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| 5th/11th Battalion, Royal Tasmania Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | 5th/11th Battalion, Royal Tasmania Regiment |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Light infantry, Reserve |
| Size | Battalion |
| Garrison | Hobart, Launceston, Burnie |
| Identification symbol label | Unit colour patch |
5th/11th Battalion, Royal Tasmania Regiment is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army Reserve based in Tasmania, tracing lineage to Tasmania's pre‑Federation militia and colonial units. The battalion operates within the Australian Army's order of battle and contributes reservists to operations alongside Regular Army units, maintaining links with Tasmanian communities, Australian regiments, Commonwealth forces and international partners.
The battalion's antecedents include colonial units such as the Tasmanian Rifle Regiment, the Tasmanian Volunteer Force, and units raised for the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War, notably the 12th Battalion and the 40th Battalion. Post‑war reorganisations under the Citizen Military Forces and the Australian Army Reserve produced amalgamations culminating in the creation of the battalion in the late 20th century, inheriting battle honours from the Gallipoli Campaign, the Western Front (World War I), the New Guinea campaign and the Borneo campaign (1945). The unit's history reflects broader Australian force structure changes such as the Pentropic divisional structure experiment, the national service schemes, and the professionalisation initiatives that accompanied deployments to East Timor, the Solomon Islands, and operations supporting the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the Iraq War.
Organisationally the battalion forms part of the Royal Regiment of Tasmania lineage within the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and is subordinate to a Brigade of the Australian Army Reserve. Its peacetime structure comprises rifle companies, a support company, headquarters company and training elements dispersed across depots in Hobart, Launceston, and Burnie. The battalion integrates with Regular Army formations such as the 1st Brigade (Australia), contributes personnel to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and trains to align with doctrine from Headquarters Forces Command. Administration and personnel systems interface with the Australian Defence Force Academy pathways and the Australian Defence Force Recruiting network.
Inherited battle honours encompass engagements associated with Tasmanian units at Gallipoli, the Somme, Passchendaele, the Battle of Bullecourt, and campaigns in New Guinea and Borneo. In recent decades the battalion has provided individual reinforcements and whole sub‑units to operations including INTERFET, the Australian contribution to East Timor, Operation Anode in the Solomon Islands, and rotational deployments supporting Operation Slipper in Afghanistan. Members have also participated in United Nations and NATO partnered exercises, bilateral activities with New Zealand Defence Force, and regional training with Pacific Islands Forum partners to support stability and disaster relief.
The battalion preserves regimental insignia derived from the Royal Tasmania Regiment and Australian infantry heraldry, including unit colour patches consistent with AIF traditions. Dress and symbols reference Tasmanian colonial emblems and elements recognisable to units such as the Royal Australian Regiment and allied Commonwealth regiments like the Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry through exchange and alliance links. Ceremonial practices follow Australian infantry customs observed at events such as ANZAC Day commemorations at the Australian War Memorial and Tasmanian memorials in Sandy Bay and urban cenotaphs.
Training follows doctrine from the Australian Army and Australian Defence Force manuals, with courses run in conjunction with the Army Reserve Training Centre and the Land Warfare Centre. Soldiers undertake individual and collective training for infantry tasks including marksmanship, reconnaissance, patrolling and urban operations, using weapons and equipment common to Australian infantry such as the F88 Austeyr rifle, general purpose machine guns, tactical communications, and protected mobility provided by vehicles like the Hawkei and logistics platforms from Australian Army equipment lists. Training also includes disaster relief preparation aligned with exercises coordinated by the Tasmanian State Emergency Service and interoperability drills with Australian Federal Police liaison units.
Notable figures connected through lineage include Tasmanian officers and decorated soldiers who served in the First World War and Second World War theatres, recipients of awards such as the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order, and the Military Cross from antecedent battalions. Alumni have held senior positions in the Australian Defence Force, served in the Parliament of Australia and contributed to Tasmanian civic life in roles with the Supreme Court of Tasmania and local government across Hobart and regional municipalities.
The battalion maintains affiliations with Commonwealth regiments, local cadet units such as the Australian Army Cadets, Tasmanian veteran organisations including the Returned and Services League of Australia, and educational institutions like the University of Tasmania for Reserve student programs. Community engagement includes ANZAC commemorations with municipal councils, support to emergency services during natural disasters, and partnership activities with industry groups and charities across Tasmania.
Category:Infantry units and formations of Australia Category:Military units and formations of Tasmania