3RAR Afghanistan 2008.jpg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) is a
mechanised infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...
battalion of the Australian Army, based in Kapyong Lines, Townsville as part of the 3rd Brigade. 3 RAR traces its lineage to 1945 and has seen operational service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, Borneo, South Vietnam, Rifle Company Butterworth, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq.


History


Formation

3 RAR was initially formed on 20 October 1945 from volunteers from the
3rd Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...
,
6th 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
,
7th 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion ...
and 11th Australian Divisions, as the 67th Battalion of the
34th Brigade (Australia) The Australian 34th Brigade was an Australian Army brigade. The brigade was formed in late 1945 following the end of World War II as part of the Australian contribution to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) in Japan. In late 1948 ...
on
Morotai Morotai Island ( id, Pulau Morotai) is an island in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands. Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It ha ...
. The battalion was intended to be part of a wider commitment for occupation duties as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. The 67th Battalion arrived in Japan as part of the
Australian 34th Brigade The Australian 34th Brigade was an Australian Army brigade. The brigade was formed in late 1945 following the end of World War II as part of the Australian contribution to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) in Japan. In late 1948 ...
in February 1946. As with the rest of the occupation force, the battalion did not encounter any significant resistance or civil unrest. The 67th Battalion was redesignated the 3rd Battalion of the Australian Regiment upon its formation in November 1948. The 'Royal' prefix was appended in March 1949. The Australian force in Japan was gradually downsized, with 3 RAR being the only Australian battalion left in the country at the outbreak of the Korean War.


Korea, 1950–1953

3 RAR was rapidly committed as Australia's main land force contribution to the United Nations forces in the Korean War. After a period of intensive training and reinforcement in Japan, the battalion arrived in South Korea in late September 1950. The battalion formed part of the
27th Commonwealth Brigade The 27th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw service in the First World War, the Second World War, and the Korean War. In Korea, the brigade was known as 27th British Commonwealth Brigade due to the addition of Ca ...
and took part in the United Nations offensive into North Korea and the subsequent retreat into South Korea following the Chinese offensive in the winter of 1950–51. In October 1950, the battalion distinguished itself at
Chongju Chŏngju (; also Jŏngju) is a ''si'', or city, in southern North P'yŏngan province, North Korea. Prior to 1994, it was designated as a ''kun'' or county. The terrain is mostly level, but mountainous in the north. To the south lies the Chŏ ...
during the UN northward advance to the Yalu River. Commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
Charles Green, it attacked and captured a large North Korean defensive line in a combined arms operation with tanks and artillery. Green was later killed in action. It was one of three units to receive the US Presidential Unit Citation after the
Battle of Kapyong The Battle of Kapyong (or Gapyeong) ( ko, 가평전투, 22–25 April 1951), also known as the Battle of Jiaping (), was fought during the Korean War between United Nations Command (UN) forces—primarily Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand ...
, that was fought between 22 and 25 April 1951. In July 1951, Major
Archer Denness Major Archer Paterson Denness MC, (26 December 1914 – 12 September 1997) was an Australian Army officer who served during the Second World War and the Korean War. Personal life Denness was born 26 December 1914 in Fremantle, Western Austral ...
briefly commanded 3 RAR between the departure of Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Ferguson and the arrival of the new commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel
Frank Hassett General Sir Francis George Hassett (11 April 1918 – 11 June 2008) was an Australian general who rose to the position of Chief of the Defence Force Staff, the professional head of the Australian Defence Force, serving in this capacity from No ...
. Over the period 3–8 October 1951, 3 RAR fought the
Battle of Maryang San The First Battle of Maryang-san (3–8 October 1951), also known as the Defensive Battle of Maliangshan (), was fought during the Korean War between United Nations Command (UN) forces—primarily Australian and British—and the Chinese People' ...
, which is widely regarded as one of the Australian Army's greatest accomplishments of the Korean War. 3 RAR remained in Korea until November 1954, sustaining total casualties of 231 men killed. Upon its return to Australia, 3 RAR was based at Ingleburn and Holsworthy Barracks, in New South Wales.


