Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Extract from AWM Unit History

The 2/11th Field Regiment began to take shape on 1 July 1940 when Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Stillman was appointed commander of the regiment and set up a temporary headquarters at the 22nd Field Brigade Drill Hall on Swan Street, Richmond, Victoria. Initial volunteers for the regiment came from depots at Geelong, Caulfield, Balcombe, and Royal Park, and were concentrated at the military camp at Seymour. The 21st and 22nd Batteries were formed. In October 1941, while the regiment was in Syria, a third battery, the 61st, was formed.

The regiment was formed as part of the 8th Division and in September moved to Bonegilla, where it joined other units of the division. While at Bonegilla, the regiment received its first allocation of guns - 18-pounders from the First World War. In October the 2/11th was allocated to the I Australia Corps and moved to Puckapunyal. It was an allocation that saved the regiment from the fate that befell the rest of the division.

In February 1941 the 2/11th moved to the Sea Lake area of Mallee country, Victoria, where it carried out exercises in the desert. It was the first time an artillery regiment received desert training in Australia. The exercises emulated the conditions of the Libyan desert and in April the regiment embarked for overseas service.

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.