3rd machine gun battalion australia 3rd machine gun battalion formed june 7th division served egypt syria new_guinea world war command lieutenant colonel raised battalion primarily south australian unit sub units formed victoria tasmania western australia completing training australia april battalion embarked middle_east june july saw action french forces syria lebanon campaign time battalion heavily involved supporting elements 7th division following japan entry war decision transfer large number australian troops middle_east early japanese advanced majority battalion captured small number battalion personnel returned australia subsequently raised later attached corps unit served campaign battalion disbanded january history formation training 3rd machine gun battalion machine gun battalions raised volunteer 2nd service overseas world war infantry units equipped wheeled motor vehicles tracked carriers machine gun battalions formed provide greater level support fire available ordinary infantry battalions peak 3rd equipped motor vehicles descriptions developed british_army concept australian_army genesis machine guns assigned infantry battalions initially later grouped brigade level help compensate lack artillery support course war western concept evolved establishment machine gun companies machine gun battalions similar formations established australian light horse units serving palestine campaign inter war years machine gun battalions deemed unnecessary army reorganised raised army looked expand fears war europe units raised time militia converting light horse units world war broke decision raise machine gun battalions 2nd allocated rate division 3rd machine gun battalion formed june south australia formation battalion commanded lieutenant colonel world war veteran received victoria_cross actions designated south australian battalion personnel recruited australian states south australians men victoria tasmania western_australia battalion staff officers senior non commissioned officers having served previously militia light horse regiments infantry battalions common australian machine gun battalions colours chosen battalion unit colour patch black gold presented triangular shape border grey initially battalion stretched locations companies formed victoria brighton tasmania western_australia western australians initially intended join 2nd machine gun battalion formative period companies completed basic training home locations concentrating south australia sailing melbourne link prior journey west western australians crossed point unit establishment completed battalion structure finalised structured lines 2nd machine gun battalions consisted personnel organised headquarters element consisting signals anti aircraft administration machine gun companies equipped vickers machine guns total entire battalion machine gun companies numbered starting headquarters company company light aid detachment electrical mechanical engineers attached fighting french palestine syria early april battalion company travelled west home leave near south_australia moved previous february battalion travelled overland sydney embarked france wharf bound middle_east large convoy sailing company rejoined battalion sailed reached late april repairs shore leave given battalion personnel departing early continued crossing red_sea week making landfall port troops endure day wait taken eastern suez_canal lighter transferred train arrival middle_east 3rd assigned 7th division 2nd second division infantry divisions militia time reserved service australia new_guinea subsequently joined palestine establishing camp hill north battalion undertook vigorous physical training regime regain fitness lost sea voyage final elements unit identity issued time colour patches finally began receive vehicles heavy equipment including vickers machine guns preparations battalion join fighting end 7th division committed syria lebanon campaign early june secure allied eastern flank attack presence french troops campaign politically sensitive result heavy censorship widely reported australia time nature fighting reported forces allies better equipped 3rd campaign saw heavily involved short sharply contested campaign machine gun companies supporting separate efforts elements 7th division british troops seeing action french requested armistice mid july 3rd casualties campaign amounted officer ranks killed wounded aftermath campaign 3rd stayed allied occupation force established syria lebanon defend possible drive south axis forces battalion defended position north east initially moved locations including turkish border remainder endured bitter cold snowy winter near tripoli punctuated leave drafts action japanese java captivity late japanese entered war attacking pearl harbor launching invasion malaya faced threat closer home australian government pressed return troops middle_east early 7th division began withdrawing garrison posts syria lebanon 3rd left village moved camp hill palestine january remained january boarded train took ferried canal continue journey majority battalion totalling personnel ranks boarded men hospital course subsequently 2nd machine gun battalion remained middle_east later seeing action board included battalion essentially vehicles baggage heavy weapons maintenance personnel embarked smaller vessels silver willow ships follow eventual destination time kept secret troops board fast transport capable knots set sail battalion baggage brought board february ship reached intermediate destination escorted cruiser situation pacific worsened fallen early february japanese steadily advancing allies decision hastily stand reached sumatra february troops ferried ashore tanker grouped boost force orders defence airfields providing protection civilians evacuated missing weapons troops equipped rifles shortly arrival ordered embark tanker eventually caught transferred personnel remainder journey fresh orders reached units aboard 2nd pioneers engineer field company anti aircraft regiment transport medical personnel ordered form hoc force squadron british 3rd king artillery battery field force promoted brigadier came known headquarters established company commander major promoted command battalion established force brigade formation pioneers machine gunners infantry battalions forming infantry battalion troops assigned garrison base logistics administrative personnel members able singapore fell presence large equipment wharf intended sent singapore fall able equip vehicles including carriers armoured cars guns thompson sub machine guns mortars machine guns concentrating civilian airport battalion formed defensive garrison tasked protecting airfields japanese company detached time defend military airfield shortly came air attack japanese february member 3rd killed wounded wounded later smuggled indies medical personnel australia rejoining battalion later year japanese began advancing indies sought orient troops machine gunners subsequently moved