1.
Australian Army
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The Australian Army is Australias military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy, while the Chief of the Defence Force commands the ADF, the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army. The CA is therefore subordinate to the CDF, but is directly responsible to the Minister for Defence. Although Australian soldiers have been involved in a number of minor and major conflicts throughout its history, Australias largest peacekeeping deployment began in 1999 in East Timor, while other ongoing operations include peacekeeping on Bougainville, in the Sinai, and in the Solomon Islands. Humanitarian relief after 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in Aceh Province, Indonesia, Operation Sumatra Assist, the 1st Division comprises a deployable headquarters, while 2nd Division under the command of Forces Command is the main home-defence formation, containing Army Reserve units. 2nd Divisions headquarters only performs administrative functions, the Australian Army has not deployed a divisional-sized formation since 1945 and does not expect to do so in the future. 1st Division carries out training activities and deploys to command large-scale ground operations. It does not have any combat units permanently assigned, Forces Command controls for administrative purposes all non-special-forces assets of the Australian Army. It is neither an operational nor a deployable command,1 Brigade – Multi-role Combat Brigade based in Darwin and Adelaide. 3 Brigade – Multi-role Combat Brigade based in Townsville,6 Brigade – Mixed brigade based in Sydney. 7 Brigade – Multi-role Combat Brigade based in Brisbane,16 Aviation Brigade – Army Aviation brigade based in Enoggera, Brisbane. 17 Combat Service Support Brigade – Logistic brigade based in Sydney, 2nd Division administers the reserve forces from its headquarters located in Sydney. 4 Brigade – based in Victoria,5 Brigade – based in New South Wales. 8 Brigade – based in New South Wales,9 Brigade – based in South Australia and Tasmania. 11 Brigade – based in Queensland,13 Brigade – based in Western Australia. Special Operations Command comprises a command formation of equal status to the commands in the ADF. It includes all of Armys special forces assets, the force will be known as the Amphibious Ready Element and will be embarked on the Navys new Canberra-class amphibious assault ships. Infantry, and some combat units of the Australian Army carry flags called the Queens Colour
2.
Royal Australian Artillery
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Australia’s first guns were landed from HMS Sirius and a small earthen redoubt built, near the present day Macquarie Place, to command the approaches to Sydney Cove. The deployment of these represents the origins of artillery in Australia. These and subsequent defences, as well as guns, were operated by marines. The First World War saw the raising of 60 field,20 howitzer, the Regiment today consists of Regular and Reserve units. Unlike their British and Canadian relations, there are no regiments of artillery in the order of battle of the Royal Australian Artillery. The Australian Regular Army came into being in 1947, while prior to this artillery units were predominantly militia based, the present School of Artillery is located in Puckapunyal in central Victoria and maintains modern training facilities. The School of Artillery is co-located with the Australian Armys Headquarters Combined Arms Training Centre, 53rd Battery, Royal Australian Artillery supports courses run by the School of Artillery. Major units of the Royal Australian Artillery include, 1st Regiment and its batteries are equipped with the RBS-70 Surface to Air missile, the Giraffe Agile Multi Beam radar and the AN/TPQ-48 Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar. It is attached to the 6th Brigade, 6th/13th Light Battery, Royal Australian Artillery – This battery is attached to 9th Brigade, and is based at Launceston in Tasmania and Keswick in South Australia. It is equipped with the F2 81mm Mortar,28 Troop Dee Why 113 Troop Adamstown 23 Light Battery, Royal Australian Artillery – This is a single battery attached to 5th Brigade at Kogarah in New South Wales. It is equipped with the F2 81mm mortar, 5/11th Light Battery, Royal Australian Artillery – This a single battery attached to the 11th Brigade. Equipped with the F2 81mm mortar, the RAA applies the latest technologies to maximise the effectiveness of the extant fleet of towed guns. The RAA is further studying options to upgrade and update ammunition and fuzes to be used with the present, phase 1A has seen the selection of the towed gun replacement, the US M777155 mm Lightweight Medium Howitzer, over the Singaporean Pegasus alternative. Phase 1C was cancelled in May 2012 after down-selection to two self-propelled gun candidates, the German PzH2000, and South Korean K9 Thunder, land 17 does not allow for the purchase of new guns in sufficient quantity to re-equip the Army Reserve. Army Reserve Artillery Batteries have been re-equipped with 81mm Mortars, ground Based Air Defence has recently been equipped with additional RBS-70 systems and a significant upgrade of radar and monitoring systems. This project is forecast to meet the Armys needs until 2015 where future forecast planning calls for a significant upgrade of the longer ranging air defence capability from 2018. Recently, a new regiment,20 Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, has raised for the operation of UAVs to be used in both the reconnaissance and attack roles. The new regiment incorporates the former independent 131 Surveillance and Target Acquisition Battery, the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery is the only Regiment of Artillery of the nations of the British Commonwealth to have been presented with The Banner of Queen Elizabeth II
3.
1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
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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 II and it is currently re-equipping with M777A2 lightweight towed howitzers. The 1st Field Regiment was formed in 1914 following the outbreak of World War I, the Brigade saw action both on the Gallipoli Peninsula and in France. On cessation of hostilities in 1918, the 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade returned to Australia where it was disbanded in 1919, the Regiment saw action in North Africa supporting the 6th Australian Division between 21 December 1940 and 23 March 1941. The Regiment served with distinction in the battles for Bardia, Tobruk, on 5 February 1941, the Regiment captured the town of Barce using only the accurate and timely application of Artillery fire. The 1st Field Regiments barracks located at Enoggera is named Barce Lines to commemorate this victory, the Regiment served two tours in New Guinea. The first was 15 September 1942 to 13 August 1943, where the Regiment expanded existing doctrine for the deployment of artillery by deploying guns into forward areas by air. The Regiment returned to New Guinea on 4 January 1945 to support operations in the Wewak areas and was in occupation of areas when the war ended on 15 August 1945. The last of the Regiment returned to Australia in January 1946 and was disbanded several weeks later as part of the post war demobilisation, 1st Field Regiment was raised on 25 May 1949 at North Head, Sydney. At that time it was the regular artillery regiment. On the eve of the Vietnam War the Regiment consisted of 101st Field Battery and 105th Field Battery, in April 1965 the decision was taken to deploy the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment to Vietnam. This resulted in an expansion of artillery regiments by the addition of a field battery. 1st Field Regiments order of battle for deployment to Vietnam was 101st Field Battery, 105th Field Battery, 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and Headquarters Battery. 1 RAR deployed to Vietnam in May 1965 with fire support provided by 161 RNZA, however. In addition, six 155 mm M109 self-propelled howitzers from A Battery, in September 1966, 105th Field Battery was replaced by 101st Field Battery and returned to Australia. In May 1967, the Regiment completed its first tour of duty in Vietnam and was replaced by 4th Field Regiment, the Regiment, rejoined by 105th Field Battery, relocated to Sanananda Barracks, Wacol. The 103rd Field Battery was re-roled as a battery and moved to 12th Medium Regiment. In February 1969, 105th Field Battery returned to Vietnam for a tour of duty to be followed by the remainder of the Regiment a month later
4.
Egypt
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Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is a Mediterranean country bordered by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east, the Red Sea to the east and south, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. Across the Gulf of Aqaba lies Jordan, and across from the Sinai Peninsula lies Saudi Arabia, although Jordan and it is the worlds only contiguous Afrasian nation. Egypt has among the longest histories of any country, emerging as one of the worlds first nation states in the tenth millennium BC. Considered a cradle of civilisation, Ancient Egypt experienced some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanisation, organised religion and central government. One of the earliest centres of Christianity, Egypt was Islamised in the century and remains a predominantly Muslim country. With over 92 million inhabitants, Egypt is the most populous country in North Africa and the Arab world, the third-most populous in Africa, and the fifteenth-most populous in the world. The great majority of its people live near the banks of the Nile River, an area of about 40,000 square kilometres, the large regions of the Sahara desert, which constitute most of Egypts territory, are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypts residents live in areas, with most spread across the densely populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria. Modern Egypt is considered to be a regional and middle power, with significant cultural, political, and military influence in North Africa, the Middle East and the Muslim world. Egypts economy is one of the largest and most diversified in the Middle East, Egypt is a member of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Arab League, African Union, and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Miṣr is the Classical Quranic Arabic and modern name of Egypt. The name is of Semitic origin, directly cognate with other Semitic words for Egypt such as the Hebrew מִצְרַיִם, the oldest attestation of this name for Egypt is the Akkadian
5.
