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The military history of Australia spans the nation's 230-year modern history, from the early
Australian frontier wars between
Aboriginal people and
Europeans to the ongoing conflicts in
Iraq and
Afghanistan in the early 21st century. Although this history is short when compared to that of many other nations, Australia has been involved in numerous conflicts and wars, and war and military service have been significant influences on Australian society and national identity, including the
Anzac spirit. The relationship between war and Australian society has also been shaped by the enduring themes of Australian strategic culture and the unique security challenges it faces.
The six British colonies in Australia participated in some of Britain's wars of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, as a federated dominion and later as an independent nation, Australia fought in the First World War and Second World War, as well as in the wars in
Korea,
Malaya,
Borneo and
Vietnam during the
Cold War. In the Post-Vietnam era Australian forces have been involved in numerous international
peacekeeping missions, through the
United Nations and other agencies, including in the
Sinai,
Persian Gulf,
Rwanda,
Somalia,
East Timor and the Solomon Islands, as well as many overseas humanitarian relief operations, while more recently they have also fought as part of multi-lateral forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. In total, nearly 103,000 Australians died during these conflicts. (Full article...)
Featured articles are displayed here, which represent some of the best content on English Wikipedia.
Image 1
Group Captain Eaton commanding RAAF Southern Area, 1945
Charles Eaton,
OBE,
AFC (21 December 1895 – 12 November 1979) was a senior officer and aviator in the
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and later served as a diplomat. Born in
London, he joined the
British Army upon the outbreak of World War I and saw action on the
Western Front before transferring to the
Royal Flying Corps in 1917. Posted as a bomber pilot to
No. 206 Squadron, he was twice captured by German forces, and twice escaped. Eaton left the military in 1920 and worked in India until moving to Australia in 1923. Two years later he joined the RAAF, serving initially as an
instructor at
No. 1 Flying Training School. Between 1929 and 1931, he was chosen to lead three expeditions to search for lost aircraft in
Central Australia, gaining national attention and earning the
Air Force Cross for his "zeal and devotion to duty".
The Battle of Morotai, part of the
Pacific War, began on 15 September 1944, and continued until the end of the war in August 1945. The fighting started when United States and Australian forces landed on the southwest corner of
Morotai, a small island in the
Netherlands East Indies (NEI), which the
Allies needed as a base to support the
liberation of the Philippines later that year. The invading forces greatly outnumbered the island's
Japanese defenders and secured their objectives in two weeks. Japanese reinforcements landed on the island between September and November, but lacked the supplies needed to effectively attack the Allied defensive perimeter. Intermittent fighting continued until the end of the war, with the Japanese troops suffering heavy loss of life from disease and starvation.
Morotai's development into an Allied base began shortly after the landing, and two major airfields were ready for use in October. These and other base facilities played an important role in the
Liberation of the Philippines during 1944 and 1945. Torpedo boats and aircraft based at Morotai also harassed Japanese positions in the NEI. The island's base facilities were further expanded in 1945 to support the Australian-led
Borneo Campaign, and Morotai remained an important logistical hub and command center until the Dutch reestablished their colonial rule in the NEI. (Full article...)
The
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has operated forty-eight
Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The type entered Australian service in December 1958, when
No. 36 Squadron accepted the first of twelve C-130As, replacing its venerable
Douglas C-47 Dakotas. The acquisition made Australia the first operator of the Hercules after the United States. In 1966 the C-130As were joined by twelve C-130Es, which equipped
No. 37 Squadron. The C-130As were replaced by twelve C-130Hs in 1978, and the C-130Es by twelve
C-130J Super Hercules in 1999. No. 37 Squadron became the RAAF's sole Hercules operator in 2006, when No. 36 Squadron transferred its C-130Hs before converting to
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavy transports. The C-130Hs were retired in November 2012, leaving the C-130J as the only model in Australian service. A further twenty C-130Js will be ordered to replace the current fleet.
The RAAF's first
strategic airlifter, the Hercules has frequently been used to deliver
disaster relief in Australia and the Pacific region, as well as to support military deployments overseas. The aircraft saw extensive service during the
Vietnam War, transporting troops and cargo to Southeast Asia and undertaking
aeromedical evacuation. Nineteen of the RAAF's fleet of twenty-four C-130s took part in relief efforts in 1974–75 after
Cyclone Tracy struck
Darwin. Since then, the Hercules have been involved in humanitarian missions to New Guinea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Cambodia, Bali, Sumatra, and New Zealand. They have also seen service during the
Iranian Revolution in 1979, the
Fijian coups in 1987,
operations in Somalia in 1993,
INTERFET operations in East Timor in 1999–2000, and the
wars in Afghanistan and
Iraq from 2001 to 2021. In over fifty years of Australian service, the Hercules have accumulated more than 800,000 flying hours. (Full article...)
