27th Battalion (Australia)
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The 27th Battalion was an
infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
of the
Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is 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 ...
. It was initially raised in 1915 as part of the all-volunteer
First Australian Imperial Force The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main Expeditionary warfare, expeditionary force of the Australian Army during the First World War. It was formed as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) following United Kingdom of Great Bri ...
for service during World War I. During the conflict, the battalion saw action briefly at
Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
before later fighting on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918. It was disbanded in 1919, but was re-raised in 1921 as part of the Citizens Force, which later became the "Militia". During World War II the battalion was used mainly in a garrison role until the last year of the war when it was committed to the fighting against the Japanese during the Bougainville campaign. Following the end of hostilities it was disbanded in May 1946. Between 1948 and 1965 the battalion was re-raised and disbanded a number of times before eventually becoming part of the Royal South Australia Regiment. It was disbanded for a final time in 1987, when it was amalgamated with the 10th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment to form the
10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment The Royal South Australia Regiment is a reserve regiment of the Australian Army consisting of a single battalion, the 10th/27th Battalion, part of the 9th Brigade. It was raised on 1 July 1960, as The South Australia Regiment. History The Regim ...
.


History


World War I

Because of the restrictions that the ''Defence Act (1903)'' placed upon deploying units of the Citizens Force overseas, following the outbreak of World War I, the Australian government decided to raise an all volunteer force for overseas service. This force was known as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Initially, the AIF was to consist of only one infantry division, but following the despatch of the 1st Division in late 1914 further units were raised and these were eventually organised to form the 2nd Division. As part of the 2nd Division, the 27th Battalion was formed on 16 March 1915 at Ascot Park Camp,
Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, from recruits drawn mainly from
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
, who had originally been allocated to the 24th Battalion. After a period of
basic training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique dema ...
, the battalion embarked for the Middle East on the troopship '' HMAT A2 Geelong'' on 31 May 1915, arriving there on 6 July.


Gallipoli

They then undertook a further two months of training in
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
before an urgent request for reinforcements led to them being dispatched to join the Gallipoli campaign; they landed at Anzac Cove on 12 September. Attached to the 7th Brigade, along with the 25th,
26th 26 (twenty-six) is the natural number following 25 and preceding 27. In mathematics *26 is the seventh discrete semiprime (2 \times 13) and the fifth with 2 as the lowest non-unitary factor thus of the form (2.q), where q is a higher prime. ...
and 28th Battalions, they reinforced the battle-worn
New Zealand and Australian Division The New Zealand and Australian Division was a composite army Division (military), division raised for service in the First World War under the command of Major General Alexander Godley. Consisting of several Mounted infantry, mounted and standard ...
and took up a defensive position on Cheshire Ridge. Throughout October they defended the ridge, during which time they suffered five killed and 29 wounded, before being relieved by New Zealanders in early November. After this they moved to new positions in Mule Gulley where they undertook further defensive operations alongside the 26th Battalion. Losses during this time amounted to two killed and eight wounded. In December, they took over from the 28th Battalion around Happy Valley, before the decision was made to evacuate the Allied forces from the peninsula. On 12 December 1915, the battalion embarked upon the ''Osmaliegh'', bound for
Lemnos Island Lemnos ( ) or Limnos ( ) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos (regional unit), Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean modern regions of Greece ...
. Following this the 27th Battalion returned to Egypt, where the AIF undertook a period of training and re-organisation as reinforcements arrived from Australia. During this time the AIF was expanded from two infantry divisions to four â€“ with a fifth forming in Australia â€“ and many infantry battalions that had seen service at Gallipoli were split up to provide cadre staff for the newly raised battalions. The battalions of the 2nd Division, however, were not split up in this manner and the 27th Battalion remained intact.


