2 RAR батальонының тарихы және операциялары

2 RAR (Rhodesian)

Australian Army infantry battalion

2 RAR was formed originally as the 66th Battalion at the end of World War II on 16 October 1945 as a regular infantry force raised from volunteers from the 9th Division for service with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. The battalion was stationed primarily at Hiro as part of the 34th Brigade from February 1946 to December 1948, when they returned to Australia. A month earlier, on 23 November 1948 it was renamed the 2nd Battalion, Australian Regiment, with the Royal regimental prefix being granted on 31 March 1949. In between attacks, artillery and mortar attacks were launched during the day to soften up the defences. Throughout the two year tour the battalion was based at Minden Barracks on Penang Island, although it spent large periods of time in the jungle conducting operations and exercises that frequently lasted weeks at a time. These operations were primarily long distance patrols in and around jungle areas searching for the Communists and providing perimeter security for the 'New Villages'. Many of the battalion's members had recently served an eighteen month period overseas in Malaysia and Borneo. This restriction would mean that many personnel would only be able to serve a six month tour and, as such, 2 RAR was brought up to full strength by accepting a draft of national servicemen from Australia. and as a result over the twelve months that 2 RAR was deployed contact was significantly less than had been experienced during the first tour, sustaining half the number of casualties. New Zealand casualties over both tours were 10 killed and 57 wounded. Balanced against this, the battalion was credited with having killed 297 VC and captured a further 23. The deployment was focused upon providing humanitarian assistance and medical care for sick and injured civilians and as such a combat role was not envisaged, however, a rifle company was sent also in order to protect the medical team and command elements. As a part of this deployment, the Australian force was charged with restoring peace and security and facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance. 2 RAR was one of the first units deployed once the airfield at Dili had been secured by elements of the Special Air Service Regiment. Arriving in Dili on 20 September 1999 having been flown in from Townsville, they immediately started the process of restoring order to the capital so that it could be used as an operational base from which further operations could be launched in the surrounding countryside. With two M 113 APCs from 3/4 Cav to provide fire support, 'C' Company began moving towards the docks, but found the way blocked as they encountered a number of platoon strength roadblocks that had been set up by the Indonesian military TNI. Initial operations focused upon carrying out building searches, setting up roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints, gathering intelligence from locals and finding and disarming the local militias that had largely been responsible for the violence. On 27 September, 'D' Company, 2 RAR, conducted an airmobile operation into Liquica, west of Dili, before the battalion returned to the capital to continue the task of making the city safe. Working closely with other units in the area from New Zealand and Britain, the northern border area was secured before pushing further inland to Maliana, Bobonaro and Suai, which were considered important towns in the western area of the country. For his leadership under fire, Corporal Paul Teong, commander of the lead section in the forward platoon during the contact, was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. In October 2001, 2 RAR returned to East Timor, known as AUSBATT V of UNTAET, taking over from 4 RAR and serving a relatively uneventful tour, handing over to 3 RAR(Para) in April 2002. In May 2006, Timor Leste (as East Timor has since become) asked for Australian assistance once more. As a part of Australia's continued commitment to the fledgling nation, a battle group, known as Battle Group Samichon, based upon 2 RAR deployed to Timor Leste between September 2007 to April 2008. The battalion deployed for a further tour in May 2009. Known as Timor Leste Battle Group VI this ANZAC Battle Group conducted security and stability operations as well as training for deployment to Afghanistan the following year.

In July 2003, amidst an outbreak of lawlessness, violence and civil unrest in the Solomon Islands, 2 RAR was deployed as part of a Combined Joint Task Force following a request for assistance from the Solomon Islands government.

Following the invasion of Iraq in 2003, 2 RAR provided companies to the security force protecting the Australian embassy in Baghdad – SECDET. The first deployment came in May with 2003 when 5 Platoon, 'B' Company deployed on SECDET 1 with elements of 2nd Cavalry Regiment. A Coy deployed on the next rotation, SECDET II over the period September 2003 January 2004 before handing over to A Coy, 3 RAR In May 2006, 2 RAR's headquarters, support company and a rifle company deployed to Iraq as part of the third rotation of the Al Muthanna Task Group. The battalion conducted a final SECDET in 2009 2010 when B Coy deployed as SECDET XV.

From September 2007 to May 2008, elements of the battalion deployed to Afghanistan on Operation Slipper as part of RTF 3. The Security Task Group (STG) was made up of infantrymen from C Company 2 RAR, mortarmen and snipers from Support Company 2 RAR, IMV crews from 6 RAR and B Squadron, 3/4 Cavalry Regiment, cavalrymen from 2/14 LHR(QMI) and gunners from 4th Field Regiment. Elements from these units combined with elements of the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment to form a combat team. The role of the STG was to provide the firepower and mobility necessary to facilitate the engineers' protected reconstruction. Intimately supported by Combat Engineers, Construction Engineers and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians to make up Combat Team (CT) Spear, the STG was the fundamental enabler for the protected reconstruction effort. The Combat Team conducted five major operations during its deployment, effectively expanding the ISAF and ANSF's permanent influence in the Chora Valley and into the Baluchi Pass. The Combat Team sustained casualties early in the deployment with Trooper David 'Poppy' Pearce being killed by an IED in the Dorufshan and Sergeant Michael Lyddiard being seriously wounded whilst defusing an IED in the Chora Valley. The Combat Team was able to take the fight to the enemy during several engagements, most notably in the Sorkh Morghab region where all elements of the Combat Team engaged the enemy over several days allowing the construction of a patrol base and the Afghan Army to move into an area previously considered a Taliban stronghold. In June 2011, the battalion deployed to Urozgan Province, Afghanistan as the Battle Group Headquarters and Combat Teams of Mentoring Task Force Three (MTF 3). This included the Battle of Doan as well as many other engagements with the Taliban. The battalion returned to Australia in February 2012. MTF–3 handed over responsibility for the mission to the soldiers from the Brisbane based 8/9 RAR who made up MTF–4 on 24 January 2012. Two members of the battalion, Private Matthew Lambert and Lance Corporal Luke Gavin, were killed during this rotation.

