6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
Encyclopedia
6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR) is a motorised infantry
battalion of the Australian Army
. It was originally raised in Brisbane
, Queensland, on 6 June 1965 and has since then served in a number of overseas deployments and conflicts including South Vietnam
, East Timor
and Iraq
. During the Vietnam War
the battalion earned a Presidential Unit Citation
from the United States, when members from ‘D’ Company participated in the Battle of Long Tan
on 18–19 August 1966. The battalion is currently based at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane and forms part of the 7th Brigade.
in Brisbane, Queensland when a cadre of officers and NCOs and two rifle companies were transferred from 2 RAR
to form the nucleus of the new battalion. The battalion was then brought up to full strength when a large intake of national servicemen marched in in September 1965.
The battalion’s first commanding officer was LTCOL Colin Townsend, DSO
, whilst WO1 George Chinn, DCM
came from SAS Campbell Barracks in Perth WA as the battalion’s first regimental sergeant major. It was initially assigned to the 6th Task Force (which was later to become 6th Brigade
).
as part of Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War. The first tour was between June 1966 and June 1967 and the second tour was between May 1969 and May 1970. 6 RAR departed for its first tour of Vietnam in May 1966 on HMAS Sydney, arriving at Vung Tau
in time to celebrate the Battalion's first birthday before moving to Nui Dat, in Phuoc Tuy province, where they joined 5 RAR as part of the 1st Australian Task Force
(1 ATF).
Initial operations focused upon securing the task force base. After this was achieved 1 ATF began patrolling operations throughout the province in an effort to undermine the operations of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units that were operating in Phuoc Tuy. Using tactics that the Australians had developed during the Malayan Emergency
1 ATF focused upon reducing the enemy’s contact with the local population to deny them of their main source of sustainment and reinforcement by carrying out cordon and search and search and destroy operations. During this time 6 RAR carried out two major operations. The first operation was codenamed 'Enoggera' and was focused upon clearing the village of Long Phuoc, whilst the second operation, 'Hobart', was a search and destroy mission carried out over the course of five days. Several VC camps were destroyed in these operations and numerous caches of weapons and supplies uncovered, whilst 36 enemy casualties were inflicted.
Between 16–18 August 1966, 6 RAR undertook Operation Smithfield, which was later to become known as the Battle of Long Tan
. The battle began on the evening of 16 August when the Task Force base was attacked by a VC force using mortars and recoilless rifles. The next day 'B' Company was sent out to clear the area to the east of the base, before they were replaced by 'D' Company on the morning of 18 August. Whilst performing a sweep through a rubber plantation, 'D' Company was contacted by a regimental sized VC force and they were soon under attack from three sides. Under a torrential downpour and a thick mist that blanketed the plantation, the battle raged for over three hours as the one hundred and eight men from 'D' Company fought for their lives against a force estimated to be up to 2,500 men.
As the rest of the Battalion mobilised to relieve the beleaguered 'D' Company, a patrol from 'B' Company were the first reinforcements to arrive. As the battle continued, a relief force from 'A' Company arrived at a critical moment, on board seven M113 armoured personnel carriers from 3 Troop, 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron
and launched an attack on a VC battalion that had been forming up to launch an attack aimed at 'D' Company's rear. Enemy casualties as a result of this attack were heavy, having come at their flank, and as a result the VC units were forced to retire, leaving the Australians in command of the battlefield. The extent of the Australian victory was not known until the following day, however, when 245 bodies of dead enemy soldiers were counted in the plantation and the surrounding areas. It is believed that many more were also removed during the battle.
Seventeen men from 6 RAR were killed, along with one from the 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron, during the fighting around Long Tan and later 'D' Company was awarded a US Presidential Unit Citation by the then President
Lyndon B. Johnson
. Whilst the men of 'D' Company received this honour, the role of the other 6 RAR men in this battle should not be understated, nor should the contributions of the various Australian, New Zealand and American artillery units, as well as the bravery of the RAAF helicopter crews that flew through weather that would normally have grounded them to resupply the infantry on the ground.
