Template:/box-header
The Military of Australia, officially known as the Australian Defence Force (ADF) since 1976, consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The Australian Department of Defence administers the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) which consists of the ADF and the civilian personnel supporting the ADF. Approximately 53,000 men and women serve in the ADF with another 21,600 serving in the three reserve components.
The ADF is constituted under the Executive Government sections of the Australian Constitution, Section 68, that says, "The command in chief of the naval and military forces of the Commonwealth is vested in the Governor-General as the Queen's representative." In practice, the control of the ADF is, politically, vested in the Minister for Defence and several subordinate ministers. The Minister acts on most matters alone, however, important matters are considered by the National Security Committee of Cabinet. The Minister then advises the Governor-General who acts as advised in the normal form of executive government. The current Chief of the Australian Defence Force is General David Hurley.
The Military history of Australia covers a period of around 200 years starting with the colonisation of Australia by the British in 1788. Australians have fought in nearly every major war of the 20th Century including the Second Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War as well as numerous UN peace-keeping missions.
Template:/box-footer
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.
 The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of World War I, with more than one million casualties. The British and French forces attempted to break through the German lines along a 25 mile (40 km) front north and south of the River Somme in northern France. One purpose of the battle was to draw German forces away from the battle of Verdun; however, by its end the losses on the Somme had exceeded those at Verdun. The battle is best remembered for its first day, July 1, 1916, on which the British suffered 57,470 casualties, making it the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army. As horrific as the battle of the Somme is in British memory, it also had a staggering impact on the German army; one officer famously describing it as "the muddy grave of the German field army." By the end of the battle the British had learnt many lessons in modern warfare while the Germans had suffered irreparable losses. Four Divisions of the Australian Imperial Force saw action during the Somme; the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th, in total they suffered around 23,000 casualties.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.
Photo credit: Australian War Memorial collection database
A No. 30 Squadron Beaufighter flying through the Owen Stanley Range in 1942
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.
"For dash and gallantry the bloodthirsty Scots, Australians and Canadians led the way, with the impetuous Irish close behind. The Australian to my mind were the most aggressive, and managed to keep their form in spite of their questionable discipline. Out of the line they were undoubtedly difficult to handle, but once in it they loved a fight. They were a curious mixture of toughness and sentimentality..."
- — Lieutenant-General Adrian Carton de Wiart
Template:/box-header January 28
Template:/box-footer
Template:/box-header
Template:/box-footer
Template:/box-header
Template:/box-footer
Template:/box-header
No. 83 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron of World War II. The Squadron was formed in February 1943 and was initially equipped with P-39 Airacobra fighters. The Squadron conducted defensive patrols over Brisbane until moving to Melville Island in the Northern Territory in December 1943. Prior to this move the squadron was re-equipped with Australian-designed Boomerang fighters in September. After only a month at Melville Island the Squadron was re-located to Gove in January 1944. In August the Squadron moved south to Camden, New South Wales and was disbanded in Menangle in September 1945 without seeing action. Template:/box-footer
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.
The Dingo Scout Car was a light armoured car built in Australia during the Second World War. They were produced by the Ford motor company during 1942. The Dingo was based on a commercial Ford 30-cwt 134.5 inch wheelbase chassis shortened to 110 inches, fitted with a Marmon-Herrington all wheel drive kit to give the vehicle 4 wheel drive. The Dingo was equipped with a Bren light machine gun and Mk19 wireless. The vehicle's weight restricted its off road mobility and the front axle could be bent when travelling over rough terrain. A lighter version with only 10 mm of armour and an open top was proposed at the end of 1942 but not proceeded with as armoured cars could now be imported from overseas. All 245 vehicles produced were disposed of in 1945.
