3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
Encyclopedia
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Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion of the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
, based in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. 3 RAR was initially formed in 1945 as the 67th Battalion and has seen active service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, South Vietnam, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Battalion is a rapid deployment light infantry unit which makes up a major part of Australia's Ready Deployment Force.
Formation
3 RAR was initially formed on 20 October 1945 as the 67th Battalion. The Battalion was intended for occupation duties in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and was formed from volunteers from the 3rd, 6th, 7th and 11th Australian Divisions. The battalion was redesignated the 3rd Battalion of the Australian Regiment
Royal Australian Regiment
The Royal Australian Regiment is the parent regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps...
upon the Regiment's formation in November 1948. The 'Royal' prefix was appended in March 1949.
The 67th Battalion arrived in Japan as part of the Australian 34th Brigade
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 in Japan...
in February 1946. As with the rest of the occupation force, the Battalion did not encounter any significant resistance or civil unrest. 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
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Korea 1950–1953
3 RAR was rapidly committed as Australia's main land force contribution to the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
forces in the Korean War. After a period of intensive training and reinforcement in Japan, the battalion arrived in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in late September 1950. The battalion formed part of the 27th Commonwealth Brigade 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 1950–1951. In October 1950 the battalion distinguished itself at Chongju
Battle of Chongju (1950)
The Battle of Chongju took place during the United Nations offensive towards the Yalu River, which followed the North Korean invasion of South Korea at the start of the Korean War...
during UN northward advance to the Yalu River. Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Charles Green
Charles Hercules Green
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hercules Green DSO was a senior officer in the Australian Army. He served as a battalion commander in World War II, and again later during the Korean War, where he was killed in action while commanding the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment...
, it attacked and captured a large North Korean defensive line
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
in a combined arms
Combined arms
Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different branches of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects...
operation with tanks and artillery. Green was later killed in action. It was one of three units to receive the Presidential Unit Citation (US)
Presidential Unit Citation (US)
The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
after the Battle of Kapyong
Battle of Kapyong
The Battle of Kapyong , also known as the Battle of Jiaping , was fought during the Korean War between United Nations forces—primarily Australian and Canadian—and the Chinese communist People's Volunteer Army...
22–25 April 1951.
In July 1951, Major Archer Denness
Archer Denness
Major Archer Paterson Denness MC, was an Australian Army officer who served during the Second World War and the Korean War.-Personal life:...
briefly commanded 3 RAR between the departure of Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Ferguson and the arrival of the new commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Frank Hassett. 3 RAR remained in Korea until the war ended in 1953.
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Malaya 1957–1959
The next major conflict that 3 RAR was involved in was the Malayan EmergencyMalayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
. The Australian Government first committed a battalion in 1955 to assist Malayan Government counter incursion of Communist Terrorists
Malayan Races Liberation Army
The Malayan Races Liberation Army was the name given by British security forces to a combatant in the Malayan Emergency, an insurrection and guerrilla war against the British and Malayan administration from 1948-1960 in what is now Malaysia....
(CTs). 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 anti-communist terrorist operations in northern Malaya. Operations began in November 1957 and as a result many terrorist camps and food dumps were located and destroyed. 3 RAR was accredited with killing 14 terrorists and was responsible for the capture of 32 others. 3 RAR casualties over the two years were two wounded and four non-battle casualties.
Malaya and Borneo 1963–1965
3 RAR also served in Malaysia and Borneo during the Indonesia-Malaysia ConfrontationIndonesia-Malaysia confrontation
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation during 1962–1966 was Indonesia’s political and armed opposition to the creation of Malaysia. It is also known by its Indonesian/Malay name Konfrontasi...
and was involved in a series of highly successful cross-border missions under Operation Claret
Operation Claret
Claret was the code name given to operations conducted from about July 1964 until July 1966 from East Malaysia across the border in Indonesian Kalimantan during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation. They were instigated by the Director of Borneo Operations Major General Walter Walker with the...