Following this 6 RAR continued to conduct patrolling and security operations throughout Phuoc Tuy as 1 ATF took on a larger role in the province. 6 RAR undertook a further seventeen operations, before being relieved by 2 RAR in May 1967. Having celebrated the Battalion’s second birthday on voyage back to Australia on HMAS Sydney, 6 RAR arrived back in Brisbane on 14 June.
, the Battalion was re-designated as 6 RAR/NZ (ANZAC) due to the fact that there were two New Zealand rifle companies attached to them at this time, along with two mortar sections and two sections of assault pioneers.
The main focus of 6 RAR's second tour was pacification operations, which essentially involved conducting operations designed to help create a situation of internal stability in order to allow the South Vietnamese government to take more control of the situation in the country. 6 RAR/NZ (ANZAC) carried out its first operation in this program between 30 May and 1 July 1969 when it launched Operation Lavarack. This operation involved the establishment of a number of fire support and patrol bases to the north of the main Task Force base at Nui Dat, from where company sized patrols commenced large-scale reconnaissance-in-force missions. Lavarack proved to be very successful and the Battalion was involved in some 85 contacts with the VC during this time, resulting in over 102 VC killed and at least 22 wounded.
Over the course of the rest of the tour, 6 RAR conducted a further fourteen operations, and as they began to dominate their area of operations they were increasingly called upon to provide support to a number civil community reconstruction projects and assist in the training of local South Vietnamese forces. As a result of the Battalion's efforts, by the end of their tour the enemy presence in their area of operations had been so badly weakened that they were forced to operate in small groups only, engaging the Australians in combat only when it was necessary to survive.
6 RAR’s last operation of the war was Operation Townsville, which was conducted between 23 March and 24 April 1970. A search and destroy mission that was carried out in the north-eastern regions of Phuoc Tuy province, the operation resulted in a huge coup for the Australians when they captured the operational signals codes and one-time cipher pads used by the VC headquarters in charge of the Ba Long province. In May 1970, 6 RAR was relieved by 2 RAR and returned to Australia shortly afterwards. Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War came to an end before the Battalion was called upon to deploy for a third tour.
, 7 MCs
, 3 DCMs
, 6 MMs
, 3 BEMs
, 1 QC, and 23 MIDs.
2000 6 RAR relieved 5/7 RAR
at Balibo
in East Timor
, commencing a six month tour of duty on the western border as part of Operation Taniger. Heavy rain in March had resulted in widespread flooding throughout the border region which had continued into May, however, by June the rivers had subsided and reports of incursions across the border from West Timor by pro-Indonesian militias were received, prompting 6 RAR to conduct extensive patrol operations throughout their tactical area of operations. Through a program of intensive active patrolling and tracking, surveillance, blocking and other security operations the battalion came to dominate the western border regions. However, during May and June there were a number of attacks on 6 RAR's positions.
Over the course of the deployment the Battalion was involved in nine separate contacts, with a number of 6 RAR personnel being wounded. In one of these incidents, Sergeant David Hawkings was awarded the DSM
following an attack on ‘B’ Company’s base at Aidabasalala on 21 June 2000.
As a result of these and attacks on other UN personnel including the attack that resulted in the death of a New Zealand soldier on 24 July, in August 6 RAR began a number of high-tempo operations to counter the activities of the militia in their area of operations. On 2 August, following intelligence reports that indicated that the militia were once again tracking the Australians, trackers found signs of further militia infiltration near Maliana
. A platoon from ‘A’ Company, along with a number of troopers from the SASR were sent out to investigate, conducting a patrol about six kilometres from Maliana.
Further signs of infiltration were found by the lead section and as the scouts tracked the footprints of the militiamen through a dried creek bed they discovered some empty food packets and old cigarette butts, confirming the presence of militia in the area. As the platoon harboured up for a short halt, a sentry on one of the machine guns that had been sited for all round defence spotted a group of three militiamen patrolling along the creek bed and interpreting this as an act of aggression under the ROE
governing the deployment he opened fire, hitting the lead militiaman with about twenty rounds from the LSW
, killing him.
