Australian Artillery Regiments

BRITISH ARTILLERY IN WORLD WAR 2

Updated 14 June 2014

CONTENTS
FIELD REGIMENTS RAA
MEDIUM REGIMENTS RAA
SURVEY REGIMENTS RAA
ANTI-TANK REGIMENTS RAA
OTHER UNITS

FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENTS OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARTILLERY IN WORLD WAR 2

Before 1939 the Australian Military Forces comprised a small permanent force, mainly instructors and staff officers, and the partially conscripted Militia that could only serve within the Australian area. The 2nd Australian Imperial Force (2AIF) was an all volunteer force formed for overseas service, with a high percentage of men who had served in the Militia. 2AIF units had the prefix '2/' to their unit numbers. The 2AIF divisions were numbered 6 - 9, following on from 1 - 5 that comprised the 1st AIF that served in WW1.

Explanation of the abbreviations in the following tables are given after the British tables.

FIELD REGIMENTS RAA

Regiment	Type	Origin/Change	Where - When - With	Disposal
1 Fd Regt	Mil		Newcastle 1939 - 1 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 10 Div Australia 1944 - NT Force
2 Fd Regt	Mil		Melbourne 1939 - 3 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 3 Div New Guinea - 1944 - 3 Div Bougainville - 1944-5 - 3 Div
3 Fd Regt	Mil		Perth 1939 - Western Comd Australia 1942 - 4 Div	Disb 1 Jun 44
4 Fd Regt	Mil		Melbourne 1939 - 3 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 3 Div New Guinea - 1944 - 7 & 3 Divs Bougainville - 1944-5 - 3 Div
5 Fd Regt	Mil		Brisbane 1939 - Northern Comd Australia 1942 - 5 Div	Disb 12 Aug 44
6 Fd Regt	Mil		Hobart 1939 - 6 Military District Australia 1942 - 12 Bde Gp	Disb 24 Mar 44
7 Fd Regt	Mil		Sydney 1939 - 1 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 2 Div
8 Fd Regt	Mil		Melbourne 1939 - 3 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 3 Div
9 Fd Regt	Mil		Sydney 1939 - 2 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 1 Div	Disb 24 Mar 44
10 Fd Regt	Mil		Melbourne 1939 - 4 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 4 Div
11 Fd Regt	Mil		Brisbane 1939 - Northern Comd Australia 1942 - NT Force
12 Fd Regt	Mil	F /42	Australia 1942 - 2 Corps Troops	Disb 15 Aug 44
13 Fd Regt	Mil		Adelaide 1939 - 4 Military District New Guinea 1942 - New Guinea Force Australia 1944 - 11 Div
14 Fd Regt	Mil		Sydney 1939 - 2 Inf Div New Guinea 1942 - New Guinea Force New Guinea 1943 - 9 Div
15 Fd Regt	Mil		Adelaide 1939 - 4 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 4 Div
16 Fd Regt	Mil	F /42	Australia 1942 - 1 Armd Div Australia 1944 - 2 Army Troops
17 Fd Regt	Mil	F /42	Australia 1942 - 2 Div
18 Fd Regt	Mil		Goulburn 1939 - 2 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 2 Div	Disb 24 Mar 44
21 Fd Regt	Mil		Sydney 1939 - 1 Cav Div Australia 1942 - 1 Motor Div	Merged with 22 Fd Regt
22 Fd Regt	Mil		Melbourne 1939 - 2 Cav Div Australia 1942 - 2 Motor Div	Merged with 21 Fd Regt
21/22 Fd Regt	Mil			Disb 30 Nov 43
2/1 Fd Regt	AIF	F 10/39 NSW	Australia 1939-40 - 6 Aust Div Mid East 1940 - 6 Aust Div N Africa 1941 - 6 Aust Div Greece 1941 - 6 Aust Div Mid East 1941- 6 Aust Div Ceylon - 1942 - 6 Aust Div New Guinea 1942 - New Guinea Force New Guinea - 1944-5 - 6 Aust Div	Disb 2/46
