Royal Pacific Islands Regiment The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment ( RPIR ) is an infantry regiment of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force ( PNGDF ) . The regiment is descended from the Australian Army infantry battalions formed from native soldiers and Australian officers and non - commissioned officers in the territories of Papua and New Guinea during World War II to help fight against the Japanese . Disbanded after the war , the regiment was re - raised in 1951 as part of the Australian Army and continued to serve until Papua New Guinea gained its independence in 1975 , when it became part of the PNGDF . Today , the RPIR consists of two battalions and has seen active service in Vanuatu , Bougainville and the Solomon Islands . History . World War II . The regiment is descended from the Australian Army infantry battalions formed in the territories of Papua and New Guinea during World War II to fight against the Japanese , following their invasion in 1942 and the subsequent New Guinea campaign . Its soldiers were primarily natives who fought under the command of Australian officers and non - commissioned officers ( NCOs ) . The Papuan Infantry Battalion ( PIB ) was raised in 1940 , while the 1st and 2nd New Guinea Infantry Battalion both formed in 1944 and the 3rd New Guinea Infantry Battalion in 1945 . The 4th New Guinea Infantry Battalion also began forming in 1945 but was soon disbanded , and the 5th New Guinea Infantry Battalion — although authorised — was never raised . The battalions each had an establishment of about 77 Europeans and 550 native soldiers . In November 1944 they were grouped together into a single Pacific Islands Regiment ( PIR ) . Headquarters PIR was raised on 14 February 1945 , occupying the old 1 NGIB camp site at Camp Diddy at Nadzab . They remained there until September , when they moved to Bumbu River , Lae . On 1 January 1946 they occupied the new headquarters site at Yunakanau , Rabaul . The Commanding Officers of Headquarters PIR during this period were as follows : Units of the regiment fought in the campaigns in Papua , New Guinea , New Britain and Bougainville . Although often poorly equipped the native soldiers established a reputation for ferocity and tenacity in action . Indeed PIR soldiers ( both Europeans and natives ) were awarded 1 Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ) , 6 Military Cross ( MC ) , 2 George Medal GM , 3 Distinguished Conduct Medal ( DCM ) , 20 Military Medal ( MM ) and 9 Mentioned in Despatches ( MID ) and 1 US Legion of Merit . Despite this reputation there were some incidents of indiscipline — particularly on New Britain during the raising of 2 NGIB — but these were usually related to pay and conditions or perhaps to perceived ' insensitivity ' on the part of Australian officers . Regardless , in an expression of the colonial politics of the time some segments of the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit ( ANGAU ) , which had opposed the raising of native units in the first place , used these incidents to ' prove ' that their formation had been a mistake all along . During the course of the war more than 3 , 500 Papuans and New Guineans served in the ranks of the PIR , suffering casualties ( both Europeans and natives ) of 65 killed , 16 missing , 75 died of other causes , and 81 wounded . Losses inflicted on the Japanese included 2 , 201 killed , 110 probably killed , 118 wounded and 196 captured . The regiment was officially disbanded on 24 June 1946 . Post - World War II . In the years immediately following the war much consideration was given by the Australian Army to re - establishing a presence in Papua New Guinea ; however , there was some opposition among white settlers to the raising of native units . As an interim measure , the re - establishment of the Papua New Guinea Volunteer Rifles ( PNGVR ) was approved in July 1949 , re - forming as a ' whites - only ' reserve unit of the Citizens Military Forces ( CMF ) . In November 1950 , after considerable debate , the raising of a locally recruited regular battalion was also authorised . Consequently in March 1951 the Pacific Islands Regiment was reformed , with an initial strength of one battalion . The regiment remained a unit of the Australian Army until Papua New Guinea gained its independence . It was envisioned that the PIR would have four roles in war - time : garrisoning Manus Island and other similar areas ; patrolling the land border with Dutch New Guinea ( later Indonesian West Irian ) ; and acting as a delaying force if required ; and providing detachments