17th battalion australia 17th battalion infantry battalion australian_army raised april new_south_wales formed 20th brigade eventually allocated completing basic training australia unit deployed middle_east early took fighting defending port relieved period garrison duties followed syria lebanon battalion took second battles focus australian_army operations shifted pacific theatre fight japanese 17th battalion returned australia early battalion fought new_guinea conducting amphibious landing operations capture early september end campaign participating follow landing peninsula japanese forces withdrew inland early battalion withdrawn australia rest reorganisation long period inactivity followed returned combat final campaign came late war committed fighting borneo june landing following end war battalion disbanded early history formation formed service world war 17th battalion raised april 2nd volunteers new_south_wales authorised strength personnel like australian infantry battalions time 17th formed nucleus rifle companies designated consisting supported battalion headquarters headquarters company specialist signals pioneer anti aircraft transport administrative mortars formation battalion placed command lieutenant colonel previously served militia commanded colours initially chosen battalion unit colour patch 17th battalion unit served world war raised militia formation colours black green diamond shape border gray added distinguish battalion militia counterpart later changed following unit involvement fighting adopted completing individual training battalion moved foot complete collective training following 17th embarked middle_east sydney october board queen mary moving convoy queen mary briefly stopped continuing bombay early november battalion disembarked following days camp ashore transferred leg voyage convoy continued sailing african coast suez_canal finally egypt battalion assigned 20th brigade 13th 15th battalions initially allocated 7th division following arrival middle_east november battalion transferred rest brigade middle_east arriving middle_east late november battalion undertook training near palestine moving mid december relieve garrison returning palestine early january conducted number exercises late february march battalions 9th division sent desert relieve 6th division deploying greece 17th garrisoned near tripoli shortly germans landed forces africa reinforce italians british forces libya forced retreat strategically important port town 17th fell general retreat subsequently took defence remaining seven months time battalion personnel alternated conducting patrols man land raiding occupying main defensive position working rear areas night april party germans broke australian position set machine guns couple mortars field guns seeing nearest platoon commander lieutenant launched counterattack small party men consisting corporal soldiers covered fire position flank small party able successfully attack position result corporal single accounted number germans despite mortally wounded later posthumously awarded victoria_cross nation highest military decoration award member 2nd battalion losses fighting including withdrawal prior siege consisted dead causes wounded captured following relief units 17th battalion evacuated sea alexandria moved palestine arriving mid october establishing camp shortly company detached battalion undertake guard duties syria january rest battalion followed tasked undertaking garrison duties occupation force established syria lebanon campaign defend possible german attack allied flank relieving 12th battalion battalion established north march 2nd arrived battalion moved later july axis forces launched offensive threatened egypt units 9th division moved north_africa help stem advance 17th battalion subsequently carried blocking operation occupied position conducted patrols observed german movements september 17th relieved 15th battalion went reserve prepare operations battalion subsequently tasked active patrolling area clashed german parties number occasions positions heavily shelled number occasions resulted casualties exercises training undertaken prior upcoming offensive time effective strength officers ranks late october early november battalion took second battle forces went offensive engaged right allied line coast dawn october australians left assembly area advanced westward coast road cut inland 17th right brigade initial advance attacking companies forward battle continued endured heavy germans sought regain control strategically important coast road repelled focus fighting shifted away australians british forces able launch break subsequently forced germans withdraw subsequently withdrawn battle 17th heavily committed losing men killed action died wounds wounded captured pacific early rest battalion brought australia order fighting japanese pacific final stage withdrawal 2nd divisions middle_east australian_army focus shifted operations pacific theatre japanese process 6th 7th divisions brought australia earlier previous year embarking transport january battalion sailed large convoy established operation pamphlet convoy included transports armed merchant cruiser queen bermuda escorted destroyers voyage lasted month troops arriving sydney february converted jungle divisional establishment return australia battalions 9th division reorganised prepare jungle warfare saw establishment drop men loss vehicles heavy equipment following training queensland battalion deployed new_guinea took campaigns time concentrating bay august 17th involved amphibious landing conducted australian soldiers landing april took landing operation september fell quickly allied planners expected result quick follow operation planned secure september battalion landed tasked securing flank proceeded inland efforts capture finding way blocked battalion later took significant actions finally fell drive battalion casualties time amounted killed action died wounds died accident wounded action march battalion returned australia rest organisation sailing transport australian_army heavily committed combat operations pacific early years war japan united_states military assumed primary responsibility combat operations pacific resulted uncertainty role australian_army future operations result long period training followed significant turn personnel men discharged medical reasons transferred units young replacements brought concentrating battalion rebuilt focusing individual training collective training battalion level september battalion moved close amphibious training conducted training continued october november end year tempo dropped battalion personnel occupied sporting activities prior leave february march finally early battalion moved boarded transport bound 17th concentrated rest allocated operations recapture borneo battalion plan saw land june operation coming ashore near battalion took capturing capital companies secure individual objectives outlying areas australians advanced coast mid july company carried patrol board august following atomic bombings hiroshima nagasaki order cease offensive action received 20th brigade headquarters days later war came end japan capitulation despite september japanese borneo formally surrendered bulk battalion remained deployed end month time involved ensuring japanese forces area received surrender instructions complied collecting escorting surrendered japanese soldiers indian prisoners war battalion operation completed early october battalion final campaign cost men killed wounded disbandment following end hostilities process began personnel began repatriated australia return civilian life transferred units 34th brigade service occupation japan october battalion declared redundant transferred having withdrawn area personnel subsequently occupied sporting competitions education programs intended help transition civilian life return australia return awaited australian troops remained months british indian troops arrived relieve 9th division occupation duties mid december remained 17th embarked return australia arriving brisbane battalion personnel moved sydney went christmas leave february 17th battalion disbanded course war total personnel served battalion killed action died wounds died active service wounded action taken prisoner members 17th received following decorations victoria_cross bar british military crosses distinguished conduct medals military medals mentions despatches addition members battalion appointed officers order british empire appointed member order british empire memorial 17th battalion built battle honours service world war 17th battalion received following battle honours north_africa south west pacific liberation australian new_guinea borneo battle honours entrusted 17th 18th battalion north shore regiment formed australia time military force raised guise series organisations battle honours passed 2nd 17th battalion infantry battalion currently based central new_south_wales commanding officers following officers served commanding officer 17th battalion lieutenant colonel april january lieutenant colonel january march lieutenant colonel march february lieutenant colonel february february
2/17th Battalion (Australia)