As the sentry began to engage a second target, a large of volume of fire began to pour in on the Australian position as a previously unseen group of militia joined in the engagement, returning fire whilst the first group began to withdraw. In an effort to cut off their withdrawal, the Australian platoon launched a quick attack on the militia positions, however, they were unable to prevent the militia from escaping. After the engagement, a second dead militiaman was discovered.
Four days later, on 6 August 2000, 6 RAR was involved in two more contacts, the first near Batugade and the second once again near Maliana. As a result of these contacts three militiamen were wounded, one of whom was captured. After this the militia turned their focus to other areas of operations, focusing mainly on the New Zealand area, where on 10 August, four Nepalese soldiers were wounded in two separate incidents, one of whom eventually died of his wounds.
Contacts with the militia continued throughout the deployment, however, as a result of the offensive carried out by 6 RAR, the Battalion was able to maintain the tactical initiative and prevented the militia from achieving their stated aims of forcing the UN to withdraw from the country. Before they were relieved by 1 RAR in October 2000, the Battalion also assisted in helping with the evacuation of UN and other personnel from Atambua in West Timor, as well as undertaking a host of CIMIC operations.
, a troop of Blackhawk helicopters from the 5th Aviation Regiment, an engineering troop from the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment
, a CIMIC team from the 1st Field Regiment
and a surgical team from the 2nd Health Support Battalion
.
The threat level in the country at the time was considerably less than the last time that 6 RAR units had deployed there, however, due to a decrease in the number of troops deployed and an expansion of the area in which they were required to operate, meant that the companies had to maintain a very high operational tempo throughout the seven month tour. During this time they were largely deployed in AO Matilda, in the Bobonaro district, although they also had to cover the Liquica, Ermera, Ainaro, Cova Lima and Oecussi districts. This area had a population of over 400,000 people and had previously been covered by three full battalions.
This rotation was the last deployment under Operation Citadel. It was also the longest, a factor which led to the rotation of the force three months in. Advanced elements from 'D' Company deployed first, arriving ahead of the take over time in October. They were then followed by 'C' Company and then finally 'A' Company. Later in the deployment, as the other national forces that were deployed in Timor were drawn down, the battalion task force incorporated a Fijian company, leading to the battalion being renamed the WESTBATT. The force was commanded initially by Lieutenant Colonel Glen Babington and then later, in 2004, by Lieutenant Colonel Shane Caughey.
Due to the size of the area in which they were operating, a system of forward operating bases was established at Moleana, Aidabaleten and Gleno. From these bases the task force undertook a range of tasks including a mixture of highly visible peacekeeping operations, as well as less visible, clandestine surveillance tasks along the border. In June 2004 the AUSBATT/WESTBATT was withdrawn from East Timor and 6 RAR returned to Australia.
In November 2006, elements of 6 RAR were deployed to Timor Leste (as East Timor had become) as part of Operation Astute
. This time they deployed alongside a platoon from 4 RAR, a company from 1 RAR, and 'G' Company which was a battery from the 16th Air Defence Regiment
that had been re-roled as an infantry company.
based in Baghdad
. The first deployment was from 'A' Company as part of SECDET 6 in 2004, followed by elements from 'C' Company which deployed on SECDET 7 in 2004–05. The last rotation was SECDET 12, which was based around elements from 'D' Company and deployed from September 2007 to March 2008.
Motorised infantry
In NATO and most other western countries, motorised infantry is infantry which is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers, infantry combat vehicles, or infantry fighting vehicles...
battalion of the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
. It was originally raised in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland, on 6 June 1965 and has since then served in a number of overseas deployments and conflicts including South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
the battalion earned a Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
from the United States, when members from ‘D’ Company participated in the Battle of Long Tan
Battle of Long Tan
The Battle of Long Tân was fought between the Australian Army and Viet Cong forces in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tân, about north east of Vũng Tàu, South Vietnam...
on 18–19 August 1966. The battalion is currently based at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane and forms part of the 7th Brigade.
