2/16th Battalion (Australia)

2/16th Battalion (Australia)
Unit name	2/16th Battalion
Dates	1939–1946
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~800–900 men
Command structure	21st Brigade, 7th Division
Garrison	Adelaide

2/16th Battalion (Australia) was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army raised for service during the Second World War as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force. Formed in Adelaide, South Australia, the battalion served in the Middle East, Greece, Crete, Syria and Lebanon, and later fought in New Guinea and Bougainville, earning numerous battle honours and producing distinguished commanders. Its service connected it with formations and campaigns across the Mediterranean and Pacific theatres, including the 21st Brigade, 7th Division, Australian Imperial Force, and key battles such as Tobruk, Bardia, and the Kokoda Track operations.

Formation and Early Training

Raised in November 1939 at Keswick Barracks in Adelaide, South Australia, the battalion was part of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force established in response to the outbreak of the Second World War. Initial training drew on cadres from militia units in South Australia and integrated recruits who had enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (1939–1947). Under the administrative control of the 21st Brigade (Australia) and forming part of the 7th Division, the battalion undertook basic infantry training, musketry at ranges around Mount Barker and tactical exercises at camps near Woodside and Torbay, preparing for deployment to the Middle East alongside formations such as the 6th Division (Australia), 9th Division (Australia), and attached British units including the Eighth Army.

Deployment to the Middle East

Embarking for the Middle East in early 1940 aboard troopships that traversed through the Indian Ocean and via the Suez Canal, the battalion joined the Australian forces concentrated in Egypt and Palestine for advanced training and acclimatisation. It linked with major formations and installations including Cairo, Gaza, and Beirut, and engaged in combined operations training with units from the British Army, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and elements of the Royal Air Force. During this period the 2/16th prepared for offensive operations in Libya and the Western Desert, where engagements such as the capture of Bardia and the siege of Tobruk were shaping the wider desert campaign involving commanders like Sir Thomas Blamey and opposing forces from the Royal Italian Army.

Greece and Crete Campaigns

In April 1941 the battalion deployed to Greece as part of the Allied expeditionary force attempting to resist the German invasion. Attached operations involved coordination with British, New Zealand and Greek units during actions around Florina and the Aliakmon Line. Following the collapse of the mainland campaign and an evacuation to Crete, the battalion fought in the Battle of Crete against airborne assaults by the German paratroopers and German mountain troops operating under Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List and Generaloberst Kurt Student. Elements of the battalion were subsequently evacuated to Egypt and regrouped with the rest of the 21st Brigade after heavy fighting alongside units such as the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion (Australia) and the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion (Australia).

Syria–Lebanon Campaign

After recovering, the battalion took part in the Syria–Lebanon Campaign (Operation Exporter) against Vichy French forces in mid-1941. Operating in the Levant, the 2/16th saw action around strategic points including Damascus, Aleppo, and the Lebanon Mountain Range, coordinating with Australian, British and Free French forces during advances that led to armistice arrangements and the reshaping of Allied control in the eastern Mediterranean. This campaign linked the battalion to broader diplomatic and military interactions involving the Vichy France authorities, Free French Forces, and regional administrations in Syria and Lebanon.

Pacific Service and New Guinea

With Japan’s entry into the war, the battalion was redeployed to the Pacific theatre, returning to Australia to prepare for operations closer to home. Sent to New Guinea in 1943–1944, the 2/16th participated in operations around the Huon Peninsula and supported campaigns to secure areas such as Lae, Finschhafen, and the approaches to the Kokoda Track. Operating in jungle conditions, the battalion conducted patrolling, amphibious landings in coordination with the Royal Australian Navy and United States Navy assets, and offensive operations against Imperial Japanese Army positions, contributing to the wider New Guinea campaign that included the Battle of Buna–Gona and the Aitape–Wewak campaign. Later, the battalion took part in mopping-up operations on Bougainville Island alongside formations such as the 3rd Division (Australia) and Allied island-hopping efforts.

Commanders and Organisation

The battalion’s command cadre included commanding officers drawn from the Australian Permanent Military Force and militia backgrounds; notable leaders served at battalion level during its campaigns and coordinated with brigade and divisional commanders such as Major General Stanley Savige and Lieutenant General Edmund Herring. Organised as a standard Australian infantry battalion of the era, it comprised rifle companies, a headquarters company, signals, mortar and anti-tank sections, and transport elements, and worked in combined-arms operations with supporting units including the 2/1st Field Regiment (Australia), 2/2nd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia), and attached Royal Australian Corps of Signals detachments.

Legacy and Battle Honours

The 2/16th Battalion earned multiple battle honours reflecting service in the Libyan Campaign, Greece 1941, Crete 1941, Syria 1941, South-West Pacific 1942–1945, and specific engagements on New Guinea and Bougainville. Its veterans are commemorated alongside broader Australian AIF units at memorials and war cemeteries in locations such as Alamein Memorial and the Lae War Cemetery, and through regimental histories, unit diaries and associations that link to the heritage of contemporary units of the Australian Army. The battalion’s wartime experiences contributed to post-war veteran affairs, commemoration practices, and the institutional memory preserved by organisations such as the Returned and Services League of Australia and the Australian War Memorial.

Category:Infantry battalions of Australia Category:Military units and formations established in 1939 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1946