First Australian Imperial Force
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The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed on 15 August 1914, following Britains declaration of war on Germany, initially with a strength of one infantry division and one light horse brigade. The infantry division fought at Gallipoli between April and December 1915, being reinforced by a second division which was later raised. After being evacuated to Egypt the AIF was expanded to five infantry divisions, a sixth infantry division was partially raised in 1917 in the United Kingdom, but was broken up and used as reinforcements following heavy casualties on the Western Front. Meanwhile, two mounted divisions remained in the Middle East to fight against Turkish forces in the Sinai and Palestine. An all volunteer force, by the end of the war the AIF had gained a reputation as being a well-trained and highly effective military force, however, this reputation came at a heavy cost with a casualty rate among the highest of any belligerent for the war. After the war, the AFC evolved into the Royal Australian Air Force, after the war the achievements of the AIF and its soldiers, known colloquially as Diggers, became central to the national mythology of the Anzac legend. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is referred to as the 1st AIF to it distinguish from the Second Australian Imperial Force raised during World War II. At the start of the war, Australias military forces were focused upon the part-time Militia, the small number of regular personnel were mostly artillerymen or engineers, and were generally assigned to the task of coastal defence. The Australian government pledged to supply 20,000 men organised as one division and one light horse brigade plus supporting units. Officially coming into being on 15 August 1914, the word imperial was chosen to reflect the duty of Australians to both nation and empire, the AIF was initially intended for service in Europe. Meanwhile, a separate 2, 000-man force—known as the Australian Naval, in addition, small military forces were maintained in Australia to defend the country from attack. Upon formation, the AIF consisted of one infantry division, the 1st Division. The 1st Light Horse Brigade was commanded by Colonel Harry Chauvel, the initial response for recruits was so good that in September 1914 the decision was made to raise the 4th Infantry Brigade and 2nd and 3rd Light Horse Brigades. The 4th Infantry Brigade was commanded by Colonel John Monash, a prominent Melbourne civil engineer, the AIF continued to grow through the war, eventually numbering five infantry divisions, two mounted divisions and a mixture of other units. As the AIF operated within the British war effort, its units were organised along the same lines as comparable British Army formations. However, there were small differences between the structures of British and Australian units, especially in regards to the AIF infantry divisions support units. Hastily deployed, the first contingent of AIF was essentially untrained and suffered from widespread equipment shortages, in early 1915 the AIF was largely an inexperienced force, with only a small percentage of its members having previous combat experience
6.
QF 4.5-inch howitzer
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The Ordnance QF4. 5-inch howitzer was the standard British Empire field howitzer of the First World War era. It replaced the BL 5-inch howitzer and equipped some 25% of the field artillery and it entered service in 1910 and remained in service through the interwar period and was last used in the field by British forces in early 1942. It was generally horse drawn until mechanisation in the 1930s, the QF4. 5-inch howitzer was used by British and Commonwealth forces in most theatres, by Russia and by British troops in Russia in 1919. Its calibre and hence shell weight were greater than those of the equivalent German field howitzer, in the Second World War it equipped some units of the BEF and British, Australian, New Zealand and South African batteries in East Africa and the Middle and Far East. During the Second Boer War the British government realised its field artillery was being overtaken by the more modern quick firing guns, the Krupp field howitzers used by the Boers had particularly impressed the British. The usefulness of field howitzers and the need for them to part of an infantry division’s artillery were reinforced by reports from the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. The committee was chaired by General Sir George Marshall, who had been commander in South Africa. It formed in January 1901 with wide ranging terms of reference concerning artillery equipment from guns and howitzers to harness design, the committee swiftly established requirements and invited proposals from British gun makers. None were satisfactory, and all compared poorly with a captured Krupp 12 cm howitzer, a purchase of Krupp howitzers was discussed, including visits to Essen. However, by 1905, the committee was sufficiently satisfied to recommend the production of trial equipments from ordnance factories, Armstrong, Vickers, testing in 1906 showed the Coventry design was by far the most satisfactory and a battery’s worth were ordered for trials. In 1908, after trials, the 4. 5-inch howitzer was recommended for service, the 4. 5-inch howitzer was used on most fronts during the First World War. On the Western Front its normal scale was one battery to three batteries of 18-pounders. Initially 4. 5-inch howitzers equipped a howitzer brigade of the Royal Field Artillery in each infantry division, in the original British Expeditionary Force in 1914 this brigade had three batteries each with six howitzers. Subsequent batteries had four howitzers. This organisation continued between the wars, the weapon remained in service during the inter-war period and was used in various campaigns. Apart from changes to ammunition the howitzer itself remained unchanged except for modifications to enable mechanisation. They were used in the Middle and Far East theatres as well as for training and were replaced by the 25-pounder. QF stands for quick firing, a British term for ordnance that fires ammunition with a cartridge case containing the propellant charge
7.
Royal Field Artillery
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The Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as an entity from the Royal Artillery on 1 July 1899. The Royal Field Artillery was the largest arm of the artillery and it was responsible for the medium calibre guns and howitzers deployed close to the front line and was reasonably mobile. It was organised into brigades, attached to divisions or higher formations, ernest Wright Alexander, Victoria Cross recipient. Colin Gubbins, prime mover of the Special Operations Executive, arthur G. Hobbs, driver, Distinguished Conduct Medal recipient. Donald McLeod, represented Scotland at football Cecil Patteson Nickalls, D. S. O. was a polo player who took his own life with a gun on April 7,1925. Herbert George Robinson, was a Bombardier, Distinguished Conduct Medal recipient, alfred William Saunders, World War I flying ace. Garth Neville Walford, Victoria Cross recipient, francis Wallington, first recipient of the Military Cross four times. Norman Manley, first Premier of Jamaica, serving from 14 August 1959 to 29 April 1962 Carman, British Artillery 1914–19 Field Army Artillery. Volume 94 of New Vanguard Series, a List of the formation, attachments and history of each Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery
8.
Battle of the Somme
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The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British and French empires against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916 on both sides of the reaches of the River Somme in France. The battle was intended to hasten a victory for the Allies and was the largest battle of the First World War on the Western Front, more than one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history. The French and British had committed themselves to an offensive on the Somme during Allied discussions at Chantilly, Oise, in December 1915. Initial plans called for the French army to undertake the main part of the Somme offensive, the first day on the Somme was, in terms of casualties, also the worst day in the history of the British army, which suffered 57,470 casualties. These occurred mainly on the front between the Albert–Bapaume road and Gommecourt, where the attack was defeated and few British troops reached the German front line, the battle is notable for the importance of air power and the first use of the tank. At the end of the battle, British and French forces had penetrated 10 km into German-occupied territory, the Anglo-French armies failed to capture Péronne and halted 5 km from Bapaume, where the German armies maintained their positions over the winter. Debate continues over the necessity, significance and effect of the battle, David Frum opined that a century later, the Somme remains the most harrowing place-name in the history of the British Empire. Allied war strategy for 1916 was decided at the Chantilly Conference from 6–8 December 1915, in December 1915, General Sir Douglas Haig replaced Field Marshal Sir John French as Commander-in-Chief of the BEF. Haig favoured a British offensive in Flanders close to BEF supply routes, to drive the Germans from the Belgian coast, Haig was not formally subordinate to Marshal Joseph Joffre but the British played a lesser role on the Western Front and complied with French strategy. A week later the Germans began an offensive against the French at Verdun, by 31 May, the ambitious Franco-British plan for a decisive victory, had been reduced to a limited offensive to relieve pressure on the French at Verdun with a battle of attrition on the Somme. The Chief of the German General Staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, intended to end the war by splitting the Anglo-French Entente in 1916, Falkenhayn chose to attack towards Verdun to take the Meuse heights and make Verdun untenable. The British would then have to begin a hasty relief offensive, Falkenhayn expected the relief offensive to fall south of Arras against the Sixth Army and be destroyed. If such Franco-British defeats were not enough, Germany would attack the remnants of armies and end the western alliance for good. Eloi, south of Ypres and reduced the German counter-offensive strategy north of the Somme, to one of passive, the Battle of Verdun began a week after Joffre and Haig agreed to mount an offensive on the Somme. The battle changed the nature of the offensive on the Somme, as French divisions were diverted to Verdun, German overestimation of the cost of Verdun to the French contributed to the concentration of German infantry and guns on the north bank of the Somme. The German offensive at Verdun was suspended in July, and troops, guns, the Brusilov Offensive, absorbed the extra forces that had been requested on 2 June by Fritz von Below, commanding the German Second Army, for a spoiling attack on the Somme. During the offensive the Russians inflicted c. 1,500,000 losses including c. 407,000 prisoners, three divisions were ordered from France to the Eastern Front on 9 June and the spoiling attack on the Somme was abandoned
9.
