page_title: 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment / History / World War II
caption_attribution_description: English: Members of the 31st/51st Battalion, Australian Army, during the Battle of Porton Plantion, June 1945.
context_page_description: The 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment was a Reserve infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Although it was officially formed as 31 RQR in 1965 the battalion can trace its lineage back to units formed in 1881 as part of the colonial defence forces of the state of Queensland.
  Over the course of the unit's 127-year history, the unit has largely been used for home service, although it was awarded 42 battle honours. During the Second Boer War members from the battalion went to South Africa as part of the Queensland contingent, for which the battalion received its first battle honour. In 1914, the battalion was the first Australian infantry unit mobilised for service during World War I when it was sent to garrison Thursday Island after fears of possible German military action in the Pacific. Later many members of the battalion enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, serving on the Western Front in France and Belgium.
context_section_description: Upon the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the 31st Battalion had subunits based all around northern Queensland including Townsville, Ayr, Home Hill, Bowen, Proserpine, Charters Towers and Ingham. As had been the case during World War I, it was decided to raise a separate force for overseas service, this time called the Second Australian Imperial Force and again many members of the battalion volunteered, while others continued to serve on a part-time basis. In this time, as part of the 2nd AIF, the 2/31st Battalion was raised, although this unit was considered separate from the 31st Battalion (Kennedy Regiment). In 1940 the battalion, along with the other units of the 11th Brigade—then composed of the 26th, 31st and 51st Battalions—was called up for a short period of training as a compulsory military service scheme as part of Australia's mobilisation during World War II and they went into camp near Bowen. Following Japan's entry into the war in late 1941 the militia were called up on to full-time service and the 11th Brigade began defensive duties in north Queensland. In early 1943, however, it was decided to release a certain number of men serving in the militia from their compulsory service due to a civilian manpower shortage that was threatening to impact upon the needs of the wartime economy. Consequently, when a large number of rural workers were released from the 31st and 51st Battalions, it was decided to amalgamate the two in April 1943.
  In June 1943, after undertaking amphibious training with the Americans, the 31st/51st Battalion (Kennedy and Far North Queensland Regiment) became a part of Merauke Force and were sent to Dutch Western New Guinea to carry out garrison duties, earning the distinction of being the first Australian militia unit to serve outside of Australian territory. In July 1944 the battalion was gazetted as an AIF unit. Later, in August 1944, after being deployed for over a year, they were withdrawn back to Australia and after a period of leave and re-organisation, the 11th Brigade was deployed to Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, arriving there in December 1944.
  For the next ten months until Japan's surrender the 31st/51st Battalion took part in a long and costly campaign and suffered a total of 229 casualties, including 61 killed in action. Responsible for the northern and central sectors of the island, the battalion initially advanced along the north-east coast, occupying a number of villages, however they did not experience their first action until they crossed the Genga River and attempted to move up the Tsimba Ridge on 17 January 1944, when they came finally in contact with the Japanese. The Japanese had dug in along the ridge and heavily fortified it with bunkers and mutually supporting machine gun pits and it was only after twenty-one days of continuous fighting that the 31st/51st finally carried the position. After this the battalion carried out a number of patrols throughout the northern sector, before being relieved for a rest out of the line. This rest did not last very long, however, as a company from the 31st/51st were called upon to carry out an amphibious landing at Porton, as the rest of the battalion advanced further north from the line that had been set up at Ratsua–Ruri. The landing occurred on 7 June, however, the company was quickly surrounded by the Japanese and as the rest of the battalion attempted to break through to them, they were  evacuated by sea. This brief second campaign on Bougainville lasted until 28 June when the 11th Brigade was relieved by the 23rd Brigade. During this time the 31st/51st had suffered 100 casualties, consisting of seven missing, 14 killed and 79 wounded.
  The battalion took no further part in the fighting and after the Japanese surrender the battalion was moved to Nauru and Ocean Island to carry out garrison duties where they remained until December 1945 when they were transferred to Rabaul on New Britain. They remained there as an occupation force until May 1946 when the unit returned to Australia, where the 31st/51st Battalion (
caption: Men from the 31st/51st Battalion about to go out on patrol around Porton Plantation, 9 June 1945
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