Under a restructuring program known as Plan Beersheba announced in late 2011, 2 RAR has formed the core of the Army's amphibious force. This has seen 108th Battery relocate from 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery to 2 RAR as a sub unit, being the only full time infantry battalion with its own organic artillery battery. On 15 October 2017, 2 RAR transferred from the 3rd Brigade to report directly to the headquarters of the 1st Division. The battalion remains based at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville, and become the division's specialist amphibious infantry battalion. The battalion's primary role is to provide specialist capabilities to conduct pre landing activities for other elements of the Army. It includes small boat operators and reconnaissance and sniper teams as well as command, communications and logistics elements. 2 RAR has a strength of around 350 personnel, which is smaller than the RAR's infantry battalions. A 2017 article in the Australian Infantry Magazine stated that in its specialist role, 2 RAR "will be responsible for amphibious reconnaissance and surveillance, small boat operations, battle space shaping and limited scale raiding in support of a Joint Amphibious Task Force". The battalion's main function will be to collect information for the commander of the ADF's Amphibious Task Group and other decision makers. It is to be responsible for reconnoitring and seizing beaches, helicopter landing zones and airfields for the Australian Amphibious Force's main ground combat element. Following the completion of amphibious operations, the battalion will either re embark or remain ashore as a reconnaissance unit. In the latter role, it is to be capable of conducting reconnaissance patrols well behind enemy lines and providing information to other units. As part of this change, 2 RAR transitioned to a new structure in January 2018 which comprises a battalion headquarters, a security company with four infantry platoons, a support company and an administration company. The battalion is planned to generally deploy as the main element of the Australian Amphibious Force's Joint Pre Landing Force (JPLF). It is planned that the 2 RAR elements generally assigned to the Pre Landing Force (PLF) will be a command and control node, elements from the Reconnaissance and Sniper and Small Boat Platoons, two infantry platoons, a joint fires team and a signals detachment. The JPLF will also comprise Army geospatial and survey teams, electronic warfare teams, amphibious beach teams, Royal Australian Navy clearance divers and other specialist elements. Other elements of the Army, including an infantry battalion, form the Amphibious Ready Group's Ground Combat Element (GCE), and rotate through this role on an annual basis.

Korea: Korea 1950–53, Samichon. Dates Name 66 Aust Inf Bn: 16 October 1945 – June 1947 LTCOL G. E. Colvin DSO, ED 2 AR: 23 November 1948 – 10 January 1949 LTCOL S. C. Graham, MC 2 RAR (from 10 March 1949): 11 January 1949 – 12 December 1950 LTCOL C. A. E. Fraser MBE 8 January 1951 – 12 June 1952 LTCOL R. L. Hughes CBE 13 June 1952 – 30 September 1952 LTCOL M. A. Austin DSO 1 October 1952 – 12 September 1954 LTCOL G. F. Larkin OBE 22 October 1954 – 4 November 1957 LTCOL J. G. Ochiltree OBE 5 November 1957 – 14 November 1958 LTCOL W. G. Henderson, OBE 15 January 1959 – 17 April 1960 LTCOL A. S. Mann DSO 18 April 1960 – 31 May 1961 COL K. R. G. Coleman MC 1 June 1961 – 19 August 1963 LTCOL A. B. Stretton MBE 30 August 1963 – 13 December 1964 COL O. D. Jackson OBE 14 December 1964 – 31 May 1965 COL K. A. Peddle 1 June 1965 – 26 January 1967 LTCOL A. W. F. Rofe 27 January 1967 – 5 September 1968 LTCOL N. R. Charlesworth DSO 6 September 1968 – 10 January 1972 LTCOL J. M. Church DSO Linked with 4 RAR 11 January 1972 – 14 August 1973LTCOL J. A. SheldrickDelinked from 2/4 RAR 1 February 1995 – 3 December 1996 LTCOL R. G. Wilson 3 December 1996 – 8 December 1998 LTCOL D. L Morrison 8 December 1998 – 1 December 2000 LTCOL M. Slater DSC, CSC 1 December 2000 – 13 January 2003 LTCOL A. J Campbell AM 14 January 2003 – 3 December 2004 LTCOL J. J. Frewen AM 4 December 2004 – 6 December 2006 LTCOL M. Mahy DSCDecember 2006 – December 2008LTCOL B. JamesDecember 2008 – December 2010 LTCOL David Smith AMDecember 2010 – December 2013LTCOL C. Smith DSC, CSCDecember 2013 – December 2016 LTCOL M. Bassingthwaighte DSMDecember 2016 – December 2018LTCOL D. PashleyDecember 2018 – December 2020LTCOL J. Finger CSCDecember 2020 – 2022LTCOL M. TuttonJanuary 2023 PresentLTCOL J. Wick