Duty First: A history of the Royal Australian RegimentDavid Murray Horner, Jean Bou Duty First is the complete history of the Royal Australian Regiment, which has been the mainstay of the Australian Regular Army for over sixty years. With the formation of the regular army, including the Royal Australian Regiment, for the first time Australia had a permanent professional army, available in peacetime and in war for any task the government might direct. The Royal Australian Regiment is the key fighting force of the army and has carried the main burden of active service since the Second World War. Its history throws important light on the development of Australia's defence. In late 1945, three battalions were formed to serve with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. Active service began with a 'baptism of fire' fierce combat in the Korean War. This was followed by counter-guerrilla service in Malaya during the Emergency, action in Borneo during Confrontation, including the top secret 'Claret' operations into Indonesian territory, and active service in Vietnam. The book examines how the regiment adapted after the Vietnam War to the demands of peacetime soldiering, including the pressures of peacekeeping. Finally, it reveals how the regiment's traditions of flexibility and readiness have stood it in good stead in recent operations in East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan. Duty First concludes with a series of short pieces in which former members of the regiment, from general to soldier, present fascinating accounts of their personal experiences in a range of different operational and peacetime circumstances. This is a story of humour and courage, of professionalism, and above all dedication to duty. The Royal Australian Regiment's motto, 'Duty First', continues to reflect its ethos and spirit today, over sixty years since its foundation. |
Contents
1 | |
19 | |
Australia and Japan 194850 | 40 |
Korea 195056 | 57 |
Malaya 195560 | 81 |
Australia 195065 | 105 |
Malaysia and Borneo 196066 | 124 |
Australia Malaysia and Singapore 196573 | 149 |
Australia 197379 | 239 |
Australia 198090 | 258 |
UN Operations and Australia 19099 | 280 |
Operations 19992006 | 306 |
16 Individual Views | 347 |
Appendices | 428 |
Endnotes | 452 |
Bibliography | 493 |
Other editions - View all
Duty First: A History of the Royal Australian Regiment David Horner,Jean Bou No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
9 RAR ambush APCs April armoured arrived artillery ASLAVs assault assault pioneer attack August Australian Army Australian Infantry AWM photo barracks base battalion group battle BCOF border Borneo Brigade British casualties Centre commanding officer Commonwealth conducted December Defence deployed deployment Division duty East Timor enemy equipment exercise February fire helicopter Holsworthy Ibid Indonesian infantry battalion Japan Japanese July June jungle Kapyong killed kilometres Korea Kure Lieutenant Colonel Major Malaya Malayan Emergency Malaysia March McNeill and Ekins mechanised military Morotai mortar move national servicemen NCOs North Vietnamese November Nui Dat October Operation Solace operations organisation parade patrol pentropic personnel Phuoc Tuy platoon platoon commander RAR’s rifle companies Royal Australian Regiment September sergeant soldiers South South Vietnam squadron Staff Support Company Sydney tactical task force terrorists tour Townsville troops units Viet Cong Vietnam village weapons wounded
Popular passages
Page xxi - Army colonel and a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the National War College.
Page 83 - The military forces would consist of an infantry battalion with supporting arms; and the air force contribution would include a fighter wing of two squadrons, a bomber wing of one squadron and an airfield construction squadron.
Page 186 - ... on what the role of the Task Force was to be. The telling point in this respect was the observations made by Robert O'Neill in Vietnam Task, where he tells of his battalion commander encouraging continual debate from his officers during 1966 in order to rationalise what they were doing in Phuoc Tuy: The most fundamental question seemed to be the determination of our aim. Was it to kill Viet Cong, to bring the main force to battle, to isolate the main force from the people, to assist in civil...
Page 4 - Australia is doing so not as a subsidiary, but as a principal Pacific Power which has for so long borne the heat and burden of the struggle against Japan.
Page 82 - Malaya' two destroyers or frigates, an aircraft carrier on an annual visit, additional ships in an emergency, an infantry battalion with supporting arms and reinforcements in Australia, a fighter air wing of two squadrons, a bomber wing of one squadron and an airfield construction...
Page 246 - Australia's situation is favourable . . . [we] do not at present foresee any deterioration in our strategic environment that would involve consideration of the commitment of our Defence Force to military operations to protect Australia's security or strategic interests.
Page 226 - ... when the regiment became part of VC 5 Division, and the Australian battalion was to encounter strong opposition when they operated there. The 5RAR history records: Operation Camden was characterised by enemy aggression. Rather than immediately breaking contact and withdrawing, the enemy stayed and fought in his prepared positions and defied the immense support of air and artillery to dislodge him. He then withdrew under the cover of the Vietnamese night. Not only did he employ snipers in trees,...
Page 133 - ... or radio. Identity discs must be left behind before departure and no traces — such as cartridge cases, paper, ration packs, etc — must be left in Kalimantan. On no account must any soldier taking part be captured by the enemy — alive or dead.24 These rules were later eased, but the operations always retained a high level of secrecy.
Page 82 - Established soon after the Second World War, ANZAM was an informal Commonwealth arrangement based on the common defence interests of Australia, New Zealand and Britain in the general area of South East Asia and the South West Pacific.
Page 118 - in the light of all that had been said in support of the pentropic organisation and the equipment orders which had been placed as part of its implementation, it would not be practical at that time to revert to a "three brigade