Malaya, 1957–1959

The next major conflict that 3 RAR was involved in was the
Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces o ...
. The Australian Government first committed a battalion in 1955 to assist the British colonial occupation in crushing a pro-independence uprising led by the Malayan Communist Party, and their armed wing the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA). However, it was not until October 1957 that 3 RAR arrived in theatre; it then commenced a period of acclimatisation at the FARELF Training Centre Kota Tingi (later to become the Jungle Warfare School). 3 RAR then moved to company base camps at Kuala Kangsar (BHQ), Lasah, Sungei, Siput, Penang and Lintang. The unit was engaged in military operations against the MNLA in northern Malaya. Operations began in November 1957 and as a result many MNLA camps and food dumps were located and destroyed. 3 RAR was credited with killing 14 MNLA soldiers and was responsible for the capture of 32 others. 3 RAR casualties over the two years were two wounded and four non-battle casualties. Upon return to Australia, 3 RAR established itself at Enoggera Barracks, Brisbane. It remained there for four years during which time it carried out routine training and barracks duties and was organised on the Pentropic establishment, with five rifle companies and an enlarged headquarters.


Malaya and Borneo, 1963–1965

3 RAR also served in Malaysia and Borneo during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation and was involved in a series of highly successful cross-border missions under
Operation Claret Claret was the code name given to operations conducted from about July 1964 until July 1966 from East Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah) across the border in Indonesian Kalimantan during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. They were instigated b ...
. During these operations the battalion had four major contacts with Indonesian forces on the Sungei Koemba river, at Kindau and again at Babang between May and July 1965. During these operations the battalion lost three men dead and five wounded. 3 RAR moved into
Woodside Barracks Woodside Barracks is an Australian Army base located in Woodside in South Australia. History The base was established in 1927, and known as ''Woodside Camp''. It consisted of 162 hectares and was located east of Adelaide, South Australia. The ...
, South Australia, officially occupying Kapyong Lines at Woodside, on 14 October 1965.


South Vietnam, 1967–1971

3 RAR served two tours in
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
, the first from December 1967 with the battalion stationed in Phuoc Tuy province as part of the
1st Australian Task Force The 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) was a brigade-sized formation which commanded Australian and New Zealand Army units deployed to South Vietnam between 1966 and 1972. 1 ATF was based in a rubber plantation at Nui Dat, north of Bà Rịa i ...
. The battalion took part in several operations and was involved in mine clearing, counter mortar and rocket tasks and reconnaissance in force operations. Between December 1967 and March 1968 Whisky Company from the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment was attached to 3 RAR as an additional rifle company for various phases of battalion operations. As the ready reaction force at the 1ATF base 'A' Company 3 RAR was responsible for clearing and securing the nearby provincial capital of Bà Rịa during the Tet Offensive of February 1968. The battalion was then committed to
Operation Coburg Operation Coburg (24 January − 1 March 1968) was an Australian and New Zealand military action during the Vietnam War. The operation saw heavy fighting between the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietna ...
in February and March. During 26–28 May 1968, 3 RAR, while stationed at FSB Balmoral in a battalion defensive position, withstood two determined assaults by regimental sized units of the North Vietnamese
People's Army of Vietnam The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Vietnam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the ...
(PAVN) during the Battle of Coral–Balmoral. The battalion also played a role in
Operation Toan Thang I Operation Toan Thang I ("Complete Victory") was a U.S. Army, Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), 1st Australian Task Force and Royal Thai Volunteer Regiment operation conducted between 8 April and 31 May 1968 in the Vietnam War. The operatio ...
in April–May 1968. During its first tour of Vietnam the battalion lost 24 killed and 93 wounded. On 8 May 1970 a group of soldiers from 3 RAR who had served in South Vietnam attacked 1,000 Moratorium marchers who were peacefully protesting against the war in Adelaide. This led to 21 soldiers facing disciplinary charges, including five who had been arrested by police and also faced civil charges. The Army disciplinary heading led to at least 16 of the soldiers being fined or imprisoned for a short period. At least three of the soldiers were convicted when their cases were heard by the Adelaide Magistrate's Court; two did not receive a penalty and the other received a small fine. On 25 February 1971 the battalion returned to Phuoc Tuy Province. By 1971 American and Australian forces in South Vietnam had reduced significantly and under President Nixon's Vietnamization program U.S and allied forces undertook the process of handing military operations back to the South Vietnamese forces. PAVN forces took this opportunity to try and re enter areas that they had been previously forced out of earlier. This included the Australian and New Zealand Tactical area of responsibility of Phuoc Tuy Province. During the second tour the battalion took part in several actions and saw fierce fighting particularly in
Battle of Long Khánh The Battle of Long Khanh (6–7 June 1971) was fought during the Vietnam War between elements of 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) and the Viet Cong (VC) and People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) during Operation Overlord. The fighting saw Australi ...
against well-trained PAVN regular forces before returning to Australia by the end of 1971 after an eight-month tour. During these operations 3 RAR lost four killed and 27 wounded.


