15th battalion australia 15th battalion infantry battalion australian_army served world war formed primarily queensland volunteers battalion saw action north_africa 20th brigade 7th division reassigned completing training palestine early 15th took positions line pushed april october garrison british australian personnel battalion helped hold strategically important port surrounded following landing german troops tripoli withdrawn sea late october relieved following withdrawal battalion formed undertaking garrison duties syria 15th returned north_africa fight second battles early 15th returned australia organised trained jungle warfare took campaigns japanese new_guinea borneo disbanded history formation 15th battalion raised victoria barracks brisbane april 2nd volunteers infantry battalions assigned 20th brigade initially 7th division 13th 17th battalions battalion authorised strength personnel like australian infantry battalions time organised rifle companies designated consisting supported battalion headquarters headquarters company specialist signals pioneer anti aircraft transport administrative mortars formation 15th placed command lieutenant colonel officer arrived promotion major having previously served world war 20th battalion colours initially chosen battalion unit colour patch 15th battalion unit served world war raised militia formation colours initially purple red diamond shape representations world war veterans colour patch changed brown dark blue shape patch placed inside grey diamond border added distinguish battalion militia counterpart change following unit involvement fighting adopted consisting blue green following battalion establishment set choosing senior commissioned non commissioned personnel build battalion personnel included battalion second command adjutant senior enlisted soldiers undertake administrative work recruited existing queensland based militia battalions including 25th 42nd member recruited time served 15th battalion raised world war groups personnel began arriving south east queensland middle battalion headquarters moved camp basic training commenced june instructors early july majority battalion transported train darwin australia north aboard tasked defending port surrounds battalion based near months followed occupied vital asset protection area defence individual collective training exercises personnel joined majority vehicles including tracked carriers august group reinforcements october elements battalion wharf labourers strike absence darwin personnel battalion rear details shifted route marches carried late october rear details personnel returned end month equipment received main body battalion remained darwin forming town defensive garrison relieved 25th battalion late october embarked sailing shore leave granted 15th reached hamilton brisbane early november marry rear details training undertaken time battalion brisbane christmas day embarking aboard queen mary bound sydney ship joined larger convoy bound middle_east theatre middle_east sailing battalion disembarked bombay transferring remainder journey canal disembarked egypt february route middle_east 20th brigade reassigned reorganisation australian divisions middle_east prior corps deployment greece arrival egypt battalion moved base dubbed concentrated 13th 17th battalions arrived earlier palestine attempted good equipment training deficiencies battalion war equipment including vehicles arrived mid february month troops introduced light machine gun firing time range practicing constructing defensive systems preparation desert warfare individual training undertaken time aimed identifying unfit coming battle subsequently transferred divisional guard battalion early march 15th moved began relieve 6th division line transferred greece german invasion expected days later battalion moved moved road captured italian vehicles eventually early april 15th involved large scale withdrawal followed landing german forces tripoli axis efforts reinforce italians north_africa following british gains western egypt operation compass battalion subsequently fell east coast retreat men including battalion commanding officer taken prisoner headquarters surrounded force tanks unsuccessfully attempted fight way men spent years captivity held initially camps north_africa moving italy managed escape north_africa italy eventually rejoined battalion linked italian partisans fought german forces later war lieutenant colonel took command battalion following capture subsequently joined defence defensive garrison held strategically important port placed siege advancing german italian forces battalion remained months conducting patrols raids holding positions perimeter late october bulk 13th battalion companies 15th withdrawn sea replaced british troops division 15th casualties withdrawal siege amounted killed action died wounds accidentally killed wounded action captured 15th subsequently withdrawn stayed new year moving syria formed allied occupation force established end syria lebanon campaign july face heavy german onslaught threatened break moved north_africa 15th subsequently took second battles remainder year august 15th subsequently held position north east sector line hill coast september 15th participated 9th division attack south planned response german offensive actions south lead final assault late october early november heavy fighting near point low rocky battalion lost half fighting strength sustaining casualties amidst heavy hand hand fighting battalion came heavy resistance penetrating german minefield carrier struck operation seriously wounded battalion role september attack including