Western Front (World War I)
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The Western Front or Western Theater was the main theatre of war during World War I. Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by invading Luxembourg and Belgium, the tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne. Following the Race to the Sea, both sides dug in along a line of fortified trenches, stretching from the North Sea to the Swiss frontier with France. This line remained unchanged for most of the war. Between 1915 and 1917 there were several major offensives along this front, the attacks employed massive artillery bombardments and massed infantry advances. However, a combination of entrenchments, machine gun emplacements, barbed wire, as a result, no significant advances were made. In an effort to break the deadlock, this front saw the introduction of new technology, including poison gas, aircraft. But it was only after the adoption of improved tactics that some degree of mobility was restored, the German Armys Spring Offensive of 1918 was made possible by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk that marked the end of the conflict on the Eastern Front. In spite of the stagnant nature of this front, this theatre would prove decisive. The terms of peace were agreed upon with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, belgiums neutrality was guaranteed by Britain under the 1839 Treaty of London, this caused Britain to join the war at the expiration of its ultimatum at 11 pm GMT on 4 August. Armies under German generals Alexander von Kluck and Karl von Bülow attacked Belgium on 4 August 1914, Luxembourg had been occupied without opposition on 2 August. The first battle in Belgium was the Siege of Liège, which lasted from 5–16 August, Liège was well fortified and surprised the German Army under von Bülow with its level of resistance. German heavy artillery was able to demolish the main forts within a few days. Following the fall of Liège, most of the Belgian field army retreated to Antwerp, leaving the garrison of Namur isolated, with the Belgian capital, Brussels, although the German army bypassed Antwerp, it remained a threat to their flank. Another siege followed at Namur, lasting from about 20–23 August, for their part, the French had five armies deployed on their borders. The pre-war French offensive plan, Plan XVII, was intended to capture Alsace-Lorraine following the outbreak of hostilities, on 7 August the VII Corps attacked Alsace with its objectives being to capture Mulhouse and Colmar. The main offensive was launched on 14 August with 1st and 2nd Armies attacking toward Sarrebourg-Morhange in Lorraine, in keeping with the Schlieffen Plan, the Germans withdrew slowly while inflicting severe losses upon the French. The French advanced the 3rd and 4th Armies toward the Saar River and attempted to capture Saarburg, attacking Briey and Neufchateau, before being driven back
10.
Battle of Passchendaele
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The Battle of Passchendaele was a major campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies against the German Empire. Passchendaele lay on the last ridge east of Ypres,5 miles from a junction at Roulers. The next stage of the Allied plan was an advance to Thourout–Couckelaere, to close the German-controlled railway running through Roulers, further operations and a British supporting attack along the Belgian coast from Nieuwpoort, combined with Operation Hush, were to have reached Bruges and then the Dutch frontier. The campaign ended in November, when the Canadian Corps captured Passchendaele, apart from attacks in December. In 1918, the Battle of the Lys and the Fifth Battle of Ypres were fought before the Allies occupied the Belgian coast, a campaign in Flanders was controversial in 1917 and has remained so. The British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, opposed the offensive, field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, commanding the British Expeditionary Force, did not receive approval for the Flanders operation from the War Cabinet until 25 July. Belgian independence had been recognised in the Treaty of London which created a sovereign, the German invasion of Belgium on 4 August 1914, in violation of Article VII of the treaty, was the reason given by the British government for declaring war on Germany. British military operations in Belgium began with the arrival of the British Expeditionary Force at Mons on 22 August. On 10 October, Lieutenant-General Erich von Falkenhayn, the Chief of the German General Staff, ordered an attack towards Dunkirk and Calais, followed by a turn south to gain a decisive victory. On 16 October, the Belgians and some French reinforcements began the defence of western Belgium, when the offensive failed, Falkenhayn ordered the capture of Ypres to gain a local advantage. By 18 November, the First Battle of Ypres ended in failure, large British offensive operations in Flanders were not possible in 1915, due to the consequent lack of resources. The Germans conducted their own Flanders offensive at the Second Battle of Ypres, Sir Douglas Haig succeeded Sir John French as Commander-in-Chief of the BEF on 19 December 1915. A week after his appointment, Haig met Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon, Haig preferred an advance from Ypres, to bypass the flooded area around the Yser and the coast, before a coastal attack was attempted, to clear the coast to the Dutch border. Other operations were begun by the British to regain territory or to evict the Germans from ground overlooking their positions, engagements took place on 12 February at Boesinghe and on 14 February at Hooge and Sanctuary Wood. There were actions from 14–15 February and 1–4 March at The Bluff,27 March –16 April at the St. Eloi Craters, in January 1917, the Second Army held the line in Flanders from Laventie to Boesinghe with eleven divisions and up to two in reserve. There was much trench mortaring, mining and raiding by both sides and from January to May, the Second Army had 20,000 casualties. In May, reinforcements began moving to Flanders from the south, in January 1916, General Herbert Plumer, the Second Army commander, began to plan offensives against Messines Ridge, Lille and Houthulst Forest. General Henry Rawlinson was also ordered to plan an attack from the Ypres Salient on 4 February, planning continued but the Battle of Verdun, at meetings in November 1916, Haig, the French commander-in-chief Joseph Joffre and the other Allies met at Chantilly
11.
Battle of St Quentin Canal
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American forces were ordered to attack on 27 September, to finish clearing German forces from outposts in front of the line. However, due to a shortage of American officers, the attack was unsuccessful, as a consequence 200 Australian Officers were then assigned to the US troops to provide both experience and leadership. The British high command had realised that any success against the formidable defences of the Hindenburg Line could only be achieved with the use of tanks. The US divisions launched the attack, with the Australian 3rd. The 30th Infantry Division broke through the Hindenburg Line on 29 September 1918 at Bellicourt winning the praise of General Pershing, the 30th Division did especially well. It broke through the Hindenburg Line on its front and took Bellicourt and part of Nauroy by noon of the 29th. The British 46th Division crossed the St Quentin Canal, capturing 4,200 German prisoners, while the attack succeeded in widening the breach in the Beaurevoir Line, it was unable to seize the high ground further on. However, by 2 October, the attack had resulted in a 17 km breach in the Hindenburg Line, by any measure, and especially by World War I standards, it was a stunning and swift victory. Crows Nest, New South Wales, Allen & Unwin, military History Encyclopedia on the Web – Battle of Cambrai-St. Bean, Volume VI – The Australian Imperial Force in France during the Allied Offensive,1918
12.
