2nd AIF
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| 2nd AIF | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | 2nd AIF |
| Dates | 1939–1945 |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Expeditionary force |
| Size | approx. 200,000 (total enlisted) |
| Notable commanders | Thomas Blamey, Vernon Sturdee, Leslie Morshead |
2nd AIF The 2nd AIF was the Australian Imperial Force raised during World War II to serve outside Australian territory, formed in 1939 and disbanded in 1947. It served in theatres including North Africa, the Middle East, Greece, Crete, the Syria–Lebanon campaign, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the Bismarck Archipelago, integrating with formations from United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, and India. Its personnel included soldiers who had previously served in First World War formations such as the Australian Imperial Force (First World War), and its operations intersected with campaigns like the Siege of Tobruk, the Western Desert Campaign, the Kokoda Track campaign, and the Borneo campaign.
Formation and Organization
The 2nd AIF was authorized by the Federal Parliament of Australia following Britain's declaration of war against Nazi Germany in September 1939 and was organized under the framework of the Defence Act 1903 and directives from the Department of Defence (Australia). Its initial divisions—the 6th Division (Australia), 7th Division (Australia), and later the 9th Division (Australia)—were structured along Commonwealth doctrine influenced by the British Army and operational coordination with the War Office. Strategic decisions involved liaison with the Imperial War Cabinet, consultation with Winston Churchill, and deployments negotiated with commanders such as Archibald Wavell and Claude Auchinleck. Mobilisation and allocation of resources required coordination with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force.
Recruitment and Training
Recruitment drew volunteers from across Australia, attracting men with pre-war service in formations including the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) and veterans of the First World War like those who had served under John Monash. Training centres were established at camps such as Puckapunyal, Blamey Barracks, Woodside, South Australia, and Bradfield Park, where drills, weapons instruction, and combined-arms exercises were conducted alongside units from the British Expeditionary Force, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and Indian Army elements. Specialist training for jungle warfare took place at stations influenced by lessons from the Malayan Campaign and tailored to conditions encountered in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Operational History
The 2nd AIF's operational history spans early expeditionary deployments in the Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre and later pivot to the South West Pacific Area following Japan's entry into the war. In 1940–1941 units fought in the Libyan Campaign and the Siege of Tobruk, while other contingents were committed to the Greek campaign and the defence of Crete against forces led by Erwin Rommel and Günther von Kluge. After 1942, under the strategic direction of leaders such as Douglas MacArthur and Australian heads like John Curtin, the AIF concentrated on campaigns in New Guinea, operations in the Bismarck Sea, and later amphibious landings in Borneo and the Solomon Islands.
Notable Battles and Campaigns
Key engagements included the defence of Tobruk, actions at Bardia, fighting at El Alamein alongside Bernard Montgomery's Eighth Army, the withdrawal from Greece and the evacuation from Crete, and the Syria–Lebanon campaign against Vichy France. In the Pacific, notable campaigns included the Kokoda Track campaign against the Imperial Japanese Army, the capture of Milne Bay, the Battle of Buna–Gona, the Battle of Lae, the Huon Peninsula campaign, the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, and operations in Bougainville and Balikpapan. These actions involved interaction with formations such as the US Eighth Army, US Marine Corps, 6th Australian Division, and multinational task forces under commanders including Admiral William Halsey and Admiral Thomas Kinkaid.
Structure and Units
The 2nd AIF encompassed infantry divisions, armoured regiments, artillery brigades, engineer units, and service corps drawn from organisations like the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, Royal Australian Artillery, Royal Australian Engineers, and Australian Army Medical Corps. Prominent units included the 2/1st Battalion, 2/2nd Machine Gun Battalion, 2/8th Battalion, 2/9th Battalion, 2/14th Battalion, and armoured formations such as the 2/6th Armoured Regiment. Support and logistics were provided by elements of the Australian Army Service Corps, Australian Army Ordnance Corps, and nursing services including the Australian Army Nursing Service. Liaison units worked with the Allied Land Forces command structure and with air support from the Royal Australian Air Force squadrons and United States Army Air Forces.
Commanders and Leadership
Senior commanders included General Thomas Blamey, Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead, Lieutenant General Vernon Sturdee, Major General Arthur "Tubby" Allen, Major General Stanley Savige, and Major General Sydney Rowell. Political and strategic oversight involved figures such as Prime Minister John Curtin and ministers including Percy Spender. Relationships with Allied commanders—Archibald Wavell, Claude Auchinleck, Bernard Montgomery, Douglas MacArthur, and Lord Louis Mountbatten—shaped deployments, while corps and divisional commanders coordinated operations across theatres with staff officers from the Imperial General Staff and Allied headquarters.
Legacy and Commemoration
The 2nd AIF's legacy is preserved in memorials and institutions such as the Australian War Memorial, battalion museums, regimental histories, and commemorative services on days like Anzac Day. The experience influenced post-war institutions including the Australian Regular Army, veterans' organisations such as the Returned and Services League of Australia, and national narratives recounted in works by historians like Charles Bean's successors. Campaigns are commemorated through monuments at sites including El Alamein War Cemetery, the Kokoda Track Memorial, and cemeteries managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, with continuing recognition in Australian military doctrine, public history, and educational programmes.