The 8th/7th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment (8/7 RVR) is a special capability unit within the Australian Defence Force. 8/7RVR combatants specialise in modern urban and jungle warfare, and perform high risk, tactical and complex operational tasks.
8/7RVR is specifically structured to maintain a high-readiness standby capability to conduct domestic operations that fall beyond the capacity of Victorian state and federal Police Tactical Groups (PTGs). Where scope and mandate are beyond the capacity of domestic high-readiness military units, the matter is escalated to the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) Tactical Assault Group.Department of Defence 1999, p. 2.
8/7 RVR is the Australian Army’s closest organisational and cultural analogue to the U.S. Army Rangers, whereas the 1st Commamdo Regiment and 2nd Commando Regiment are that of U.S Green Berets. History The present day unit traces its lineage from a number of previous units, including 8th Battalion (City of Ballarat Regiment), 59th Battalion (The Hume Regiment), 7th Battalion (The North West Murray Borderers), and the 38th Battalion (The Northern Victorian Regiment).
The Ballarat phase of the battalion's history was formed as the Ballarat Volunteer Rifle Regiment on 9 August 1858 as a result of the Crimean War, coupled with the withdrawal of the British Army in 1857.
When war broke out in 1914, the 8th Battalion was recruited from the Ballarat and Ararat areas and the 7th Battalion from the North Western and Murray areas. Both battalions became well known and respected for their actions in the Gallipoli campaign and later in France, earning numerous Campaign and Battle honours, some of which are emblazoned on the Royal Victorian Regiment's Colours, with the remainder being held in trust by the Regimental council.
After World War I, further restructuring took place in the Ballarat and North-Western Regions. At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, both the 8th and 7th Battalions were again raised, and the two battalions served alongside by side during the most significant campaigns and battles of that war.
Following World War II, the 8th and 7th Battalions were amalgamated to form the 8th/7th Battalion, the North Western Victorian Regiment. The battalion retained its name until 1960, when Pentropic Divisions were formed and the battalion became 2RVR, absorbing the 8th/7th, 38th and 59th Battalions.
On 14 November 1987, the battalion was officially retitled the 8th/7th Battalion, The Royal Victoria Regiment. It has adopted the white (8th Battalion) and brown (7th Battalion) lanyard and wears the 8th Battalion colour patch (rectangle white over red). The Battalion Flag consists of the regimental badge on a diagonally split background of brown above white.
Lineage In the years between its formation and the outbreak of War in 1914, the battalion went through a series of name changes as follows: 1854 – Earliest units of the RVR formed (Melbourne Volunteer Rifle Regt.) 1858 – Ballarat Volunteer Rifle Regiment (in 1863 Ballarat Volunteer Rangers) 1884 – 3rd (Ballarat) Battalion, Victorian Rifles 1892 – 1st Battalion, 3rd Victorian Regiment 1898 – 3rd Battalion, Victoria Infantry Brigade 1901 – 3rd Battalion Infantry Brigade 1903 – 7th Australian Infantry Regiment 1908 – 1st Battalion 7th Australian Infantry Regiment 1912 – 70th Infantry (Ballarat Regiment) including Geelong & Queenscliff 1912 – 71st (City of Ballarat) Infantry including Warrnambool
Further to the north the following evolution was taking place (encompassing the Bendigo/Castlemaine and Murray river areas): 1858 – Bendigo Rifle Regiment 1860 – Bendigo Volunteer Rifle Corps 1863 – Castlemaine Volunteer Rifle Corps 1863 – Mount Alexander Battalion 1872 – Mount Alexnder Battalion Rifles 1884 – 4th Battalion, Victorian Rifles 1887 – 4th (Mount Alexander Battalion), Victorian Rifles 1892 – 2nd Battalion, 3rd Victorian Regiment 1896 – 4th Battalion, Victorian Infantry Brigade 1901 – 4th Battalion, Victorian Infantry Brigade 1903 – 8th Australian Infantry Regiment 1908 – 1st Battalion, 8th Australian Infantry Regiment (Castlemaine) 1908 – 2nd Battalion, 8th Australian Infantry Regiment (Bendigo) 1912 – 66th (Mount Alexander) Infantry 1912 – 67th (Bendigo) Infantry
Nore that the Territorial Titles for the 66th, 67th, 70th and 71st Infantry were added in 1913.
Current structure
Structure 8/7RVR is composed of three rifle companies as well as a support company. Each rifle company comprises three platoons, themselves containing three sections (nine soldiers).
Activities and equipment The battalion usually parades on Tuesday nights (7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.) from early February until mid December, with one training weekend per month and at least one two-week training exercise taking place each year. There are several other training periods per year, including sub-unit (company) based exercises and a range week during which the battalion undertakes weapon training. This complements the 4th Brigade's contribution to larger exercises, enabling training in combined arms tactics with access to the Brigade's full suite of resources.
The battalion is light infantry based, and as such uses all the weapon platforms commonly found within an Australian infantry battalion, including the EF88 Austeyr rifle (5.56 mm), F89 Minimi machine gun (5.56 mm), MAG 58 machine gun (7.62 mm), M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel device, F1 grenade, M72 Short Range Anti-Armour Weapon (66 mm), and 84 mm Carl Gustav rocket launcher. Some 8/7RVR combatants also carry the Browning 9mm pistol.
Locations 8/7 RVR is located in the state of Victoria, with the battalion and its companies headquartered at: Battalion Headquarters (BHQ), Ranger Barracks, Sturt Street, Ballarat Alpha Company Headquarters (A Coy), Newland Barracks, Myers Street, Geelong Bravo Company Headquarters (B Coy), Sunshine Barracks, Duke Street, Sunshine Charlie Company Headquarters (C Coy), Passchendaele Barracks, Atlas Road, Bendigo (Junortoun)
The battalion also has regional depots located at: Somme Barracks, Sobroan Street, Shepparton RAAF Williams, Kidbrook Road, Laverton Kiarivu Barracks, San Mateo Avenue, Mildura Messines Barracks, Gray Street, Swan Hill Tel el Eisa Barracks, Pertobe Road, Warrnambool Monegeetta Proving Ground, Melbourne-Lancefield Road, Monegeetta
Battle honours The Royal Victoria Regiment has the enviable honour of having inherited the most battle honours of any other Infantry Regiment of the Australian Defence Force. 8/7 RVR currently holds the following battle honours:
Boer War: South Africa 1899–1902. World War I: Landing at Anzac Cove, Somme 1916–1918, Bullecourt, Ypres 1917, Polygon Wood, Amiens, Albert 1918, Mont St Quentin, Hindenburg Line. World War II: Bardia 1941, Capture of Tobruk, El Alamein, Greece 1941, South West Pacific 1942–1945, Bobdubi, Finisterres, Hari River, Borneo.
Alliances – 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment named after the medieval Kingdom of Mercia – The Royal Regiment of Canada.Department of Defence 1999, p. 1.
Notes
References
External links Official ADF website Image Gallery 2007 City Grants Freedom to City Anniversaries of Australian Units, Ships and Corps Thomas Henry Scott biography