Formation
6 RAR was raised on 6 June 1965 at Alamein Barracks at EnoggeraEnoggera Barracks
Enoggera Barracks is an Australian Army base in the northwestern Brisbane suburb of Enoggera in Queensland.-History:...
in Brisbane, Queensland when a cadre of officers and NCOs and two rifle companies were transferred from 2 RAR
2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a regular light infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 2 RAR was first formed as the Australian 66th Battalion in 1945 and since then it has seen active service during the Korean War, Malayan Emergency and Vietnam War...
to form the nucleus of the new battalion. The battalion was then brought up to full strength when a large intake of national servicemen marched in in September 1965.
The battalion’s first commanding officer was LTCOL Colin Townsend, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, whilst WO1 George Chinn, DCM
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
came from SAS Campbell Barracks in Perth WA as the battalion’s first regimental sergeant major. It was initially assigned to the 6th Task Force (which was later to become 6th Brigade
6th Brigade (Australia)
The 6th Brigade is an Australian Army brigade. First formed during the First World War as an infantry unit of the Australian Imperial Force, the brigade served at Gallipoli and in France and Belgium on the Western Front...
).
First tour
6 RAR served two tours to VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
as part of Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War. The first tour was between June 1966 and June 1967 and the second tour was between May 1969 and May 1970. 6 RAR departed for its first tour of Vietnam in May 1966 on HMAS Sydney, arriving at Vung Tau
Vung Tàu
Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...
in time to celebrate the Battalion's first birthday before moving to Nui Dat, in Phuoc Tuy province, where they joined 5 RAR as part of the 1st Australian Task Force
1st Australian Task Force
The 1st Australian Task Force commanded the Australian and New Zealand Army units deployed to South Vietnam between 1966 and 1972. 1 ATF was based at Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy Province...
(1 ATF).
Initial operations focused upon securing the task force base. After this was achieved 1 ATF began patrolling operations throughout the province in an effort to undermine the operations of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units that were operating in Phuoc Tuy. Using tactics that the Australians had developed during the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
1 ATF focused upon reducing the enemy’s contact with the local population to deny them of their main source of sustainment and reinforcement by carrying out cordon and search and search and destroy operations. During this time 6 RAR carried out two major operations. The first operation was codenamed 'Enoggera' and was focused upon clearing the village of Long Phuoc, whilst the second operation, 'Hobart', was a search and destroy mission carried out over the course of five days. Several VC camps were destroyed in these operations and numerous caches of weapons and supplies uncovered, whilst 36 enemy casualties were inflicted.
Between 16–18 August 1966, 6 RAR undertook Operation Smithfield, which was later to become known as the Battle of Long Tan
Battle of Long Tan
The Battle of Long Tân was fought between the Australian Army and Viet Cong forces in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tân, about north east of Vũng Tàu, South Vietnam...
. The battle began on the evening of 16 August when the Task Force base was attacked by a VC force using mortars and recoilless rifles. The next day 'B' Company was sent out to clear the area to the east of the base, before they were replaced by 'D' Company on the morning of 18 August. Whilst performing a sweep through a rubber plantation, 'D' Company was contacted by a regimental sized VC force and they were soon under attack from three sides. Under a torrential downpour and a thick mist that blanketed the plantation, the battle raged for over three hours as the one hundred and eight men from 'D' Company fought for their lives against a force estimated to be up to 2,500 men.
As the rest of the Battalion mobilised to relieve the beleaguered 'D' Company, a patrol from 'B' Company were the first reinforcements to arrive. As the battle continued, a relief force from 'A' Company arrived at a critical moment, on board seven M113 armoured personnel carriers from 3 Troop, 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron
1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia)
The 1st Armoured Personnel Squadron was an armoured unit of the Australian Army raised for service during the Vietnam War. Raised in 1965 the unit was deployed to South Vietnam in May 1966 to join the 1st Australian Task Force...
and launched an attack on a VC battalion that had been forming up to launch an attack aimed at 'D' Company's rear. Enemy casualties as a result of this attack were heavy, having come at their flank, and as a result the VC units were forced to retire, leaving the Australians in command of the battlefield. The extent of the Australian victory was not known until the following day, however, when 245 bodies of dead enemy soldiers were counted in the plantation and the surrounding areas. It is believed that many more were also removed during the battle.