Image 6
Official RAAF portrait of Air Vice Marshal Stanley Goble
Air Vice MarshalEllis Charles Wackett,
CB,
CBE (13 August 1901 – 3 August 1984) was a senior commander in the
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Its chief engineer from 1935 to 1959, he served on the RAAF's controlling body, the
Air Board, for a record seventeen years, and has been credited with infusing operations with new standards of
airworthiness. Commencing his service career as a
Royal Australian Navy cadet during World War I, Wackett transferred to the Air Force in 1923 while on an engineering course in Britain. He qualified as a pilot before completing his studies and returning to Australia, where he inaugurated parachute instruction within the RAAF and made the country's first freefall descent from a military aircraft in 1926. The following year, he led a three-month survey flight to
Papua New Guinea.
Wackett became the RAAF's senior engineer with his appointment as Director of Technical Services in 1935. A
wing commander at the outbreak of World War II, he rose to
air commodore by 1942 and assumed the role of Air Member for Engineering and Maintenance. He established the Technical Branch as a separate department of the RAAF in 1948, and was promoted to air vice marshal the same year. Wackett served as Air Member for Technical Services until leaving the military in 1959, having been appointed
Commander of the Order of the British Empire and
Companion of the Order of the Bath. From 1960 to 1968, he was a member of the Australian National Airlines Commission, parent of
Trans Australia Airlines. Generally known as "Wack", or "EC" (to distinguish him from his elder brother, aircraft designer
Lawrence James Wackett or "LJ"), his prominent chin and nose also earned him the nickname "
Punch". He died in 1984, aged 83. (Full article...)
Image 8
Wilder-Neligan as a lieutenant colonel, returning to Australia in July 1919
Arriving on the
Western Front with the
substantive rank of captain, he led a "most brilliant" raid on German trenches near
Fleurbaix, and although severely wounded in the head, stuck to his command until the operation was successfully completed. For his actions he was appointed a
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), the second highest award for gallantry by officers. When he returned from hospital, he was promoted to major, and was in temporary command of his battalion during the
Second Battle of Bullecourt in May 1917. In July, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed to command the 10th Battalion. He led that unit during the
Battle of the Menin Road Ridge in September and was appointed a
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in June 1918. Perhaps his greatest achievement was the capture of
Merris in July, for which he was awarded a
bar to his DSO, again for gallantry. He continued to skilfully lead his battalion throughout the
Hundred Days Offensive and up to the
Armistice of 11 November. During the war, in addition to decorations already mentioned, he was awarded the French Croix de guerre and was
mentioned in despatches five times. (Full article...)
The unit was re-established in March 1948 as No. 34 (Communications) Squadron at
RAAF Station Mallala, South Australia, where it supported activities at the
Woomera Rocket Range before disbanding in October 1955. It was re-raised as No. 34 (VIP) Flight in March 1956 at RAAF Base Canberra (later Fairbairn). No. 34 Flight was redesignated No. 34 (Special Transport) Squadron in July 1959, and No. 34 Squadron in June 1963. During the 1960s it operated Dakotas,
Convair Metropolitans,
Vickers Viscounts,
Dassault Falcon-Mysteres,
Hawker Siddeley HS 748s, and
BAC 1-11s, the last three types continuing in service until the late 1980s. The squadron's fleet consisted solely of
Dassault Falcon 900s from 1989 until 2002, when it began operating the 737 and
Bombardier Challenger 604s. The Challengers were replaced with the Falcon 7Xs in 2019. (Full article...)
Brill's leadership and determination to complete his missions despite damage to his aircraft—on one occasion inflicted by another Lancaster's bombs from above—earned him the
Distinguished Service Order. Promoted to
wing commander in May 1944, he took over
No. 467 Squadron RAAF after the death in combat of its then-commander, Group Captain
John Balmer. Brill was awarded a
bar to his DFC in July, for his skill in evading three German
night fighters. Returning to Australia, he remained in the Air Force after the war and led
No. 10 Squadron in 1949–50. He went on to command air bases at
Rathmines,
Canberra and
Townsville during the 1950s and 1960s. Brill served two terms as RAAF Director of Personnel Services, in 1956–59 and 1960–63, by which time he had been promoted to
group captain. His final posting was at the
Department of Air in Canberra. He died of a
heart attack in October 1964. (Full article...)
