1st Royal New South Wales Lancers
Encyclopedia
The 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers was a former Australian Army
light cavalry (reconnaissance) regiment. Its complicated lineage includes the New South Wales Lancers which were first formed as a colonial unit in 1885, and subsequently saw action in the Second Boer War
, and later during First World War at Gallipoli and Palestine as the 1st Light Horse Regiment. The unit subsequently served during the Second World War as the 1st Armoured Regiment equipped with Matilda tank
s, fighting the Japanese in New Guinea
and Borneo
.
The Lancers were reformed after the war in 1948 as a reserve formation in the Citizens Military Forces
known as the 1st Armoured Regiment (Royal New South Wales Lancers). In 1949 the regiment was renamed the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers however, in order to reallocate the former name to the tank regiment that was to be established in the new Australian Regular Army. In 1956 the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers was merged with the 15th Northern River Lancers
to create the 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
, a unit which continues to serve today in the Australian Army Reserve
.
(AIF). The new regiment was raised mainly from volunteers of the 7th Australian Light Horse (New South Wales Lancers), an existing militia unit based in Sydney and on the New South Wales south coast whose complicated lineage included the New South Wales Lancers which were first formed as a colonial unit in 1885, and later served in the Second Boer War
. Together they formed the bulk of Regimental Headquarters, and A and B Squadrons, while AIF volunteers made up the remainder of the new unit. Among them were veterans of the New South Wales Lancers who had fought in South Africa. Sailing from Sydney on 19 October, the 1st Light Horse disembarked in Egypt
on 8 December 1914 and later went on to fight in Gallipoli and Palestine as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade
until the war ended in 1918.
Serving in the part-time Citizens Force (later known as the "Militia") after the war, the Lancers were designated as successors to the 1st Light Horse Regiment, and they consequently inherited the former unit's battle honours. The Regiment continued as the 1st Light Horse Regiment until 1929, its ranks augmented with conscripts. In 1929 universal service ended however, and the unit was linked with the 21st Light Horse to become the 1st/21st Light Horse (New South Wales Lancers) in the wake of the Great Depression
. In 1935 the regiment received the prefix 'Royal', while the 1st and 21st Light Horse were uncoupled the following year. The unit was subsequently converted into a motorised machine-gun regiment, and was renamed the 1st Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment (Royal New South Wales Lancers).
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At the start of the Second World War, due to the limitations of the Defence Act (1903), which prevented the government from sending the Militia to fight outside Australian territory, it was decided to raise an all volunteer force to serve overseas. This force was known as the Second Australian Imperial Force
(2nd AIF), and many of the 1st Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment's members volunteered. Assigned to the 2nd/2nd Machine Gun Battalion, they took part in the fighting in the Mediterranean theatre. Originally converted from the 1st Armoured Car Regiment on 5 January 1940, in December 1941 the regiment became the 1st Machine Gun Regiment and was given its first operational role securing the northern Newcastle
beaches as part of the Newcastle Covering Force
.
In March 1942 the regiment was again renamed, being converted to the 1st Motor Regiment. This change was short lived however, and it was changed again in May to the 1st Tank Battalion, becoming part of the 3rd Army Tank Brigade, equipped with Matilda tank
s. In 1943 the unit became part of the 4th Armoured Brigade and was designated as an AIF unit, thus allowing it to be deployed to any theatre of the conflict. Later, after completing training in Caboolture, Queensland
it deployed to New Guinea
in August 1943 where it supported the 9th Division fighting the Japanese 20th Division
around Lae
, on the Huon Peninsula
and around Finschhafen
, Sattelberg
and Lakona. The unit was then withdrawn to Australia in mid-1944. During the fighting the tanks had performed well, and despite the difficult jungle terrain, the suitability of the Matilda for such operations had been proven with the Australians effectively employing combined arms tactics against which the Japanese had no effective response.