Parachute role, 1983–2011

A move to Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney, contemplated since returning from operations in South Vietnam, was conducted at the end of 1981. On 1 December 1983, the battalion assumed responsibility for the Australian Army's conventional
parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
capability (previously, D Company 6 RAR had maintained an airborne company). In 1985, the battalion was granted permission to wear the dull Cherry beret, common to all
parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
units worldwide, and to wear parachute wings identical to those worn by the 1st Australian Parachute Battalion during the Second World War. From 1989, 3 RAR formed the main combat elements of the Parachute Battalion Group, which also included an engineer troop from 1st Field Squadron, signals detachment from 104th Signal Squadron, artillery fire support from 'A' Field Battery, 8th/12th Regiment and medical support from the 1st Parachute Surgical Team. One of three rifle companies was designated as the Parachute Company Group and maintained at high readiness for three months with another company rotated into the role. The regiment's Reconnaissance Platoon had a medium range pathfinder role trained in free-fall parachuting, including High Altitude Parachute Operations (HAPO), supported by the Special Air Service Regiment in a long range pathfinder role. The 1st Parachute Surgical Team was raised in January 1989 to provide Level II and limited Level III medical support modelled on a British unit from the
Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
. In 1995, 105-mm L119 Hamel guns were air dropped for the first time for 'A' Field Battery.


East Timor, 1999–2008

3 RAR played a key role in the Australian-led International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) in 1999. The Battalion arrived in
Dili Dili (Portuguese/Tetum: ''Díli'') is the capital, largest city of East Timor and the second largest city in Timor islands after Kupang (Indonesia). It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in ...
by sea aboard
HMAS Jervis Bay Two ships of the Royal Australian Navy have been named HMAS ''Jervis Bay'', for Jervis Bay on the south coast of New South Wales. *, a roll-on/roll-off ferry acquired by the RAN in 1977, used as a logistics and training ship, and sold back into c ...
and
HMAS Tobruk Two ships of the Royal Australian Navy have been named HMAS ''Tobruk'', after the town of Tobruk in Libya and the siege fought there in 1941. *, a Battle-class destroyer launched in 1947 and in service until 1960, when she was damaged beyond rep ...
on 21 September and was initially responsible for the city centre, before later securing the western border area in Maliana and Bobonaro. The Battalion later deployed to the enclave of
Oecussi Oecusse (also variously ''Oecussi'', ''Ocussi'', ''Oekussi'', ''Oekusi'', ''Okusi'', ''Oé-Cusse''), also known as Oecusse-Ambeno (; ) and formerly just Ambeno, officially the Special Administrative Region Oecusse-Ambeno (), is an exclave, Mun ...
where, in early 2000, it encountered the greatest level of pro-Indonesian Militia activity it had seen since the previous year. 3 RAR returned to Australia in February 2000 with some individuals extending their tour in support of
5/7 RAR The 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (Mechanised) (5/7 RAR ECH was a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. The battalion was based at Robertson Barracks in Holtze, Northern Territory and formed part of the 1st Bri ...
. It served a second six-month tour of East Timor in 2002 under
United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor The United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor (UNMISET) lasted from 20 May 2002 to 20 May 2005, when it was replaced by United Nations Office in Timor Leste (UNOTIL). It was established when East Timor became an internationally recognised ind ...
. In 2020 the battalion was awarded the Theatre Honour
East Timor 1999-2003 East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...
. In May 2006, the 3 RAR Battalion Group was deployed to restore order to East Timor as part of Operation Astute. An online company group was deployed at short notice in February 2007 for four months and replaced by a second company group in June 2007 for seven weeks. 3 RAR deployed again to East Timor in 2008 as the Timor Leste Battle Group (TLBG), undertaking operations to apprehend the rebels that attempted to assassinate President José Ramos-Horta.