Seventeen men from 6 RAR were killed, along with one from the 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron, during the fighting around Long Tan and later 'D' Company was awarded a US Presidential Unit Citation by the then President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
. Whilst the men of 'D' Company received this honour, the role of the other 6 RAR men in this battle should not be understated, nor should the contributions of the various Australian, New Zealand and American artillery units, as well as the bravery of the RAAF helicopter crews that flew through weather that would normally have grounded them to resupply the infantry on the ground.
Following this 6 RAR continued to conduct patrolling and security operations throughout Phuoc Tuy as 1 ATF took on a larger role in the province. 6 RAR undertook a further seventeen operations, before being relieved by 2 RAR in May 1967. Having celebrated the Battalion’s second birthday on voyage back to Australia on HMAS Sydney, 6 RAR arrived back in Brisbane on 14 June.
Second tour
The Battalion returned to Vietnam for its second tour of duty on 19 May 1969. Relieving 4 RAR4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, was an Australian Army infantry battalion and part of the Royal Australian Regiment. The battalion was formed on 1 February 1964 and was renamed the 2nd Commando Regiment on 19 June 2009....
, the Battalion was re-designated as 6 RAR/NZ (ANZAC) due to the fact that there were two New Zealand rifle companies attached to them at this time, along with two mortar sections and two sections of assault pioneers.
The main focus of 6 RAR's second tour was pacification operations, which essentially involved conducting operations designed to help create a situation of internal stability in order to allow the South Vietnamese government to take more control of the situation in the country. 6 RAR/NZ (ANZAC) carried out its first operation in this program between 30 May and 1 July 1969 when it launched Operation Lavarack. This operation involved the establishment of a number of fire support and patrol bases to the north of the main Task Force base at Nui Dat, from where company sized patrols commenced large-scale reconnaissance-in-force missions. Lavarack proved to be very successful and the Battalion was involved in some 85 contacts with the VC during this time, resulting in over 102 VC killed and at least 22 wounded.
Over the course of the rest of the tour, 6 RAR conducted a further fourteen operations, and as they began to dominate their area of operations they were increasingly called upon to provide support to a number civil community reconstruction projects and assist in the training of local South Vietnamese forces. As a result of the Battalion's efforts, by the end of their tour the enemy presence in their area of operations had been so badly weakened that they were forced to operate in small groups only, engaging the Australians in combat only when it was necessary to survive.
6 RAR’s last operation of the war was Operation Townsville, which was conducted between 23 March and 24 April 1970. A search and destroy mission that was carried out in the north-eastern regions of Phuoc Tuy province, the operation resulted in a huge coup for the Australians when they captured the operational signals codes and one-time cipher pads used by the VC headquarters in charge of the Ba Long province. In May 1970, 6 RAR was relieved by 2 RAR and returned to Australia shortly afterwards. Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War came to an end before the Battalion was called upon to deploy for a third tour.
Summary
Total 6 RAR casualties for both tours were 61 killed and at least 148 wounded. Balanced against this, in its second tour the Battalion was credited with having killed 60 VC, wounded at least another 64 and captured a further 51. Members from the Battalion received the following decorations: 2 DSOsDistinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, 7 MCs
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, 3 DCMs
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
, 6 MMs
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
, 3 BEMs
British Empire Medal
The Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service, usually known as the British Empire Medal , is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown...
, 1 QC, and 23 MIDs.
1972–1999
The following is a brief chronology of 6 RAR's history following the Vietnam War:- Based in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
between August 1971 and December 1973 as part of 28 ANZUK Brigade. - 'D' Company was reorganised as a parachute company group in early 1980 and continued in this role until November 1983.
- Following ADFAustralian Defence ForceThe Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
shortcomings highlighted by the 1987 Fijian coups d'état the battalion trained in the amphibious role. - Began conversion to a motorised organisation in February 1992 and added a Ready ReserveReady ReserveThe Ready Reserve is a program maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense to maintain a pool of trained service members that may be recalled to active duty should the need arise. It is composed of service members that are contracted to serve in the Ready Reserve for a specified period of time as...
company later the same year. - Reverted to an integrated-regular/reserve battalion in February 1997 and trialed the experimental Army 21 organisation.
