The 2/10th Battalion ("The Adelaide Rifles") was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that was raised for overseas service as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) during World War II. Formed in October 1939, it was the first 2nd AIF unit raised from the state of South Australia during the war; after completing a period of training in Australia, the battalion embarked for overseas service. Initially, it had been intended that the 2/10th and its parent brigade – the 18th Brigade – would be sent to the Middle East to join the other brigades of the 6th Division, but instead the 18th Brigade was sent to strengthen the garrison in the United Kingdom after France capitulated in mid-1940. Reassigned to the 9th Division, the 2/10th remained in the United Kingdom undertaking defensive duties until late 1940 when it finally arrived in the Middle East, where the 18th Brigade became part of the 7th Division.
The battalion's first experience of combat came during an attack against the Italian garrison at Giarabub in March 1941. This was followed by defensive actions during the Siege of Tobruk later in the year before the 2/10th joined the Allied garrison in Syria, which had previously been captured from the Vichy French. In early 1942, following Japan's entry into the war, the 2/10th was withdrawn to Australia and in August 1942, at the height of the Japanese advance in the Pacific, the battalion was committed to the fighting around Milne Bay in the Territory of Papua, suffering heavy casualties in their debut in the Pacific. Further fighting came during the Battle of Buna–Gona in northern Papua before the 2/10th was brought back to Australia for re-organisation in March 1943. In August 1943, it was sent to the Territory of New Guinea, first undertaking jungle training near Port Moresby and then, in December 1943, moving inland into the Finisterre Mountains where they later fought the Battle of Shaggy Ridge. After being withdrawn to Australia in mid-1944, the battalion did not take part in further fighting until the final months of the war when they were committed to the fighting on Balikpapan in July 1945. Following the conclusion of hostilities, the 2/10th Battalion was disbanded in December 1945.
History
Formation and training in Australia The 2/10th Battalion was established at the Wayville Showgrounds, in Adelaide, on 13 October 1939, as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), which was raised in Australia shortly after the outbreak of the war for overseas service. Organised into four rifle companies, designated 'A' through to 'D', and a headquarters company,Allchin 1958, p. 39. the 2/10th was the first 2nd AIF unit raised from the state of South Australia during the war, and was colloquially known as "The Adelaide Rifles".Allchin 1958, cover. The colours chosen for the battalion's unit colour patch (UCP) were the same as those of the 10th Battalion, a unit which had served during World War I before being raised as a Militia formation in 1921. These colours were purple over light blue, in a horizontal rectangular shape, although a border of gray was added to the UCP to distinguish the battalion from its Militia counterpart and the original World War I battalion.Long 1952, pp. 321–323.
Along with the 2/9th, 2/11th and 2/12th Battalions, the 2/10th was subordinate to the 18th Brigade, which was recruited from the less populous states of Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania,McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2291. and was initially allocated to the 6th Division, the first of the 2nd AIF's four infantry divisions. The battalion's first commanding officer was Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Verrier, a World War I veteran who had previously commanded the 43rd Battalion.Pratten 2009, p. 320. He assumed command on 13 October 1939.Allchin 1958, p. 1. After the battalion's recruits had concentrated at Wayville, the 2/10th moved to Woodside Camp, in the Adelaide Hills to city's east in early November, where they carried out initial training.Allchin 1958, pp. 4–12. In mid-December, they moved by train to New South Wales on the east coast of Australia where the battalion joined the other units of the 18th Brigade, and further training was completed at Greta Camp and then Ingleburn.Allchin 1958, pp. 15–20. In early May 1940, the battalion was ready to deploy overseas, and embarked on the transport ship , which departed Sydney on 5 May 1940, bound for the Middle East.Allchin 1958, pp. 40–41.
Garrison duties in the United Kingdom
On 10 May 1940, after the 2/10th had departed Australia, the Germans launched a lightning assault across France and the Low Countries, which rapidly led to the capitulation of France and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force. As a result of Italy's entry into the war, coupled with concerns about a possible invasion of the United Kingdom, the Australian government decided to divert some of its troops from the Middle East. As a consequence, as the 18th Brigade was sailing towards the Middle East it was redirected to the United Kingdom. On 18 June 1940, the Mauretania docked at the port of Gourock, in Scotland. The brigade was subsequently re-allocated to the 9th Division and the Australians were transported to the south of England, eventually establishing themselves around Lopcombe Corner, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. While there, a number of the battalion's personnel married local girls.Allchin 1958, p. 80.