7 January 1943. Australian forces
attack Japanese positions near Buna. Members of the 2/12th Infantry Battalion advance as
Stuart tanks from the 2/6th Armoured Regiment attack Japanese pillboxes. An upward-firing machine gun on the tank sprays treetops to clear them of snipers. (Photographer: George Silk).
The New Guinea campaign of the
Pacific War lasted from January 1942 until the end of the war in August 1945. During the initial phase in early 1942, the
Empire of Japan invaded the
Territory of New Guinea on 23 January and
Territory of Papua on 21 July and overran western New Guinea (part of the
Netherlands East Indies) beginning on 29 March. During the second phase, lasting from late 1942 until the Japanese surrender, the
Allies—consisting primarily of Australian forces—cleared the Japanese first from Papua, then New Guinea, and finally from the Dutch colony.
The campaign resulted in a crushing defeat and heavy losses for the Empire of Japan. As in most Pacific War campaigns, disease and starvation claimed more Japanese lives than enemy action. Most Japanese troops never even came into contact with Allied forces and were instead simply cut off and subjected to an effective blockade by Allied naval forces. Garrisons were effectively besieged and denied shipments of food and medical supplies, and as a result some claim that 97% of Japanese deaths in this campaign were from non-combat causes. According to
John Laffin, the campaign "was arguably the most arduous fought by any Allied troops during
World War II." (Full article...)
Japan's geography made this invasion plan obvious to the Japanese as well; they were able to accurately predict the Allied invasion plans and thus adjust their defensive plan, Operation Ketsugō
(ja), accordingly. The Japanese planned an all-out defense of Kyūshū, with little left in reserve for any subsequent defense operations. Casualty predictions varied widely, but were extremely high. Depending on the degree to which Japanese civilians would have resisted the invasion, estimates ran up into the millions for casualties. (Full article...)
Australian light horsemen on
Walers in 1914, prior to their departure from Australia to serve in World War I Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both
cavalry and
mounted infantry, who served in the
Second Boer War and
World War I. During the inter-war years, a number of regiments were raised as part of Australia's part-time military force. These units were gradually mechanised either before or during
World War II, although only a small number undertook operational service during the war. A number of
Australian light horse units are still in existence today. (Full article...)
The Owen gun, known officially as the Owen machine carbine, was an Australian
submachine gun designed by
Evelyn Owen in 1938. The Owen was the only entirely Australian-designed and constructed service submachine gun of
World War II and was used by the
Australian Army from 1942 until 1971. (Full article...)
After entering service with the RAN in 1999, Kanimbla participated in numerous worldwide deployments, including the
2003 invasion of Iraq, the response to the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and in response to the
2006 Fijian coup d'état. During the ship's career, two helicopters were lost in crashes. After a fire broke out aboard Kanimbla in late 2010, she and
sister shipManoora were removed from active service because of extensive problems found aboard both ships. The intention was to repair Kanimbla and return her to service by 2012, but this was deemed uneconomical. The ship was decommissioned in 2011, and sold for
breaking in 2013. (Full article...)
Image 9
Major GeneralElizabeth Cosson, AM,CSC (born 1958) served as
Secretary of the
Department of Veterans' Affairs from 2018-2023. Cosson "vowed" to resign as Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, on 19 July 2020, if she cannot improve the department’s relationship with veterans stating in a media interview on 19 July 2019 that "if I’m still part of the problem in 12 months I will hand over [the job]."
Between 1979 and 2010, Cosson served 31 years in the
Australian Army as an
officer, commencing with officer training in the
Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) on 22 February 1979 (when she was 20 years old) at Georges Heights (WRAAC OCS 28/79 – the first WRAAC Officer course to have a similar syllabus and training duration during as the male officer cadets had, and coming only a year after servicewomen first received the right to equal pay). In 1983 she was transferred to the
Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, as the WRAACs disbanded. (Full article...)