Western Front

In early 1916, the decision was made to transfer part of the AIF to Europe to take part in the fighting in the trenches along the Western Front in France and Belgium. Still attached to the 7th Brigade, the 27th Battalion entered the front-line for the first time on 7 April 1916 as the Australians took over a quiet sector near
Armentières Armentières (; , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. The motto of the town is ''Pauvre mais fià ...
. On 8 July 1916, the 7th Brigade was ordered to march to the
Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France * Somme, Queensland, Australia * Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), ...
to support the Australian 1st Division which was taking part in the fighting around Pozières. On 28 July, the 7th Brigade undertook an attack on the German line, however, during this time the 27th Battalion was held back in reserve. The attack proved unsuccessful and as a result it was ordered to launch a second attack on 4 August, centred upon German positions around
Bapaume Bapaume (original Dutch name Batpalmen) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region of northern France. Geography Bapaume is a farming and light indus ...
. This time the 27th Battalion was to play a key role. Moving off from positions around La Boiselle in the afternoon, the battalion advanced with two companies forward and two back in reserve under the cover of an intense artillery barrage. Due to congestion around the assembly trenches, the battalion arrived at its objective late. Nevertheless, the first wave managed to capture the first line of German trenches and although the follow-up waves became lost amidst thick smoke, the two assault companies began to consolidate their position during the night. In the early morning of 5 August, a heavy German counterattack was launched. This was turned back at considerable cost, with the Germans suffering an estimated 100 men killed and 60 men captured. Following this, the battalion sent out patrols into no man's land as reinforcements were brought up. Later during the day their positions were subjected to heavy shellfire from German guns positioned around
Thiepval Thiepval (; ) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Thiepval is located north of Albert at the crossroads of the D73 and D151 and approximately northeast of Amiens. Population First World War The ...
. Although successful, the attack proved costly with the battalion reporting the following casualties: 40 killed, 289 wounded and 67 missing. Afterwards they were relieved by the 48th Battalion and were eventually transferred to Belgium where they were rested in a 'quiet' sector south of
Zillebeke Zillebeke (also known as Zellebeck) is a village in the Flemish province of West Flanders in Belgium. It is a former municipality which is now part of Ypres. History On 3 March 1914 the then municipality was granted the arms of the last Lord ...
. In early October, the battalion undertook a number of small scale raids on the German line, capturing a number of prisoners, before they were withdrawn from the line on 27 October and transferred back to the Somme where they subsequently took part in two unsuccessful attacks against German positions east of Flers. In January 1917, the 7th Brigade moved into the
Le Sars Le Sars is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France south of Arras. Population See also *Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department References Sars Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS ...
sector where they took over from British units that were holding the line near Mametz. Offensive operations during this time were largely curtailed by bad weather, but on 2 March the battalions of the
5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth Avenue * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a cont ...
and 7th Brigades launched a combined attack north of Warlencourt. The initial assault yielded some ground, but the Germans completed a successful outflanking move on the left, which threatened to take the momentum out of the attack. As reinforcements were brought up, the 27th Battalion linked up with the 26th Battalion on its left flank near the Loupart Road and, under the cover of mist, managed to establish a new trench line long and captured a number of prisoners. The battalion's next engagement came on 26 March 1917 when they undertook an attack on Lagnicourt, during which they lost 11 killed and 29 wounded. The 27th Battalion did not undertake a major engagement until 20 September when they took part in the
Battle of Menin Road A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...
, which resulted in success for the Australians. During the battle, they were committed to the fighting as part of the first wave which routed the German forces. Advancing under a cover of artillery and machine gun fire, the battalion captured a section of the German line known as the 'Blue Line' between Polygon Wood and a position known as the Iron Cross Redoubt. Later, they successfully took part in the
Battle of Broodseinde The Battle of Broodseinde was fought on 4 October 1917 near Ypres in Belgium, at the east end of the Gheluvelt plateau, by the British Second and Fifth armies against the German 4th Army. The battle was the most successful Allied attack of t ...
on 4 October, which was their last major offensive action in 1917. In early 1918, the 7th Brigade was placed in divisional reserve around Romarin as extreme winter weather conditions set in. At the end of January the brigade was relieved and moved back to Henneveux where it was tasked with covering a length of the line. During this time the 27th Battalion was near full strength, with 43 officers and 993 men, and was positioned between Bellebrune and
Crémarest Crémarest () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography A farming and forestry village, some east of Boulogne, at the junction of the D238 and the D254 roads, by the banks of the river Lia ...