Amidst the backdrop of the Battle of Britain, while stationed on Salisbury Plain the battalion carried out garrison duties and undertook training to enable them to rapidly respond in the event that an invasion took place. They received a large amount of new equipment during this time to improve their mobility, including new Universal carriers, weapons and lightweight personal load-carrying equipment.Allchin 1958, p. 72. They also experienced German air attacks for the first time, and on 8 July 1940, the battalion incurred its first casualty when one of its members was wounded in an air raid. In early October, the 2/10th undertook a large-scale exercise near Tidworth, and then in the middle of the month as winter set in, they were moved to Essex, where they replaced the tents they had been living in with the stone buildings and Nissen huts of Hyderabad Barracks, in Colchester.Allchin 1958, p. 87. The battalion's stay there was short-lived, though, for the following month, after the threat of invasion had passed, the order arrived for the Australians to embark for the Middle East.Johnston 2005, pp. 4–6. The 2/10th subsequently entrained at Colchester in mid-November and moved north to Scotland where, on 17 November, they boarded the .Allchin 1958, p. 95.
Fighting in the Middle East Sailing via South Africa, shore leave was taken in Durban, which was reached on 12 December. The convoy remained there until late December when it continued on to Egypt via the Red Sea due to the threat of attack that was present in the Mediterranean; the battalion reached Port Tewfik just before the new year.Allchin 1958, pp. 101–103. The 18th Brigade was again reassigned in February 1941, this time to the 7th Division, with whom they would see out the remainder of the war; at the same time, the brigade was converted from a four-battalion structure to three, and the 2/11th was transferred to help form the 19th Brigade.Johnston 2005, pp. 2–3. On 21 March 1941, the battalion undertook its first action of the war, when one of its companies – 'D' Company – supported the 2/9th Battalion in their attack on the Italian held fort at Giarabub. Meanwhile, the remainder of the battalion began preparations for deployment to Greece where an invasion was expected. These plans were interrupted when the 7th Division was committed to the fighting in North Africa in response to German gains in Cyrenaica. At this time, the 18th Brigade was sent to garrison the vital port of Tobruk as the 9th Division withdrew from Cyrenaica.McKenzie-Smith 2018, pp. 2291–2292.
It was at Tobruk that the battalion fought its first major action as a complete unit in April 1941, when it undertook defensive actions during the Siege of Tobruk. During the Battle of the Salient, fought in early May, the 2/10th took over a position on the northern flank of the perimeter, relieving the 2/48th Battalion, coming under heavy air attack during the handover.Wilmot 1993, pp. 142 & 146. After the initial German and Italian assault, on the evening of 3/4 May the 18th Brigade counter-attacked to retake positions lost; the 2/10th was given a supporting role, tasked with carrying out raids deep into the opposing forces' territory while the 2/9th and 2/12th Battalions attacked the northern and south-eastern flanks of the salient. In the fighting that followed, the 2/10th's casualties were six missing and fifteen wounded, but they inflicted heavy casualties upon their enemy before withdrawing back to the "Blue Line",Wilmot 1993, pp. 149–151. about behind the main defensive line where the counter-attacking reserve forces were positioned to respond to a deep penetration.Wilmot 1993, p. 86.
After the fighting in early May, the 2/10th was withdrawn to Pilastrino for a brief respite and placed in reserve,Maughan 1966, p. 236. but by the middle of May, they had returned to the salient, and on 16 May advanced the line over .Wilmot 1993, pp. 184–185. The 2/10th carried out further raids in "no man's land" as the siege continued,Wilmot 1993, p. 227. but in August the battalion was withdrawn to Palestine for training. In September 1941, the 2/10th were sent to Syria where they were assigned to the Allied garrison that had occupied the country following the conclusion of the Syria–Lebanon campaign and the defeat of the Vichy French forces there. The garrison was deployed in order to defend against a possible German attack from the Caucasus towards the strategically important Middle Eastern oilfields. During this time, the 2/10th Battalion was stationed near Aleppo, where the battalion manned outposts near the Syrian–Turkish border across a frontage that was several hundred miles long.Allchin 1958, p. 224.Johnston 2005, p. 71.
New Guinea campaigns The 2/10th remained in Syria until January 1942 when, after having endured a freezing cold winter that included snow,Allchin 1958, p. 227. it was transported back to Palestine in preparation for a return to Australia. Following Japan's entry into the war the previous December, and in light of Allied reverses in the Pacific, the Australian government had requested the return of some of its forces in order to bolster the defence of Australia due to concerns about a possible invasion.Keogh 1965, p. 85. The 2/10th subsequently embarked on the Dutch passenger ship ,Allchin 1958, p. 230. bound for Australia in early February 1942. Stopping over in Bombay, the battalion was transferred to the transport Nevassa on which they continued the journey to Adelaide where they arrived in late March.Allchin 1958, pp. 231–234. A period of re-organisation and training followed around Kilcoy in Queensland.Allchin 1958, p. 237. Following Japanese landings on the north coast of New Guinea in July, Australian forces in the area became involved in a series desperate defensive actions, as they were pushed inexorably back towards Port Moresby. By early August 1942, the situation for the Australians was critical,Keogh 1965, pp. 183–185. and at this time the battalion was committed to the New Guinea campaign.Allchin 1958, p. 241.