for Australian units deployed to PNG . One company was based at Port Moresby , while others were based at outstations at Vanimo ( from October 1952 ) , Los Negros ( 1954 , but later abandoned for Cape Moem ) , and at Kokopo . The establishment of the regiment was initially limited to 600 men . In December 1957 riots broke out in Port Moresby between soldiers and civilian , which had to be broken up by police . Ultimately 153 soldiers were fined and 15 discharged , while 117 civilians were also convicted . As a result of this incident the organisation of the PIR was reviewed and henceforth Australian officers would be required to serve between four and six years with the regiment , and a number would be returned as senior officers later in their careers , thereby avoiding the previous situation in which officers with little experience serving with PNG soldiers would be posted to the regiment . In 1960 when the Pentropic division was introduced into the Australian Army , PIR remained the only infantry battalion organised on the old establishment . Meanwhile , a further outbreak of indiscipline occurred in January 1961 , this time over discriminatory pay scales . Although the disaffected soldiers were largely removed , pay scales were increased , and efforts were made to break up the regional and tribal concentrations of soldiers within subunits . By 1962 the battalion numbered 75 Australians ( officers and SNCOs ) and 660 PNG soldiers . During the Indonesia - Malaysia confrontation ( 1962 – 1966 ) the regiment patrolled the Indonesia - Papua New Guinea border and although there was only one shooting incident between the PIR and Indonesian troops , a number of incursions took place and these patrols — which were often conducted in rugged terrain — placed considerable demands on Australia ' s already limited defence resources . Amid growing Australian concern about Indonesian intentions the PIR began training for guerilla operations , and in September 1963 a second battalion was authorised , subsequently being raised in 1965 . A third battalion , although proposed on a number of occasions , was never formed . The strength of regiment rose to 185 Australians and 1 , 188 PNG soldiers . Papua New Guinea Command was subsequently formed in 1965 , thereby ending the link with Headquarters Northern Command in Brisbane . Meanwhile , a proposal to send a rifle company to fight in Vietnam was resisted by the Australian Army . From 1963 NCO and junior officer ranks began to be filled with indigenous personnel , with junior officers being trained at the Officer Cadet School at Portsea in Victoria . By 1970 there were 30 PNG officers serving in the PIR . Regardless until independence in 1975 the regiment was controlled from Australia , with no local influence or command , a situation which occasionally caused ill feeling towards the PIR from PNG citizens who were increasingly moving into positions of authority in the lead - up to independence . In January 1973 military units in Papua New Guinea were re - designated the Papua New Guinea Defence Force , while formal defence powers were subsequently transferred in March 1975 . Post - independence . At the time of independence in 1975 the regiment became the main part of the new Papua New Guinea Defence Force . Since 1984 , the Regiment ' s Colonel - in - Chief has been HRH The Prince of Wales . The regiment became a ' Royal ' regiment in 1985 , changing its name to become the Royal Pacific Islands Regiment . Currently , the regiment consists of two battalions : Units of RPIR were deployed to Vanuatu in 1980 to put down a secessionist revolt there , and were again called out in aid of the civil power in Port Moresby in 1983 . The regiment has also conducted operations against the OPM ( Organisais Papua Merdeka or Free Papua Movement ) , based in Irian Barat , which were involved in fighting the Indonesian armed forces across the border . From 1989 to 1997 the PNGDF was involved in fighting the secessionist Bougainville Revolutionary Army ( BRA ) on Bougainville and Buka . More recently , following the passage of a constitutional amendment allowing the stationing of the PNGDF on foreign soil , 80 personnel joined the Australian - led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands ( RAMSI ) in July 2003 . As of 2008 PNGDF personnel remain in the Solomon Islands as part of the scaled down , rotational Pacific contingent . The RPIR continues to train annually with the Australian Army , with activities such as " Exercise Wantok Warrior " allowing for sub - unit exchange between the Australians and the Papua New Guineans .