Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Extract from AWM Unit Records - See link to the right of this page 

The 2/7th Field Regiment began to take shape in late April 1940. Its first recruits had previously been members of the militia artillery brigades in South and Western Australia. The first South Australians came from the 13th Field Brigade, were sworn in on 20 May at the state recruiting depots at Wayville, and went into camp at Woodside. The first group of Western Australians came from the 3rd Field Brigade and were sworn in at Swan Barracks on 15 May, before going on to Northam camp. The South Australians made up the regiment's 13th Battery and the West Australians made up the regiment's 14th Battery. Although the regiment had been raised around the same time as the 7th Division, in October it was instead allotted to the 9th Division. The division's other artillery regiments were the 2/8th and 2/12th Field Regiments. Later, in October 1941, when the regiment was in the Middle East, a third battery, the 57th, was formed.

In November the regiment's two batteries were finally brought together. On 17 November 13th Battery left Woodside and travelled by train to Port Adelaide's Outer Harbour ,where it joined the 2/48th Battalion and other auxiliary units, aboard the troopship Stratheden. The Stratheden reached Fremantle four days later, where 14th Battery embarked on 22 November.

The Stratheden was part of convey taking Australian and New Zealander troops to the Middle East. The voyage took just under a month and on 17 December the Stratheden reached the harbour at Kantara, on the edge of the Sinai, and the regiment travelled by train to Palestine, going into camp at Qastina. It remained in Palestine for four months, training with 18-pounder guns and 4.5-inch howitzers.

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.