page_title: 2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment (Australia)
section_title: Re-organisation 1942–1944
hierarchical_section_title: 2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment (Australia) / History / Re-organisation 1942–1944
caption_attribution_description: English: AWM Caption: MAPEE AREA, ATHERTON TABLELAND, QUEENSLAND. 1944-09-11. B TROOP, 2/6TH COMMANDO SQUADRON, SALUTE DURING THE MARCH PAST. THE SALUTE WAS TAKEN BY VX12014 MAJOR-GENERAL A.J. MILFORD, DSO, GOC 7TH DIVISION. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ARE:- WX12059 LIEUTENANT G.A. FIELDING (1); NX60375 LIEUTENANT T.R. FINN (2); WX19143 CORPORAL F.T. MCDONNELL (3); WX18176 TROOPER J.W. BOYCE (4); NX152731 SERGEANT J. MCA. BRAMMER, DCM (5). .
context_page_description: The 2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment was a cavalry regiment of the Australian Army that served during the Second World War and was later converted into a commando unit. Formed at Ingleburn, New South Wales, in November 1939, it was originally raised as an armoured reconnaissance regiment attached to the 6th Division. In that role, the 2/6th saw action in the North Africa campaign and in the Middle East during 1940–41, where the regiment distinguished itself at Bardia, Tobruk and in Syria. Later, following Japan's entry into the war, the 6th Division was brought back to Australia and following a re-organisation, the regiment was converted into a cavalry commando regiment, incorporating the independent companies that had been formed at the start of the war. In late 1944, the 2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment was deployed to New Guinea, where it participated in one of the final Australian campaigns of the war in the Aitape–Wewak area.
context_section_description: Following the completion of the Syrian campaign in July, the regiment returned to Palestine in August, where a period of leave followed before the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment returned to Syria to undertake occupation duties around Aleppo and mount patrols along the Turkish border and the Euphrates. In November, the regiment was moved to Labboue, 15 miles (24 km) north of Baalbek where they endured harsh winter conditions while working to dig defensive positions as part of the Djedeide line. They remained there until March 1942, when the regiment was ordered to move to Palestine to return to Australia, following the outbreak of the Pacific War with Japan.
  The regiment embarked on the United States Navy troop transport USS West Point at Suez and landed at Port Adelaide on 30 March, with a strength of just over 500 men of all ranks. After entraining, the regiment was moved to Tanunda in the Barossa Valley where it was billeted with the local population before concentrating at Warradale in mid-April. From there, a short period of inter-state leave followed. The following month, the regiment reformed at Ingleburn where the regiment undertook exercises using its Bren carriers. The 2/6th remained in New South Wales until June 1942, when the regiment was transported by train up the east coast of Australia to Townsville and then west to Mount Isa. From there, the regiment's vehicles were transferred to trucks for the remainder of the journey to the Northern Territory.
  Upon arrival in the Northern Territory, the regiment was sent to the Adelaide River, as part of "Northern Territory Force" where it was stationed in anticipation of a possible Japanese advance on mainland Australia. During this time, the regiment undertook further training. They also manned defensive positions and undertook long-range patrols from the Daly River to its confluence with Anson Bay, and undertook search and rescue operations for downed pilots. The regiment was re-designated the "2/6th Australian Cavalry Regiment" in early 1943, at which point the regiment's link to the 6th Division was broken. In July 1943, the regiment was relieved of its duties in the Northern Territory by the 8th Cavalry Regiment, and after being transported to Adelaide, a month of inter-state leave was granted.
  The regiment reassembled in Murgon, Queensland, north of Brisbane, where they occupied the lines previously vacated by the 8th Cavalry Regiment. The change of location failed to provide the men with further opportunities for combat, though, and the lack of action resulted in poor morale amongst the regiment's personnel. Steadily the unit's strength fell as men sought transfer to units that were taking part in the fighting elsewhere; by November 1943 the regiment consisted of 26 officers and 254 other ranks.
  On 2 December 1943, the unit's name was changed to the "2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment". This was part of an Army-wide re-organisation as the focus of Australian land operations moved away from the Middle East towards the jungles of the Pacific and fighting the Japanese. As a result of this, it was decided to convert three 2nd AIF divisions – the 6th, 7th and 9th – into light infantry Jungle Divisions, equipped and trained especially for combat in the South-West Pacific. It was found that the armoured reconnaissance units of these divisions were not suited to serving in the Pacific and as such it was decided to disband these units and use their headquarters units to amalgamate the independent companies of commandos that had been raised at the start of the war.
  At this time, the regiment's armoured vehicles were handed back to the Army and it was used as the administrative headquarters for three commando squadrons, the 2/7th, 2/9th and 2/10th Commando Squadrons. Shortly after this, the regiment moved to the Atherton Tablelands, taking up residence in a camp near Ravenshoe, where they began training for their new role.
caption: A parade on the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, 11 September 1944. B Troop salutes during the march past.
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