Portal:Military history of Australia/Selected anniversaries/May
Selected anniversaries in May
January • February • March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November • December
Anniversaries can be found here from the Army news website or here at the AWM or here at the Australian History unit, or in books, journals or other sources related to Australian military history.
- 1885 – Private Robert Wier, New South Wales contingent to the Sudan, died from dysentery. Wier was the first soldier to die on active service in Australian uniform.
- 1945 – World War II: The 26th Brigade under Lieutenant-General Sir Leslie Morshead invade Tarakan, commencing Australia's final campaign of the war in Borneo
- 1901 – Second Boer War: 1st and 2nd Australian Horse contingents arrived in Australia after service in South Africa.
- 1915 – World War I: Australians attacked Baby 700, Quinn's Post and at Gaba Tepe at Gallipoli.
- 1901 – Second Boer War: 2nd Queensland Mounted Infantry returned to Australia from South Africa.
- 1917 – World War I: the 2nd Division takes part in the Second Battle of Bullecourt assaulting the Hindenburg Line.
- 1917 – World War I: During the Second Battle of Bullecourt the 2nd and 4th Battalions used 30,000 hand grenades in a ten hour period.
- 1966 – Vietnam War: 1st Australian Task Force arrived at Vung Tau on HMAS Sydney and begins preparations to move into Phouc Tuy province.
- 1915 – World War I: The Australian 2nd Brigade and the New Zealand Infantry Brigade were redeployed from ANZAC Cove to Cape Helles.
- 1951 – Korean War: 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment crossed the 38th Parallel in Korea.
- 1917 – World War I: George Julian Howell is awarded a VC for actions near Bullecourt, France.
- 1969 – Vietnam War: Rayene Stewart Simpson is awarded a VC for actions in Kon Tum Province, South Vietnam.
- 1943 – World War II: M Special Unit formed to conduct special operation in New Guinea.
- 1953 – Korean War: 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment relieved the British 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry on Hill 355 in Korea.
- 1915 – World War I: The 2nd Brigade takes part in the Battle of Krithia on Cape Helles.
- 1943 – World War II: In Singapore, 'H' Force of 666 POW departed Changi to work on the Burma Railway in Thailand.
- 1901 – Second Boer War: Tasmanian Mounted Infantry cleared the Craddock District in South Africa.
- 1943 – World War II: Point Stuart, Northern Territory, bombed by Japanese aircraft for the first time.
- 1900 - Second Boer War: New South Wales Mounted Rifles in action at Zand River, South Africa.
- 1937 - The Australian Contingent to the Coronation of King George VI mounted the first Australian Royal Guard at Buckingham Palace in London.
- 1945 – World War II: the 6th Division captured Wewak, New Guinea in a combined amphibious and land assault. Its capture marked the beginning of the end of the Aitape–Wewak campaign.
- 1969 – Vietnam War: Ray Simpson is awarded a VC for actions in the Kon Tum Province, Vietnam.
- 1917 – World War I: Rupert Vance Moon is awarded a VC for actions near Bullecourt.
- 1945 – World War II: John Bernard MacKey is awarded a VC for actions on Tarakan Island.
- 1968 – Vietnam War: Fire Support Base Coral is attacked by 141 NVA Regiment, and 1RAR repulses the attack in the last battalion size battle fought by the Australian Army to date.
- 1943 – World War II: the North Africa campaign concludes, bringing the Australian commitment in the Mediterranean theatre to an end
- 1973 – Army vessel AS 3052 Tarooki (Aboriginal for Albatross), a 17.5-metre long former trawler from Brisbane, Qld, ran aground in New Guinea waters.
- 1943 – World War II: The hospital ship AHS Centaur is sunk by a Japanese submarine off the Australian coast. 268 personal were lost.
- 1945 – World War II: Wewak peninsula captured by members of the 6th Division during the Aitape–Wewak campaign.
- 1956 – Malayan Emergency: 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, attacks communist terrorists near Sungai Siput, Malaya.