On 1 June the unit was renamed the 1st Armoured Regiment. The unit then spent the next year in training, and during this time it was based at Southport, Queensland
. In May 1945 it took part in the amphibious landings at Balikpapan
in support of the 7th Division, being involved in one of the final Australian campaigns of the war in Borneo. Landing with the infantry, the tanks—including newly modified Matilda Frog flamethrower tanks—mainly operated in small detachments in close support of the troops, even though the terrain offered the opportunity for more mobile tactics to be employed. Although the Australians were ultimately successful, casualties among the infantry were heavy and during this time the regiment was involved in some hard fighting, with the Japanese able to make effective use of strong natural defences in conjunction with minefields and anti-tank ditches in order to compensate for their lack of anti-tank guns. With the fighting coming to a conclusion however, tank operations ceased on 24 July. In total, casualties suffered by the regiment during the war included 14 dead.
. In 1948, the Citizens Military Forces
(CMF) was re-raised, albeit on a reduced establishment of two division
s. As a part of this force, the regiment was reconstituted as a reserve formation on 1 April 1948, adopting the designation of the 1st Armoured Regiment (Royal New South Wales Lancers), in recognition of its previous history. During this time the regiment continued to operate Matilda tanks and was based at Lancer Barracks in Parramatta
, in New South Wales
. However, in 1949 the regiment was renamed the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers and its battle honours and history were perpetuated by this unit, in order to reallocate the former name to the tank regiment that was to be established in the new Australian Regular Army.See 1st Armoured Regiment (Australia). Later, in 1956 the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers merged with the 15th Northern River Lancers
to form the 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
, equipped with a small number of Centurion tank
s. This unit continues to serve today as a part-time unit in the Australian Army Reserve
.
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
light cavalry (reconnaissance) regiment. Its complicated lineage includes the New South Wales Lancers which were first formed as a colonial unit in 1885, and subsequently saw action in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, and later during First World War at Gallipoli and Palestine as the 1st Light Horse Regiment. The unit subsequently served during the Second World War as the 1st Armoured Regiment equipped with Matilda tank
Matilda tank
The Infantry Tank Mark II known as the Matilda II was a British infantry tank of the Second World War. It was also identified from its General Staff Specification A12....
s, fighting the Japanese in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
.
The Lancers were reformed after the war in 1948 as a reserve formation in the Citizens Military Forces
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
known as the 1st Armoured Regiment (Royal New South Wales Lancers). In 1949 the regiment was renamed the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers however, in order to reallocate the former name to the tank regiment that was to be established in the new Australian Regular Army. In 1956 the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers was merged with the 15th Northern River Lancers
15th Northern River Lancers
The 15th Northern River Lancers was an amphibious assault squadron of the Australian Army, the Lancers were designated A squadron of the Amphibious Assault Regiment. The 15th Northern River Lancers were formed in 1948 and based in Northern New South Wales, in 1956 it was amalgamated with the 1st...
to create the 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
The 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers is a current Australian Army Reserve Light Cavalry Regiment. The regiment is based at Lancer Barracks in Parramatta, New South Wales. The regiment has recently re-equipped with 4x4 Land Rover patrol vehicles as part of the conversion to a Light Cavalry ...
, a unit which continues to serve today in the Australian Army Reserve
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
.
Formation
The 1st Light Horse Regiment was formed at Rosebury Park in Sydney following the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, as part of the raising of a 20,000 man expeditionary force known as the Australian Imperial ForceAustralian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
(AIF). The new regiment was raised mainly from volunteers of the 7th Australian Light Horse (New South Wales Lancers), an existing militia unit based in Sydney and on the New South Wales south coast whose complicated lineage included the New South Wales Lancers which were first formed as a colonial unit in 1885, and later served in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. Together they formed the bulk of Regimental Headquarters, and A and B Squadrons, while AIF volunteers made up the remainder of the new unit. Among them were veterans of the New South Wales Lancers who had fought in South Africa. Sailing from Sydney on 19 October, the 1st Light Horse disembarked in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on 8 December 1914 and later went on to fight in Gallipoli and Palestine as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade
1st Light Horse Brigade
The 1st Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade first saw action during the Dardanelles Campaign in the Battle of Gallipoli. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they...
until the war ended in 1918.
