The 2/9th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army during World War II. Raised in Queensland as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) shortly after the outbreak of the war, it formed part of the 18th Brigade and over the course of the war it was attached to the 6th, 9th and 7th Divisions due to several re-organisations. It served in the United Kingdom in 1940, forming part of a small Australian garrison sent there to help defend against a possible German invasion, before being transferred to North Africa where it took part in the Siege of Tobruk and then undertook garrison duties in Syria following the Syria–Lebanon campaign in 1941.

In early 1942, the 2/9th was brought back to Australia where it was re-organised for jungle warfare and took part in the New Guinea campaign. Throughout 1942–1944, the battalion was committed twice to the fighting against the Japanese in New Guinea. In 1942–1943, the 2/9th fought actions at Milne Bay and Buna–Gona before being withdrawn to Australia for rest prior to returning to New Guinea to take part in the advance through the Finisterre Range where the battalion took part in the Battle of Shaggy Ridge in 1943–1944. The battalion's final involvement in the war came during the Borneo campaign in mid-1945, when it took part in the landing at Balikpapan. It was disbanded shortly after the war in early 1946.

History

Formation Formed on 13 November 1939 at Redbank Camp, Brisbane, the 2/9th Battalion was the first of four infantry battalions raised in Queensland for the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF).Spencer 1999, p. 24. Initially assigned to the 6th Division, the battalion formed part of the 18th Brigade, along with the 2/10th, 2/11th and 2/12th Battalions. Its first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel James Eric Gifford Martin, formerly of the 42nd Battalion, a Militia battalion based in Rockhampton.Dickens 2005, p. 5. The majority of the battalion's officers were drawn from the Militia; although, like many of the 2nd AIF units, it was initially supplied with a Regular officer to serve in the role as adjutant.Dickens 2005, p. 6.

In terms of structure, the early months of the battalion's existence was a period of flux. The early 2nd AIF infantry battalions were established with a structure that was unique to the Australian Army; however, shortly after formation it was decided that they would adopt the British Army battalion structure.Long 1952, p. 52. Thus, by December 1940, the 2/9th had an authorised strength of around 900 personnel and consisted of four rifle companies (each consisting of three platoons with three sections), a battalion headquarters, a support company, and a headquarters company consisting of six platoons performing specialist roles including signals, mortar, and anti-tank. The four rifle companies were designated 'A' through to 'D'.Dickens 2005, p. 11.Johnston 2008, p.3. The colours chosen for the battalion's unit colour patch (UCP) were the same as those of the 9th Battalion, a unit which had served during World War I before being raised as a Militia formation in 1921. These colours were black 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.Long 1952, pp. 321–323.

Following training at Redbank and then later in New South Wales at Rutherford and Ingleburn, the 2/9th was among the force of 8,000 Australians sent to the United Kingdom in early 1940. It had been planned to send this force to France to serve alongside the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), but France had fallen by the time the Australians arrived in Scotland on 16 June 1940, so they remained in the United Kingdom to help defend against a possible German cross-Channel invasion, which was feared following the capture of part of the BEF in France and the loss of much of its equipment.Spencer 1999, pp. 27–28.Dickens 2005, pp. 32–45.

After their arrival in the United Kingdom, the battalion was transported by rail to the south of England where it set up a camp at Lopcombe Corner, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.Dickens 2005, p. 32. Amidst the backdrop of the Battle of Britain, the battalion's personnel used their integral Vickers machine-guns and Bren guns to provide self-defence against air attack and to bolster the anti-aircraft defences of local areas. They also undertook training exercises and formed a mobile striking force tasked with rapidly responding in the event of an invasion.Dickens 2005, pp. 33–41. In September, the 18th Brigade was transferred to the 9th Division.Dickens 2005, p. 367. On 14 October the battalion moved to Meeanee Barracks in Colchester, Essex, where it took over responsibility for a defence sector from a British officer training battalion. The 2/9th remained in Colchester until 10 November when orders came for the 18th Brigade to hand over to the 25th Brigade, and the 2/9th was relieved by the 2/31st Battalion.Dickens 2005, p. 45. With the threat of invasion passing as winter came, the decision was made to redeploy the Australians to North Africa where they might be actively employed in combat operations. Following this, preparations for embarkation began as orders were received for the battalion to entrain for Glasgow where, on 15 November 1940, it boarded HMT Strathaird.Dickens 2005, p. 46.