- 1915 – World War I: Major General William Throsby Bridges commander of the 1st Division is wounded at Gallipoli. He died three days later.
- 1945 – World War II: Edward Kenna is awarded a VC for actions near Wewak, New Guinea.
- 1901 – Second Boer War: Frederick William Bell is awarded a VC for actions in Brakpan, Transvaal.
- 1968 – Vietnam War: The Battle of Fire Support Base Coral ends in South Vietnam.
- 1916 – World War I: An ANZAC column in the Sinai successfully attacked Turkish troops at Bayoud and Mageibra.
- 1940 – World War II: Second convoy of the Second AIF arrived in Egypt. The force consisted of 17th Brigade and 6th Division Artillery.
- 1915 – World War I: Major General William Throsby Bridges died of wounds at Gallipoli.
- 1942 – World War II: the 14th Brigade is ordered to move from Newcastle to New Guinea to take part in the Kokoda Trail Campaign.
- 1915 – World War I: Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick killed by a sniper in Monash Valley at Gallipoli.
- 1915 – World War I: Albert Jacka is awarded a VC for actions on Gallipoli.
- 1918 – World War I: William Ruthven is awarded a VC for actions near Ville-sur-Ancre, France.
- 1941 – World War II: Operation Mercury Germany's airborne invasion of Crete begins.
- 1993 – Rear party from 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Battalion Group returned to Australia from Somalia.
- 1902 – Second Boer War: Tasmanian component of the 8th Australian Commonwealth Horse sailed for South Africa.
- 1915 – World War I: A Turkish attack was repulsed on ANZAC Cove near Quinn's Post.
- 1940 – World War II: The Government announces that the 8th Division of the Second Australian Imperial Force will be formed.
- 1942 – World War II: Japanese troops advancing over the Kokoda Track, encountered their first opposition in the form of 11 Platoon, 39th Battalion. The Australians were forced back.
- 1945 – World War II: An order was issued to I Corps to seize and occupy Balikpapan on Borneo. This order led to the 7th Division landing as part of Operation Oboe Six.
- 1962 – Vietnam War: Government announced that a team of advisers was to be sent to Vietnam.
- 1942 – World War II: HMAS Nestor assists in the hunt for the Bismarck.
- 1969 – Vietnam War: Keith Payne is awarded a VC for actions near Ben Het, Vietnam.
- 1965 – Vietnam War: Lead elements of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment arrived at Bien Hoa airbase, in South Vietnam.
- 1968 – Vietnam War: Fire Support Base Balmoral is reinforced with Centurion tanks just hours before two North Vietnamese Army battalions attack.
- 1941 – World War II: the 19th Brigade attacked by Germans west of Canea on Crete.
- 1945 – World War II: Second Borneo death march began.
- 1951 – Field Marshal Thomas Blamey died at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in Victoria.
- 1965 – Vietnam War: HMAS Sydney departs on first voyage to Vietnam with the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment on board.
- 1901 – Second Boer War: The 3rd Western Australian Bushmen Contingent arrived in Australia after service in South Africa.
- 1970 – Vietnam War: Australian Army Training Team Vietnam awarded Meritorious Unit Citation.
- 1867 – The Spring Hill and Fortitude Valley Rifle Corps formed in Queensland, today they are known as the 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment.
- 1953 – Korean War: the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment moved out of the line on Hill 355 in Korea having been relieved by the Durham Light Infantry.
- 1941 – World War II: The last evacuation ships left Crete and the remaining troops were forced to surrender. Australian losses on Crete were 274 KIA, 507 WIA and 3,100 POWs.
- 1991 – The Government announced the establishment of the Ready Reserve Scheme largely based on the 6th Brigade.
- 1918 – World War I: John Monash assumed command of the Australian Corps in France.
- 1942 – World War II: Three Japanese midget submarines attack Sydney Harbour. The depot ship HMAS Kuttabul was sunk with the loss of 22 on-board. All three midget submarines were lost.