The 2/9th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force in July 1940 for operations during World War II. Assigned to the 1st Australian Corps, the regiment was sent to the Middle East in mid-1941, and served in Palestine, Egypt, and Syria before returning to Australia in 1942. It undertook defensive duties in south-east Queensland before deploying north to Merauke, in Dutch New Guinea, and Cape York. It returned to Australia in October 1944 and sent to the Atherton Tablelands to carry out training as it waited for further deployment. This never came and the regiment was disbanded in late 1945.

The 8th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army, formed during World War II as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force. The 8th Division was raised from volunteers for overseas service from July 1940 onwards. Consisting of three infantry brigades, the intention had been to deploy the division to the Middle East to join the other Australian divisions, but as war with Japan loomed in 1941, the division was divided into four separate forces, which were deployed in different parts of the Asia-Pacific region. All of these formations were destroyed as fighting forces by the end of February 1942 during the fighting for Singapore, and in Rabaul, Ambon, and Timor. Most members of the division became prisoners of war, waiting until the war ended in late 1945 to be liberated. One in three died in captivity.