2nd Division (Australia)
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The 2nd Division commands all the reserve brigades in Australia. These are the 4th in Victoria, the 5th and 8th in New South Wales, the 9th in South Australia and Tasmania, the 11th in Queensland, the division is also responsible for the security of Australias northern borders through its Regional Force Surveillance Units. The division was first formed in 1915 during World War I as part of the First Australian Imperial Force, apart from a period from 1960 to 1965, the division has existed in one form or another. The Australian 2nd Division was formed from training in Egypt on 10 July 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force to fight in World War I. It fought at Gallipoli during the stages of the campaign. After the war ended and the AIF was demobilised, the 2nd Division name was revived and assigned to a Citizens Military Forces unit. The Australian 2nd Division was formed in July 1915 from a collection of brigades that had been raised independently in Australia, the 2nd Division held a quiet stretch of the original line, and only a part of the Division saw serious fighting during around Hill 60 on 22 August. The 2nd Division was evacuated from the peninsula in December, returning to Egypt, the 2nd Division started to arrive in France in March 1916, and was initially sent to a quiet sector south of Armentières to acclimatise to the Western Front conditions. Due to the casualties sustained by the Australian 1st Divisions attack at Pozières on 23 July, continuing the attack started by the 1st Division, the 2nd Division attacked on 29 July. However, due to the preparation, the division sustained approximately 3,500 casualties for little gain. The 2nd Division attacked again on 4 August, capturing the OG2 trench line, alarmed by the loss of the defences, the Germans initiated a severe, sustained artillery bombardment. The position of the Australian salient, meant that the soldiers were receive artillery fire from the rear – from German batteries near Thiepval. After 12 days on the front line and sustaining 6,846 casualties, after a brief rest – during which the division was built up to two-thirds strength – the 2nd Division again relieved the Australian 1st Division from its position beyond Pozières on 22 August. These counterattacks succeeded in forcing the 2nd Division back from Mouquet Farm, after sustaining another 1,268 casualties, the 2nd Division was relieved by the Australian 4th Division on 26 August. On 5 September, I Anzac was withdrawn from the Somme, the division anticipated spending winter quarters in Flanders but was recalled to the Somme for the final stages of the British offensive. This time they joined the British Fourth Army, holding a sector south of Pozières near the village of Flers, while part of the German trenches were captured and held, the exhausted soldiers were ejected from their gains a few days later. The 7th Brigade attacked again on 14 November, but were partially successful in capturing parts of the Gird and Gird Support trenches immediately to the north of The Maze. However, a German counterattack on 16 November succeeded in recapturing all of the trenches captured by the 2nd Division, in January, Legge fell ill and was replaced by Brigadier-General Nevill Maskelyne Smyth VC
13.
South Vietnam
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South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam, was a state governing the southern half of Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. It received international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam, the term South Vietnam became common usage in 1954, when the Geneva Conference provisionally partitioned Vietnam into communist and non-communist parts. The Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed on 26 October 1955, with Ngô Đình Diệm as its first president and its sovereignty was recognized by the United States and eighty-seven other nations. It had membership in several committees of the United Nations. After the Second World War, the Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, in 1949, anti-communist Vietnamese politicians formed a rival government in Saigon led by former emperor Bảo Đại. Bảo Đại was deposed by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm in 1955, after Diệm was killed in a military coup led by general Dương Văn Minh in 1963, there was a series of short-lived military governments. General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu led the country from 1967 until 1975, the Vietnam War began in 1959 with an uprising by Viet Cong forces armed and controlled by Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Fighting reached a climax during the Tet Offensive of 1968, when there were over 1.5 million South Vietnamese soldiers and 500,000 U. S. soldiers in South Vietnam. Despite a peace treaty concluded in January 1973, fighting continued until the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong armies overran Saigon on 30 April 1975, the creation of this republic, during the Indochina War, allowed France to evade a promise to recognise Vietnam as independent. This pre-Vietnam government prepared for a unified Vietnamese state, but the countrys full reunification was delayed for a year because of the problems posed by Cochinchinas legal status, Nguyễn Văn Xuân 1949–55 State of Vietnam. Roughly 60% of Vietnamese territory was controlled by the communist Việt Minh. Vietnam was partitioned at the 17th parallel in 1954, once highly lauded by America, he was ousted and assassinated in a U. S. -backed coup. In 1963–65, there were numerous coups and short-lived governments, several of which were headed by Dương Văn Minh or Nguyễn Khánh, Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ was the top leader in 1965–67. Surrendered to Communists when others abandoned their posts, 1975–76 Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. Huỳnh Tấn Phát Before World War II, the third of Vietnam was the concession of Cochinchina. Between Tonkin in the north and Cochinchina in the south was the protectorate of Annam, Cochinchina had been annexed by France in 1862 and even elected a deputy to the French National Assembly. It was more evolved, and French interests were stronger than in parts of Indochina. During World War II, Indochina was administered by Vichy France, japanese troops overthrew the French administration on 9 March 1945, Emperor Bảo Đại proclaimed Vietnam independent
14.
4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
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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, on 18 January 1952, a Royal Australian Regiment Depot was raised as a training unit for special establishment on the Order of Battle. The depot was later renamed 4 RAR on 10 March 1952 and this renaming was necessary because government approval had been given to raise a battalion and not a Depot. The primary function of 4 RAR at the time was to train, on 24 March 1960, the unit was incorporated into the School of Infantry as Depot Company, Royal Australian Regiment. The two units comprised resulted in the formation of the Infantry Centre, the political decision to raise the fourth battalion of The Royal Australian Regiment was made in 1963. Consequently, instructions for the raising of the battalion were issued on 13 January 1964, the official raising of 4 RAR on 1 February 1964 was the first time a regular infantry battalion had been raised on Australian soil. Additionally, it was stated that this battalion was a new battalion, after a period of training the battalion deployed to Sarawak in April 1966 where it was to operate from four company bases in the Bau area. By this time the war was winding down as peace negotiations had begun between Malaysia and Indonesia, like 3 RAR,4 RAR conducted cross-border operations and clashed with Indonesian forces on a number of occasions. Its tour was less eventful, however, and the battalion operated in Malaysian territory where it ambushed tracks leading from the border with Indonesia. Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to a treaty on 11 August and 4 RAR. The battalion returned to Camp Terendak on 30 August having suffered five fatalities in Borneo, upon its return to Australia in 1967 the battalion began training for service during the Vietnam War. The battalion began its first tour of Vietnam on 1 June 1968, from 23 June the battalion took part in Operation Toan Thang II on the Bien Hoa-Long Binh border, before conducting patrols through Phuoc Tuy.4 RAR/NZ returned to Nui Dat on 24 September. The battalion was given a respite at Nui Dat from 13 January to 7 February. Operation Overlander commenced in the Bien Hoa province on 8 April and it was subsequently replaced by 6RAR on 1 May and departed for Australia on 19 May. Total casualties during the deployment included 19 killed and 97 wounded,4 RAR subsequently underwent a period of further training in Australia, and subsequently returned to Vietnam for its second tour in May 1971, again relieving 2 RAR. The New Zealanders from Victor Company RNZIR were again integrated into the battalion with the battalion being redsignated 4 RAR/NZ, the battalion became involved in intense fighting and although it sustained heavy casualties during these engagements, it successfully hindered communist attempts to move south. Its final involvement came during the Battle of Nui Le on 21 September 1971, the battalions tour was cut short by the Australian withdrawal, however, and it ultimately completed only eight months of its designated twelve-month tour. The last Australian battalion to leave Vietnam, the majority of 4 RAR/NZ withdrew from Nui Dat to Vung Tau on 7 November 1971, Victor Company, RNZIR departed the following day, on 9 December
15.
Holsworthy Barracks
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Holsworthy Barracks is located in the outer south-western Sydney suburb of Holsworthy. It is part of the Holsworthy military reserve, which has been a training area, following World War II it became a major base for the permanent component of the Australian Army in New South Wales. The base is home to 142 Signal Squadron, 2nd Commando Regiment, 6th Aviation Regiment. A number of training units and the Defence Force Correctional Establishment are also located at Holsworthy, the men were connected with the Somali-based terrorist group al-Shabaab. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd later announced that the government had ordered a review of security at all military bases. On 6 August 2009, a Daily Telegraph reporter and photographer were charged with taking a photograph of a defence installation after being granted entry to the military base, in December 2011 three of the terror plotters were sentenced to 18 years in prison. List of airports in Greater Sydney List of airports in New South Wales Holsworthy Barracks – A National Service History of Gallipoli and Kokoda Lines 1951–1972
16.
