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| Australians (2nd AIF) | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Second Australian Imperial Force |
| Native name | 2nd AIF |
| Country | Australia |
| Allegiance | King George VI |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Expeditionary force |
| Role | Expeditionary warfare |
| Formed | 1939 |
| Disbanded | 1947 |
| Notable commanders | Thomas Blamey, Leslie Morshead, Rowley Fairbairn |
Australians (2nd AIF)
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the volunteer expeditionary formation raised in Australia for overseas service during the Second World War. Raised in 1939, it served in theaters including the Middle East theatre of World War II, the North African campaign, the Syria–Lebanon Campaign, the Greece Campaign, the Greece, the Crete, the New Guinea campaign, and the Pacific War, under commanders such as Thomas Blamey and Leslie Morshead. Its operations intersected with formations like the British Eighth Army, the Indian Army, the United States Army, and the Royal Navy.
Formed after the declaration of war on Germany in 1939, the 2nd AIF was raised under the auspices of the Defence Act and directed by Figures including Robert Menzies, Billy Hughes, and John Curtin; recruitment drives mobilised volunteers from Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory. Initial recruiting produced divisions such as the 6th Division and 7th Division, later expanded by the 8th Division and corps headquarters interfacing with the Imperial General Staff, Middle East Command, and the British War Office. The enlistment process involved local Australian Red Cross, Returned and Services League of Australia, and municipal recruiting committees coordinating with authorities in Canberra and state capitals.
Structured on a divisional and corps model, the force comprised infantry divisions, armoured regiments such as the 1st Armoured Division, artillery regiments, engineer companies, signals units, and service corps like the AASC and AAMC. The 2nd AIF adapted doctrines from the British Army and worked alongside New Zealand units within formations such as the ANZAC cooperation framework. Command arrangements placed the force under theatre commanders including Archibald Wavell, Claude Auchinleck, and later Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific, linking operational planning with formations like the US Fifth Air Force and the Royal Air Force.
In the North African campaign the force fought at Bardia, Tobruk, and the Tobruk siege, contributing to engagements against the Afrika Korps and commanders such as Erwin Rommel. The 2nd AIF participated in the Syria–Lebanon Campaign against Vichy French forces, and in the Battle of Greece and Battle of Crete where elements were evacuated to Egypt and Palestine. Following the Pacific War outbreak, elements redeployed to the New Guinea campaign for battles at Kokoda, Milne Bay, and the Buna–Gona operations, cooperating with US Army Forces in the Far East, Papua New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, and US Navy. Later operations included the Borneo landings and garrison duties in Borneo, coordinating with the Netherlands East Indies and British Pacific Fleet.
Personnel came from a broad cross-section of Australian society including workers, farmers, professionals, and returned First AIF veterans; notable soldiers included Edward "Weary" Dunlop, Nicolle Martin, John Monash's legacy influenced doctrine indirectly through veterans. Training centres at Puckapunyal, Bonegilla, Ingleburn, and Gatton provided infantry, artillery, armoured, and amphibious instruction often under visiting instructors from the British Army, Canadian Army, and United States Marine Corps. Medical training drew on the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, and the Australian Army Medical Corps schools; signals training interfaced with the Royal Australian Corps of Signals and the Wireless Institute of Australia.
Equipment included small arms like the Lee–Enfield, the Vickers machine gun, artillery pieces such as the Ordnance QF 25 pounder, armoured vehicles including the Matilda II and the M3 Stuart, and logistical vehicles like the Chevrolet and Bedford trucks. Air support came from Royal Australian Air Force squadrons operating aircraft such as the CAC Wirraway and the Avro Anson. Unit insignia incorporated divisional colour patches, shoulder titles referencing formations like 6th Division and 7th Division, and badges produced by firms like H. A. S. Danks & Co. and the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces workshops.
On the home front, organisations including the Australian Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Women’s Land Army, and the Australian Comforts Fund provided welfare, fund-raising, and manpower relief. Industrial mobilisation involved firms such as BHP, Broken Hill, Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, and General Motors-Holden converting production for military needs and coordinating with the Department of Munitions. Political oversight included administrations led by Robert Menzies and John Curtin integrating civilian agencies like the Department of Defence and state departments to support reinforcements, repatriation, and veterans’ benefits managed later by the Repatriation Department (Australia).
Postwar demobilisation began in 1945 and formal disbandment of 2nd AIF units continued through 1947; veterans were reintegrated via the Soldier Settlement Scheme, the RSSAILA, and educational programs under the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme. The force’s legacy influenced the postwar Australian Regular Army, commemoration at sites including the Australian War Memorial, the preservation of battle honours such as Kokoda Track, and historiography by historians like Charles Bean and Allan Walker. The 2nd AIF’s campaigns shaped Australia’s strategic relationships with United Kingdom, United States, and regional partners like Papua New Guinea and remain subjects of study in institutions such as the Australian War Memorial Research Centre.