The 2nd Field Regiment R.A.A. [Royal Australian Artillery] had existed in various forms as a C.M.F. [Civilian Military Forces – ‘Militia’] unit since the early months of 1921, but as of the 1st of February, 1941, it consisted of two field batteries, the 4th and 5th – the 6th Battery not being formed until May of the following year – with 18 pounder guns and one 4.5 inch howitzer.
On the 1st of October, 1941, the Regiment was “mobilised for fulltime duty at No.17 Camp, Seymour”, Victoria.
On the 26th of May, 1942, the Regiment – having been re-equipped with 25 pounder guns – entrained for Queensland and four days later set up camp at Jimboomba, south of Brisbane. Almost one year later on the 7th of May, 1943, they were redesignated the 2nd Australian Field Regiment (A.I.F.). In the intervening months, the Regiment saw itself based at or passing through the Queensland towns of Maryborough, Caboolture, Tinbeerwah and Cooroy.
Embarking at Townsville on 12th of August the same year, the Regiment disembarked from the transport H.M.T. Duntroon at Port Moresby on the 14th and set up camp east of Jackson’s Field aerodrome before eventually basing themselves in the Evan’s House Area, 7 Mile.
Thirteen months later on the 5th of September, 1944, the Regiment disembarked from the S.S. Ormiston at Lae, New Guinea, bound for Nadzab (inland along the MarkhamValley).
Disembarking at Torokina, Bougainville on Armistice Day (11th of November), 1944, and having previously been redesignated the 2nd Australian Field Regiment (Jungle Division) (A.I.F.), the Regiment went into operations beginning on the 8th of the following month when the 5th Battery took over a gun position from an American artillery unit near the Jaba River. The 5th fired the regiment’s first rounds in anger at the enemy on the 17th of December, with the 6th Battery taking up their position prior to Christmas and the 4th entering the fray in January, 1945. Serving until the cessation of hostilities in August, 1945, the Regiment expended during that time, some 70,776 rounds of ammunition, including most notably just over 3,000 rounds on the 26th of April, 1945 in support of the 24th Infantry Battalion at Slater’s Knoll.
On the 11th of December the same year (1945), the Regiment – with the exception of some troops bound for the 2/14th Australian Field Regiment at Rabaul on New Britain – sailed for Australia, where on the 21st of February, 1946, the unit was finally disbanded.
[References available on request; photograph, courtesy of Gordon Robins].
Thanks Darren, my father was a gunner in the 2/5th Field Regiment. So i am appreciative of any information I can find!
Kind Regards
Irene kronk
My father too was a gunner, RAA, 5th Field Regiment. Was there when the bombs were dropped on Darwin but you can never find anything about their time there.