Townsville
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Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. It is in the dry region of Queensland, adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef. Townsville is Australias largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, such indigenous groups as the Wulgurukaba, Bindal, Girrugubba, Warakamai and Nawagi, among others, originally inhabited the Townsville area. The Wulgurukaba claim to be the owner of the Townsville city area. James Cook visited the Townsville region on his first voyage to Australia in 1770, Cook named nearby Cape Cleveland, Cleveland Bay and Magnetic Island. In 1819, Captain Phillip Parker King and botanist Alan Cunningham were the first Europeans to record a local landing. In 1846, James Morrill was shipwrecked from the Peruvian, living in the Townsville area among the Bindal people for 17 years before being found by white men and returned to Brisbane. The Burdekin Rivers seasonal flooding made the establishment of a north of the river essential to the nascent inland cattle industry. Balls party reached the Ross Creek in April 1864 and established a camp below the spur of Melton Hill. The first party of settlers, led by W. A. Ross, in 1866 Robert Towns visited for three days, his first and only visit. He agreed to provide ongoing assistance to the new settlement. Townsville was declared a municipality in February 1866, with John Melton Black elected as its first Mayor, Townsville developed rapidly as the major port and service centre for the Cape River, Gilbert, Ravenswood, Etheridge and Charters Towers goldfields. Regional pastoral and sugar industries also expanded and flourished, Townsvilles population was 4,000 people in 1882 and grew to 13,000 by 1891. With Brisbane, in 1902 Townsville was proclaimed a City under the Local Authorities Act, the foundation stone of the Townsville Cenotaph was laid in Strand Park on 19 July 1923. It was unveiled on 25 April 1924 by the Queensland Governor, the rural land surrounding the city was initially managed by the Thuringowa Road Board, which eventually became the Shire of Thuringowa. The shire ceded land several times to support Townsvilles expansion, in 1986 the Shire became incorporated as a city, governed by the Thuringowa City Council. The cities of Townsville and Thuringowa were amalgamated into the new Townsville City Council in March 2008, with the introduction of the White Australia policy, the demand for Japanese workers decreased, causing the consulate to finally close in 1908. During World War II, the city was host to more than 50,000 American and Australian troops and air crew, a large United States Armed Forces contingent supported the war effort from seven airfields and other bases around the city and in the region
17.
Vietnam
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Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. With an estimated 92.7 million inhabitants as of 2016, it is the worlds 14th-most-populous country, and its capital city has been Hanoi since the reunification of North and South Vietnam in 1976, with Ho Chi Minh City as a historical city as well. The northern part of Vietnam was part of Imperial China for over a millennium, an independent Vietnamese state was formed in 939, following a Vietnamese victory in the Battle of Bạch Đằng River. Following a Japanese occupation in the 1940s, the Vietnamese fought French rule in the First Indochina War, thereafter, Vietnam was divided politically into two rival states, North Vietnam, and South Vietnam. Conflict between the two sides intensified in what is known as the Vietnam War, the war ended with a North Vietnamese victory in 1975. Vietnam was then unified under a communist government but remained impoverished, in 1986, the government initiated a series of economic and political reforms which began Vietnams path towards integration into the world economy. By 2000, it had established relations with all nations. Since 2000, Vietnams economic growth rate has been among the highest in the world and its successful economic reforms resulted in its joining the World Trade Organization in 2007. It is also a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Vietnam remains one of the worlds four remaining one-party socialist states officially espousing communism. The name Việt Nam is a variation of Nam Việt, a name that can be traced back to the Triệu Dynasty of the 2nd century BC. The word Việt originated as a form of Bách Việt. The form Vietnam is first recorded in the 16th-century oracular poem Sấm Trạng Trình, the name has also been found on 12 steles carved in the 16th and 17th centuries, including one at Bao Lam Pagoda in Haiphong that dates to 1558. Then, as recorded, rewarded Yuenan/Vietnam as their nations name, to also show that they are below the region of Baiyue/Bach Viet. Between 1804 and 1813, the name was used officially by Emperor Gia Long and it was revived in the early 20th century by Phan Bội Châus History of the Loss of Vietnam, and later by the Vietnamese Nationalist Party. The country was usually called Annam until 1945, when both the government in Huế and the Viet Minh government in Hanoi adopted Việt Nam. Archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of humans in what is now Vietnam as early as the Paleolithic age, Homo erectus fossils dating to around 500,000 BC have been found in caves in Lạng Sơn and Nghệ An provinces in northern Vietnam. The oldest Homo sapiens fossils from mainland Southeast Asia are of Middle Pleistocene provenance, teeth attributed to Homo sapiens from the Late Pleistocene have also been found at Dong Can, and from the Early Holocene at Mai Da Dieu, Lang Gao and Lang Cuom. The Hồng Bàng dynasty of the Hùng kings is considered the first Vietnamese state, in 257 BC, the last Hùng king was defeated by Thục Phán, who consolidated the Lạc Việt and Âu Việt tribes to form the Âu Lạc, proclaiming himself An Dương Vương
18.
Ingleburn, New South Wales
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Ingleburn is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 44 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of City of Campbelltown. It is part of the Macarthur region, Ingleburn is located approximately halfway between the two commercial centres of Liverpool and Cambelltown. The land in the Ingleburn area was inhabited by the Tharawal people prior to the arrival of settlers from the First Fleet in 1788. The first land grants in the area were made in 1809 to William Hall, William Neale, Joshua Alliot and Timothy Loughlin, as such, the area became known as Soldier Flat. In 1869, a platform was built on the old Neale grant. However, in 1881 the Macquarie Fields estate subdivided to become the new village of Macquarie Fields, the fact that the station was a long way from the village caused confusion so a new name was sought for the station and Ingleburn was chosen in 1883. One theory has it was named after a house formerly owned by Mary Ruse. Other records indicate it was named after a British town although the town hasnt been identified. Ingleburn is Scottish for bend in the river, referring to the significant bend in the nearby Georges River, the village of Ingleburn was established in 1885 when the land owned by a developer called FitzStubbs was subdivided. A public school was opened in 1887, Ingleburn Post Office opened on 15 November 1886. By 1896, the town was large enough to have its own municipal council, town improvements such as street lights and water did not arrive until after World War I. In 1948 the Council was merged with the City of Campbelltown Council, in 1969, a large area west of the railway line was rezoned to become an industrial estate. Protests from local saw the plan halted temporarily but within ten years. More housing subdivisions were made on the outskirts of town in the 1970s including Housing Commission developments, Ingleburn is the home of television playout centre MediaHub, a facility established through a joint partnership with WIN Television and ABC Television. Apart from the two networks, it also houses HD-ready playout for Prime7, Imparja Television, and Fox International channels, Ingleburn is home to the heritage-listed Ingleburn railway station. The station is serviced by the Airport, Inner West & South Line, bus services to and from Ingleburn are provided by Interline bus service. Ingleburn has many themes for the naming of streets, Ingleburn North Public School Ingleburn Public School Ingleburn High School Sackville Street Public School Holy Family Primary School. Milton Park, shared by the boundaries of Ingleburn and Macquarie Fields is a venue for football and softball teams
19.