. They remained there throughout February and March during which time they undertook training and the men were given leave to visit
Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...
. In March 1918, the Germans launched their Spring Offensive in an effort to bring about an end to the war. The offensive saw considerable tactical gains, and although the
Australian Corps The Australian Corps was a World War I army corps that contained all five Australian infantry divisions serving on the Western Front. It was the largest corps fielded by the British Empire in France. At its peak the Australian Corps numbered 1 ...
missed the opening phase of the offensive as they were out of line at the time, they were brought up in April to help stem the tide of the German advance. As a part of this effort, the 27th Battalion returned to the battlefields of the Somme, as the 7th Brigade relieved the 13th Brigade around the Somme Canal on the night of 7/8 April. At the end of the month they moved to the Camon– Rivery area. As the German offensive became focused upon Villers–Bretonneux they were called upon to undertake a supporting role to the Australian counterattack, relieving the 6th Brigade around Ville-sur-Ancre following the 6th's assault on the town. In early June, plans were made for the Australian 2nd Division to attack around
Morlancourt Morlancourt () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Morlancourt is situated on the D42 road, some northeast of Amiens. Population Notable people * Louis Friant (1758–1829), French military ...
in preparation for a more significant attack at Hamel. On 10 June, the battalion advanced on the right of the 7th Brigade's line, capturing the German front line trenches around Morlancourt and wiping out a whole battalion, taking 325 prisoners for the loss of 400 men. On 4 July the battalion undertook a supporting role in the successful Australian attack at Hamel, following up the initial success with a further, albeit small, advance on 8 July. After the German offensive petered out, the 27th Battalion undertook
peaceful penetration Peaceful penetration was an infantry tactic used toward the end of the First World War by Australian troops, a cross between trench raiding and patrolling. The aim was similar to trench raiding (namely, to gather prisoners, conduct reconnaissan ...
operations against the German line as the Allies began to prepare to launch their own offensive. On 8 August 1918, the Allies launched their
Hundred Days Offensive The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Western Front, the Allies pushed the Imperial Germa ...
. During the fighting around Amiens, the battalion was responsible for capturing 200 prisoners as well as a number of machine guns and artillery pieces. They remained in the line throughout August and September, undertaking further attacks at Biaches and Mont St Quentin. Casualties during this time were high and by the end of September 1918 the battalion's strength had fallen to 31 officers and 537 men. Their final engagement of the war came on the night of 3 October 1918, when they took part in the
Battle of Beaurevoir The Battle of St Quentin Canal was a pivotal battle of World War I that began on 29 September 1918 and involved British, Australian and American forces operating as part of the British Fourth Army under the overall command of General Sir Henry ...
. During this battle, the battalion attacked around Prospect Hill, suffering 67 casualties. The following night they crossed the Estrees Road and took up position northeast of Estrees to support the 6th Brigade which was attacking positions beyond Beaurevoir. Following this, the battalions of the Australian Corps were removed from the line for rest on 5 October, after a request from the Australian prime minister,
Billy Hughes William Morris Hughes (25 September 1862 – 28 October 1952) was an Australian politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923. He led the nation during World War I, and his influence on national politics s ...
. They had been severely depleted and were suffering from acute manpower shortages as a result of the combination of a decrease in the number of volunteers from Australia and the decision to grant home leave to men who had served for over four years. Subsequently, 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 t ...
was signed on 11 November 1918, the Australian Corps had not returned to the front and was still in the rear reorganising and training. With the end of hostilities the demobilisation process began, and men were slowly repatriated back to Australia. The process took a considerable period of time, though, and a large number of men were able to undertake tertiary and vocational training in England and France to prepare for their return to civilian life. Finally, as numbers dwindled, the battalion was disbanded on 4 June 1919. The battalion suffered 762 men killed or died on active service during the war, as well as a further 2,155 wounded. Members of the 27th Battalion received a number of decorations, including: one
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...
(CMG), five
Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...
s (DSOs), 20
Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
es (MCs) and two bars, 14
Distinguished Conduct Medal The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military ...
s (DCMs), 69
Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the British Armed Forces, armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, below commissioned o ...
s (MMs) and two bars, five Meritorious Service Medals (MSMs), 21
Mentions in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...
(MIDs) and six foreign awards. A total of 16
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 Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...
s were awarded to the 27th Battalion for its involvement in the fighting on Gallipoli and the Western Front.


