The 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (31 RQR) was a
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 ...
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 ...
. Although it was officially formed as 31 RQR in 1965 the battalion can trace its lineage back to units formed in 1881 as part of the colonial defence forces of the state of
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_ ...
.
Over the course of the unit's 127-year history, the unit has largely been used for home service, although it was awarded 42
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. During the
Second Boer War
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 Sout ...
members from the battalion went to South Africa as part of the Queensland contingent, for which the battalion received its first battle honour. In 1914, the battalion was the first Australian infantry unit mobilised for service 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 ...
when it was sent to garrison
Thursday Island
Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait. TI is located approximately north of Cape ...
after fears of possible German military action in the Pacific. Later many members of the battalion enlisted in the
Australian Imperial Force (AIF), serving on the
Western Front in France and Belgium. 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 ...
, the battalion was amalgamated with the
51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment, initially serving as garrison troops in Dutch New Guinea before taking an active part in the fighting against the Japanese 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 1944–45.
After the war the battalion underwent a number of changes in organisation and designation before 1965 when it was redesignated as the 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment. Since then the battalion has formed part of the
11th Brigade. In 1976, due to manpower shortages, the battalion was reduced to an independent rifle company before being re-raised as a full battalion again in 1986. In January 2008, the battalion was amalgamated with the
42nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (42 RQR) to form the
31st/42nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment
The 31st/42nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (31/42 RQR) is a Reserve infantry battalion of the Australian Army. One of three battalions of the Royal Queensland Regiment, it was formed in early 2008 through the amalgamation of the 31st Batta ...
(31/42 RQR).
History
Early years
31 RQR can trace its lineage back to units that were formed in Queensland in the mid to late 19th century.
Around this time Queensland was separated from
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and when British forces were withdrawn from Australia in the 1870s there was a need for the state to take responsibility for its own defence.
In 1881, a number of Volunteer Independent Rifle Companies were raised at
Charters Towers
Charters Towers is a rural town in the Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. It is by road south-west from Townsville on the Flinders Highway. During the last quarter of the 19th century, the town boomed as the rich gold deposits under ...
, Townsville and
Ravenswood. In 1886, these companies were brought together to form the 3rd Queensland (Kennedy) Regiment, consisting of a number of volunteer companies and partially paid militia based in the North Military Region with its headquarters and two rifle companies based in Townsville, and three more rifle companies in Charters Towers, Ravenswood and then later at Mackay.
[ The regimental title of the "Kennedy Regiment" was derived because the area in which the unit was raised had been explored largely by ]Edmund Kennedy
Edmund Besley Court Kennedy J. P. (5 September 1818 – December 1848) was an explorer in Australia in the mid nineteenth century. He was the Assistant-Surveyor of New South Wales, working with Sir Thomas Mitchell. Kennedy explored the interio ...
in the mid-19th Century.
In 1899, the battalion was reorganised and the company at Mackay was converted to a mounted infantry unit.[ At the same time the 3rd Queensland (Kennedy) Regiment was brought up to an establishment of six companies, one each at Townsville, Ravenshoe and Cairns and three more at Charters Towers collocated with the battalion headquarters.] At the same time Queensland raised a contingent to send to South Africa to contribute to the other Australian colonial forces being sent there to assist the British in fighting against the Boers. As a part of this force, many members of the 3rd Queensland (Kennedy) Regiment served as part of the first and second contingents of the Queensland Mounted Infantry.[ Due to their contribution to the Boer War, the Kennedy Regiment received its first battle honour and was presented with the King's Banner.][ 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 ...
was disbanded in 1903 and the colonial units were transferred to the Commonwealth Military Force under the control of the Federal government.[ At the same time the unit was reorganised as the 1st Battalion, Kennedy Regiment, with an establishment of four rifle companies. In 1912, with the establishment of a national compulsory service scheme the establishment was raised to include six companies and the unit's designation was changed, this time to the 2nd Infantry Battalion, Kennedy Regiment.][
]
World War I
With the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the Kennedy Regiment was the first Australian military unit mobilised when 500 men volunteered for overseas service and were sent to garrison Thursday Island due to concerns of German military action in the Pacific.[Scott 1941, pp. 196–198.] This force then joined the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force for the invasion of German New Guinea, however, when the task force reached Port Moresby
(; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...
, their commander, Colonel William Holmes
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
decided to leave them there as garrison troops as it was felt that they were not ready for combat.[Grey 2008, p. 87.] The detachment was subsequently sent back to Townsville and subsequently played no further part in the war as it was decided not to deploy the militia units overseas, but rather to raise a separate force for overseas service known as the Australian Imperial Force. Despite this, many members of the Kennedy Regiment enlisted in the AIF, most of them, including the battalion's commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Toll, joining the 31st Battalion which was raised at Enoggera in Brisbane as part of the 8th Brigade in August 1915.
