World War 2, Australia Western Australia Northam, 2/28 Battalion, 1940

The 2/28th Infantry Battalion was established in July 1940 at Melville Camp near Fremantle, forming part of the 24th Brigade within the 8th Division before its reassignment to the 9th Division in December. In January 1941, the battalion departed Fremantle for the Middle East, arriving in Egypt later that month and moving to Palestine for further training.

As British forces pushed into the Western Desert, the 9th Division was sent from Palestine to Libya in March to garrison areas near Tobruk. Due to a lack of transport, the 24th Brigade—comprising the 2/28th, 2/43rd, and 2/32nd Battalions—remained behind. In April, Axis forces, led by the German Afrika Korps, counter-attacked and forced Allied forces to retreat to Tobruk. The 2/28th was then involved in six months of defensive operations, manning Tobruk’s Red and Blue defensive lines and conducting regular patrols in no man’s land.

In September 1941, the battalion was evacuated to Alexandria and then sent to Palestine before moving into Syria and Lebanon for rest and garrison duty. By mid-1942, with Axis forces threatening El Alamein, the 9th Division was dispatched to hold the northern front. The 2/28th reached the area on 10 July and participated in the Allied attack shortly thereafter.

On 27 July, the 2/28th attacked Ruin Ridge, initially taking their objective. However, the situation deteriorated as German forces countered, supply vehicles were destroyed, and the battalion was cut off. By mid-morning, with heavy casualties and no reinforcements, the battalion was forced to surrender. The battle resulted in 65 casualties and nearly 500 prisoners of war, leaving only 92 men from the original assault. The battalion was reformed and returned to the front in September.

During the main Allied offensive in late October, the 24th Brigade was initially in reserve, conducting diversionary raids. On 31 October, the 2/28th relieved the 26th Brigade in the heavily contested “Saucer” area. By 6 November, Axis forces were retreating, and in December the 2/28th returned to Palestine, later sailing home to Fremantle in early 1943.

Now reorganized for jungle warfare, the battalion participated in the amphibious landing at Red Beach near Lae in September. After Lae’s capture, the battalion moved to Scarlet Beach near Finschhafen, where they repelled a major Japanese counterattack. They continued operations along the coast, capturing several key areas before returning to Australia in January 1944.

After a long period of training in Queensland, the battalion returned to combat in June 1945. They landed on Labuan Island in Borneo as part of the 24th Brigade and cleared the island in 11 days. Their most intense fighting came in an area called the “Pocket,” which was taken after a week of bombardment. The battalion then moved to Beaufort, conducting patrols until the end of the war.

After Japan’s surrender, the battalion gradually demobilized. The remaining members returned to Australia in January 1946, where the 2/28th Infantry Battalion was officially disbanded.