Interwar years

In 1921, the decision was made to perpetuate the
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 Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...
s and traditions of the AIF by re-organising the units of the Citizens Force to adopt the numerical designations of their related AIF units. The 27th Battalion had been recruited mainly from personnel that had served in the 74th (Boothby) Infantry Regiment, and as a result, on 1 May 1921, the 74th's successor units—the 2nd and 5th Battalions, 27th Regiment—were amalgamated to re-raise the 27th Battalion. Through this link, the 27th inherited the battle honour "South Africa 1899–1902". Upon establishment, the battalion formed part of the 3rd Brigade and was based in South Australia where it formed part of the 4th Military District. In 1927, territorial titles were adopted by the units of the Citizens Force, and as a result the battalion adopted the title of the "South Australian Regiment". It also adopted the motto of "''Primus inter Pares''", meaning "First Among Equals". The following year, 1928, the battalion formed an alliance with the
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Ireland, Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 108th (Ma ...
, which were also known as the 27th Regiment of Foot. A year later, following the election of 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 labour ...
government, the compulsory training scheme was abolished and in its place a new system was introduced whereby the Citizens Forces would be maintained on a part-time, voluntary basis only. It was also renamed the "Militia" at this time. The decision to suspend compulsory training, coupled with the economic downturn of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
meant that the manpower of many Militia units dropped considerably and as a result the decision was made to amalgamate a number of units. The 27th Battalion, however, did not suffer this fate and in 1938 it adopted the territorial title of "South Australian Scottish Regiment" and was afforded the right to wear the
MacKenzie Mackenzie, Mckenzie, MacKenzie, or McKenzie may refer to: People * Mackenzie (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Mackenzie (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Clan Mackenzie, a Sc ...
tartan, after forming an alliance with the
Seaforth Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, the Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw service ...
. At the same time it also raised a
pipe band A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland bagpipe, ...
.