East Timor 2000
On Anzac DayANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
2000 6 RAR relieved 5/7 RAR
5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment was a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. The battalion was based at Robertson Barracks in Palmerston, Northern Territory and formed part of the 1st Brigade. It was formed in 1973 by linking both the 5th and 7th Battalions of the...
at Balibo
Balibo
Balibo is a town in East Timor situated approximately from the Indonesian border. It is located in the subdistrict of Balibo, Bobonaro District....
in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, commencing a six month tour of duty on the western border as part of Operation Taniger. Heavy rain in March had resulted in widespread flooding throughout the border region which had continued into May, however, by June the rivers had subsided and reports of incursions across the border from West Timor by pro-Indonesian militias were received, prompting 6 RAR to conduct extensive patrol operations throughout their tactical area of operations. Through a program of intensive active patrolling and tracking, surveillance, blocking and other security operations the battalion came to dominate the western border regions. However, during May and June there were a number of attacks on 6 RAR's positions.
Over the course of the deployment the Battalion was involved in nine separate contacts, with a number of 6 RAR personnel being wounded. In one of these incidents, Sergeant David Hawkings was awarded the DSM
Distinguished Service Medal (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action. The DSM was introduced in 1991 and is the second highest distinguished service decoration in the Australian Honours System. Recipients of the...
following an attack on ‘B’ Company’s base at Aidabasalala on 21 June 2000.
As a result of these and attacks on other UN personnel including the attack that resulted in the death of a New Zealand soldier on 24 July, in August 6 RAR began a number of high-tempo operations to counter the activities of the militia in their area of operations. On 2 August, following intelligence reports that indicated that the militia were once again tracking the Australians, trackers found signs of further militia infiltration near Maliana
Maliana
Maliana is a city in East Timor, 149 km southwest of Dili, the national capital. It has a population of 22,000. It is the capital of the district of Bobonaro and subdistrict of Maliana, and is located just a few kilometers from the border with Indonesia...
. A platoon from ‘A’ Company, along with a number of troopers from the SASR were sent out to investigate, conducting a patrol about six kilometres from Maliana.
Further signs of infiltration were found by the lead section and as the scouts tracked the footprints of the militiamen through a dried creek bed they discovered some empty food packets and old cigarette butts, confirming the presence of militia in the area. As the platoon harboured up for a short halt, a sentry on one of the machine guns that had been sited for all round defence spotted a group of three militiamen patrolling along the creek bed and interpreting this as an act of aggression under the ROE
Rules of engagement
Rules of Engagement refers to those responses that are permitted in the employment of military personnel during operations or in the course of their duties. These rules of engagement are determined by the legal framework within which these duties are being carried out...
governing the deployment he opened fire, hitting the lead militiaman with about twenty rounds from the LSW
FN Minimi
The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...
, killing him.
As the sentry began to engage a second target, a large of volume of fire began to pour in on the Australian position as a previously unseen group of militia joined in the engagement, returning fire whilst the first group began to withdraw. In an effort to cut off their withdrawal, the Australian platoon launched a quick attack on the militia positions, however, they were unable to prevent the militia from escaping. After the engagement, a second dead militiaman was discovered.
Four days later, on 6 August 2000, 6 RAR was involved in two more contacts, the first near Batugade and the second once again near Maliana. As a result of these contacts three militiamen were wounded, one of whom was captured. After this the militia turned their focus to other areas of operations, focusing mainly on the New Zealand area, where on 10 August, four Nepalese soldiers were wounded in two separate incidents, one of whom eventually died of his wounds.
Contacts with the militia continued throughout the deployment, however, as a result of the offensive carried out by 6 RAR, the Battalion was able to maintain the tactical initiative and prevented the militia from achieving their stated aims of forcing the UN to withdraw from the country. Before they were relieved by 1 RAR in October 2000, the Battalion also assisted in helping with the evacuation of UN and other personnel from Atambua in West Timor, as well as undertaking a host of CIMIC operations.
East Timor
6 RAR returned to East Timor in November 2003 as part of Operation Citadel, taking over as AUSBATT IX from 1 RAR. The task force consisted of just two rifle companies plus an armoured personnel carrier troop from the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment
The 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment is a regiment of the Australian Army and forms part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. The regiment was formed in 1952 though sentimentally traces its lineage to 1860...
