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Honour Board - 2/2 Commando (World War 2)

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Overview

Cast metal Honour Rolll of No 2 Company, 2/2 Commando Squadron featuring unit designation, shoulder flash, rising sun badge, year dates 1939, 1945, Lest We Forget and outlines of Timor, New Guinea and New Britain. Mounted on jarrah backing board.

Historical information

During the Second World War, the Australian Army raised a number of units that were designated as carrying out commando-type operations. The first of these units were the independent companies, which were raised over a period of twelve months between 1941 and 1942. These units would go on to carry out various roles during the campaigns in New Guinea and Borneo and their members would serve with considerable distinction. Later, following a reorganisation, they would be designated as fully-fledged "Commando" squadrons. Initially the independent companies were raised to serve alongside the Second Australian Imperial Force (Second AIF) in the Middle East; however, as the threat from Japan developed it was decided to use them in the Pacific theatre, in the islands to the north of Australia where it was necessary to establish outposts to warn of the approach of Japanese forces. Their mission would then be to remain behind and harass the invading Japanese forces.
The 2nd Independent Company performed with considerable success during the Timor campaign of 1942–43, conducting a guerrilla style campaign and occupying the attention of an entire Imperial Japanese Army division for almost twelve months. On return the 2nd Independent Company was redesignated as the 2/2 Independent Company, and then later the 2/2nd Commando Squadron and was one of only two of the original independent companies to remain operationally independent, outside a regimental structure. By the end of the war the 2/2nd Commando Squadron could "...claim to have spent longer in contact with the enemy than any other unit of the Australian Army"[9] and indeed their success was later used as a model of SAS training

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-55-986

Links to additional resources

AWM Honour Roll

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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