World War II

Following the outbreak of World War II, due to the provisions of the ''Defence Act (1903)'' which precluded deploying the Militia outside of Australian territory, the government decided to raise an all volunteer force for overseas service, known as the
Second Australian Imperial Force The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was 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 strength of one ...
(2nd AIF). As such while the Militia would provide a cadre for this force, its main role was to provide training to conscripts as part of the compulsory training scheme which was re-established in early 1940. During this time the Militia were called up in cohorts for periods of continuous training and the 27th Battalion, along with the rest of the 3rd Brigade, undertook garrison duties in South Australia as well as running number of training camps designed to increase the nation's preparedness in case of war in the Pacific. With Japan's entry into the war following the attacks on
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...
and
Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
, the battalion was mobilised for wartime service on 9 December 1941 and transported to Darwin in northern Australia where it formed part of the garrison force to defend against possible Japanese attack. During this time it was based at Winnellie and took part in building defences in the north. Later, in December 1942, the 27th Battalion was transferred from the 3rd Brigade to the 23rd Brigade. This formation had previously been a part of the 2nd AIF, but the loss of several of its battalions when they had been deployed to Ambon,
Timor Timor (, , ) is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is Indonesia–Timor-Leste border, divided between the sovereign states of Timor-Leste in the eastern part and Indonesia in the ...
and
Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province ...
, had resulted in it being re-formed with Militia battalions and the 27th joined the
7th Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season ep ...
and 8th Battalions to round out its establishment. In March 1943, after having endured several bombings by Japanese aircraft since their arrival in Darwin the previous year, the battalion was replaced in the Darwin garrison and its personnel returned Adelaide for leave. In December, they regrouped on the
Atherton Tablelands The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau, which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It has very deep, rich basaltic soils and the main industry is agriculture. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the ...
in
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
for jungle training, as the 23rd Brigade—then part of the 3rd Division—was converted to the jungle establishment, in preparation for them undertaking active service in New Guinea. Around this time the battalion was gazetted as an AIF battalion, meaning that because more than 65 per cent of its personnel had volunteered for service outside of Australian territory, it could be deployed beyond the limits set out in the ''Defence Act (1903)''. In late May 1944, the 27th Battalion was shipped to
Lae Lae (, , later ) is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River on the northern coast of Huon Gulf. It is at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is ...
, before proceeding to
Wau Wau may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Papua New Guinea * Wau, Papua New Guinea * Wau Airport (Papua New Guinea) * Wau Rural LLG, (local level government) South Sudan * Wau State, South Sudan * Wau, South Sudan, city * Wau railway s ...
where it underwent further jungle warfare training while waiting for the American troops to established footholds on its way to Bougainville. The battalion was deployed to Green Island, in September 1944, relieving the American troops defending Lagoon Airfield. The Americans were subsequently redeployed to the fighting in the Philippines. In early 1945, the battalion moved to Bougainville to take part in the Australian campaign there. Initially, it was tasked with relieving the 55th/53rd Battalion at Laruma River in the central sector of the island in March. In April, the battalion pressed on to Pearl Ridge where they took over from the 31st/51st Battalion and began to carry out patrols in front of the ridge. Over the course of six weeks, the battalion carried out a number of minor attacks and in the process captured several key features before moving to the northern sector of the island on the
Bonis Peninsula The Bonis Peninsula is a narrow peninsula located on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, at the north of the island. The Buka Passage separates the peninsula from Buka Island. History 20th century In the first half of the 20th century, th ...
around Ratsua where they continued to harass Japanese forces through active patrolling and ambushing. This continued until the end of the war in August 1945. Following the Japanese surrender, the 27th Battalion ceased operations and was transported to
Torokina Torokina is a coastal village on Bougainville Island, in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, eastern Papua New Guinea. It is administered under Torokina Rural LLG. It is located on the western coast of the island. During World War II ...
, where they had to wait for shipping to become available for repatriation back to Australia to begin the demobilisation process. This process began in October 1945, albeit slowly, and gradually the battalion's numbers decreased as men were repatriated back to Australia or were transferred to other units for further service. Long service men received priority for discharge, while some men volunteered to be transferred to the battalions of the 34th Brigade that were being formed on
Morotai Island Morotai Island Regency () is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai island (). It covers an area of 2,336.6 km2 including the smaller Rao Island to the west of Morotai. The population was 52,860 at the 2010 censusB ...
for service as part of the
British Commonwealth Occupation Force The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) was the British Commonwealth taskforce consisting of Australian, British, Indian, and New Zealander military forces in occupied Japan, from 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952. At its pe ...
in Japan. Finally, on 1 May 1946, the battalion was disbanded. The 27th Battalion lost 22 men killed in action or died and 54 wounded during its service in World War II, the majority of these coming in the final weeks of the war. In addition to the normal campaign ribbons, the battalion's personnel also received a number of decorations for distinguished service and bravery, these included: one DSO, one MC, one MM and 16 MIDs. The battalion received one battle honour for its involvement in the war.


Post World War II

In 1948, with demobilisation of Australia's wartime army complete, the decision was made to re-raise the part-time forces of the Militia, albeit with the new name of the Citizens Military Force (CMF), on a reduced establishment. The 27th Battalion was re-raised in May 1948, and was once again assigned to the 3rd Division, attached to the 9th Brigade. In 1951, the compulsory training scheme was reintroduced and as a result the size of many CMF units swelled. The song, ''
The Campbells Are Coming "The Campbells Are Coming" is a Scottish song associated with Clan Campbell. The tune, a traditional Scottish air, is similar to "The Town of Inveraray" () ("I was at a wedding in the town of Inveraray / Most wretched of weddings, with nothing bu ...
'', was approved as the battalion's regimental march in 1953. In 1959, the national service scheme was suspended, and as a result numbers dropped once more. Following the introduction of the Pentropic divisional structure in early 1960, the CMF was reorganised and a number of infantry battalions were disbanded or amalgamated together to form six new State-based regiments. As part of these changes, in July 1960 the 27th Battalion was amalgamated with the 43rd/48th Battalion (Hindmarsh Regiment) and 10th Battalion (The Adelaide Rifles) to form the pentropic 1st Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment (1 RSAR), with the 27th Battalion's personnel forming 'A' and 'B' Companies within this organisation. The 16 battle honours awarded to the 2nd AIF's 2/27th Battalion, which had served in North Africa, Syria, and New Guinea with the 7th Division were entrusted to the battalion in 1961, through the promulgation of Army Order 135. In 1965, the Australian Army's experiment with the pentropic structure was abandoned and the CMF was once again reorganised with many of the pentropic battalions being split once again to form additional battalions. On 1 July 1965, 1 RSAR was split and the 10th, 27th and 43rd Battalions were reformed in their own right as battalions of the Royal South Australia Regiment. On 29 November 1987, the 10th and 27th Battalions were linked to form the 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment (10/27 RSAR). This unit continues to exist to this day, maintaining the battle honours and traditions of its predecessor units.