Template:/box-header
Template:/box-footer
Template:/box-header
|
Army • History
Armoured Units, Army Aviation, First Australian Imperial Force, Second Australian Imperial Force, Brigades, Cadets, College, Enlisted Ranks, Memorial, Officer Ranks, RAR, Regiments, Senior Officers, Regional Surveillance Units, Structure, VC Recipients, Weapons
|
RAAF • History
Aircraft, Airfield Defence Guards, Bases, Chief of Air Force, Flights, First Tactical Air Force, Ranks, Roulettes, Squadrons, Structure
|
RAN • History
Admiral of the Fleet, Bases, Cadets, Clearance Divers, Current Ships, Fleet Air Arm, Future, Historic ships, HMAS, Memorial, Patrol Boat Group, Persian Gulf Operations, RANVR, Reserve, Ship classes, Silent Service, WRANS
|
Special Forces
1st Commando Regiment, 171st Squadron, 200 Squadron, 4 RAR, Coastwatchers, Incident Response Regiment, SASR, SOCOMD, Tactical Assault Group, WWII Companies, Z Special Unit
|
Template:/box-footer
Template:/box-header
Template:/box-footer
Template:/box-header
Template:/box-footer
Template:/box-header
- Attention needed
- ...to referencing and citation • ...to coverage and accuracy • ...to structure • ...to grammar • ...to supporting materials
- Cleanup needed
- 2nd Division (Australia) • 2nd Division (New Zealand) • 4th Division (Australia) • 8th Division (Australia) • Court martial of Breaker Morant • History of the Royal Australian Navy • Military history of New Zealand • Military history of New Zealand in World War I • Military history of New Zealand during World War II • New Zealand Army • New Zealand in the Vietnam War • Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment • Slouch hat • Uniforms of the New Zealand Army
- Requested articles
- Auckland Regiment • Canterbury Regiment (currently a redirect) • Otago Regiment (currently a redirect) • Wellington Regiment • Battle of Lababia Ridge • 1st Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery • 2nd Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery • 4th Medium Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery • 6th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery • 12th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery • Queensland Imperial Bushmen • Queensland Citizen Bushmen • South Australian Imperial Bushmen • South Australian Citizen Bushmen• South Australian Mounted Rifles • Tasmanian Citizen Bushmen • Tasmanian Mounted Infantry • Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen (currently redirect) • Victorian Citizen Bushmen • Victorian Imperial Bushmen • Western Australian Mounted Infantry (currently redirect) • Western Australian Citizen Bushmen • New South Wales Mounted Infantry • New South Wales Mounted Rifles • New South Wales Citizen Bushmen • 22nd Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, 2nd/4th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment • 3rd/6th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment • II ANZAC (XXII Corps) Mounted Regiment • No. 83 (Army Cooperation) Wing • No. 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron • No. 52 Squadron RNZAF • No. 51 Squadron RNZAF • No. 43 Squadron RNZAF • No. 12 Squadron RNZAF • No. 11 Squadron RNZAF • No. 10 Squadron RNZAF • Territorial Force (New Zealand) • CAC/North American Avon Sabre in Australian service • GAF/Dassault Mirage III in Australian service • Boeing CH-47 Chinook in Australian service • Lewis Ernest Stephen Barker • Harry Charles Bundock • Frederick Alexander Burrows • Grant Cavenagh • Frederick Hay Christison • John August Clareborough • Jack Kerr Coffey • Bertrand Combes • Combined Arms Training Centre (Australia)• John Craven • Ralph Daly • Charles Stewart Davies • Harold Charles de Low • Francis Plumly Derham • Harold Clive Disher • William Huggett Douglas • Herbert Frederick Henry Durant • Leslie Glanville Howard Dyke • Henry Herrick Edwards • Cyril Maurice Lloyd Elliott • Albert Cecil Fewtrell • Frederick Percy Herbert Fewtrell • Alexander Moore Forbes • Stephen Gilbert Friend • Vivian Harrold Gatliff • Arthur Harry Langman Godfrey • Peter Haddad • William Allan Hailes • Eric Fairweather Harrison • Neville Gordon Hatton • Health Services Wing RAAF • William Alexander Henderson • John Hill • Frederick Brock Hinton • Oswald Vick Hoad • Austin Claude Selwyn Holland • Interim Infantry Mobility Vehicle • Maurice Barber Bevan Keating • Douglas Oswald Luke Kitto • Errol Knox • Ian Lillie • John Edward Lloyd • William James Macavoy Locke • Thomas Steane Louch • Leonard Cuthbert Lucas • Daniel Aston Luxton • John Walter Main • Gordon Edward Manchester • James Eric Gifford Martin • Athelsan Markham Martyn • John Maxwell • Patrick Sanfield McGrath • Eric George Henderson McKenzie • Kenneth Alan McKenzie • Douglas Murray McWhae • Charles George N. Miles • Arthur James Mills • Raymond Frederic Monaghan • Gerald Vincent Moriarty • Edward Michael Neylan • Reginald Havill Norman • Francis Roger North • Harry Scott Nurse • David O'Brien • John William Alexander O'Brien • Douglas Paine • William Edward Hill Pascoe • Michael Phelps • Owen Forbes Phillips • Claude Esdaile Prior • Ralph Carlyle Geoffrey Prisk • Beauchamp Worters Pulver • John Herbert Rasmussen • John Dalylell Richardson • John David Rogers • Henry Gordon Rourke • John Robinson Royston • Raymond Ladais Sandover • Harry Blamyre Sewell • Colin McOlvin Sharp • Edward Lonergan Sheehan • James Thomas Simpson • Fritz Peter Max Solling • Victor Paul Hildebrand Stantke • William Howard St. Clair • John Rowlstone Stevenson • Robert Mackay Stodart • Roy Buchanan Sutherland • Harold Bourue Taylor • Percy Chamberlin Thompson • Roy Meldrum Thompson • Raymond Walter Tovell • Walter James Urquhart • Donald Norwood Veron • Eric Lacy Vowles • Roy William Whiston Walsh • Augustine William Wardell • Thomas Edgar Weavers • David Welch • Frank Elwyn Wells • Allan Respen Wendt • John Laurence Whitham • Ernst Morgan Williams • Kenneth Williams • Thomas Rhys Williams • Kenneth Agnew Wills • Robert Emmet Winning • Survey and Acoustic Research Vessel • 2nd Infantry Brigade (New Zealand) • Australia and the Empire Air Training Scheme • Consolidated PBY Catalina in Royal Australian Air Force Service
- Expansion needed
- Australian Army Veterinary Corps • Military history of Australia during the Malayan Emergency • 32nd Small Ship Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers • 1st Aviation Regiment (Australia) • 1st Combat Engineer Regiment (Australia) • II Anzac Corps • 5th Division (Australia) • 8th Brigade (Australia) • 11th Division (Australia) • 11th Brigade (Australia) • Alfred Richard Baxter-Cox • Australian military involvement in peacekeeping • Battle of Wide Bay • Emile Dechaineux • Finisterre Range campaign • Harold Farncomb • History of the Australian Army • History of the Royal Australian Air Force • John Baker • John Royston • Landing at Lae • Lark Force • New Britain campaign • New Guinea campaign • Northern Territory Force • Robert William Rankin • 3rd Division (New Zealand) • Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers • HMNZS Resolution (A-14) • Military history of New Zealand in Malaysia • New Zealand and Australian Division • New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade • New Zealand Rifle Brigade • Survey Motor Boat • List of Royal Australian Air Force aircraft squadrons • List of Australian generals and brigadiers • List of Australian armoured units • Australian Army Artillery Units, World War I • Air Lift Group • Surveillance and Response Group • Combat Support Group RAAF • Aerospace Operational Support Group RAAF • 41 Wing • 42 Wing • No. 26 Squadron RAAF • No. 29 Squadron RAAF • Air Movements Training and Development Unit RAAF• Surveillance and Control Training Unit RAAF • No. 386 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron RAAF • No. 322 Combat Support Squadron RAAF • No. 323 Combat Support Squadron RAAF • No. 324 Combat Support Squadron RAAF• No. 1 Combat Logistics Squadron RAAF • No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron RAAF • No. 3 Airfield Defence Squadron RAAF • Combat Reserve Wing RAAF • more...
- Images needed
- Add an article here!
- Merging needed
- Add an article here!
- Citations needed
- Add an article here!
- Translation needed
- Add an article here!
Template:/box-footer
Template:/box-header
The following Wikimedia sister projects provide more on this subject: Template:/box-footer
|
War and the military
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}