8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
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The 8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, was formed at the Holsworthy Barracks on 16 November 1973 through the amalgamation of the 8th Medium Regiment and the 12th Field Regiment. The Regiment provides field artillery support to the 1st Brigade based in Darwin and it is currently equipped with 155mm M777 Howitzers. The 12th Field Regiment had been reformed at Holsworthy in April 1966, before relocating to Darwin, the regiment was stationed in Townsville and Ingleburn. The three of the regiments current Gun batteries reflect their formation in Egypt as part of the First Australian Imperial Force 21st Field Artillery Brigade, the 101 and 103 Batteries, including the 102 Battery, served in France, also as part of the 1st Division. Although disbanded after the war, in the early 1920s, the Battery was reformed as a unit in the Newcastle area. In 1957, it was established again as the 101st Field Battery, at the Holsworthy Barracks and it served in Malaya, and was deployed twice to South Vietnam. It relocated to Wacol in 1970 before moving again to Enoggera in 1982 to rejoin the 1st Field Regiment, the 102nd Field Battery was formed in 1957 at Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney, as part of the 1st Field Regiment. The battery served during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation between May and August 1965, while in Malaysia, the battery provided fire support during the Kesang River incursion by Indonesian forces. On 18 April 1966, the battery was transferred to the 12th Field Regiment with the 104th Field Battery, arriving in Vietnam as part of Australias commitment to the Vietnam War in March 1968, replacing the 106th Field Battery and was equipped with the 105mm M2A2 Howitzer. The 102nd Field Battery was replaced in February 1969, and returned to Australia. During its tour of duty, the battery had been positioned at 30 different Fire Support Bases, fired 60,000 rounds, on 1 January 2011, the battery was re-raised as 102nd Coral Battery. It is currently based in Darwin as part of 8th/12th Regiment, on 6 March 1916, the Battery was created as part of the Australian Army contingent before departing for France as part of the 12th Howitzer Brigade. Before the Second World War, the Battery was absorbed into the Field Batteries of the 3rd Field Regiment, the battery was reformed as the 103rd Anti-Aircraft Battery from 1954 to 1957, it was stationed at Middle Head Barracks, Sydney, as part of 1 Field Regiment. During 1960 to 1967, it changed again to the 103rd Field Battery, as part of the new Regular 4th Field Regiment stationed at Wacol. During its first tour in Vietnam, the Battery fired 28,468 rounds in support of allied troops, however, this non-combat role ended on 16 April 1968 when the battery joined the 19th Composite Regiment, located at Kokoda Barracks. On 4 August 1969, the 19th Composite Regiment was renamed as the 8th Medium Regiment, during the Vietnam War, the 104th Field Battery also served with the 12th Field Regiment – to which the 161st Field Battery RNZA was also attached. The Regiment was a creation of the reorganisation of the Australian Army as a result of the Vietnam War experience, consequently, it was issued with six M2A2105 mm guns as well as six 5. 5-inch guns. As part of the 1980s restructuring, the 131st Divisional Locating Battery became an independent battery for divisional assignment at Enoggera Army Camp in Brisbane, the 102nd Field Battery was redesignated as the 102nd Medium Battery, and then disbanded in 1987
20.
Sydney Hilton Hotel bombing
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The Sydney Hilton bombing occurred on 13 February 1978, when a bomb exploded outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The bomb was planted in a bin and exploded when the bin was emptied into a garbage truck outside the hotel at 1,40 a. m. It killed two garbage collectors, Alec Carter and William Favell, a police officer guarding the entrance to the hotel lounge, Paul Birmistriw, died later. Twelve foreign leaders were staying in the hotel at the time, Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser immediately called out the Australian Army for the remainder of the CHOGRM meeting. The Hilton case has been controversial due to allegations that Australian security forces, such as the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. This led to the New South Wales parliament unanimously calling for the Commonwealth to hold an inquiry in 1991 and 1995, the federal government refused to hold an inquiry. In June 1978, members of the Ananda Marga organisation were implicated by an informant, Richard John Seary. A member of Ananda Marga, Evan Pederick, claimed in 1989 that he had carried out the Hilton bombing on the orders of another member, both men were given prison sentences, but Anderson was acquitted on appeal in 1991. Pederick served eight years in prison, There were a number of unusual circumstances surrounding the bombing, namely, There was a continuous police presence outside the building since the previous morning. This would have prevented anyone placing a bomb into the rubbish bin while the police were there. The garbage bin had not been searched for bombs, searching bins is normally a high priority, and is specified in New South Wales police permanent circular 135. Army dog handler Keith Burley said that his dogs could smell very small quantities of explosives and he said they were unexpectedly called off a few days prior without explanation. The entire truck and all bomb fragments were dumped immediately afterwards at an unrecorded location and this prevented forensic evidence, such as the type of explosive used, from being gathered. William Reeve-Parker provided a declaration that an army officer had admitted planting the bomb by switching rubbish bins 24 hours earlier. Reeve-Parker denied knowledge of who the officer was, although he had helped his son, Reeve-Parker was never called as a witness at the coronial inquest. The officer-in-charge of police immediately after the bombing, Inspector Ian MacDonald, the bombs were designed not to explode but could do so in a garbage truck compactor. The principal private secretary of a senator was told that the bomb squad was waiting nearby at this early hour of the morning. That would suggest that they knew about the bomb, the government would not permit people from the bomb squad to be called as witnesses to the inquest
21.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
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Hilton Hotels & Resorts is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of Hilton. The original company was founded by Conrad Hilton, as of 2017, there were more than 570 Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties in 85 countries and territories across six continents. Properties are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts is Hiltons flagship brand and one of the largest hotel brands in the world. The brand is targeted at business and leisure travelers with locations in major city centers, near airports, convention centers. Hilton Hotels & Resorts participates in Hilton Honors, Hiltons guest loyalty program, Conrad Hilton founded the hotel chain in 1919, when he bought his first property, the Mobley Hotel, in Cisco, Texas. The first hotel to bear the Hilton name was the Dallas Hilton, in 1954, at the Caribe Hilton Hotels Beachcomber Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ramon Monchito Marrero reportedly created the Piña Colada. The Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago figured prominently in the 1968 Democratic Convention riots that occurred across the street in Grant Park, John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their first Bed-In for Peace between March 25 and March 31,1969 at the Amsterdam Hilton, in Room 902. This room became a popular tourist destination, in 1989, Hilton established the Hilton Honors program, a seal of approval for hotels of the highest quality with a series of benefits for participants. Controversially, only Hilton hotels were ever awarded Honors, and further, basically all Hiltons were so honored, even the worst ones, in 2009, the company relocated its global headquarters from Beverly Hills, California to McLean, Virginia. With construction on the Beirut Hilton finished, the hotel was scheduled to open on April 14,1975, the hotel never opened and was severely damaged during the war, and the building was demolished in the late 1990s. However, a different hotel was established later, under the name Hilton Beirut Grand Habtoor, later on, the Hilton Chain bought the Metropolitan hotel directly facing the Grand Habtoor and renamed it Hilton Metropolitan. On February 13,1978, the Sydney Hilton Hotel was the site of one of the few terrorist incidents on Australian soil, when a bomb blast killed three people. The Hilton Nicosia in Nicosia, Cyprus, was the scene of the assassination of Youssef Sebai, the assassination and the hijacking of a Cyprus Airways DC-8 at Larnaca Airport led to the Egyptian raid on Larnaca International Airport by Egyptian forces. The intervention by the Egyptians led to the deterioration of relations between Cyprus and Egypt, in 2009 Hilton opened Canadas tallest hotel at 58 stories, in Niagara Falls, Ontario. In late 2010, Hilton announced a change of the Hilton Hotels brand to Hilton Hotels & Resorts along with a new logo design. In March 2013, Hilton announced that it would be entering Burma for the first time with the construction of a 300-room hotel in Yangon, in 2015, approximately 20 Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties were inducted into the Historic Hotels of America organization. Among these hotels were Hilton Fort Worth, which hosted John F. Kennedys final speech, and Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, in 2016, Hilton N’Djamena opened in Chad. It was the brands first property in the country and the 100th country Hilton began operations in worldwide, hyatt List of chained-brand hotels List of hotels Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Official Hilton Hotels & Resorts website Hilton Hotels & Resorts index homepage
22.