efforts corporal received distinguished conduct medal later depicted painting casualties 15th recently appointed replacement commanding officer lieutenant colonel mortally wounded artillery fire battalion heavily shelled forming attack valuable piece high ground south west october casualties periods battalion fought totaled killed died wounds wounded seven captured new_guinea borneo early australian_army focus shifted operations pacific theatre japanese 9th division received orders return australia join 2nd divisions 6th 7th departed earlier divisional parade held 15th embarked transport sailed large convoy established operation pamphlet final stage withdrawal 2nd divisions middle_east journey month sydney late february time battalion command lieutenant colonel sydney troops received weeks leave time allowed return homes carried welcome home marches australia 15th taking march brisbane division transported north queensland converted jungle establishment began training operations japanese reorganisation saw battalion establishment drop men loss vehicles heavy equipment lieutenant colonel appointed command battalion rest war amphibious training carried near july following training battalion deployed new_guinea arriving early august saw action final stages campaign september took landing amphibious operation undertaken australian forces failed gallipoli campaign operation 15th initially assigned task securing following 20th brigade landing relieved joined advance west town slowed heavy rains turned creeks area raging invariably covered heavy japanese fire opposite bank later september fallen troops 7th division advancing 20th brigade undertook follow operation east opposed amphibious landing allied efforts secure landing 15th formed 20th brigade reserve force coming ashore navigational error fought strongly entrenched japanese forces australians established followed capture 15th advanced alongside 17th battalion battalion main effort focused securing crossing northwest town captured tasked expanding australian west drive actions battalion attack october corporal destroyed machine gun positions section wiped recommended victoria_cross member battalion nominated award subsequently downgraded distinguished conduct medal short period rest captured late november 15th joined advance capturing crossing undertaking patrols christmas hills relieved elements pushed australian advance coast forcing japanese north australians sought secure late december 20th brigade rotated lead 15th took 22nd battalion battalion headquarters came aerial attack brief pause near flood swollen advance continued december january minor skirmishes battalion advance finally january edge order arrived 15th withdrawn rest prior australia fighting new_guinea cost battalion killed action dead wounds dead accidents wounded 15th battalion returned australia mid march aboard docking brisbane day leave period followed battalion came begin process rebuilding preparation phase war june august training progressed individual instruction brigade level exercises unit constituted campaign training experienced high turnover personnel large influx reinforcements including officers received middle disbanded queensland based militia battalion previously assigned long period training followed battalion return australia early degree uncertainty australian_army role future operations pacific military assumed primary responsibility combat operations theatre final months war 15th took efforts recapture operation battalion level exercise early 15th sailed australia aboard early staging detachment battalion landed june operated securing island opposition later elements 15th ashore peninsula allied operations secure northern borneo main australian force advanced oil fields companies 15th served floating reserve 13th battalion landing main body 15th subsequently moved inland began patrolling inland bay landing craft mobility securing small villages edge bay taken june days later detached companies rejoined battalion subsequently engagements fought japanese patrols june july mainly small scale members battalion killed ambush late june heaviest fighting occurring early july patrol killed japanese short sharp encounter end july draft long service personnel released return australia early august war came end casualties 20th brigade light 15th suffered battle casualties campaign killed wounded disbandment war 15th remained november moved personnel returned australia drafts based priority discharge small group personnel volunteered time undertake occupation duties japan subsequently transferred battalions early december battalion vehicles returned appropriate received remaining transported sailed australia aboard arriving wharf brisbane december moved camp completed unloading stores equipment short christmas leave early new year final administrative tasks completed group personnel posted discharge finally 15th officially disbanded january service total men served 15th battalion killed died wounds died active service wounded captured members 15th received military crosses seven distinguished conduct medals military medals british mentions despatches commander chief cards addition appointed members order british empire battle honours 15th battalion received following battle honours north_africa road west_point defence south west pacific liberation australian new_guinea honours subsequently entrusted 15th battalion queensland based time unit successor unit designation raised world war commanding officers following officers served commanding officer 15th lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel
2/15th Battalion (Australia)