AHC for Aussies: More big battles?

Both, I want Australian commanders to lead Australian troops in 'big' battles. I don't want some exchange officer in the British or US Army leading a Brigade in 1991, or an Australian battalion involved in some US Army divisional battle.

The point is that despite Australia being involved in a pile of wars since WW2 there have been few opportunities for commanders to fight a large unit battle. Usually a battalion and brigade commander has been administering the patrolling schedule of the companies he commands, which while challenging and difficult, hardly grabs the attention of the nation.
 
How about we deploy the Pacific Island Regiment ;) in conjunction with the permanent forces of the ADF. I am working under the assumption of pre - 1975 independence.
 
oookaaay

Apart from the ones mentioned I will suggest two without inventing a whole war.

First is as part of a Commonwealth brigade Aus/Can/NZ but possibly also including Nigerian, Kenyan or SA forces in Somalia or deposing Idi Amin, or if you want the darkside (no pun intended)with South Africa vs Cubans in Angola.

Second would be as UN peacekeepers say in Sierra Leone where an Indian Brigadier had a fine ole time until the UN sacked him. This is pre UK involvement.

But except for places where the US or UK have been heavily engaged there have not been that many conflicts involving Bn or better forces since Korea and I think Australia would be pushed to deploy more than a battalion plus command staff in either while the fighting was going on.
 
How about we deploy the Pacific Island Regiment ;) in conjunction with the permanent forces of the ADF. I am working under the assumption of pre - 1975 independence.

I was thinking along those lines, not a whole btn but integrate a coy with RAR btns like the Kiwis did.

The end of the 1951 nasho in 1959 meant that the CMF was all volunteer, but the pentropic experiment in 1960 gutted the CMF. Perhaps without the pentropic caused gutting of the CMF volunteer CMF coys and other cats and dogs could also integrate into RAR btns.
 
Apart from the ones mentioned I will suggest two without inventing a whole war.

First is as part of a Commonwealth brigade Aus/Can/NZ but possibly also including Nigerian, Kenyan or SA forces in Somalia or deposing Idi Amin, or if you want the darkside (no pun intended)with South Africa vs Cubans in Angola.

Second would be as UN peacekeepers say in Sierra Leone where an Indian Brigadier had a fine ole time until the UN sacked him. This is pre UK involvement.

But except for places where the US or UK have been heavily engaged there have not been that many conflicts involving Bn or better forces since Korea and I think Australia would be pushed to deploy more than a battalion plus command staff in either while the fighting was going on.

I think Vietnam left a sour taste in Australia's mouth that took a generation and a crisis very close to home to overcome. In that vien I doubt Australian's will deploy to combat zones as far away as Africa for serious fighting, the vital national interest isn't there.

However I do have the feeling that with a less traumatic Vietnam Australia would be less shy about doing that sort of thing between 1972 and 1999.
 
Aussies and 173rd Airborne Brigade

The 173rd Airborne and the Australian/New Zealand Task Force were combined for the first year of the RVN War. The Antipodeans were composed of: 1st RAR/NZ rifle platoons, NZ light armor (M-113s), a couple of 105 mm firing batteries, intel, light helio etc. . The US was 1/503rd and 2/503rd PIR, 3/319th Arty, D/1/16th Armor, E/1/17th Cav, a Helicopter Company from 82nd (173rd was formed from 82nd AB N assets which became 335th Avn) plus support. I went over with 4/503rd PIR (formerly 1/501st PIR “Germonimo Bn from 101st) to make up the third maneuver unit once the Australians and New Zealanders formed their own separate brigade with three infantry battalions. There are still very close connections between those of the composite brigade. Aussies come to our reunions and folks from “The Herd” go to their reunions. There exists a lot of respect between us.
Our instructor for the 5 of us from 173rd LRRP at MACV Recondo School Class 03in November 1966 was a Colour Sergeant from 1st Sabre Squadron, SAS.
 
Top