2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment
| 2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge of the Royal New South Wales Regiment | |
| Active | 1987–present |
| Country |  Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Light Infantry |
| Part of | 8th Brigade, 2nd Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Pymble |
| Motto(s) | Nulli Secundus (Second To None) Facta Probant (Deeds Prove)[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | LTCOL James McGann |
| Colonel Commandant | Brigadier Paul Couch CSC RFD |
| Insignia | |
| Unit Colour Patch |  |
The 2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment (2/17 RNSWR) is a reserve infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Currently part of the 8th Brigade, attached to the 2nd Division, the unit currently consists of a headquarters, signals platoon and three rifle companies spread out across a number of depots throughout the state of New South Wales. The unit was formed in 1987, following a reorganisation of the Australian Army Reserve which saw the amalgamation of a number of Reserve units across Australia. Through the 2nd Battalion and the 17th Battalion, the unit can trace its lineage back to 1860 and today it carries battle honours from both of these units, as well as the units of the Second Australian Imperial Force which fought during World War II.
History
The 2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment was formed on 5 December 1987 when the 2nd and 17th Battalions were amalgamated during a ceremony held at Newcastle, New South Wales.[2] This was part of a re-organisation of the Royal New South Wales Regiment that took place at the time, which saw two battalions in each brigade linked in order to respond to the declining size of a number of units.[3][4]
Upon formation, the battalion was assigned to the 8th Brigade,[5] and allocated a recruitment area that stretched from the centre of Sydney to the New South Wales Central Coast.[6] At this time also, the battalion adopted the battle honours and traditions of its predecessor units, perpetuating a lineage that can be traced as far back as 1860, and includes active service in the Mahdist War, the Boer War, World War I and World War II.[7]
In 1988, the newly formed battalion marched through the municipality of Ku-ring-gai, after it was granted the Freedom of Entry to the town.[6] In 1990, 2/17 RNSWR was called upon to provide disaster relief in the wake of Newcastle earthquake and the Nyngan floods. Following this, the battalion was relocated to Silverwater, New South Wales while Suakin Depot was being refurbished. The battalion did not return until 13 April 1996, when they once again marched through Ku-ring-gai and returned to Suakin, taking up residence along with the 7th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery.[6]
In July 1994, as a result of a re-organisation of the 2nd Division, two of the battalion's rifle companies—those based at Orange and Bathurst—were transferred to the 1st/19th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment. At the same time, the battalion gained a company that was based at Arncliffe from the 4th/3rd Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment.[5] In 1997, as a result of a re-organisation of the Ready Reserve Scheme, the battalion gained a company (designated 'D' Company) from the 6th Brigade, although in 2000 this company was relocated to Blacktown.[5] The previous year, 'B' Company was moved to Erina.[5]
Throughout the late 1990s, 2/17 RNSWR took part in a number of large-scale exercises. These included Kangaroo '95, which was a multinational exercise that was undertaken in northern Australia. Later, in 1997, the battalion took part in a brigade-level exercise at Broken Hill along with units from the South Australian-based 9th Brigade, while a company was sent to the Battle Wing at Canungra, Queensland.[6]
Alpha Company traces its lineage to the NSW Scottish Rifles unit which was affiliated with the Black Watch (the Royal Highland Regiment).[8] Until late 2010, Alpha Company members paraded in a khaki balmoral with a Black Watch tartan and RNSWR cap badge complete with red hackle; the ceremonial balmoral being navy blue. The khaki balmoral was presented to the qualified infanteers of the company upon completion of their second and final infantry module. Only the ceremonial balmoral is still worn.[citation needed]
Since 2007, the unit has contributed individuals, sections or platoons to operations in the Solomon Islands, East Timor and off Northern Australia. Additionally, personnel have deployed to Rifle Company Butterworth.[citation needed]
Current structure
The 2nd/17th Battalion is currently located across the following depots:[citation needed]
- Regimental Headquarters: Pymble
- Signals Platoon: Pymble
- A Company: Dee Why (Headquarters) and Pymble.
- C Company: Adamstown in Newcastle (Headquarters) with 9 Platoon at Erina.
- D Company: Blacktown (Headquarters) with 12 Platoon at Kensington.
- 7 Light Battery: Dee Why, Erina and Adamstown.
Battle honours
2/17 RNSWR carries the following battle honours, which it inherited from its ancestral units:[9]
- Suakin 1885;
- Boer War: South Africa 1899–1902;
- World War I: Somme 1916 & 1918, Pozieres, Bapaume 1917, Bullecourt, Ypres 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Hamel, Amiens, Albert 1918, Monte St Quentin, Hindenburg Line, Beaurevoir, France and Flanders 1916–18, Suvla, Gallipoli 1915, and Egypt 1915–16;
- World War II: North Africa 1941–42, Defence of Tobruk, El Adem Road, Alam El Halfa, El Alamein, South West Pacific 1943–45, Lae–Nadzab, Finschhafen, Scarlet Beach, Defence of Scarlet Beach, Jivenaneng–Kumawa, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Sio, Borneo, Bruinei and Miri.
Commanding officers
The following is a list of officers that have served as 2/17 RNSWR's commanding officer:[10]
- Lieutenant Colonel L.A. Wood (1987–1989);
- Lieutenant Colonel A.S Morrison (1989–1991);
- Lieutenant Colonel David Leece
- Lieutenant Colonel Don D. Shearman (1991–1993);
- Lieutenant Colonel G.N Oakley (1994–1996);
- Lieutenant Colonel Al Henderson (1997– ?)
- Lieutenant Colonel Kim Turner RFD
- Lieutenant Colonel Paul Blood (2003–2004)
- Lieutenant Colonel Peter Connor AM (2005– )
- Lieutenant Colonel P. Woodward (2010–2011)
- Lieutenant Colonel Steve Brumby (2012–13)
- Lieutenant Colonel James McGann
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Alliances
See Royal New South Wales Regiment
Notes
- ^ "2/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment". Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, pp. 332–333.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 332.
- ^ Shaw 2010 pp. 10–11.
- ^ a b c d "History of the 2nd/17th Infantry Battalion, RNSWR". Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 333.
- ^ Harris, Ted. "Royal New South Wales Regiment Battalions Off Orbat". Digger History.org. Retrieved 15 May 2009.
- ^ "History of NSW Scottish Regiment". NSW Scottish Regimental Association. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, front page.
- ^ 2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998, p. 334.
References
- 2/17 Battalion History Committee (1998). What We Have We Hold: A History of the 2/17 Australian Infantry Battalion, 1940–1945. Loftus: Australian Military History Publications. ISBN 1-876439-36-X.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Shaw, Peter (2010). "The Evolution of the Infantry State Regiment System in the Army Reserve". Sabretache. LI (4 (December)). Garran, Australian Capital Territory: Military Historical Society of Australia: 5–12. ISSN 0048-8933.
External links