About This Unit
22 Garrison Battalion
22 Garrison Battalion is infamous for the fact that it was responsible for the Cowra POW (Japanese POW) Camp were a major breakout occurred in 1944, and in which members of the Battalion distingished themselves, some sacrificing their own lives in the performance of their duties.
The breakout at Cowra was the largest mass escape at a PoW Camp during WW2 eclipsing even the 'Great Escape' from Stalag Luft III.
The breakout was precipitated by a riot at a Japanese camp in New Zeland, leading to a revision of precautions at Australian Camps. As a consequence, on Friday 4th Aril 1944, in accordance with the Geneva Convention, notice was given of a transfer of all Japanese prisoners below the rank of Lance Corporal from Cowra to the Hay (further West in south/central NSW) Prisoner of War Camp.
At 0150 hours (1:50 am) on Saturday 5 August 1944 an unauthorized bugle all was sounded in camp B, followed immediately by up to 900 Japanese prisoners of war rushing from their huts to attack the fences of the compound. The outer fence was stormed in two places, with the prisoners using blankets and baseball gloves to suppress the barbed wire fencing.
Armed with a wide assortment of fabricated weapons, mainly knives and clubs, one group attacked the crew of a Vickers gun. Members of the 22 Garrison Battalion opened fire, causing a large number of casualties. The crew of one gun, remained serving it until they were beaten to death, although the operators Privates Jones and Hardy, had the presence of mind to remove the lock, before being overwhelmed, preventing the gun being turned on the other guards.
Both were posthumously awarded the George Cross.
During the ensuring nine days 334 prisoners were recaptured. 25 of the escapees were dead, 11 suicided by hanging two had been killed by trains.
A total of 231 Japanese POW's were killed and 108 wounded. One Australian Officer was killed along with three Australian other ranks, while four others were wounded.
Although raised in Victoria the Battalion had large numbers of NSW men within its ranks and indeed was stationed in New South Wales for much of its active service. In 1943 this unit was redesignated as Cowra Prisoner-of-War Group, staffing Camp 12 at Cowra in mid-western New South Wales.
Garrison Battalions were part of the Australian 'Army Reserve' within the CMF Militia structure for Homeland Defence with the role of manning fixed defences and vulnerable points. The personnel were Class B men, those between 48 and 55 who had seen war service before September 1939, therefore mostly WW1 veterans.
The first seven Garrison battalions were raised in October 1939, rising to 33 battalions plus around four individual companies by the end of the war.
A total of 33 were raised across the States numbered 1-33 and where more than three battalions were raised, they were grouped in State-based Brigades, numbered in accordance with the relevant Military District Headquarters in which they were embedded; 1 Garrison Brigade in Queensland, 2 in New South Wales, 3 in Victoria, 4 in South Australia and 5 in Western Australia.
Prisoner-of-War and Internment Camp units were part of the Garrison Battalion organisation but were on a special establishment where the need for prior war service was waived. AWAS (female) personnel were subsequently often posted in for clerical and administrative roles.
From early on some battalions had adopted a secondary title indicating their specific role, such as (Internal Security). In 1942 this was formalised and most battalions were given an appropriate secondary title.
Initially, all Garrison Battalions wore the same shoulder patch, a black square on a green square. Numerous requests were made by battalions to individualise their patches and in late 1942 the system was adopted of geometric shapes, green on black in a reversal of the original design, approval for which was dated 11 December 1942
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