Serving in the part-time Citizens Force (later known as the "Militia") after the war, the Lancers were designated as successors to the 1st Light Horse Regiment, and they consequently inherited the former unit's battle honours. The Regiment continued as the 1st Light Horse Regiment until 1929, its ranks augmented with conscripts. In 1929 universal service ended however, and the unit was linked with the 21st Light Horse to become the 1st/21st Light Horse (New South Wales Lancers) in the wake of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. In 1935 the regiment received the prefix 'Royal', while the 1st and 21st Light Horse were uncoupled the following year. The unit was subsequently converted into a motorised machine-gun regiment, and was renamed the 1st Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment (Royal New South Wales Lancers).
Second World War
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
(2nd AIF), and many of the 1st Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment's members volunteered. Assigned to the 2nd/2nd Machine Gun Battalion, they took part in the fighting in the Mediterranean theatre. Originally converted from the 1st Armoured Car Regiment on 5 January 1940, in December 1941 the regiment became the 1st Machine Gun Regiment and was given its first operational role securing the northern Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
beaches as part of the Newcastle Covering Force
Newcastle Covering Force
The Newcastle Covering Force was a militia force responsible for protecting Newcastle, Australia and approaches during World War II which was formed on 8 April 1941. The unit was responsible for defending the important port and air bases in and around the town, part of Fortress Newcastle, against...
.
In March 1942 the regiment was again renamed, being converted to the 1st Motor Regiment. This change was short lived however, and it was changed again in May to the 1st Tank Battalion, becoming part of the 3rd Army Tank Brigade, equipped with Matilda tank
Matilda tank
The Infantry Tank Mark II known as the Matilda II was a British infantry tank of the Second World War. It was also identified from its General Staff Specification A12....
s. In 1943 the unit became part of the 4th Armoured Brigade and was designated as an AIF unit, thus allowing it to be deployed to any theatre of the conflict. Later, after completing training in Caboolture, Queensland
Caboolture, Queensland
Caboolture is an urban centre approximately north of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. Caboolture is considered to be the northernmost urban area of the greater Brisbane metropolitan region within South East Queensland, and it marks the end of the Brisbane suburban commuter...
it deployed to New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
in August 1943 where it supported the 9th Division fighting the Japanese 20th Division
20th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the .-History:The 20th Division and the 19th Division were raised on 24 December 1915 as a garrison force for Korea. After Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War, and subsequent occupation, and then annexation of Korea,...
around Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
, on the Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula is a large rugged peninsula on the island of New Guinea in Morobe Province, eastern Papua New Guinea. It is named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec who discovered it along with his personal assistant and porter, Henry Ole. The peninsula is dominated by the steep...
and around Finschhafen
Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
, Sattelberg
Battle of Sattelberg
The Battle of Sattelberg took place during the Huon Peninsula campaign of the Second World War. Involving forces from Australia, the United States and Japan, the fighting centred around the Sattelberg mission station which was situated atop a hill about above sea level, approximately inland from...
and Lakona. The unit was then withdrawn to Australia in mid-1944. During the fighting the tanks had performed well, and despite the difficult jungle terrain, the suitability of the Matilda for such operations had been proven with the Australians effectively employing combined arms tactics against which the Japanese had no effective response.
On 1 June the unit was renamed the 1st Armoured Regiment. The unit then spent the next year in training, and during this time it was based at Southport, Queensland
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
. In May 1945 it took part in the amphibious landings at Balikpapan
Battle of Balikpapan (1945)
The Battle of Balikpapan was the concluding stage of the Borneo campaign . The landings took place on 1 July 1945. The Australian 7th Division, composed of the 18th, 21st and 25th Infantry Brigades, with support troops, made an amphibious landing, codenamed Operation Oboe Two a few miles north of...
in support of the 7th Division, being involved in one of the final Australian campaigns of the war in Borneo. Landing with the infantry, the tanks—including newly modified Matilda Frog flamethrower tanks—mainly operated in small detachments in close support of the troops, even though the terrain offered the opportunity for more mobile tactics to be employed. Although the Australians were ultimately successful, casualties among the infantry were heavy and during this time the regiment was involved in some hard fighting, with the Japanese able to make effective use of strong natural defences in conjunction with minefields and anti-tank ditches in order to compensate for their lack of anti-tank guns. With the fighting coming to a conclusion however, tank operations ceased on 24 July. In total, casualties suffered by the regiment during the war included 14 dead.