. During these operations the battalion had four major contacts with Indonesian forces on the Sungei Koemba
Battle of Sungei Koemba
The Battle of Sungei Koemba took place during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation. Involving Australian and Indonesian troops, the battle consisted of a series of ambushes launched by the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment , along the Sungei Koemba river in Kalimantan...
river, at Kindau
Battle of Kindau
The Battle of Kindau took place during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation. Involving Australian and Indonesian troops, the battle was the third in a series of successful ambushes between May and July 1965 launched by the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment , in Kalimantan...
and again at Babang
Battle of Babang
The Battle of Babang was the fourth and last in a series of successful ambushes conducted between in May and July 1965 by Australian troops from 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment , this time at Babang in Kalimantan , during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation...
between May and July 1965.
South Vietnam
3 RAR served two tours in VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, the first during 1967 and 1968 saw the battalion stationed in Phuoc Tuy Province. The battalion took part in several operations and was involved in mine clearing, counter mortar and rocket tasks and reconnaissance in force operations. 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 Army during the Battle of Coral–Balmoral. In 1971 the battalion returned to Phuoc Tuy Province. During the second tour the battalion took part in several minor actions before returning to Australia by the end of 1971 after an eight month tour.
East Timor
INTERFET
The International Force for East Timor was a multinational peacekeeping taskforce, mandated by the United Nations to address the humanitarian and security crisis which took place in East Timor from 1999–2000 until the arrival of United Nations peacekeepers...
into East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
in 1999. The Battalion arrived in Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
by sea and was initially responsible for the city. The battalion later secured the enclave of Oecussi. 3 RAR returned to Australia in February 2000 and served a second 6-month tour of East Timor in 2002. In May 2006 the 3 RAR Battalion Group was deployed to restore order to East Timor as part of Operation Astute
Operation Astute
Operation Astute is an Australian-led military deployment to East Timor to quell unrest and return stability in the 2006 East Timor crisis. It is currently headed by Brigadier Bill Sowry, and commenced on 25 May 2006 under the command of Brigadier Michael Slater...
. 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 7 weeks. 3 RAR deployed again to East Timor in 2008 as the Timor Leste Battle Group. A main objective of TLBG 4 was to apprehend the rebels that attempted to assassinate President Horta.
Solomon Islands
3 RAR deployed to the Solomon Islands on Monday 24 January 2005 to reinforce the military component of RAMSI (Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands). 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 after a successful mission.Iraq
In late 2003, 3 RAR was warned to provide a Company Headquarters and a four rifle section platoonPlatoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
for security duties in IRAQ on Operation Catalyst. This group was deployed to Baghdad from December 2003 to May 2004. It provided specific local protection to the Australian Diplomatic Mission in Baghdad (SECDET). 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 Kovco
Jacob Bruce Kovco was a Private in the Australian Army who died while deployed in Iraq, fatally wounded by a single shot to the head from his own Browning 9mm sidearm. PTE Kovco was the first Australian soldier to die while deployed to the Middle Eastern Area of Operations...
in April 2006—Australia's first casualty in Iraq and the subject of intense media attention.
Afghanistan
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). 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 ZabulZabul Province
Zabul is a historic province of Afghanistan. Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963, with Qalat being named the provincial capital. It should not be confused with the city Zabol, on the Iranian side of the border with Afghanistan.- Political and security situation...
and Ghazni Province
Ghazni Province
Ghazni is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Babur records in his Babur-Nama that Ghazni is also known as Zabulistan It is in the east of the country. Its capital is Ghazni City...
s.
Current composition
3 RAR currently consists of:- Battalion Headquarters
- 3 Para Rifle Companies – 'A', 'B' and 'C'
- Support Company
- Administration Company
Role
3 RAR provides to the Government of Australia, a high readiness capability that can be inserted by parachute or any other conventional means. The Battalion is scheduled to move to Townsville in December 2011 to join the rest of 3 Brigade.Alliances
– Scots GuardsScots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
– The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish)