Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

2nd/2nd Field Regiment

The 2/2nd Field Regiment was a field artillery regiment  raised for service during WW2.

Raised largely from Victoria, it was assigned to the 6th Division and the regiment was populated from 2nd Australian Imperial Force volunteers shortly aftert he outbreak of WW2. Raised in October 1939, the regiment undertook basic training in Australia before departing for the Middle East in mid-1940.  Like all AIF Field Regiments, it was equipped with the superb 25 pounder gun/howitzer, the best in its class in WW2.

The Regiment was nominally allocated in support of the 17th Brigade.

Further training was undertaken in Egypt, before the Regiment saw action in the Western Desert in early 1941, in a series of successful actions in attacks against Bardia and the inital capture of Tobruk.  Then the Regiment was despatched as part of the abortive 'Operation Lustre' campaigns in Greece and on Crete in the second quarter of the year, where the Allies were forced to withdraw in the face of a German onslaught. This series of setbacks resulted in personnel and equipment losses.  The Regiment, lacking its guns, fought on Crete re-rolled as infantry.  They saw little action before being withdrawed to Egypt.  Back in Palestine, a third Battery was raised.

The outbreak of the Pacific War saw the Australian Government press for the return of Australian forces to defend Australia.

On the way home elements of the 1st Division were diverted to  Ceylon in mid-1942 , where they provided a defensive garrison before returning to Australia.

The Regiment was detached from the 6th Division as it was re-organised for jungle warfare, until late in the war.  Conventional artillery faced major mobility constraints particularlay in the Kokoda campaign until the Australian-developed 'short' 25 pounder was produced. Even then they literally had to be man-handled through the jungle.

It did not see further action until the final phase of the war, when it was deployed to the north coast of New Guinea in the Aitape–Wewak, fighting against the Japanese, in 1944–1945, once again as part of the 6th Division.  It was returned to Australia and was disbanded in January 1946, as part of Army-wide demobilisation.

Sources:

Mackenzie-Smith, Graham (2018). The Unit Guide: The Australian Army 1939–1945, Volume 3. Warriewood, New South Wales: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 978-1-925675-146.

We would particularly like to encourage individual historians researchers or members of unit associations to contribute to the development of a more detailed history and photographs pertaining to this unit and its members.

Please contact [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) for details on how to contribute.