The 31st Battalion, AIF, was formed with two companies from Queensland and two companies from Victoria and concentrated at Broadmeadows in Victoria before departing from Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
in October 1915.[ Initially, it was sent to ]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 ...
where it was involved in the defence of 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 ...
against the Turks, thus earning another battle honour—"Egypt 1915–16".[Festberg 1972, p. 91.] Upon the battalion's arrival in Egypt, the 8th Brigade had been unattached at divisional level, but in early 1916, it was assigned to the 5th Division, after a reorganisation that saw the AIF expanded from two infantry divisions to five. In July 1916 the battalion arrived 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 ...
where its first involvement of war on the Western Front was the Battle of Fromelles, during which it suffered over 500 casualties and was so badly mauled that it undertook no more offensive action for the rest of the year.[ In 1917, the battalion was involved in the Allied advance towards 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 ...
, although because it was employed mainly in the flank protection role in this time, the only major fighting that it was involved in was at 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 ...
during the Battle of Passchendaele
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 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 ...
sector in September 1917.[ It was here that Private Patrick Joseph Bugden, an original member of the Kennedy Regiment, performed the actions that led to him 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 ...
.[
On 15 May 1918, Sergeant David Emmett Coyne was nominated for the Victoria Cross for throwing himself on a hand-grenade that he had thrown after it had accidentally bounced back off a parapet, in order to protect other soldiers. However, as this was not in the face of the enemy, the posthumous nomination was changed to that of the Albert Medal in Gold, the only such medal issued to a member of the AIF (it was later superseded by the ]George Cross
The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...
). Later, in August 1918, the 31st Battalion was involved in the last Allied offensive of the war when it took part in the fighting that resulted in the capture of Villers Bretonneux and then Bullecourt.[ Later, in September, the battalion was involved in the attack on the ]St Quentin Canal
The Canal de Saint-Quentin () is a canal in northern France connecting the canalised river Escaut in Cambrai to the Canal latéral à l'Oise and Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne in Chauny.
History
The canal was built in two phases, the second much long ...
. This proved to be their last involvement in the war as they were 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 ...
occurred on 11 November. The 31st Battalion, AIF, was disbanded in March 1919 while in France awaiting repatriation to Australia.[
]
Inter war years
In April 1921, the AIF was officially disbanded and the following month the militia was reformed to perpetuate the designations and battle honours of the AIF.[Grey 2008, p. 125.] Consequently, the Kennedy Regiment was redesignated as the 31st Battalion (Kennedy Regiment).[ Upon reforming, the battalion drew personnel from a number of units, including the 31st and 49th Infantry Regiments, the 27th Light Horse, the 21st Australian Army Service Corps Company and the 7th Field Ambulance.][ During the interwar years the battalion's area of responsibility and organisation underwent a number of changes, but it was at this time that it became part of the 11th Brigade, which was headquartered around ]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 ...
, and formed part of the 1st Military District.
In 1927, territorial designations were introduced and the 31st Battalion adopted the title of the "Kennedy Regiment". The battalion's motto – ''Semper Paratus Defendere'' – was also authorised at this time.[ At the outset, in 1921 the Citizen Forces units were maintained through a mixture of voluntary and compulsory service, but in late 1929, the scheme was suspended by the Scullin ]Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the la ...
government, and replaced by an all-volunteer "Militia" scheme. Due to the impact of 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 general complacency towards matters relating to defence little was spent on the military during the 1930s and there were only a limited number of volunteers. As a result, by 1939, many of the battalion's subunits had been disbanded, although the unit managed to maintain its status as a battalion even though many other units were merged or disbanded in this time.[
]
World War II
Upon 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 ...
in September 1939, the 31st Battalion had subunits based all around northern Queensland including Townsville, Ayr, Home Hill, Bowen, Proserpine, Charters Towers and Ingham.[ As had been the case during World War I, it was decided to raise a separate force for overseas service, this time called 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 ...
and again many members of the battalion volunteered, while others continued to serve on a part-time basis.[ In this time, as part of the 2nd AIF, the 2/31st Battalion was raised, although this unit was considered separate from the 31st Battalion (Kennedy Regiment).] In 1940 the battalion, along with the other units of the 11th Brigade—then composed of the 26th, 31st and 51st Battalions—was called up for a short period of training as a compulsory military service scheme as part of Australia's mobilisation during World War II and they went into camp near Bowen.[ Following Japan's entry into the war in late 1941 the militia were called up on to full-time service and the 11th Brigade began defensive duties in north Queensland.][ In early 1943, however, it was decided to release a certain number of men serving in the militia from their compulsory service due to a civilian manpower shortage that was threatening to impact upon the needs of the wartime economy.][ Consequently, when a large number of rural workers were released from the 31st and 51st Battalions, it was decided to amalgamate the two in April 1943.][
]
In June 1943, after undertaking amphibious training with the Americans, the 31st/51st Battalion (Kennedy and Far North Queensland Regiment) became a part of Merauke Force
Merauke Force was an Australian-led military force of World War II which was responsible for defending Merauke in Dutch New Guinea from Japanese attack amidst the Pacific War. The force was established in late 1942 and was disbanded at the end of ...