Sydney
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Sydney /ˈsɪdni/ is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia and Oceania. Located on Australias east coast, the metropolis surrounds the worlds largest natural harbour, residents of Sydney are known as Sydneysiders. The Sydney area has been inhabited by indigenous Australians for at least 30,000 years, the first British settlers, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, arrived in 1788 to found Sydney as a penal colony, the first European settlement in Australia. Since convict transportation ended in the century, the city has transformed from a colonial outpost into a major global cultural. As at June 2016 Sydneys estimated population was 5,005,358, in the 2011 census,34 percent of the population reported having been born overseas, representing many different nationalities and making Sydney one of the most multicultural cities in the world. There are more than 250 different languages spoken in Sydney and about one-third of residents speak a language other than English at home and it is classified as an Alpha+ World City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, indicating its influence in the region and throughout the world. Ranked eleventh in the world for economic opportunity, Sydney has a market economy with strengths in finance, manufacturing. Its gross regional product was $337 billion in 2013, the largest in Australia, there is a significant concentration of foreign banks and multinational corporations in Sydney and the city is promoted as one of Asia Pacifics leading financial hubs. Its natural features include Sydney Harbour, the Royal National Park, man-made attractions such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Tower and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are also well known to international visitors. The first people to inhabit the now known as Sydney were indigenous Australians having migrated from northern Australia. Radiocarbon dating suggests human activity first started to occur in the Sydney area from around 30,735 years ago, the earliest British settlers called them Eora people. Eora is the term the indigenous used to explain their origins upon first contact with the British. Its literal meaning is from this place, prior to the arrival of the British there were 4,000 to 8,000 native people in Sydney from as many as 29 different clans. Sydney Cove from Port Jackson to Petersham was inhabited by the Cadigal clan, the principal language groups were Darug, Guringai, and Dharawal. The earliest Europeans to visit the area noted that the people were conducting activities such as camping and fishing, using trees for bark and food, collecting shells. Development has destroyed much of the citys history including that of the first inhabitants, there continues to be examples of rock art and engravings located in the protected Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. The first meeting between the people and the British occurred on 29 April 1770 when Lieutenant James Cook landed at Botany Bay on the Kurnell Peninsula. He noted in his journal that they were confused and somewhat hostile towards the foreign visitors, Cook was on a mission of exploration and was not commissioned to start a settlement
23.
Bowral
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Bowral /ˈbaʊrəl/ is the largest town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, and the main business and entertainment precinct of the Wingecarribee Shire and Highlands. As of 2011 the population numbered 12,154, in a past era, Bowral served as a rural summer retreat for the elite gentry of Sydney, resulting in the establishment of many grand historic estates and manor houses in the district. Today, Bowral is often associated with the cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, Bowral is close to several other historic towns, being 5 kilometres from Mittagong,9 kilometres from both Moss Vale and Berrima. The suburb of East Bowral and the village of Burradoo are nearby, Bowrals history extends back for approximately 200 years. During the pre-colonial era, the land was home to an Aboriginal tribe known as Tharawal and this was not a permanent setting for the Indigenous people, as the climate of the region was considered too cool. The name Bowral is believed to be derived from the Aboriginal word Bowrel which loosely translates into the word high, ex-convict John Wilson, whose search party was commissioned by Governor Hunter to explore south of the new colony of Sydney. Other people to traverse the area include John Warby and botanist George Caley, Governor Lachlan Macquarie of the New South Wales colony had appointed 2,400 acres to John Oxley in a land grant, which was later incorporated as Bowral. The town grew rapidly between the 1860s and the 1890s, mainly due to the building of the line from Sydney to Melbourne. In 1863, a permanent stone building was built for the church, however, the building would be replaced by the first Anglican church of St Simon and St Jude. The church and chapel had been designed by Edmund Blacket and was built on the glebe in 1874, the churches would once again be subject to rebuilding in 1887 because the churches had been deemed too small for the growing town. Today, only Blacketts belltower remains on the current Church of St. Simon, Gardens and European plants flourished from 1887, when citizens of Bowral started planting European and English deciduous trees to make the area look more British. This legacy still lives on throughout Bowral, notably, the oaks at the start of Bong Bong St are a characteristic that makes Bowral distinct from other rural towns, giving it strong autumn colour. The town became somewhat affluent, as many wealthy Sydney-siders purchased property or land in the town and built grand Victorian weatherboard homes, Bowral and the former spelling Bowrall. May have been derived from an Aboriginal word meaning high and large, at the 2011 census, Bowral had a population of 12,154. In the 21st century, Bowral has become a haven for retirees and empty nesters, commonly from Sydney, 15% of Bowrals population is aged 55–64 years and 29% is aged over 64 years. Consequently, the town has a number of retirement villages, some located only minutes walk from the business district. Also, as measured during the 2011 census,42. 4% of the population are under the age of 45. Bowral is about 5 kilometres from the Hume Highway, which goes north to Sydney and south to Canberra, in the past, Bowral served as an overnight stop-over for travellers
24.
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
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The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is a biennial summit meeting of the heads of government from all Commonwealth nations. Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Head of the Commonwealth, attended every CHOGM beginning with Ottawa in 1973 until Perth in 2011, however, she was represented by the Prince of Wales at the 2013 meeting as the 87-year-old monarch was curtailing her overseas travel. The Queen continues to attend CHOGMs held in Europe and was present at the 2015 summit in Malta and is expected to attend the 2018 CHOGM which is to be held in London. The first CHOGM was held in 1971, and there have been 24 held in total and they are held once every two years, although this pattern has twice been interrupted. They are held around the Commonwealth, rotating by invitation amongst its members, in the past, CHOGMs have attempted to orchestrate common policies on certain contentious issues and current events, with a special focus on issues affecting member nations. CHOGMs have discussed the continuation of apartheid rule in South Africa and how to end it, military coups in Pakistan and Fiji, sometimes the member states agree on a common idea or solution, and release a joint statement declaring their opinion. More recently, beginning at the 1997 CHOGM, the meeting has had an official theme, the meetings originated with the leaders of the self-governing colonies of the British Empire. The First Colonial Conference in 1887 was followed by meetings, known as Imperial Conferences from 1907. The development of the independence of the dominions, and the creation of a number of new dominions, as well as the invitation of Southern Rhodesia, changed the nature of the meetings. As the dominion leaders asserted themselves more and more at the meetings, from the ashes of the Second World War, seventeen Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conferences were held between 1944 and 1969. Of these, sixteen were held in London, reflecting then-prevailing views of the Commonwealth as the continuation of the Empire, two supplementary meetings were also held during this period, a Commonwealth Statesmens meeting to discuss peace terms in April 1945, and a Commonwealth Economic Conference in 1952. The 1960s saw an overhaul of the Commonwealth and this decentralisation of power demanded a reformulation of the meetings. Instead of the meetings always being held in London, they would rotate across the membership, subject to countries ability to host the meetings and they were also renamed the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings to reflect the growing diversity of the constitutional structures in the Commonwealth. The core of the CHOGM are the executive sessions, which are the formal gatherings of the heads of government to do business, the rules are very strict, allowing the head of the delegation, his or her spouse, and one other person. The additional member can be of any capacity, but he or she has only occasional, as the scope of the CHOGM has expanded beyond the meetings of the heads of governments themselves, the CHOGMs have become progressively shorter, and their business compacted into less time. The 1971 CHOGM lasted for nine days, and the 1977 and 1991 CHOGMs for seven days each, however, Harares epochal CHOGM was the last to last a week, the 1993 CHOGM lasted for five days, and the contentious 1995 CHOGM for only three-and-a-half. The 2005 and subsequent conferences were held over two-and-a-half days, during the 1980s, CHOGMs were dominated by calls for the Commonwealth to impose sanctions on South Africa to pressure the country to end apartheid. According to one of Margaret Thatchers former aides, Mrs. Thatcher, very privately, a bomb exploded at the Sydney Hilton Hotel, the venue for the February 1978 Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting
25.