Post-war era
Following the end of the war the Australian Army was demobilisedDemobilisation of the Australian military after World War II
The demobilisation of the Australian military after World War II involved discharging almost 600,000 men and women from the military, supporting their transition to civilian life and reducing the three armed services to peacetime strengths...
. In 1948, the Citizens Military Forces
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
(CMF) was re-raised, albeit on a reduced establishment of two division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
s. As a part of this force, the regiment was reconstituted as a reserve formation on 1 April 1948, adopting the designation of the 1st Armoured Regiment (Royal New South Wales Lancers), in recognition of its previous history. During this time the regiment continued to operate Matilda tanks and was based at Lancer Barracks in Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. However, in 1949 the regiment was renamed the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers and its battle honours and history were perpetuated by this unit, in order to reallocate the former name to the tank regiment that was to be established in the new Australian Regular Army.See 1st Armoured Regiment (Australia). Later, in 1956 the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers merged with the 15th Northern River Lancers
15th Northern River Lancers
The 15th Northern River Lancers was an amphibious assault squadron of the Australian Army, the Lancers were designated A squadron of the Amphibious Assault Regiment. The 15th Northern River Lancers were formed in 1948 and based in Northern New South Wales, in 1956 it was amalgamated with the 1st...
to form the 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
The 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers is a current Australian Army Reserve Light Cavalry Regiment. The regiment is based at Lancer Barracks in Parramatta, New South Wales. The regiment has recently re-equipped with 4x4 Land Rover patrol vehicles as part of the conversion to a Light Cavalry ...
, equipped with a small number of Centurion tank
Centurion tank
The Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period. It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades...
s. This unit continues to serve today as a part-time unit in the Australian Army Reserve
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
.
Battle honours
- Boer War: South Africa 1899–1902;
- First World War: Defence of Anzac, Sari Bair, Romani, Magdhaba-Rafah, Gaza-Beersheba, Jerusalem, Jaffa, Jericho, Jordan (Amman);
- Second World War: South-West Pacific 1943–45South West Pacific theatre of World War IIThe South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
, FinschhafenHuon Peninsula campaignThe Huon Peninsula campaign was a series of battles in the New Guinea campaign of the Second World War. Australian forces assaulted Japanese bases on the Huon Peninsula....
, SattelbergHuon Peninsula campaignThe Huon Peninsula campaign was a series of battles in the New Guinea campaign of the Second World War. Australian forces assaulted Japanese bases on the Huon Peninsula....
, WareoBattle of SioThe Battle of Sio, fought between December 1943 and March 1944, was the breakout and pursuit phase of General Douglas MacArthur's Huon Peninsula campaign, part of the New Guinea campaign of World War II....
, Liberation of Australian New GuineaNew Guinea campaignThe New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
, Wareo–LakonaBattle of SioThe Battle of Sio, fought between December 1943 and March 1944, was the breakout and pursuit phase of General Douglas MacArthur's Huon Peninsula campaign, part of the New Guinea campaign of World War II....
, Gusika–Fortification Point, BorneoBorneo campaign (1945)The Borneo Campaign of 1945 was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area, during World War II. In a series of amphibious assaults between 1 May and 21 July, the Australian I Corps, under General Leslie Morshead, attacked Japanese forces occupying the island. Allied naval and...
, BalikpapanBattle of Balikpapan (1945)The Battle of Balikpapan was the concluding stage of the Borneo campaign . The landings took place on 1 July 1945. The Australian 7th Division, composed of the 18th, 21st and 25th Infantry Brigades, with support troops, made an amphibious landing, codenamed Operation Oboe Two a few miles north of...
, and Milford Highway.