The 2/48th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during the Second World War. Raised in Adelaide in South Australia in August 1940, the battalion formed part of the 26th Brigade and was initially assigned to the 7th Division, although it was later transferred to the 9th Division in 1941 when it was deployed to the Middle East. While there, it saw action during the siege of Tobruk and the First and Second Battles of El Alamein before being returned to Australia to take part in the fighting in New Guinea following Japan's entry into the war.
During the campaign in New Guinea, the battalion took part in the advance on Lae during the Salamaua–Lae campaign and the fighting around Finschhafen and Sattelberg, during the Huon Peninsula campaign. Following this it was withdrawn to Australia, where it remained for over a year. In mid-1945, the 2/48th Battalion took part in the landing on Tarakan, which was its final involvement in the war. It was disbanded in October 1945 and is considered to be Australia's most highly decorated unit of the war, with four members receiving the Victoria Cross, the nation's highest decoration for gallantry, while over 90 other decorations were also made to its members.
History
Formation The 2/48th Battalion was raised on 9 August 1940 at the Wayville Showgrounds, in Adelaide, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Victor Windeyer, a former Militia officer who had previously commanded the Sydney University Regiment.Glenn 1987, pp. 1–2. A unit of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), the 2/48th Battalion was formed specifically for service overseas and recruited mainly from the state of South Australia.Johnston 2002, p. xii. The battalion's headquarters staff began arriving early in the month, with many of the key personnel having served previously in South Australian Militia units, including the 27th Battalion (South Australian Scottish Regiment). At the end of August, a large draft of recruits arrived from the 2nd Infantry Training Depot, and rudimentary individual training was undertaken in the nearby park lands.Glenn 1987, pp. 2–4. The colours initially chosen for the battalion's unit colour patch (UCP) were the same as those of the 48th Battalion, a unit which had served during the First World War before being raised as a Militia formation in 1921. These colours were white over dark blue, in a circle shape, although a diamond-shaped border of gray was added to the UCP to distinguish the battalion from its Militia counterpart; this was later changed, though, following the unit's involvement in the fighting at Tobruk, when it adopted a T-shaped UCP.Long 1952, pp. 321–323.
With an authorised strength of around 900 personnel, like other Australian infantry battalions of the time, the battalion was formed around a nucleus of four rifle companies—designated 'A' through to 'D'—each consisting of three platoons.Long 1952 p. 52. These companies were supported by a battalion headquarters and a headquarters company with six specialist platoons: signals, pioneer, anti-aircraft, transport, administrative and mortars.Kuring 2004, p. 494. Forming part of the 26th Brigade along with the 2/23rd and 2/24th Battalions, it was assigned to the 7th Division during its initial training period but was later transferred with the rest of the 26th Brigade to the 9th Division. After pre-embarkation leave, the battalion undertook three weeks of collective training at Woodside, in October.Glenn 1987, p. 5. The following month, the battalion marched through the city of Adelaide prior to its deployment overseas, and shortly afterwards embarked for North Africa. Entraining at Oakbank, after undertaking a route march in full equipment,Glenn 1987, p. 6. the battalion embarked upon the troopship Stratheden on 17 November 1940; the large transport set sail the following day.Macklin 2008, p. 136.
Actions in North Africa Sailing via Colombo where the troops were given a brief shore leave, the Stratheden entered the Suez Canal in mid-December 1940.Glenn 1987, p. 10. Upon arrival in the Middle East, the battalion briefly occupied a camp at El Kantara, before moving to Dimra, in Palestine.Glenn 1987, p. 11. At Dimra, the battalion joined the rest of the 26th Brigade for the first time,Glenn 1987, p. 14. and undertook further training until March 1941. At this time, it moved to Cyrenica, along with the rest of the 9th Division, to undertake further training in the desert and to relieve the 6th Division which was deploying to Greece. Shortly after this, the Germans landed forces in Africa to reinforce the Italians and as the Axis went on the offensive, the British and Commonwealth forces in Libya were forced to retreat from Benghazi to the strategically important port town of Tobruk. In early April, the 2/48th fell back as part of the general retreat, setting up a blocking position around Tmimi during the withdrawal to prevent a German force cutting the division's route along the coast road.Wilmot 1993, p. 77. After eight days of constant movement through the desert, the battalion reached the port.Wilmot 1993, p. 82. They subsequently took part in the defence of Tobruk, where the battalion saw its first action of the North African Campaign for which it would receive one of its many battle honours.