and were sent to Dutch Western New Guinea
Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, or Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the Melanesian island of New Guinea which is administered by Indonesia. Since the island is alternatively named as Papua, the region ...
to carry out garrison duties, earning the distinction of being the first Australian militia unit to serve outside of Australian territory.[Due to provisions of the ''Defence Act 1903'' the government was not allowed to send militia units outside of Australian territory, which at the time included New Guinea as it had become an Australian mandated territory following the end of World War I. This was later changed, by the '' ]Defence (Citizen Military Forces) Act 1943
The Defence (Citizen Military Forces) Act (1943) was federal Australian law passed on 26 January 1943 which extended the area in which the Militia were obliged to serve from Australia and its territories to the South-Western Pacific Zone (SWPZ), ...
'' to allow militia units to serve throughout the South West Pacific Area. In July 1944 the battalion was gazetted as an AIF unit. Later, in August 1944, after being deployed for over a year, they were withdrawn back to Australia and after a period of leave and re-organisation, the 11th Brigade was deployed to Bougainville in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
, arriving there in December 1944.[
For the next ten months until Japan's surrender the 31st/51st Battalion took part in a long and costly campaign and suffered a total of 229 casualties, including 61 killed in action.][ Responsible for the northern and central sectors of the island, the battalion initially advanced along the north-east coast, occupying a number of villages, however they did not experience their first action until they crossed the Genga River and attempted to move up the Tsimba Ridge on 17 January 1944, when they came finally in contact with the Japanese.][ The Japanese had dug in along the ridge and heavily fortified it with bunkers and mutually supporting machine gun pits and it was only after twenty-one days of continuous fighting that the 31st/51st finally carried the position.][ After this the battalion carried out a number of patrols throughout the northern sector, before being relieved for a rest out of the line. This rest did not last very long, however, as a company from the 31st/51st were called upon to carry out an amphibious landing at Porton, as the rest of the battalion advanced further north from the line that had been set up at Ratsua–Ruri.][ The landing occurred on 7 June, however, the company was quickly surrounded by the Japanese and as the rest of the battalion attempted to break through to them, they were evacuated by sea.][ This brief second campaign on Bougainville lasted until 28 June when the 11th Brigade was relieved by the 23rd Brigade. During this time the 31st/51st had suffered 100 casualties, consisting of seven missing, 14 killed and 79 wounded.][
The battalion took no further part in the fighting and after the Japanese surrender the battalion was moved to ]Nauru
Nauru ( or ; na, Naoero), officially the Republic of Nauru ( na, Repubrikin Naoero) and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in Oceania, in the Central Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Ki ...
and Ocean Island to carry out garrison duties where they remained until December 1945 when they were transferred to Rabaul
Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...
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 ...
.[ They remained there as an occupation force until May 1946 when the unit returned to Australia, where the 31st/51st Battalion (Kennedy and Far North Queensland Regiment) was disbanded on 4 July 1946.][ For their involvement during World War II, members of the 31st/51st Battalion received 43 decorations, including: one ]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 ...
, one 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 ...
, three 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, ten 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, one British Empire Medal
The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to ...
and 27 Mentions in Despatches.[
]
Post World War II
After World War II the militia units were re-formed as part of the Citizens Military Force (CMF) and subsequently the battalion was re-raised in 1948, this time as the 31st Battalion, North Queensland Regiment.[ '']John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
'' was approved as the battalion's regimental march in 1953.[ In 1960, the battalion's designation was changed again when it was decided to introduce 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 ...
into the Australian Army, a part of which required the reorganisation of the regionally based CMF battalions into six State based regiments.[Grey 2008, pp. 227–228.] As a result of this the battalion became the 2nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment.[ The battalion received its World War II battle honours in 1961, and was entrusted with those earned by the 2/31st Battalion at the same time.][ In 1965, the Australian Army moved away from the Pentropic organisation and returned to the previous establishment and it was decided to return to the CMF battalions to their previous numerical designations.][Grey 2008, p. 239.] This saw the battalion finally become the 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment.[ During this time the battalion's numbers fluctuated as ]national service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The l ...
