Battle and theatre honours of the Australian Army

The Australian Army and its forerunners have been awarded 248 battle and theatre honours since its formation. The first honour given to an Australian unit came prior to Federation and was awarded to forces from the colony of New South Wales, which contributed a small contingent consisting of an infantry battalion, with artillery and support units to take part in the short-lived British campaign against the Dervish revolt in the eastern Sudan in 1885 following the death of General Charles Gordon at Khartoum.

The next conflict that saw Australian units receive battle or theatre honours was the Second Boer War. Between 1899 and 1901, forces from the six Australian colonies fought alongside each other before being replaced in 1901 by forces of the newly established Australian Army following Federation. A total of five theatre honours were awarded for service in South Africa, being bestowed upon successor units in the form of honorary banners and distinctions presented in 1904, 1908 and 1911. Since then, the Australian Army has received honours for fighting during the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, with the Royal Australian Regiment last being awarded a battle honour in 1994 for the First Battle of Maryang San in Korea. In 2013, units of Special Operations Command were awarded the battle honour Eastern Shah Wali Kot for their actions in Afghanistan in May and June 2010. A theatre honour for peacekeeping in East Timor in 1999–2003 was awarded to the Army on its 119th birthday in March 2020. The most highly decorated unit in the Australian Army is the 12th/40th Battalion, Royal Tasmania Regiment (12/40 RTR), with 47 battle and theatre honours. It is an active Australian Army Reserve Infantry unit. The 12th/40th Battalion, Royal Tasmania Regiment, is part of 4 Brigade, with battalion headquarters at Anglesea Barracks, Hobart, with Alpha Company based in Launceston at Youngtown Barracks and Bravo Company being based in Hobart at Derwent Barracks.Royal Tasmania Regiment Sudan (1885) Suakin 1885

South Africa (1899–1902) South Africa 1899–1902 South Africa 1899–1900 South Africa 1900–1902 South Africa 1901–1902 South Africa 1902

First World War (1914–18) German New Guinea

Herbertshöhe

Gallipoli

Helles Krithia Anzac Landing at Anzac Defence of Anzac Suvla Sari Bair – Lone Pine Gallipoli 1915

Egypt

Suez Canal Rumani Magdhaba – Rafah Egypt 1915–17

Palestine

Gaza – Beersheba El Mughar Nebi Samwil Jerusalem Jaffa Jericho Jordan (Es Salt) Jordan (Amman) Megiddo Sharon Nablus Damascus Palestine 1917–18

Western Front

Somme 1916 Pozières Bapaume 1917 Arras 1917 Bullecourt Messines 1917 Ypres 1917 Menin Road Polygon Wood Broodseinde Poelcappelle Passchendaele Somme 1918 Arras 1918 Avre Ancre 1918 Villers-Bretonneux Lys Hazebrouck Kemmel Hamel Marne 1918 Tardenois Amiens Albert 1918 (Chuignes) Mont St Quentin Hindenburg Line Epehy St Quentin Canal Beaurevoir France and Flanders 1916–1918

Second World War (1939–45) North Africa

North Africa 1940–42 Bardia 1941 Capture of Tobruk Derna Giarabub Er Regima Defence of Tobruk El Adem Road The Salient 1941 Tobruk 1941 Belhamed Defence of Alamein Line Tel el Eisa Ruweisat Ridge Tell el Makh Khad Sanyet et Miteirya Qattara Track Alam el Halfa West Point 23 El Alamein

Greece

Greece 1941 Mount Olympus Servia Pass Tempe Gorge Veve Soter Brailos Pass

Middle East

Middle East 1941 Crete Canea Heraklion Retimo 42nd Street Withdrawal to Sphakia

Syria

Syria 1941 Syrian Frontier The Litani Merjayun Adlun Sidon Jezzine Damascus (1941) Wadi Zeini Dimas Chehim and Rharife Damour Mazraat ech Chouf Hill 1069 Badarene Jebel Mazar

Malaya

Malaya 1941–42 Johore Gemas The Muar Jemaluang Singapore Island

South West Pacific

South West Pacific 1942 South West Pacific 1942–43 South West Pacific 1942–44 South West Pacific 1942–45 South West Pacific 1943 South West Pacific 1943–44 South West Pacific 1943–45 South West Pacific 1944–45 South West Pacific 1945 Koepang Ambon Laha Rabaul Java 1942 Kokoda Trail Kokoda – Deniki Isurava Eora Creek – Templeton's Crossing I Efogi – Menari Ioribaiwa Eora Creek – Templeton's Crossing II Oivi – Gorari Buna – Gona Gona Sanananda Road Amboga River Cape Endaiadere – Sinemi Creek Sanananda – Cape Killerton Milne Bay Goodenough Island Wau Mubo I Bobdubi I Lababia Ridge Bobdubi II Nassau Bay Mubo II Mount Tambu Tambu Bay Komiatum Lae – Nadzab Busu River Lae Road Finschhafen Scarlet Beach Bumi River Defence of Scarlet Beach Jivenaneng – Kumawa Siki Cove Sattelberg Pabu Gusika Wareo Nongora Liberation of Australian New Guinea Ramu Valley Shaggy Ridge Finisterres Barum Bogadjim Madang Kalueng River Wareo – Lakona Gusika – Fortification Point Sio Sio – Sepik River Matapau Perembil Abau – Malin Nambut Ridge Balif Anumb River But – Dagua Maprik Hawain River Wewak Wirui Mission Mount Shiburangu – Mount Tazaki Yamil – Ulupu Kaboibus – Kiarivu Tsimba Ridge Bonis – Porton Artillery Hill Pearl Ridge Adele River Mawaraka Mosigetta Puriata River Darara Slater's Knoll Hongorai River Egan's Ridge–Hongorai Ford Commando Road Hari River Ogorata River Mobiai River Mivo River Mivo Ford Waitavolo Borneo Tarakan Brunei Labuan Beaufort Miri Balikpapan Milford Highway

Korea (1950–53)

Sariwon Yongyu Chongju Pakchon Uijeongbu Chuam-ni Maehwa-San Kapyong Kowang-San Maryang-San The Samichon Korea 1950–53

Malaya (1955–63) Malayan Emergency: Malayan Emergency 1955-63

Malaysia (Confrontation) (1964–66) Malaysia (Confrontation): Malaysia (Confrontation) 1964-1966

Vietnam (1962–72)

Long Tan Bien Hoa Coral–Balmoral Hat Dich Binh Ba Vietnam 1965–72 Vietnam 1968–72

East Timor (1999–2003) East Timor 1999–2003

Afghanistan (2001–21) Eastern Shah Wali Kot

Iraq (2003–2011) Iraq

Battle and theatre honours of the Australian Army

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