2/43rd Battalion (Australia)

2/43rd Battalion
Soldiers from the 2/43rd Battalion patrolling on Labuan, June 1945
Active	1940–46
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~ 800–900 personnel[Note 1]
Part of	24th Brigade, 9th Division
Engagements	World War II Siege of Tobruk Second Battle of El Alamein
Insignia
Unit Colour Patch

The 2/43rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in July 1940 in South Australia as part of the 24th Brigade, the unit saw service in the Middle East in 1941–42, taking part in the fighting at Tobruk and El Alamein before returning to Australia early in 1943. In 1943–44, they fought in New Guinea against the Japanese. Their final campaign was in Borneo in June 1945. Following the end of the war, the battalion was disbanded in February 1946. One member of the battalion, Private Tom Starcevich, received the Victoria Cross.^[2]

Battle honours

The 2/43rd received the following battle honours:^[2]

• Beaufort, Borneo, Busu River, Defence of Alamein Line, Defence of Scarlet Beach, Defence of Tobruk, El Alamein, Finschhafen, Labuan, Pabu and Tell el Makh Khad.

These honours were subsequently entrusted to the 43rd Battalion in 1961,^[3] and through this link are maintained by the Royal South Australia Regiment.^[4]

Commanding officers

The following officers commanded the 2/43rd during the war:^[2]

• Lieutenant Colonel William Crellin;
• Lieutenant Colonel Mervyn Jeanes;
• Lieutenant Colonel Robert Joshua;
• Lieutenant Colonel Noel Simpson;
• Lieutenant Colonel William Wain.

Notes

Footnotes

1. By the start of World War II, the authorised strength of an Australian infantry battalion was 910 men all ranks, however, later in the war it fell to 803.^[1]

Citations

1. Palazzo 2004, p. 94.
2. "2/43rd Battalion". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
3. Festberg 1972, p. 101.
4. Festberg 1972, p. 31.

References

• Festberg, Alfred (1972). The Lineage of the Australian Army. Melbourne, Victoria: Allara Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85887-024-6.
• Palazzo, Albert (2004). "Organising for Jungle Warfare". In Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey. The Foundations of Victory: The Pacific War 1943–1944. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Army History Unit. pp. 86–101. ISBN 978-0-646-43590-9.

Further reading

• Combe, Gordon; Ligertwood, Frank; Gilchrist, Tom (1992) [1972]. The Second 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion 1940–1946. Swanbourne, Western Australia: John Burridge Military Antiques. ISBN 978-0-95995-060-1.