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Reg -> RE: THE THREAD!!! (6/2/2012 1:55:02 AM)
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ORIGINAL: Reg
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ORIGINAL: bradfordkay
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ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo
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ORIGINAL: Terminus
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ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo
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ORIGINAL: Terminus
Just watched a program about RAF CASEVAC flights from Afghanistan to the UK. Very heavy stuff.
T, a while back you enlightened me as to the "2/" designation on Australian units. Would you know why the AA units have the "2/" designation but are restricted to Australia?
Er, no idea. This is the first I hear of it...[&:]
With me there is always a chance I have misunderstood something. But heres a screenie. I have not clue #1 how many guns an Aussie AA regiment is supposed to have, so this could very well be the 2nd battalion of the 1st Regiment (which would make for some darn confusing nomenclature)....
[image]local://upfiles/11853/5CF4054809514FBAB295A7D8F15B7437.jpg[/image]
I am pretty sure that you have it right... this is the 2nd Battalion (or Battery) of the 1st Regiment.
Not necessarily. The 2/ prefix could indicate that the unit was raised as part of the 2nd AIF (for overseas service).
Check this link: http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/F03459/ which is the library index and description on a film of the unit's overseas service. It returned to Australia in March 1942. Once home it would have then been allocated to mainland defence, hence the restricted status.
Edit: Oops.... Wrong unit but you can see what I mean...
I found this unit history on-line. Seems to be incomplete but covers enough to answer your question. It was assigned to mainland defence duties upon return to Australia. Interestingly it had been converted to a Light AA Unit by this time which agrees with the other info I found.
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WW2Talk Forum: 6th Australian Infantry Division Artillery
2/1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RAA
Raised
1 May 1940 in New South Wales
Batteries
1st, 2nd, 3rd Batteries
The regiment was formed as part of corps troops with 1st Battery formed in New South Wales and 2nd and 3rd Batteries in Victoria. On 29 June 1940, half of 2nd Battery was sent to Darwin. It arrived on 1 July and moved to Larreykah Barracks with the 2nd Section at Darwin and 3rd Section at Parap Camp. It remained there until December 1940, when it was replaced by 14th AA Battery and was recalled to Sydney. It left Sydney for the Middle East in June 1941 and arrived on 25 July 1941.
In August 1941, it was converted to a Light AA Regiment and served under 1st Australian AA Brigade in Palestine. It then served under 7th Australian Infantry Division during the invasion of Syria. It returned to Australia with 7th Australian Infantry Division and corps troops in March 1942. It was sent to the Darwin area after the 19 February 1942 Japanese air raid. It had the responsibility of the AA defence of all airfields in the Northern Territory area. The 3rd Battery was sent to Port Moresby to form part of its AA defence on 11 April 1942. The regiment reformed as 2/1st Composite AA Regiment in July 1943 and became part of I Australian Corps Troops. It was located at Finschhafen in October and November 1943. It returned to Queensland in early 1944 and remained as corps troops until the for the rest of the war. It served under I Australian Corps in the Balikipan, Borneo landings from 1 July to 15 August 1945.
3rd Battery, which left the regiment when it became a Composite AA Regiment, landed with 7th Australian Infantry Division as an airborne unit at Lae-Nadzab in early September 1943. It served there until
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