Solomon Islands, 2005–2006 and 2021

3 RAR deployed to the Solomon Islands on Monday 24 January 2005 to reinforce the military component of Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). The 3 RAR company of soldiers consisted of approximately 100 personnel to provide added support to the local and Australian Federal Police in enforcing the rule of law and restoring order in the Solomon Islands. The soldiers tent lines at RAMSI base were named the "Private Jamie Clark Lines" in March 2007 after the accidental death of Clark in March 2005. Renewed violence in March 2006 again saw a company group deploy to the capital Honiara, returning to Australia in May 2006. Civil unrest flared once again in November 2021 where elements of the battalion deployed as part of an ADF response.


Iraq, 2003–2007

In late 2003, 3 RAR was warned to provide a Company Headquarters and a four rifle section platoon for security duties in Iraq on Operation Catalyst. A Company was subsequently deployed to Baghdad from December 2003 to May 2004. It provided specific local protection to the Australian Diplomatic Mission in Baghdad as part of the Security Detachment (SECDET). On 13 April 2004 SECDET elements were involved a very successful contact when an ASLAV engaged a mortar base plate that was firing on the Green Zone. From February 2006 until March 2007 the battalion returned companies to Baghdad as SECDET IX and SECDET X. Both tours were eventful with several contacts, a rocket attack that injured four soldiers, and the accidental death of Private
Jacob Kovco Jacob Bruce "Jake" Kovco (25 September 1980 – 21 April 2006) was a private in the Australian Army who was killed while deployed to Iraq, fatally wounded by a single shot to the head from his own Browning 9mm sidearm. He was the first Australian ...
in April 2006—Australia's first casualty in Iraq and the subject of intense media attention. The battalion has been awarded the Theatre Honour Iraq 2003-11.


Afghanistan, 2003–2012

2008 saw the battalion deploy a company group to Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan as the Security Task Group (Combat Team Dagger) component of the Reconstruction Task Force 4 (RTF-4) during Operation Slipper. Highlights of the deployment include the establishment of a Patrol Base in the Baluchi Valley, and the short-notice, high-priority deployment beyond the RTF Area of Operations to construct key bridges over the Andar and Moqur Rivers in Zabul and Ghazni Provinces, along the highway connecting Kandahar and Kabul. 3 RAR formed the basis of a battle group that was deployed to the country again in 2012 tasked with mentoring the Afghan National Army 4th Brigade, 205th Corps, before handing over to 7 RAR in November.


Light infantry role, 2011–2018

3 RAR was scheduled to return to Adelaide and based at RAAF Base Edinburgh to be re-rolled as a mechanised infantry battalion under the Hardened and Networked Army plan launched in 2005. It was considered that as 4 RAR (Cdo) had an integral parachute capability there was no requirement for a conventional parachute capability. In 2006, the Enhanced Land Force plan was launched with 3 RAR now to move to Townsville and re-role as a light infantry battalion. From 2006, the Parachute Battalion Group "was scaled back to a task-organised force element" the Airborne Combat Team. On 26 August 2011, the Chief of Army transferred responsibility for maintaining the Army's parachute capability from Forces Command to Special Operations Command. The additional light infantry battalion provided Forces Command with greater flexibility to develop an amphibious infantry battalion. In January 2012, the battalion relocated to Lavarack Barracks, Townsville.


