Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

World War 2, South West Pacific, Tarakan, 2/7 Field Regiment, HMAS Margy, 1945

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Overview

Digital copy of a photograph showing 2/7 Field Regiment artillery position on Tarakan known as HMAS Margy.

Historical information

After withdrawal from the Middle East, the 2/7th Regiment spent 22 months out of action on the Atherton Tablelands. In mid-1945, it was deployed on Operation Oboe, to provide fire support for the 9th Division. And assigned to the 26th Brigade which was to capture Tarakan. In April 1945 the regiment was moved to Morotai Island. The day before the main landing at Lingkas on 1 May, the 57th Battery landed on Sadau Island, where they established themselves to fire on Lingkas to provide cover for engineers that were tasked with clearing the beach obstacles. For the operation, the regiment was equipped with twenty-four 25-pounder field guns.
The following morning the battery fired in direct support of the seaborne assault; it was the first time ever that a unit of the Royal Australian Artillery was employed in such a role. Once the beachhead was established both the 13th and 14th Batteries came ashore and by 4:00 pm they were both in action. The 57th was also moved to Tarakan from Sadau late in the day.
Over the next three months the Regiment would fire over 37,000 rounds in support of the 26th Brigade. This included rounds from a captured Japanese 75 mm mountain gun. The regiment also provided fire control for a 3.7-inch anti-aircraft gun from the 132nd Anti-Aircraft Battery that was co-located with the regiment's guns in a position that came to be known as "HMAS Margy". In order to maintain ammunition supplies, the regiment was resupplied by air from Morotai, while the captured Japanese gun was resupplied as rounds were found by the advancing troops.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-57-361

Inscriptions and markings

The 2/7 Field Regiment also provided fire control for a 3.7-inch anti-aircraft gun from the 132nd Anti-Aircraft Battery that was co-located with the regiment's guns in a position that came to be known as "HMAS Margy".

Contextual Information

The original of this image is in the Collection of the Royal Australian Artillery Historical Society of Western Australia.

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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