area miles west expected main avenue advance given task defence bridge following battle java sea japanese able land force bay western tip java subsequently began advancing east forcing east stand south march battalion went action time dutch troops began withdraw occupying positions support 2nd pioneers held bridge alerted advancing japanese presence fifth seen laying marking panels short time later force japanese light tanks attempted cross river rebuffed anti tank rifles small arms plan dutch troops stand faulty intelligence resulted rout dutch began withdraw flooding lines ensuing chaos dutch engineers blew bridge couple days battalion fought skirmishes company bearing japanese attacks suffering seven killed wounded inflicting casualties japanese allied defence island began collapse machine gunners ordered hold japanese day began moving march efforts reach southern coast island secure passage australia ultimately ordered surrender march following dutch capitulation day subsequently endure half years captivity japanese prisoners war sent camps south east asia including infamous thai burma railway forced endure brutal conditions worked labour camps provided casualties men high organisation garrison duties australia troops boarded went captivity java officers ranks transported smaller ships returned australia week march arriving port adelaide battalion vehicles weapons heavy equipment moved remaining personnel concentrated sandy creek april order passed form battalion lieutenant colonel battalion original second command reinforcements arrived locations including based new_south_wales came 1st machine gun battalion provide experienced personnel battalion moved victoria undertook range shoots planning exercises mid july 3rd received orders north road way stopped new_south_wales draft reinforcements received result second incarnation half battalion came new_south_wales instead south_australia battalion remained carried training months eventually proceeding north south east queensland based area north brisbane company deployed late june company embarked dutch vessel deployed netherlands new_guinea remaining defensive capacity company deployed remainder battalion moved mid august time battalion transferred command 6th division assigned corps unit direct command unit lieutenant colonel raised original company took command battalion february long period relative inactivity subsequently followed result inter allied service politics saw army assume operations pacific future role australian forces pacific campaign time battalion based south west battalion transferred tropical war establishment period army wide reorganisation intended units jungle warfare result change battalion required return vehicles intention guns largely carried battlefield soldiers moving foot 3rd remained december subsequently boarded transport cruise ship bound new_guinea undertake final campaign war final campaign intended deploy australians allied efforts recapture philippines instead australian troops tasked relieving forces new_guinea pacific subsequently assigned campaign followed words author essentially campaign division tasked security base area ensuring contact maintained japanese forces area tasks achieved large scale offensive action plans division deployed philippines event occur remained remainder war priority effort given campaigns philippines borneo arrival 6th division took place months initially camped defending airfield christmas majority battalion headquarters headquarters company machine gun companies assigned 19th brigade advanced west coast switching providing support 16th brigade early january drove open country coastal area machine guns proved effective took place companies assigned 17th brigade undertook mainly defensive role accompanying infantry patrols interior february australians began advancing thick hilly interior utility machine guns decreased behest brigadier commander 16th brigade 3rd machine gun battalion hastily converted standard infantry battalion achieved quick issue rifles sub machine guns mortars end war battalion took ground advance fighting series small scale patrol actions initially advancing finally town company assigned carried amphibious landing early battalion later moved areas tasked australian operations area japanese resistance plantations increased late july majority battalion moved companies remained vicinity operations area killed japanese loss men 3rd killed action wounded battalion final action war came august patrol killed japanese week later japanese surrender announced bringing combat operations officially end battalion final campaign war cost battle casualties disbandment late august following conclusion hostilities 3rd concentrated 19th brigade area final held education classes commenced prepare soldiers discharge return civilian life following conclusion hostilities battalion personnel slowly transferred units repatriated australia early december 3rd remaining personnel returned australia aboard british aircraft carrier arriving sydney following month january final obtained unit disbanded war battalion lost men killed died active service killed action died prisoners war seven accidents illness active service members battalion received following decorations distinguished service order military crosses military medals british empire medal mentions despatches addition member appointed commander order british empire appointed members order british empire war australian_army moved away machine gun battalion construct consequently similar units raised role support companies individual infantry battalions concept arguably misunderstood australian commanders war influenced decision away concept units established intent machine gun battalions provide highly mobile fire support largely applicable theatres principles open warfare applied focus australian_army combat operations shifted pacific machine gun battalions largely employed static defensive capacity short medium range targets tasks offensive fire support weapons employed provide long range fire support medium machine guns largely utilised manner light machine guns reasons identified concept limited use include distrust overhead fire commanders preference organic fire support attached sub units estimating difficulty transporting vickers guns jungle tendency ignore targets seen difficulties target acquisition dense jungle contributed 3rd syrian campaign campaigns employed wholly machine gun unit support infantry java utilised infantry battle honours 3rd machine gun battalion received following battle honours syria commanding officers following officers commanded war lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel reed world war veterans later served militia 18th light horse regiment south_australia inter war years gordon served militia war serving 28th battalion swan regiment western australia gordon 6th battalion gordon later reached rank major general
2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)