2/2 Fd Regt	AIF	F 10/39 Vic	Australia 1939-40 - 6 Aust Div Mid East 1940 - 6 Aust Div N Africa 1941 - 6 Aust Div Greece 1941 - 6 Aust Div Crete 1941 Mid East 1941- 6 Aust Div Ceylon - 1942 - 6 Aust Div New Guinea - 1944-5 - 6 Aust Div	Disb 1/46
2/3 Fd Regt	AIF	F 11/39 S Australia & N Territory	Australia 1939-40 - 6 Aust Div UK 1940 - 18 Aust Inf Bde N Africa 1941 - 6 Aust Div Greece 1941 - 6 Aust Div Crete 1941 Mid East 1941- 6 Aust Div New Guinea - 1944-5 - 6 Aust Div	Disb 1/46
2/4 Fd Regt	AIF	F 4/40 Vic	Australia 1940 - 7 Aust Div Mid East 1941 - 7 Aust Div Syria 1941- 7 Aust Div Australia 1942 - 7 Aust Div New Guinea - 1943-4 - 7 Aust Div Australia 1944 - 7 Aust Div Borneo 1945 - 7 Aust Div	Disb 2/46
2/5 Fd Regt	AIF	F 10/39 Qld F 4/40 NSW	Australia 1939 - 6 Aust Div Australia 1940 - 7 Aust Div Mid East 1941 - 7 Aust Div Syria 1941- 7 Aust Div Australia 1942 - 7 Aust Div New Guinea 1942 - 7 Aust Div Australia 1944 - 7 Aust Div Borneo 1945 - 7 Aust Div	To 1 ATk Regt 3/40 Disb 2/46
2/6 Fd Regt	AIF	F 4/40 Sydney	Australia 1940 - 7 Aust Div Mid East 1941 - 7 Aust Div Syria 1941- 7 Aust Div Australia 1942 - 7 Aust Div New Guinea 1942-3 - 7 & 3 Aust Divs Australia 1944 - 7 Aust Div Borneo 1945 - 7 Aust Div	Disb 4/46
2/7 Fd Regt	AIF	F 4/40 SA & WA	Australia 1940 - 9 Aust Div N Africa 1941 - 9 & 7 Aust Divs N Africa 1942 - 9 Aust Div El Alamein 10/42 - 9 Aust Div Australia 1943-4 - 9 Aust Div Borneo 1945 - 9 Aust Div	Disb 1/46
2/8 Fd Regt	AIF	F /40	Australia 1940 - 9 Aust Div N Africa 1941 - 9 & 7 Aust Divs N Africa 1942 - 9 Aust Div El Alamein 10/42 - 9 Aust Div Australia 1943-4 - 9 Aust Div Borneo 1945 - 9 Aust Div
2/9 Fd Regt	AIF	F /40	Australia 1940 - 1 Corps Troops Mid East 1941 - Aust Corps Troops Syria 1941 - Aust Corps Troops & 6 Inf Div Australia 1944 - Corps Troops	Disb 12/45
2/10 Fd Regt	AIF	F 6/40	Australia 1940 - 8 Aust Div Malaya 1941-2 - 8 Aust Div	Lost 2/42
2/11 Fd Regt	AIF	F 7/40 Vic	Australia 1940 - 1 Aust Corps Troops Mid East 1941 - Aust Corps Troops Syria 1941 - Aust Corps Troops New Guinea - 1944 - 1 Aust Army Troops Bougainville - 1944-5 - 3 Aust Div	Disb 1/46
2/12 Fd Regt	AIF	Fm 2/2 Med Regt 10/40	Australia 1940 - 9 Aust Div N Africa 1941 - 9 Aust Div Tobruk 1941 - 9 Aust Div N Africa 1942 - 9 Aust Div El Alamein 10/42 - 9 Aust Div New Guinea - 1943 - 9 Aust Div Australia 1944 - 9 Aust Div Borneo 1945 - 9 Aust Div	Disb 3/46
2/13 Fd Regt	AIF	Fm 2/1 Med Regt 10/40	Australia 1940 - 1 Corps Troops	To 2/1 Med Regt 9/41
2/14 Fd Regt	AIF	F 10/40 Vic & SA	Australia 1940 - 8 Aust Div New Guinea - 1944 - 5 Aust Div New Britain - 1944-5 - 5 Aust Div	Disb 1/46
2/15 Fd Regt	AIF	F 11/40	Australia 1940 - 8 Aust Div Malaya 1941-2 - 8 Aust Div	Lost 2/42

Militia regiments did not change their designation from 'Fd Bde' to 'Fd Regt' until 1940, having retained the old battery organisation. 2AIF regiments were formed as regiments with 2 btys each with 12 guns. However, these batteries also comprised two troops of 18-pdr and one of 4.5-inch How.

2AIF batteries were number sequentially from 1 in 2/1 Fd Regt. When the revised three battery organisation was introduced the third batteries were sequentially numbered from 51 in 2/1 Fd Regt.