The 2/48th first entered Tobruk's defences on 9 April 1941 with the rest of the 9th Division commanded by Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead. Instructed to hold the fortress for eight weeks by General Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief of British Middle East Command, the 9th Division ended up defending the fortress for over eight months before being gradually withdrawn. The defensive system at Tobruk consisted of several lines: the outer position consisted of scattered perimeter posts and reserve company positions and was dubbed the "Red Line", while the secondary defence system, which was about behind the "Red Line", was dubbed the "Blue Line".Wilmot 1993, pp. 85–86. During this time the battalion alternated between occupying part of the main defence line, working in the rear areas, and conducting patrols. In mid-April, while the battalion was stationed in the western sector, these patrols resulted in the battalion capturing virtually the entire 1st Battalion of the Italian 62nd Regiment, Trento Division, totalling nearly 800 officers and men.Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 183.Wilmot 1993, pp. 116–118. Later that month, the 2/48th took part in a daylight raid on a hill opposite their perimeter, behind which the Italians were massing artillery, tanks and infantry. Supported by British tanks from the 7th Royal Tank Regiment, the raid caught the defenders by surprise, resulting in the capture of over 360 more Italians, as well as large quantities of weapons and vehicles for only light casualties.Wilmot 1993, pp. 120–121. In late May, a 2/48th patrol snuck out from the perimeter overnight, and evading German patrols, pushed south, where they set up an ambush and laid a series of land mines along a bypass track that was being used by German supply lorries, two of which were subsequently destroyed. In July, the battalion moved to the Bardia road sector, opposite the Italians.Wilmot 1993, pp. 222 & 233. By October, the majority of the 9th Division, including the 2/48th Battalion, was withdrawn by sea as the British 70th Division arrived to take over the garrison.Wilmot 1993, pp. 280–287. Overall, the 2/48th suffered 160 casualties at Tobruk, including 38 men killed and another 18 who died of their wounds.Johnston 2002, p. 248.
After Tobruk, the 9th Division was sent to Palestine and Syria in order to train and rest, and to undertake garrison duties as part of the Allied occupation force that had been established their following the Syria–Lebanon campaign. Under their new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Heathcote Hammer—who had assumed command after Windeyer took over the 20th Brigade—the 2/48th proceeded to train in high terrain and temperatures.Johnston 2002, p. 68.
In late June 1942, Axis forces commanded by General Erwin Rommel, crossed the Egyptian frontier as part of an offensive aimed at capturing Alexandria. After making a brief stand around Mersa Matruh, the British Eighth Army was forced to withdraw towards the Alamein line.Glenn 1987, p. 101. In response, the 9th Division was transported south from Syria, and hurriedly committed to First Battle of El Alamein. On 1 July, Rommel's forces launched a determined assault on the Alamein line, and on 7 July the 9th Division was ordered to launch a counter-attack. As part of this plan, the 2/48th was ordered to traverse the coastline and capture the Trig 33 ridge north of the "Tel el Eisa" station, commencing their attack shortly before dawn on 10 July.Glenn 1987, p. 105. After an initial artillery bombardment that disrupted the Italian troops, the main objective of the attack (Trig 33) was captured and 400 Italians were taken prisoner. The 2/48th then advanced south and captured Tel el Eisa station, which was successfully defended against a number of Axis counter-attacks.Johnston 2002, p. 77. On 22 July, the battalion was ordered to capture West Point 24 on the Tel El Eisa ridge which was held by heavily entrenched Axis forces. However, after initial success, the 2/48th came under heavy artillery and mortar fire and was forced to withdraw, having suffered over 100 casualties.Johnston 2002, p. 87. For actions during this attack, Private Stan Gurney was awarded the battalion's first Victoria Cross (VC) after he captured a machine-gun post and bayoneted the gun crew that was firing on his company, and then went on to capture a second post before being killed while taking a third. In total, the 2/48th suffered 215 casualties in the period 7 July to 23 October 1942, with 64 men killed, six dying of their wounds and 125 wounded.
In August, Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery took over command of the British Eighth Army and he succeeded in preventing the Axis advance during the Battle of Alam el Halfa. Montgomery then began preparing for an Allied offensive against the Axis forces that were now entrenching themselves. The Second Battle of El Alamein started on 23 October and finished on 7 November with Axis forces withdrawing westwards towards Fuka to avoid encirclement. The 2/48th Battalion was engaged around Tel el Eisa, on the right of the Allied line near the coast, during this period, as the 20th and 26th Brigades pushed westwards and then endured numerous counterattacks as the Germans sought to regain control of the strategically important coast road. By the end of the month, the battalion had been heavily depleted. Having started with nearly 700 men in the line, after a week of fighting, the battalion could field only 41 fit men. As a result, the 26th Brigade was rotated out of the line just before the final German counterattack was repulsed, allowing the Allies to launch the final breakout phase of the operation.Coulthard-Clark 1998, pp. 230–232.