Image 10
Australian soldiers supporting the Dili Fire Service in June 2006
Operation Astute was an
Australian-led military deployment to
East Timor to quell unrest and return stability in the
2006 East Timor crisis. It was headed by Brigadier Bill Sowry, and commenced on 25 May 2006 under the command of Brigadier
Michael Slater. The operation was established at the request of East Timor's government, and continued under an understanding reached between Australia, East Timor, and the United Nations, with the
United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor supporting and helping to develop East Timor's police force. Other countries deploying soldiers to East Timor include
Malaysia,
New Zealand and East Timor's former
colonial powerPortugal, operating under independent command. (Full article...)
These are
Good articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.
Image 1
A member of RAAF Transport Flight (Japan) on a visit to Australian forces serving on the
Korean Armistice line looks across the demilitarised zone towards Communist positions
Group Captain Allan Walters (right) with senior officers of No. 72 Wing in New Guinea, December 1943
No. 72 Wing was a
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
wing that operated during World War II. It was formed in April 1943 at
Townsville, Queensland, as part of
North-Eastern Area Command. Led by Group Captain
Charles Eaton, the wing soon deployed to
Merauke, Dutch New Guinea, where it comprised three
squadrons flying
CAC Boomerang and
P-40 Kittyhawk fighters, and
A-31 Vengeance dive bombers. Eaton was succeeded by Group Captain
Allan Walters in mid-1943. No. 72 Wing took part in the defence of
Torres Strait, undertaking interception, patrol and occasional ground-attack and anti-shipping duties. By July 1944, its original squadrons had all been disbanded or transferred to other operational formations.
No. 120 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron, which had arrived in May 1944, operating Kittyhawks, remained at Merauke until February 1945. The wing headquarters returned to Australia that May, and disbanded the following month. (Full article...)
Image 4
Burnt out vehicles at Jackson's Airfield, where the 2/33rd suffered one third of its wartime casualties
Later, in early 1942, in response to Japan's entry to the war, the battalion was transferred back to Australia and after a period of re-organisation and training it was sent to
New Guinea where it took part in the
Kokoda Track campaign. Arriving at the height of the fighting, after the Japanese advance stalled it took part in the pursuit of Japanese forces to the northern coast, fighting around the beachheads at
Buna–Gona. In 1943, after returning to Australia for six months to refit, the battalion was committed to the
Salamaua–Lae campaign, and then the
Ramu Valley–Finisterre Range campaign. Returning to Australia in early 1944, a long period of inactivity followed before the 2/33rd undertook its last campaign in
Borneo in the final months of the war. The battalion was disbanded in Brisbane in March 1946. (Full article...)
Image 5
The RAAF's wartime area commands: originally to have been called Northern Area, Northern Command was formed in April 1944, re-designated Northern Area in December 1945, and disbanded in February 1947.
Soldiers from the 2/31st dig a section defence post in Syria during October 1941
The 2/31st Battalion was an
infantrybattalion of the
Australian Army that served during
World War II. It was raised in June 1940 and was assigned to the
25th Brigade,
7th Division. It initially served in the
United Kingdom where it undertook defensive duties before being moved to the
Middle East in 1941. After taking part in the fighting in
Syria and
Lebanon, the battalion undertook garrison duties around
Tripoli before being transferred back to Australia in 1942. In late 1942 the battalion was sent to
New Guinea to fight against the Japanese along the
Kokoda Track. They subsequently fought a number of battles throughout 1942, 1943 and early 1944. Their last campaign came in mid-1945 when they landed on
Borneo. After the war the battalion was disbanded in March 1946. (Full article...)
Image 7
Australian Fusiliers of the 45th Battalion in Russia, 1919
The
Russian Civil War (1917–1921) began after the provisional government collapsed and the
Bolshevik party assumed power in October 1917. The principal fighting occurred between the Bolshevik
Red Army and the forces of the
White Army, a group of loosely allied anti-Bolshevik forces. During the war several foreign armies took part, mostly fighting against the Red Army—including the
Western allies—and many foreign volunteers fought for both sides. Other nationalist and regional political groups also participated in the war, including the Ukrainian nationalist
Green Army, the Ukrainian anarchist
Insurgent Army and
Black Guards, and warlords such as
Ungern von Sternberg. Despite some pressure from Britain, the Australian Prime Minister,
William Hughes, had refused to commit forces to Russia following the end of World War I in 1918.
