2/7th Cavalry Commando Regiment (Australia)

Commando regiment raised by the Australian Army November 2019 2/7th Cavalry Commando Regiment 1940–1945 Australia Australia Australian Army Commando ~800–900 personnel all ranks 7th Division World War II North African campaign New Guinea campaign Borneo campaign Ronald Hopkins 100px Unit colour patch The 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment was one of three commando regiments raised by the Australian Army for service during World War II. It was originally raised as the 7th Division Cavalry Regiment in 1940 and in this guise it served in North Africa and the Middle East at the beginning of the war, before it was brought back to Australia and sent to New Guinea in late 1942 to serve against the Japanese. In mid-1943 the Australian high command decided to disband the divisional cavalry regiments and use their headquarters elements to administer the independent companies that had been raised earlier in the war. In the process the 7th Division Cavalry Regiment disbanded its squadrons, gave up their vehicles and changed its name to the 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment, as it became the administrative headquarters for the 2/3rd, 2/5th and 2/6th Commando Squadrons. History The 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment was formed in April 1940 as the 7th Division Cavalry Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Hopkins.Handel 2003 147 Consisting of a headquarters squadron and three sabre squadrons designated 'A' through 'C', the regiment drew personnel from New South Wales for its headquarters squadron, while its sabre squadrons came from Victoria, South Australia and Queensland. In May, the regiment provided two squadrons – 'A' and 'B' – for the newly formed 8th Divisional Cavalry Regiment, and as a result raised new squadrons from personnel recruited in New South Wales and Queensland.Hopkins 1993 34 Part of the Second Australian Imperial Force that was raised for overseas service, originally the regiment was conceived as an armoured reconnaissance regiment attached to the 7th Division and, after undertaking initial training around Cowra, New South Wales, it was sent to the Middle East theatre in December 1940.http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_13636second_world_war.asp https://web.archive.org/web/20130716191720/http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_13636second_world_war.asp 7th Divisional Cavalry Regiment Second World War, 1939–1945 units Australian War Memorial 24 August 2009 16 July 2013 After arriving in Egypt in early 1941, the regiment conducted further training was used mainly in a defensive role. Equipped with Vickers light tanks and Bren carriers, it carried out garrison duties around the Suez Canal, before being moved to Cyprus following the fall of Greece. In August 1941, the regiment was moved to Syria where it formed part of the Allied occupation forces. In March 1942, the regiment returned to Australia, following the entry of Japan into the war.Handel 2003 147Hopkins 1993 107 After a period of training and defensive duties in Queensland, in September 1942 the regiment was sent to New Guinea to help defend Port Moresby as the Japanese continued their advance along the Kokoda Track. Upon the 2/7th's arrival, the decision was made for the regiment to leave its Bren carriers in Port Moresby and as the campaign began to turn in the favour of the Australians the 2/7th were flown to Popondetta to reinforce the units there in December. For over a month they took part in the fighting around Huggins Roadblock along the Sananada Track serving in the dismounted role as infantry.Johnston 2005 154–155Handel 2003 147 Finally on 21 January 1943 the Australians linked up with US forces and the Sanananda village fell.Johnston 2005 161 Shortly afterwards the regiment was withdrawn back to Dobodura airstrip from where they were transported back to Australia.Johnston 2005 162 The casualties that the regiment had suffered during the fighting were very high with 54 men killed and 67 wounded. On top of this over 200 men had contracted malaria and three had died from scrub typhus. Among those that were killed was the regiment's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Logan.Johnston 2005 154 During its time in the Middle East and in New Guinea, the regiment lost 59 men killed or died on active service and 67 wounded. Four members of the regiment were decorated with the Military Medal.Handel 2003 148 250px|thumb|Members of the 2/6th display Japanese flags captured during the Battle of Kaiapit|alt=Men wearing military uniforms including jungle greens and slouch hats, display Japanese flags Following its return to Australia, the regiment began reorganising on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland. At this time the Australian Army was undergoing a period of restructuring as its strategic focus shifted towards concentrating upon fighting the war against the Japanese in the Pacific.Palazzo 2003 4 As a part of this restructuring it was decided that there was no need for divisional cavalry regiments, however, it was decided that the independent companies should be grouped together under a regimental structure, and in response the divisional cavalry regiments were broken up and their headquarters elements were used to administer the commando squadrons. Three such units were formed at this time,Horner 1989 26 with the 7th Division Cavalry Regiment adopting the title of the 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment in April 1943.Hopkins 1993 108 The regiment's subordinate squadrons were: the 2/3rd, 2/5th and 2/6th Commando Squadrons, however, in terms of tactics and training the individual squadrons retained their independence.Trigellis-Smith 1992 213 Although the 2/6th Commando Squadron was deployed to New Guinea in late 1943 and into early 1944, the regiment as a whole did not see action again until late in the war when they landed along with the rest of the 7th Division Balikpapan, Borneo, in July 1945 in one of the final campaigns of the war. Landing on Green Beach on 1 July 1945, the regiment's three squadrons participated in the advance along the Vasey Highway, undertaking the flank protection and reconnaissance roles before contributing to the mopping up effort as the war came to a close.http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_13314second_world_war.asp 2/3rd Independent Company Second World War, 1939–1945 units Australian War Memorial 24 August 2009http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_13316second_world_war.asp 2/5th Independent Company Second World War, 1939–1945 units Australian War Memorial 24 August 2009http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_13317second_world_war.asp 2/6th Independent Company Second World War, 1939–1945 units Australian War Memorial 24 August 2009 Following the end of hostilities, the regiment was disbanded. Commanding officers Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Hopkins;Hopkins later achieved the rank of major general. Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Parker Logan;Killed in action 19 December 1942. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Moses.Hopkins 1993 317 Battle honours World War II: North Africa 1941, South-West Pacific 1942–43, South-West Pacific 1945, Buna–Gona, Sanananda Road, Borneo, Balikpapan, Milford Highway. Notes Footnotes Note Citations 2 References Paul Handel 2003 Dust, Sand & Jungle: A History of Australian Armour During Training and Operations, 1927–1948 RAAC Memorial and Army Tank Museum Puckapunyal, Victoria 1-876439-75-0 Ronald Hopkins Ronald Hopkins 1978 1993 Australian Armour: A History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps 1927–1972 Royal Australian Armoured Corps Tank Museum Puckapunyal, Victoria 0-642-99414-5 Horner David David Horner SAS: Phantoms of the Jungle—A History of the Australian Special Air Service 1989 1st Allen & Unwin St Leonards, New South Wales 1-86373-007-9 Johnston Mark Mark Johnston (historian) The Silent 7th: An Illustrated History of the 7th Australian Division 1940–46 2005 Crows Nest, New South Wales Allen & Unwin 1-74114-191-5 Palazzo Albert Organising for Jungle Warfare The Foundations of Victory: The Pacific War 1943–1944 2003 Dennis, Peter Grey, Jeffrey Army History Unit Canberra, Australian Capital Territory http://www.defence.gov.au/Army/ahu/docs/The_Foundations_of_Victory_Palazzo.pdf 978-0-646-43590-9 Trigellis-Smith Syd Purple Devils: History of 2/6 Australian Commando Squadron 1992 2/6 Commando Squadron Association Melbourne, Victoria 0-646-07125-4 Further reading Grinyer Norman Birks, Mervyn The 2/7th Australian Cavalry Regiment 1974 2/7th Australian Cavalry Regiment Association Guilford, New South Wales 7 7 7 7 7 Category:Armoured and cavalry regiments of the Australian Army