Australian Army Reserve
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The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. For the first half of the 20th century, due to a widespread distrust of permanent military forces in Australia, the reserve military forces were the primary focus of Australian military planning. Since then, Australian defence policy has focused more upon the Regular Army. Nevertheless, the transfer of forces from the states to the Commonwealth occurred on 1 March 1901. At the outset, the bulk of the Commonwealth military force was to be made up of part-time volunteers and this was arguably due to two factors. After the initial transfer of forces in March 1901, further progress was slow as administrative and legislative instruments took time to develop. Indeed, it was not until 1 March 1904 that the Defence Act 1903 was proclaimed, amidst a background of political manoeuvring and personal agendas, the military forces were eventually reorganised into a more or less unified command structure. The result of this review was the realisation of the need to build a defence force that could not only defend the nation. However, it was the main factor contributing to the decision to recruit the AIF on the basis of voluntary enlistment, regardless, it has been estimated that up to 50,000 militiamen subsequently enlisted in the First AIF during the war. During the precautionary stage on 2 August 1914, Citizens Forces units were called up to guard essential points and man coastal forts, the first Australian shots of both World War I and World War II were fired by the garrison at Fort Nepean. By June 1918,9,215 home service troops were on duty in Australia. From 1915, only skeleton garrisons were maintained at coastal forts, just before the end of World War I, Australias home forces were reorganised to perpetuate the numerical identities of the AIF units. This was done renumbering the infantry regiments that had formed in 1912. It was also decided that the Citizens Force would be re-organised along the lines of the AIF, adopting the divisional structure of the AIF units and maintaining their battle honours. Although the compulsory training scheme was retained, it was decided that it would only be focused on the populated areas. The result of this was that the course of only a year the strength of the Citizens Forces fell from 127,000 to only 37,000 in 1922. Throughout the 1920s, numbers decreased even further and although the structure was maintained. At this time it was decided to change the name of the force
26.
Brisbane
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Brisbane is the capital of and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland, and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbanes metropolitan area has a population of 2.35 million, the Brisbane central business district stands on the original European settlement and is situated inside a bend of the Brisbane River, about 15 kilometres from its mouth at Moreton Bay. The demonym of Brisbane is Brisbanite, one of the oldest cities in Australia, Brisbane was founded upon the ancient homelands of the indigenous Turrbal and Jagera peoples. A penal settlement was founded in 1824 at Redcliffe,28 kilometres north of the business district. The city was marred by the Australian frontier wars between 1843 and 1855, and development was set back by the Great Fire of Brisbane. Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a colony from New South Wales in 1859. During World War II, Brisbane played a role in the Allied campaign. Today, Brisbane is well known for its distinct Queenslander architecture which forms much of the built heritage. It also receives attention for its damaging flood events, most notably in 1974 and 2011. Several large cultural, international and sporting events have held at Brisbane, including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, World Expo 88, the final Goodwill Games in 2001. Prior to white settlement, the Brisbane area was inhabited by the Turrbal and they knew the area that is now the central business district as Mian-jin, meaning place shaped as a spike. The Moreton Bay area was explored by Matthew Flinders. On 17 July 1799, Flinders landed at what is now known as Woody Point, in 1823 Governor of New South Wales Sir Thomas Brisbane instructed that a new northern penal settlement be developed, and an exploration party led by John Oxley further explored Moreton Bay. Oxley discovered, named, and explored the Brisbane River as far as Goodna,20 kilometres upstream from the Brisbane central business district, Oxley recommended Red Cliff Point for the new colony, reporting that ships could land at any tide and easily get close to the shore. The party settled in Redcliffe on 13 September 1824, under the command of Lieutenant Henry Miller with 14 soldiers and 29 convicts. However, this settlement was abandoned after a year and the colony was moved to a site on the Brisbane River now known as North Quay,28 km south, chief Justice Forbes gave the new settlement the name of Edenglassie before it was named Brisbane. Non-convict European settlement of the Brisbane region commenced in 1838, German missionaries settled at Zions Hill, Nundah as early as 1837, five years before Brisbane was officially declared a free settlement. The band consisted of ministers Christopher Eipper and Carl Wilhelm Schmidt and lay missionaries Haussmann, Johann Gottried Wagner, Niquet, Hartenstein, Zillman, Franz, Rode, Doege and they were allocated 260 hectares and set about establishing the mission, which became known as the German Station
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M101 howitzer
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The 105 mm M2A1 howitzer was a howitzer developed and used by the United States. It was the standard U. S. light field howitzer in World War II, entering production in 1941, it quickly gained a reputation for accuracy and a powerful punch. The M101A1 fired 105-millimetre high explosive semi-fixed ammunition and had a range of 11,270 metres, all of these qualities of the weapon, along with its widespread production, led to its adoption by many countries after the war. Its ammunition type also became the standard for foreign countries later models. During the Second World War, U. S. artillery regiments consisted of an HQ detachment, one 155mm artillery battalion, both the 155mm and 105mm battalions had twelve guns each, divided into three batteries of four guns. That gave each regiment a total of twelve 155mm howitzers, with an HE M1 shell fired at 9000 meters, the probable error in range was 41 meters, while the probable error in line was 10 meters. The U. S. military artillery designation system was changed in 1962, the gun continued to see service in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Though a similar model, the M102 howitzer, shared the roles in battle. Today, the M101A1 has been retired by the U. S. military, though it continues to see service with many other countries. By the end of the Second World War,8,536 105mm towed howitzers had been built and post-war production continued at Rock Island Arsenal until 1953, by which time 10,202 had been built. The Canadian Forces continued to use the M2A1 as the C2 Howitzer until 1997, the changes include a longer barrel, a muzzle brake, reinforced trails and the removal of shield flaps. It remains the standard light howitzer of Canadian Forces Reserve units, the C3 is used by Reserve units in Glacier National Park in British Columbia as a means of avalanche control. In addition, the M101 has found a use in the U. S. as an avalanche control gun. Today upgraded M2A1 howitzers are still being used by the Peoples Army of Vietnam and it continues to remain as the primary tactical field-howitzer of the VPA. M2 Howitzers are still in limited service in the Australian Army Reserve, in regular service they were replaced by the 105mm L119 Hamel gun and the 155-millimetre M198 howitzers. Two M2 howitzers are employed in providing the gun salute at Kristiansten Fortress, in Trondheim. M101/M2 is one of three approved salute guns in the Norwegian armed forces, and have reduced to a caliber of 75 millimetres for this purpose. They are used for gun salute also at Rena and Setermoen, M2 - minor changes to the chamber to allow use of fixed ammunition
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L118 light gun
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The L118 light gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer. It was originally produced for the British Army in the 1970s and has been exported since, including to the United States. The proper name for it is gun, 105mm, field, L118 and it fires the US M1 type ammunition. This widely used howitzer was designed in Italy for the Alpini. However, it lacked range, was not notably robust, had poor sights and was not entirely popular, in 1965, a general staff requirement was approved for a new 105 mm weapon system because the pack howitzer lacked range and lethality. The ammunition to be used was the 105 mm Fd Mk 2 ammunition used in the L13 ordnance of the gun equipment 105 mm L109. This ammunition uses electrical instead of percussion primers and is a different design from the US M1 type ammunition as used in the L5 pack howitzer. The two types are not interchangeable, an early requirement was for the new weapon to use 105mm Fd Mk 1 ammunition, which uses the M1 shell, in training. However, in 1968, this was changed to allow a different version of the weapon, the new gun, soon designated light gun, was designed by the government Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment, Fort Halstead, Kent. However, it emerged that some increase in weight was needed for a gun with the requisite robustness. Original production, which was authorised in late 1975, was by Royal Ordnance Factory, ROF Nottingham, the light gun entered service with the British Army in 1976. The new weapon was heavier than its predecessor, but new, more capable helicopters such as the Puma and Westland Sea King, a new vehicle, the Land Rover 101 Forward Control are also equipped with the light gun. Those University Officer Training Corps with gun troops train with the L118, on 30 November 2001, an L118 light gun replaced a 25-pounder as the One OClock Gun in Edinburgh Castle. By tradition, this fires every day at one oclock, except on Sundays, Good Friday, the light gun is also fired by 14 Regiment Royal Artillery on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day each year. The L118 uses the L19 ordnance on the L17 carriage, the L19 ordnance is slightly shorter than the L13 used by the Abbot and hence has a slightly shorter maximum range. Also, unlike the Abbot, the barrel is autofrettaged and hence lighter, the light gun appears to owe a number of its features to the QF25 pounder, unsurprisingly since RARDE was the successor to the design department, Woolwich Arsenal. Among these features are its vertically sliding breech, and a box trail instead of a split trail. Its comparatively light weight is attributed to the nature of the steel used in the carriage and ordnance