Iraq, 2017

The battalion was warned for Operation Okra in 2017 which saw the unit's command element and Alpha Company deployed as part of the fifth rotation of Task Group Taji. This rotation was based at Camp Taji and facilitated training of the
Iraqi Army The Iraqi Ground Forces (Arabic: القوات البرية العراقية), or the Iraqi Army (Arabic: الجيش العراقي), is the ground force component of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It was known as the Royal Iraqi Army up until the coup ...
in the fight against ISIS.


Afghanistan, 2017–2018

In 2017 3 RAR deployed Bravo Company to Kabul Province, Afghanistan as part of Force Protection Element 8. FPE-8 provided security and protected mobility support for ADF elements located in the vicinity of Kabul, Afghanistan including trainers and mentors at the Afghanistan National Army Officer and the Kabul Garrison Command-Advisory Team. Following FPE-8 3RAR deployed Charlie Company on FPE-9 to relieve B-Coy.


Mechanised infantry role, 2018

In 2017, it was announced that 3 RAR would re-role as a mechanised infantry battalion under the workforce alignment 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 ...
to be equipped with
M113AS4 A huge number of M113 Armored Personnel Carrier variants have been created, ranging from infantry carriers to nuclear missile carriers. The M113 armored personnel carrier has become one of the most prolific armored vehicles of the second half of ...
Armoured Personnel Carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...
s. In February 2018, 3 RAR commenced the transition which was to occur over 18 months.


Solomon Islands, 2021

In 2021 3 RAR deployed to help quell escalating violence in the Solomon Islands. The contingent – made up mostly of soldiers from 3RAR – joined
Australian Federal Police The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the Australian Government with the unique role of investigating crime and protecting the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. Th ...
officers and supported critical infrastructure in the capital
Honiara Honiara () is the capital and largest city of Solomon Islands, situated on the northwestern coast of Guadalcanal. , it had a population of 92,344 people. The city is served by Honiara International Airport and the seaport of Point Cruz, and lie ...
.


Current composition

The battalion currently consists of: * Battalion Headquarters * 3 Rifle Companies – 'Alpha', 'Bravo' and 'Charlie' * Support Company * Administration Company * Pipes and Drums section


Battle and Theatre Honours

The battalion has received the following battle honours: * Korean War: Korea 1950–1953; Pakchon; Uijongbu; Chuam-ni; Maehwa-san; Kapyong; Kowang-San; Maryang-San; Sariwon; Yongju; Chongju. * Vietnam War: Vietnam 1965–1972; Bien-Hoa; Coral-Balmoral. * East Timor:
East Timor 1999-2003 East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...
* Iraq: Iraq 2003-11


Commanding officers

The following officers have served as commanding officer of 3RAR. Rank and honours are as at the individual's time in command.


Alliances

3 RAR holds the following alliances:Festberg 1972, p. 22. * United Kingdom – Scots Guards * United Kingdom – The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish) * Papua New Guinea – 2nd Battalion,
Royal Pacific Islands Regiment The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment (RPIR) is an infantry regiment of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF). The regiment is descended from the Australian Army infantry battalions formed from native soldiers and Australian officers and non-c ...
3 RAR, Pipes and Drums holds an affiliation with the Mackay and District Pipe Band (Signed 10th Dec 2022)


See also

*
Airborne forces of Australia Airborne forces raised by Australia have included a number of conventional and special forces units. During the Second World War the Australian Army formed the 1st Parachute Battalion (Australia), 1st Parachute Battalion; however, it did not see ac ...


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* * * * * *


External links


3rd Battalion "Old Faithful" Royal Australian Regiment Association


{{Coord, 19.321855, S, 146.783769, E, source:placeopedia, display=title Infantry units and formations of Australia Airborne units and formations of Australia Military units and formations of Australia in the Korean War Military units and formations of Australia in the Vietnam War Recipients of the Presidential Unit Citation (United States) Military units and formations established in 1945 Cold War history of Australia Military units in Queensland