MEDIUM REGIMENTS RAA

Regiment	Type	Origin/Change	Where - When - With	Disposal
1 Med Regt	Mil		Australia 1940 - 2 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 2 Corps Troops	Disb 22 Sep 43
2 Med Regt	Mil	Reformed 12/44	Australia 1940 - 4 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 3 Corps Troops Australia 1941 - 1 Corps Troops
2/1 Med Regt	AIF	F 4/40 Fm 2/13 Fd Regt 9/41	Australia 1940 Mid East 1941- 1 Aust Corps Australia 1942 - 1 Corps Troops Australia 1944 - 11 Div	To 2/13 Fd Regt 10/40
2/2 Med Regt	AIF	F 4/40 S Australia	Australia 1940	To 2/12 Fd Regt 10/40

In the SW Pacific independent lettered batteries, originally formed as mobile coast defence units and equipped with 155mm guns, were also used in the field role. See Other Units, below.

SURVEY REGIMENTS RAA

Regiment	Type	Origin/Change	Where - When - With	Disposal
1 Svy Regt	Mil		Australia 1942 - 1 Army Troops	Disb 6/42
2 Svy Regt	Mil		Australia 1942 - 2 Army Troops	Disb 6/42
2/1 Svy Regt	AIF	F /40	Australia 1940 - 1 Corps Troops Mid East 1940 - Australia 1942 - 1 Corps Troops	Disb 6/42

In the SW Pacific survey and flash spotting operated as independent batteries.

ANTI-TANK REGIMENTS RAA

Regiment	Type	Origin/Change	Where - When - With	Disposal
101 ATk Regt	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 5 Inf Div	Disb 29 Dec 43
102 ATk Regt 102 Tk Attk Regt 6/43	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 1 Motor Div
103 ATk Regt 103 Tk Attk Regt 6/43	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 10 Inf Div	Disb 10 Jun 44
104 ATk Regt 104 Tk Attk Regt 6/43	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 2 Inf Div	Disb 10 Aug 44
105 ATk Regt 105 Tk Attk Regt 6/43	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 2 Motor Div
106 ATk Regt 106 Tk Attk Regt 1943	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 3 Inf Div	Disb 19 Oct 44
107 ATk Regt 107 Tk Attk Regt 1943	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 3 Corps Tps
108 ATk Regt 108 Tk Attk Regt 1943	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 1 Armd Div
109 ATk Regt 109 Tk Attk Regt 1943	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 4 Inf Div
110 ATk Regt 110 Tk Attk Regt 1943	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 12 Bde Gp
111 ATk Regt 111 Tk Attk Regt 1943	Mil	F 1941	Australia 1942 - 1 Inf Div
112 Tk Attk Regt	Mil			Disb 7 Jun 44
1 ATk Regt 2/1 ATk Regt 1941 2/1 Tk Attk Regt 1943	AIF	Fm 2/5 Fd Regt 3/40 Reformed 9/40	UK 1940 Mid East 1940-2 - 6 Inf Div Greece 1941 - 6 Inf Div Ceylon 1942 - 6 Inf Div New Guinea 1944-5 - 6 Inf Div	Broken up 6/40
2 ATk Regt 2/2 ATk Regt 1941 2/2 Tk Attk Regt 1943	AIF	F Brisbane 5/40	Mid East 1941-2 7 Inf Div Syria 1941- 7 Inf Div Australia 1942 - 7 Inf Div Australia 1944 - 7 Inf Div Borneo 1945 - 7 Inf Div
3 ATk Regt 2/3 ATk Regt 1941 2/3 Tk Attk Regt 1943	AIF	F Sydney 7/40	N Africa 1941-2 - 9 Inf Div Tobruk 1941 - 9 Inf Div El Alamein 10/42 - 9 Inf Div Australia 1944 - 7 Inf Div Borneo 1945 - 7 Inf Div	Disb 5/46
4 ATk Regt 2/4 ATk Regt 1941	AIF	Fm Inf ATk Coys 8/41	Malaya 1941-2 - 8 Inf Div	Lost 2/42

2AIF anti-tank batteries were number sequentially from 1 in 1/1 Atk Regt. Anti-Tank Regiments were renamed 'Tank Attack Regiments' in mid 1943.

OTHER UNITS

Two independent mountain batteries were formed in 1942 and 1943. In 1942 eight 155-mm mobile coast batteries (A - H Heavy Batteries) were formed and equipped with ex-US 155-mm Guns M1917/1918, which were US built version of the French GPF. Although their purpose was coast defence some fired in support of ground forces in New Guinea.

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