was suspended in 1960, reintroduced in 1965 and then finally abolished in late 1972. Finally the strength of the unit declined to the extent that it was reduced to a company-sized element and was subsequently renamed as the 31st Independent Rifle Company in 1976.[ On 30 October 1986 the unit regained battalion status and it was reformed once more as the 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment.][
In 2006, the decision was made to re-organise the Brisbane-based 7th Brigade to make it a fully Regular unit. Subsequently, the two Reserve infantry battalions based at Enoggera, the ]9th
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
and 25th/49th Battalions, Royal Queensland Regiment, were re-allocated to the 11th Brigade in July 2007. As a result of this, it was decided to amalgamate the two existing battalions of the 11th Brigade, so that the brigade could maintain the traditional three battalion structure. As such, on 1 January 2008, 31 RQR was amalgamated with 42 RQR to form the 31st/42nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment.[
]
Lineage
The following list details the lineage of 31 RQR.[
1881–1886 — Independent Rifle Companies]
1886–1903 — 3rd Queensland (Kennedy) Regiment
1903–1912 — 1st Battalion, Kennedy Regiment
1912–1921 — 2nd Infantry Battalion, Kennedy Regiment
1921–1943 — 31st Battalion (Kennedy Regiment), AMF
1943–1946 — 31st/51st Battalion (Kennedy and Far North Queensland Regiment), AIF
1948–1960 — 31st Battalion, North Queensland Regiment
1960–1965 — 'C' Coy, 2nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment
1965–1976 — 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment
1976–1986 — 31st Independent Rifle Company
1986–2008 — 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment
Battle honours
The 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, received 42 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. The first battle honour of South Africa 1899–1902 was bestowed upon the regiment due to the involvement of many men from the Kennedy Regiment in the first and second contingents of the Queensland Mounted Infantry.[ During World War I, the 31st Battalion, AIF, received 16 battle honours, which were later passed to the 31st Battalion when it was re-raised as a militia battalion in 1921.][ The 31st/51st Battalion earned five battle honours during World War II, while the 2/31st Battalion earned another 22, which were later passed to the Kennedy Regiment in 1948.][Of the 22 battle honours earned by the 2/31st Battalion, two (Liberation of Australian New Guinea and South-West Pacific 1942–45) were also awarded to the 31st/51st, hence the battalion received only 25 distinct battle honours for World War II.][
*Boer War: South Africa 1899–1902.
*World War I: Egypt 1915–16, Somme 1916–18, Bapaume 1917, Bullecourt, Ypres 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Ancre 1918, Amiens, Albert 1918, Mont St Quentin, Hindenburg Line, St Quentin Canal, France and Flanders 1916–18.
*World War II: Tsimba Ridge, Bonis–Porton, South-West Pacific 1942–45, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Syria 1941, Syrian Frontier, Merjayun, Jezzine, Damour, Hill 1069, Baradene, South-West Pacific 1942–1945, Kokoda Trail, Ioribaiwa, Eora Creek–Templeton's Crossing II, Oivi–Gorari, Buna–Gona, Gona, Lae–Nadzab, Lae Road, Ramu Valley, Shaggy Ridge, Borneo 1945, Balikpapan, Milford Highway.
]
Popular culture
In 1916, while at Thursday Island
Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait. TI is located approximately north of Cape ...
, Fred Affoo composed the Kennedy Regiment Waltz in honour of Colonel Robert Beveridge Huxtable, who commanded the regiment at Thursday Island.
See also
* Military history of Australia
The military history of Australia spans the nation's 230-year modern history, from the early Australian frontier wars between Aboriginals and Europeans to the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early 21st century. Although this h ...
* Military history of Australia during World War I
In Australia, the outbreak of World War I was greeted with considerable enthusiasm. Even before Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, the nation pledged its support alongside other states of the British Empire and almost immediate ...
* Military history of Australia during World War II
Australia entered World War II on 3 September 1939, following the government's acceptance of the United Kingdom's declaration of war on Nazi Germany. Australia later entered into a state of war with other members of the Axis powers, includ ...
* Royal Queensland Regiment
The Royal Queensland Regiment (RQR) is a reserve light infantry regiment of the Australian Army based in Queensland. Part of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps, the regiment was established in 1960 following a reorganisation of Australia's pa ...
Notes
;Footnotes
;Citations
References
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External links
Colonial uniform of the Kennedy Regiment
Collar badge of the Kennedy Regiment
*
digitised version
{{Infantry formations of the First Australian Imperial Force , state=collapsed
Infantry units and formations of Australia
Australian World War I battalions
Australian World War II battalions
Military units and formations established in 1965
Military units and formations disestablished in 2008
Queensland in World War II