Alliances

The 27th Battalion held the following alliances: * United Kingdom â€“
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Ireland, Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 108th (Ma ...
; * United Kingdom â€“
Seaforth Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, the Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw service ...
.


Battle honours

The 27th Battalion was awarded the following battle honours: *
South Africa 1899–1902 The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...
(inherited); * World War I:
Somme 1916 __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France *Somme, Queensland, Australia *Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media *Somme (book), ''Somm ...
– 18,
Pozières Pozières (; ) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography The commune is situated on the D929 road, northeast of Amiens between Albert and Bapaume, on the Pozières ridge. Southwest of the village ...
, Bapaume 1917,
Ypres 1917 Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) 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 comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...
,
Menin Road Menin may refer to: *Menin, the French name for the Belgian town of Menen *Menin, a little village in the municipality of Cesiomaggiore, Italy *Menin or MEN1, a tumor suppressor associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 *Měnín, village ...
,
Polygon Wood In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon' ...
,
Broodseinde The Battle of Broodseinde was fought on 4 October 1917 near Ypres in Belgium, at the east end of the Gheluvelt plateau, by the British Second and Fifth armies against the German 4th Army. The battle was the most successful Allied attack of t ...
,
Poelcappelle Langemark-Poelkapelle () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. Geography Other places in the municipality include Bikschote, Langemark and Poelkapelle. On January 1, 2006, Langemark-Poelkapelle had a total populat ...
, Passchendaele,
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...
, Albert 1918, Mont St Quentin,
Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (, Siegfried Position) was a German Defense line, defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in France during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to ...
,
Beaurevoir Beaurevoir is a commune in the department of Aisne in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also * Communes of the Aisne department The following is a list of the 796 communes in the French department of Aisne. The co ...
,
France and Flanders 1916–18 The Western Front was one of the main theatres of war during World War I. Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important ind ...
, Gallipoli 1915–16; * World War II: Liberation of Australian New Guinea. In 1961, the battalion â€“ although no longer on the Australian Army's order of battle â€“ was entrusted with the battle honours awarded to the 2/27th Battalion for its service with the 2nd AIF during World War II. The honours it inherited at this time were: North Africa; Syria 1941; The Litani; Sidon; Adlun; Damour; South-West Pacific 1942–1945; Kokoda Trail; Efogi–Menari; Buna–Gona; Gona; Liberation of Australian New Guinea; Ramu Valley; Shaggy Ridge; Borneo 1945; Balikpapan.


Commanding officers

World War I * Lieutenant Colonel Walter Dollman (16 March 1915); * Lieutenant Colonel James Charles Frederick Slane (22 August 1916); * Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Royden Chalmers (1 October 1917). World War II * Lieutenant Colonel Francis Mayfield Best (1 May 1934); * Lieutenant Colonel Lindsay Keith Farquhar (6 November 1939); * Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Pope (14 April 1942).


Notes

;Footnotes ;Citations


References

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


Further reading

* * *


External links


AWM4/23/44/1: 27th Infantry Battalion unit diary, World War I

AWM52/8/3/65: 27th Infantry Battalion unit diary, World War II
{{Good article Australian World War I battalions Australian World War II battalions Military units and formations established in 1915 Military units and formations disestablished in 1919 1915 establishments in Australia Military units and formations established in 1921 Military units and formations disestablished in 1946 1946 disestablishments in Australia Military units and formations established in 1948 Military units and formations disestablished in 1960 Military units and formations established in 1965 Military units and formations disestablished in 1987