4th/3rd Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment explained

Unit Name:4th/3rd Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment
Country: Australia
Type:Light infantry
Branch:Army
Dates:26 September 1987 – present
Command Structure:5th Brigade
Size:One battalion
Garrison:Sutherland, New South Wales
Ceremonial Chief Label:Colonel-in-Chief
Motto:For Home and Country
Colors:White and green
Colors Label:Colours
Identification Symbol Label:Unit colour patch
March:Quick, Slow
Anniversaries:ANZAC Day

4th/3rd Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment (4/3 RNSWR) is a Reserve light infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 4/3 RNSWR has been deployed on active service on many peacekeeping operations and exercises within Australia and around the world. The Battalion is currently based at Sutherland, New South Wales where it forms part of the 5th Brigade.

History

Formation

The 1987 reorganisation of the Army Reserve, involving a reduction in the number of infantry battalions across Australia, brought about a linking of the 3rd and 4th Battalions, and a public ceremony on 26 September of that year marked the presence of the new 4/3 RNSWR.[1]

The new battalion, now extending across south-eastern New South Wales, has continued its standard training programmes in pursuit of its operational readiness objectives.

Significant groups of unit members attended the Royal Regiment of Wales Tercentenary celebrations in Cardiff, in 1989, and the 75th Anniversary Commemoration at Gallipoli in 1990, and the unit has had ongoing involvement in Australian and overseas exercise training programmes.

Recent history

Operation Anode is the Australian Defence Force's role in supporting RAMSI (Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands). Soldiers from 4/3 RNSWR has supported RAMSI in multiple brigade led deployments as a peacekeeping force to assist local and international police force's in the re-stabilisation of the Solomon Islands in conjunction with the New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tongan defence forces.

Operation Astute was an Australian-led military deployment to East Timor to quell unrest and return stability in the 2006 East Timor crisis.

Operation Resolute is commanded by the joint civilian-military Border Protection Command and the ADF contributes Royal Australian Navy ships, Royal Australian Air Force aircraft and patrols from the Australian Army's Regional Force Surveillance Units as required. Soldiers from 4/3 RNSWR have been regularly deployed on OP Resolute.

Battle honours

The 3rd Battalion received the following battle honours:[2]

The 4th Battalion received the following battle honours:[6]

Commanding Officers

Dates Name
26 Sep 87 – 31 Jan 89 LTCOL F.G. Harvison, RFD
1 Feb 89 – 24 Mar 91 LTCOL P.F. Murphy, RFD
25 Mar 91 – 31 Dec 93 LTCOL M.F. Peebles, RFD
1 Jan 94 – 31 Dec 96 LTCOL M. Vertzonis, RFD
1 Jan 97 – 31 Dec 99 LTCOL P. Brereton, RFD, SC
1 Jan 01 – 31 Dec 01 LTCOL T. Vail, RFD
01 Jan 02 – 31 Dec 03 LTCOL A.M. Bell, RFD
01 Jan 04 – 31 Dec 05 LTCOL L.G Lucas
1 Jan 06 – 31 Dec 07 LTCOL G.R Weir
1 Jan 08 – 31 Dec 09 LTCOL M.J Callan
1 Jan 10 – 31 Dec 12 LTCOL M.A. Sasse
1 Jan 13 – 31 Dec 14 LTCOL R.J. Miller
1 Jan 15 – 31 Dec 17 LTCOL A.P. Bailey
1 Jan 18 – 31 Dec 20 LTCOL D. Charlton
1 Jan 21 - present LTCOL P. Hukins

Current composition

4/3 RNSWR currently consists of:[12]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Off Orbat Units of the Royal New South Wales Regiment . Harris. Ted. Digger History. 2009-05-13.
  2. Festberg 1972, pp. 60–61.
  3. Web site: 3rd Battalion. https://web.archive.org/web/20090719020302/http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11190.asp. 19 July 2009. 13 May 2009. First World War, 1914 - 1918 units. Australian War Memorial.
  4. Web site: 3rd Battalion (The Werriwa Regiment). https://web.archive.org/web/20080727085023/http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11964.asp. 27 July 2008. 13 May 2009. Second World War, 1939 - 1945 units. Australian War Memorial.
  5. Web site: Harris. Ted. History of the Royal New South Wales Regiment. 13 May 2009. Digger History.
  6. Festberg 1972, p. 62.
  7. The 4th Battalion inherited this battle honour from its predecessor units which contributed to the New South Wales Contingents that were sent to South Africa during the Second Boer War.
  8. Web site: Harris. Ted. Off Orbat Units of the Royal New South Wales Regiment. 13 May 2009. Digger History.
  9. Web site: 4th Battalion. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20090614115637/http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11191.asp. 14 June 2009. 18 June 2009. First World War, 1914–1918 units. Australian War Memorial.
  10. Battle honours for the Second World War include both the 4th Battalion and 2/4th Battalion, as the 4th Battalion inherited the 2/4th's battle honours upon being re-raised in 1957. The 4th Battalion earned two battle honours during the war, while the 2/4th earned 14, one of which the 4th also earned.
  11. Web site: 2/4th Battalion. 18 June 2009. Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial.
  12. Web site: Depot Locations. 4/3 RNSWR website. Australian Army. 30 July 2010.