Although no Australian units were engaged in operations, many individuals did become involved through service with the
British Army during the
North Russia Campaign. They served in many roles, including as advisors to White Russian units as part of the
North Russian Expeditionary Force (NREF). About 150 men of the
Australian Imperial Force who were still in England awaiting repatriation following the end of
World War I enlisted as
infantry in the
North Russia Relief Force (NRRF), where they were involved in several sharp battles. The
Royal Australian Navy was also involved, the destroyer
HMAS Swan being briefly engaged in an intelligence-gathering mission in the
Black Sea in late 1918 on behalf of the British military mission then advising the White Russian general,
Anton Denikin. Several Australians acted as advisers to this mission as well, and others served as advisers with Admiral
Aleksandr Kolchak in
Siberia. (Full article...)
Image 8
The military history of Australia spans the nation's 230-year modern history, from the early
Australian frontier wars between
Aboriginal people and
Europeans to the ongoing conflicts in
Iraq and
Afghanistan in the early 21st century. Although this history is short when compared to that of many other nations, Australia has been involved in numerous conflicts and wars, and war and military service have been significant influences on Australian society and national identity, including the
Anzac spirit. The relationship between war and Australian society has also been shaped by the enduring themes of Australian strategic culture and the unique security challenges it faces.
The six British colonies in Australia participated in some of Britain's wars of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, as a federated dominion and later as an independent nation, Australia fought in the First World War and Second World War, as well as in the wars in
Korea,
Malaya,
Borneo and
Vietnam during the
Cold War. In the Post-Vietnam era Australian forces have been involved in numerous international
peacekeeping missions, through the
United Nations and other agencies, including in the
Sinai,
Persian Gulf,
Rwanda,
Somalia,
East Timor and the Solomon Islands, as well as many overseas humanitarian relief operations, while more recently they have also fought as part of multi-lateral forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. In total, nearly 103,000 Australians died during these conflicts. (Full article...)
Born in
Fremantle, Western Australia, Edwards joined the
Royal Australian Air Force in 1935, and a year later was granted a short service commission with the RAF. Serving throughout the Second World War, he gained a permanent commission and continued his career in the RAF after the war; he retired in 1963 with the rank of air commodore. Returning to Australia, he was appointed Governor of Western Australia in 1974. (Full article...)
Image 10
Canberra Mk.20 flown by No. 1 Operational Conversion Unit in 1970–71 following service in the
Vietnam War, now on display at
RAAF Base Wagga, New South Wales.
No. 1 Operational Conversion Unit (No. 1 OCU) was an
operational training unit of the
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Formed in January 1959 at
RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland, its role was to convert pilots and navigators to the
English Electric Canberra bombers flown by
Nos. 1,
2 and
6 Squadrons. The unit's complement of Canberras included T.4 and Mk.21 dual-control trainers, and Mk.20 bombers. Originally a component of
No. 82 Wing, No. 1 OCU became an independent unit at Amberley in April 1968, its focus being the provision of operationally ready pilots for service with No. 2 Squadron in the
Vietnam War. No. 1 OCU was disbanded in June 1971, following the withdrawal of No. 2 Squadron from South-East Asia. By then the RAAF's only Canberra unit, No. 2 Squadron ran its own conversion courses before disbanding in 1982. (Full article...)
Image 29Women friends and family on the wharf waving farewell to the departing troop ship RMS Strathallan carrying the Advance Party of the 6th Division to service overseas. They include
George Alan Vasey's wife
Jessie Vasey (second from the left). The photograph is especially poignant because Vasey did not survive the war. (from Military history of Australia during World War II)
Image 42The light cruiser
HMAS Hobart showing torpedo damage inflicted by a Japanese submarine on 20 July 1943. Hobart did not return to service until December 1944. (from History of the Royal Australian Navy)
Image 57Australian sailors take possession of a midget submarine at a Japanese naval base near Tokyo in September 1945. (from History of the Royal Australian Navy)
Members of the 4th Brigade being decorated following the Battle of Hamel in 1918
The 4th Brigade is an
Australian Army Reserve formation stationed in Victoria. The 4th Brigade was formed in September 1914 as part of the
1st Division and saw action during the
Gallipoli Campaign and on the
Western Front during
World War I. During
World War II the brigade was amongst the first of the militia brigades to see action against the Japanese in
New Guinea. The 4th Brigade is currently one of five brigades within the
2nd Division and comprises two infantry battalions, a light cavalry regiment, an artillery regiment and several supporting units.
Without any inhibitions of any kind I make it quite clear that Australia looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the United Kingdom