Middle East Sailing via the longer, but safer southern route, on the way to the Middle East the convoy carrying the Australians made a port call at Durban, South Africa. While there, the battalion marched through the city under arms on 13 December 1940, before re-embarking. Disembarking in Alexandria, Egypt, on 31 December 1940, the battalion went into camp at Ikingi Maryut with 33 officers and 707 men.Dickens 2005, pp. 47–49. In February 1941, the battalion was transferred once more, as the 18th Brigade was reassigned to the 7th Division.Wilmot 1993, p. 68. Around the same time, the brigade was reduced to only three infantry battalions as part of an Army-wide re-organization, and the 2/11th Battalion was transferred to the 19th Brigade. With the 7th Division the battalion fought its first major engagement of the war on 21 March 1941, when it led the 18th Brigade's assault on the Italian fortress at Giarabub, which was held by about 1,500 Italians.Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 179. Advancing from Siwa in Egypt, the battalion, supported by elements of the 2/10th and 2/12th Battalions, attacked from the south across marshland, while cavalry from the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment feigned an attack against the strongest point of the fortress. Amidst a sandstorm that limited visibility, heavy fighting ensued and the garrison surrendered at around 2:00 pm; 250 Italians were killed, while 1,300 were taken as prisoners of war.Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 180. A total of 17 Australians were killed and 77 were wounded, with the majority of these being men from the 2/9th Battalion.Johnston 2005, p. 22. Afterwards, the battalion was sent to Ikingi MaryutJohnston 2005, p. 25. and the following month the 2/9th was transported to Tobruk by road and sea to reinforce the garrison there as German forces surrounded the strategic port in an effort to capture it.Wilmot 1993, p. 80. The 2/9th would remain in there for the next five months as Tobruk fell under siege.

On 3 May, the 2/9th Battalion launched a counter-attack on the German forces around "the Salient" in order to retake some of the posts that had previously been lost to the Germans. After being subjected to a heavy German artillery bombardment at their form up point, at 8:45 pm the battalion attacked from the southern flank under the cover of considerable counter-battery fire from the British artillery.Wilmot 1993, p. 149. After capturing a number of positions and inflicting heavy losses upon the defenders, the Australians were eventually forced to withdraw at around 3:00 am on 4 May when it became apparent that they would not be able to complete the advance before daylight. Having lost three men killed, three missing and 51 wounded, at dawn the 2/9th Battalion returned to the "Blue Line", where it took over a defensive position south of Bianca.Wilmot 1993, pp. 150–151. Here a series of small skirmishes ensued during which time the battalion was able to extend their lines by about .Wilmot 1993, p. 151.

For the rest of May the battalion undertook defensive construction tasks and raids into "no man's land" south-west of Bianca before being relieved by the 2/17th Battalion on the night of 4/5 June 1941. Following this, the 18th Brigade went into reserve and the battalion saw little action for the next month as it was moved back to the Bardia–El Adem Road junction.Dickens 2005, p. 105. In July, the battalion returned to "the Salient", where it spent a period of time in brigade reserve in the Pilastino sector. Later, it was moved back up to the "Red Line" in the El Adem sector where the battalion's personnel undertook aggressive patrols into no man's land, penetrating a number of minefields and moving booby traps.Dickens 2005, pp. 108–109.Wilmot 1993, pp. 227–228. On 23 July, the battalion launched a major raid in their sector in an effort to gauge German responses, penetrating over through the German lines, but after finding their objective unoccupied, the raiders withdrew.Dickens 2005, p. 110.

Following this the battalion went back into reserve for a period, before briefly returning to the "Red Line" at the start of August.Dickens 2005, p. 111. This was short-lived, though, for later in the month the decision was made to withdraw the 18th Brigade from Tobruk and the 2/9th Battalion was subsequently sent to Palestine to undertake training. Later the battalion was transferred to Syria where it was employed on occupation duties following the defeat of the Vichy French forces in that country in the recently concluded Syria–Lebanon campaign.Spencer 1999, pp. 75–77.

Pacific

In February 1942, along with the majority of the 2nd AIF, the 2/9th was withdrawn to Australia in response to the threat posed by Japan's entry into the war following the attacks on Pearl Harbor and in Malaya.Spencer 1999, p. 83.Dickens 2005, p. 137. Returning via Bombay and Colombo, the 2/9th arrived in Australia, landing in Port Adelaide, South Australia, in March 1942 and from there proceeded to camp in Sandy Creek, near Gawler.Dickens 2005, pp. 143–145. The battalion remained there until April when it was moved to Tenterfield, New South Wales, and then Kilcoy, Queensland,Dickens 2005, pp. 147–149. where it carried out training prior to departure overseas. At this time, the strategic situation in the Pacific was finely balanced. In July, the Japanese had landed on the northern New Guinea coast and had begun advancing along the Kokoda Track towards Port Moresby, amidst heavy fighting. On 6 August 1942, the order to deploy came and the battalion embarked from Brisbane along with the rest of the 18th Brigade,Thompson 2008, p. 339. bound for Milne Bay in New Guinea where the 2/9th arrived on 21 August to help reinforce the garrison there, due concerns about a possible Japanese landing there to secure the adjacent airfields.Brune 2004, p. 279.