, a troop of Blackhawk helicopters from the 5th Aviation Regiment, an engineering troop from the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment
2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (Australia)
The 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment ' is an Australian Army modular engineer regiment trained for sapper/combat engineer operations. 2 CER's lineage is traced back to 7th Field Company . During World War I, this unit was renowned for action during the Battle of the Somme, Menin Road and the Hindenburg...
, a CIMIC team from the 1st Field Regiment
1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
The 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is a close support regiment attached to the 7th Brigade at Enoggera Barracks in Queensland. The unit was formed in 1914 under the name 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade, part of 1st Division Artillery during World War I and later served in World War...
and a surgical team from the 2nd Health Support Battalion
2nd Health Support Battalion (Australia)
The 2nd Health Support Battalion is a unit of the 17th Combat Service Support Brigade. It is based at the Gallipoli Barracks in Enoggera, Queensland. The battalion is rapidly deployable to provide field medical support for land-based forces...
.
The threat level in the country at the time was considerably less than the last time that 6 RAR units had deployed there, however, due to a decrease in the number of troops deployed and an expansion of the area in which they were required to operate, meant that the companies had to maintain a very high operational tempo throughout the seven month tour. During this time they were largely deployed in AO Matilda, in the Bobonaro district, although they also had to cover the Liquica, Ermera, Ainaro, Cova Lima and Oecussi districts. This area had a population of over 400,000 people and had previously been covered by three full battalions.
This rotation was the last deployment under Operation Citadel. It was also the longest, a factor which led to the rotation of the force three months in. Advanced elements from 'D' Company deployed first, arriving ahead of the take over time in October. They were then followed by 'C' Company and then finally 'A' Company. Later in the deployment, as the other national forces that were deployed in Timor were drawn down, the battalion task force incorporated a Fijian company, leading to the battalion being renamed the WESTBATT. The force was commanded initially by Lieutenant Colonel Glen Babington and then later, in 2004, by Lieutenant Colonel Shane Caughey.
Due to the size of the area in which they were operating, a system of forward operating bases was established at Moleana, Aidabaleten and Gleno. From these bases the task force undertook a range of tasks including a mixture of highly visible peacekeeping operations, as well as less visible, clandestine surveillance tasks along the border. In June 2004 the AUSBATT/WESTBATT was withdrawn from East Timor and 6 RAR returned to Australia.
In November 2006, elements of 6 RAR were deployed to Timor Leste (as East Timor had become) as part of Operation Astute
Operation Astute
Operation Astute is an Australian-led military deployment to East Timor to quell unrest and return stability in the 2006 East Timor crisis. It is currently headed by Brigadier Bill Sowry, and commenced on 25 May 2006 under the command of Brigadier Michael Slater...
. This time they deployed alongside a platoon from 4 RAR, a company from 1 RAR, and 'G' Company which was a battery from the 16th Air Defence Regiment
16th Air Defence Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
The 16th Air Defence Regiment is the youngest regiment of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery. As the Australian Defence Force's only Ground Based Air Defence unit the Regiment is responsible for protecting a wide range of military assets during wartime, ranging from Army units in the field...
that had been re-roled as an infantry company.
Iraq
Elements of 6 RAR have deployed to Iraq three times as part of the SECDETSecurity Detachment Iraq (Australia)
The Security Detachment Iraq was the final component of Australia's contribution to coalition operations in Iraq. SECDET was based on an Australian Army combined arms combat team consisting of an infantry company group and a troop of cavalry which operated the Australian Light Armoured vehicles...
based in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. The first deployment was from 'A' Company as part of SECDET 6 in 2004, followed by elements from 'C' Company which deployed on SECDET 7 in 2004–05. The last rotation was SECDET 12, which was based around elements from 'D' Company and deployed from September 2007 to March 2008.
Current structure
6 RAR currently consists of:- Battalion Headquarters
- 3 Rifle Companies – 'A', 'B', and 'D'
- Support Company
- Logistics Support Company