Page 179 - Bugle Autumn 2014

11th/28th Royal Western Australia Regiment – We Will Remember Them
The 11th/28th Battalion, Royal Western Australian Regiment (11/28 RWAR) is an Infantry Battalion and with the recent integration of 3 Light Battery (3 Lt Bty), has become recognised Battle Group (BG). The Battalion headquarters, Delta Company and 3 Lt Bty are based in Perth, with a number of country depots throughout South West of Western Australia including depots in Albany, Bunbury, Katanning and Rockingham. While the primary role of the 11th/28th RWAR BG is to provide infantry soldiers to support a variety of Defence Force operations and act as reinforcements for
the regular Army, the soldiers also train for likely tasks in support of local authorities here in Western Australia. Soldiers of 11/28 RWAR have recently returned from Peace Monitoring duties in the Solomon Islands and continue to be utilised in regional military assistance tasks.
The current Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Adams, took command of the unit
in January 2013 and has overseen the successful integration of 3 Lt Bty. The forming of BGs across 2nd Division within the Reserve Brigades has proven to be a force multiplier and it has enhanced capabilities and interoperability between the infantry and artillery. This initiative is one of the many outcomes of PLAN BEERSHEBA - Army’s plan for the next phase of the Adaptive Army Campaign.
Under PLAN BEERSHEBA, the Army Reserve
will consist of six brigade-sized formations within
the 2nd Division with units, sub-units, teams and
individuals integrated within Army’s Combat,
Combat Support and Combat Service Support
Brigades. The 2nd Division formations are paired,
with each pair aligned to, and on the same Force Generation Cycle as its partnered full-time Multi-role Combat Brigade.
For 11/28 RWAR, PLAN BEERSHEBA has seen our unit partnered with elements of 3 Brigade. Recently, we sent a platoon to Townsville to participate in Exercise Hamel which was a large scale exercise designed to assess our soldiers in crucial skills for future contingency operations. The focus of our participation was to smoothly integrate with another organisation,
learning their procedures and working as one.
was heavily involved in defending the front line
of the ANZAC beachhead. In August, it made preparatory attacks at the southern end of the ANZAC position before the battle of Lone Pine. The 11th Battalion continued to serve at ANZAC until the evacuation in December.
The 28th Battalion fought during the final stages of the Gallipoli campaign in late 1915 and then
on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918.
At the end of the war, the 28th was disbanded in 1919 but was re-raised in 1921, as a part-time unit based in Western Australia. During the Second World War, the 2nd/28th Battalion served with the 9th Division at Tobruk, El Alamein, New Guinea and New Britain, while the 28th Battalion (Swan Regiment) fought in New Britain alongside the 11th Battalion in 1944–45.
3 Lt Bty traces its lineage back to 7 Field Battery, 3rd Field Regiment which hailed from the Union Troop of Western Australia Volunteers, formed in the Western Australian colony on 19 July, 1870. Several members volunteered for service in the Boer War, serving with the Mounted Infantry, and one of these, Lieutenant Bell, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions under fire.
At the outbreak of the First World War the battery was retitled 8 Battery of the 3rd Field Brigade and departed for Egypt. At this time it was under the command of another Boer War veteran, Major Bessell-Brown, and formed part of the 1st Division Artillery under the command of a previous Battery Commander, Colonel Talbot Hobbs. Hobbs would later command the 5th Division at Villers Bretonneux. 8 Battery was among the first to see action at Gallipoli, and it was twice placed in the front trenches to fire over open sights into
the enemy positions. The battery was withdrawn on 19 December 1915, reorganised and sent to France where it served with distinction throughout the war. It was a gun from 8 Battery that fired the last artillery round at Gallipoli.
The unit’s history is particularly relevant in 2014 as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC tradition and the landing of AIF forces at Gallipoli.
11/28 RWAR Hierarchy Battalion Headquarters
CO: Lt Col C Adams Battalion 2IC: Maj G Smith OPSO: Maj D Casey
TRG O: Maj B Caswell TRG WO: WO1 K Bailey Battalion Infantry Training: WO Sgt G Jones
Adjutant: Capt P Nolan RSM: WO1 B Lynch Logistics WO: WO2 A King
A Company Bunbury A/OC: Capt T Farnworth 2IC: Capt J Smythe
TRG WO: WO2 S Grelck
Albany Platoon
TRG SGT: Sgt T White
Katanning Platoon
Depot Comd: Cpl J Tilbee
B Company Rockingham A/OC: Capt C Bowman TRG WO: WO2 G Cowin CSM: Sgt M Wilkinson
3 Light Battery
BC: Maj R Coales
BSM: WO2 B Worcester IG: Capt W Smith
FSO: Capt B Fowler
D Company
OC: Maj P Coventry 2IC: Capt V Connelly TRG WO: WO2 T Muxlo CSM: Sgt Wilson
11/28 RWAR has stepped up to the challenges faced by the initiatives of PLAN BEERSHEBA and despite undergoing changes to the structure of the unit, and changes to the way we do business with our sister 3rd Brigade, our focus is brought together by taking time
to reflect on the rich history which has built a strong sense of identity within the BG.
It was a gun from 8 Battery that fired the last artillery round at Gallipoli
The first convoy of ships that carried the
AIF and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) to the First World War, departed from Albany in October 1914. Albany is located approximately 420 kms South of Perth and it will host a commemorative event commencing on 31st of October until the 2nd of November, 2014. During this commemoration period,
the Royal Australian Navy and international
11/28 RWAR was formed in 1987 with the amalgamation of the 11th Battalion and the 28th Battalion. Both of these units were originally formed in 1915 and were among the first infantry units raised for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during the First World War. These two battalions also perpetuate previous units that served during the Second Boer War.
The 11th Battalion provided a part of the covering force for the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and so was the first ashore at around 4:30 am. Ten days after the landing, a company from the 11th Battalion mounted the AIF’s first raid of the war against Turkish positions at Gaba Tepe. Subsequently, the battalion
participants will mark the significant involvement of the first convoy.
The CO 11/28 RWAR, will be in Albany representing the unit during commemorative services. His time spent paying respect and reflecting on the past will serve to maintain intent for the future of the unit. In his words,
“Our future is one of growth, of opportunity and of challenge. My intent is to ensure that we do what we need today; that we prepare for tomorrow; that we grow; that we grasp opportunities presented to us; and that we rise to the challenges we face. To do that we need to trust each other; take risk and continue to build.”
CAPT V Law
THE RIFLES
ALLIANCES 177