48 Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery
| 48th Field Battery | |
|---|---|
| Active | 6 March 1916–Present |
| Country | Australia |
| Allegiance |  Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Role | Field Artillery |
| Equipment | 81mm Mortar |
| Battle honours | Nil |
| Commanders | |
| Current Commander | MAJ Matt Hunter |
| Notable commanders |
Tom Elder Barr Smith |
| Insignia | |
| Unit Colour Patch |  |
The 48th Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery is an artillery battery of the Australian Army. The battery traces its lineage back to a unit that was formed for service during the First World War. Currently assigned to the 9th Brigade, it is located at Keswick Barracks in South Australia.
Contents |
[edit] Role
48th Field Battery is a part of the Australian Army's 9th Brigade,[1] currently located at Keswick Barracks South Australia. It is tasked with engaging targets of immediate concern to units of the 9th Brigade and the provision of timely, intimate offensive fire support to such units. Until recently the battery was a six-gun battery utilising the US designed M2A2 Howitzer firing 105 mm ammunition, however, following the reorganisation of the Australian Army Reserve's artillery units, the battery now uses the 81mm mortar as its primary weapon platform. The unit maintains a number of M2A2s, however, which are reserved for ceremonial occasions such as 21-gun salutes.[citation needed]
[edit] History
The 48th Field Battery was formed at Tel el Kebir, Egypt, on 6 March 1916[citation needed] as part of the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) that took place following the end of the Gallipoli campaign.[2] Assigned to the 12th Field Artillery Brigade, 4th Division,[3] the battery was transferred to Europe where it saw action in France with the 24th Field Artillery Brigade, employing the Ordnance QF 18 pounder.[3] The battery saw action on the Western Front between June 1916 and January 1917, when it was disbanded.[citation needed]
In 1921, the battery was re-raised as part of a wide-scale reorganisation of Australia's part time military forces that saw units of the Citizens Force adopt the numerical designations of the AIF.[4] At this time the battery was assigned to the 13th Field Brigade.[citation needed]
The Battery was re-formed in 1939 and became part of the 6th/13th Field Regiment in 1988. Since the disbandment of the 6th/13th Field Regiment in 1997, the 48th Field Battery has served as an independent battery under the command of the 9th Brigade.[citation needed]
[edit] Notable members
- William Henry Kibby, a recipient of the Victoria Cross, was a member of 48th Field Battery prior to joining the AIF during the Second World War.[5]
[edit] Notes
- ^ "9 Brigade". Digger History. http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-army-today/brigades/09bde.htm. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
- ^ Grey 2008, pp. 99–100.
- ^ a b "Fourth Division". Australian Defence Force Academy. http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8888/4th_Division.html. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 125.
- ^ Gammage, Bill (2000). "Kibby, William Henry (Bill) (1903–1942)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150018b.htm. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
[edit] References
- Grey, Jeffrey (2008). A Military History of Australia (3rd ed.). Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521697910.
