lieutenant Colonel John Alfred Wilmoth.
Battle honours
The 7th Battalion received the following
battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
s:
*
South Africa 1899–1902
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...
.
* First World War:
Landing at Anzac
Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal, aircraft, or spacecraft returns to the ground. When the flying object returns to water, the process is called alighting, although it is commonly called "landing", "touchdown" or ...
,
Defence at Anzac,
Helles
Helles or hell is a traditional German pale lager beer, produced chiefly in Southern Germany, particularly Munich. The German word ''hell'' can be translated as "bright", "light", or "pale".
Flavour profile
Helles-style beers typically are f ...
,
Krithia, Anzac,
Suvla
View of Suvla from Battleship Hill
Suvla () is a bay on the Aegean coast of the Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey, south of the Gulf of Saros.
On 6 August 1915, it was the site for the Landing at Suvla Bay by the British IX Corps as pa ...
,
Sari Bair–Lone Pine,
Gallipoli 1915
The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles st ...
,
Egypt 1915–16
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
,
Somme 1916–
18,
Pozières
Pozières (; ) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
The commune is situated on the D929 road, northeast of Amiens between Albert and Bapaume, on the Pozières ridge.
Southwest of the village on ...
,
Bullecourt,
Ypres 1917
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
,
Menin Road Menin may refer to:
*Menin, the French name for the Belgian town of Menen
*Menin, a little village in the municipality of Cesiomaggiore, Italy
*Menin or MEN1, a tumor suppressor associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1
*Měnín, villag ...
,
Polygon Wood
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two to ...
,
Broodseinde,
Poelcappelle
Langemark-Poelkapelle () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders.
Geography
Other places in the municipality include Bikschote, Langemark and Poelkapelle. On January 1, 2006, Langemark-Poelkapelle had a total populati ...
,
Passchendaele,
Lys,
Hazebrouck
Hazebrouck (, nl, Hazebroek, , vls, Oazebroeke) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France. It was a small market town in Flanders until it became an important railway junction in the 1860s. West Flemish was the usual language until 1 ...
,
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
,
Albert 1918 (Chuignes),
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 ...
,
Epehy,
France and Flanders 1916–18,
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
.
* Second World War:
North Africa 1940–41,
Bardia 1941
The Battle of Bardia was fought between 3 and 5 January 1941, as part of Operation Compass, the first British military operation of the Western Desert campaign of the Second World War. It was the first battle of the war in which an Australian ...
,
Capture of Tobruk,
Greece 1941
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Middle East 1941,
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
,
Canea
Chania ( el, Χανιά ; vec, La Canea), also spelled Hania, is a city in Greece and the capital of the Chania regional unit. It lies along the north west coast of the island Crete, about west of Rethymno and west of Heraklion.
The muni ...
,
42nd Street,
Withdrawal to Sphakia,
South-West Pacific 1942–45,
Wau,
Mubo I,
Bobdubi II,
Komiatum,
Liberation of Australian New Guinea,
Maprik,
Yamil–Ulupu,
Kaboibus–Kiarivu.
Notes
Footnotes
Citations
References
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Further reading
*
{{Infantry formations of the First Australian Imperial Force , state=collapsed
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Military units and formations established in 1921
Military units and formations disestablished in 1929
Military units and formations established in 1936
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946
1946 disestablishments in Australia