Introduction

8 Pl A Coy 2/30 Bn AIF

The 2nd/30th Training Group was formally established on 11 October 2007. In a simple ceremony at the Kelamah River Memorial, in Gemencheh, Malaysia, an original member of the 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion, AIF, presented the unit with its flag. The 2nd/30th Training Group pledged to honour the brave deeds of the 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion and to keep the memory of their service and captivity alive.

Whilst the numerical lineage of the 2nd/30th Training Group began in NSW in 1915, the 2nd/30th Training Group evolved from units that had seen a constant presence at Butterworth since 1970, after the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and later the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) took over the role played by the Royal Air Force (RAF) prior to Malaysian independence.

Butterworth 1958-71

RAAF 75 SQN Mirages at Butterworth

The RAAF and RMAF became joint occupants at RAF Butterworth when the Base was handed over to the RMAF following Malaysian independence in 1958. Immediately following independence a limited RAF presence remained and the RAF Regiment was responsible for base security until 1970.

Ownership of Butterworth Air Base was formally transferred to the Malaysian Government on 31 Mar 70. At that time, the RMAF was still in its infancy and therefore not in a position to take over fully the air Defence role or utilize the facilities at Butterworth. Subsequently, two RAAF fighter squadrons of Mirage aircraft were deployed to the air base, thus marking the start of the RAAF's presence as the primary contributor to the air Defence of Malaysia.

A more detailed history of the RAAF presence at Butterworth can be found at the 324 CSS Sqn website here .

The ANZUK Force 1971-73

ANZUK Force Badge

From 1970, security of the Butterworth Base was a Malaysian responsibility but additional security arrangements were implemented for the protection of Australian personnel and RAAF assets. Sector security was coordinated by the RAAF through a combination of Air Field Defence Guards, Service Police and guard dogs supported by the deployment of an infantry rifle company employed on perimeter security duties.

The first programme for rotating a rifle company to Butterworth was instigated on 15 November 1970 by the Australian, New Zealand and British battalions from the 28th Commonwealth Brigade. Responsibility for provision of a rifle company was transitioned to the ANZUK Force (upon establishment) in 1971 and finally in 1975, upon the disbandment of ANZUK Force, to the Royal Australian Regiment.

65th Ground Liaison Section 1973-88

The Australian Rifle Company was initially held under the command of Australian Army Headquarters in Canberra but later transferred to local command, under the Officer Commanding RAAF Butterworth. As a result of this arrangement, a need for a air/ground liaison function developed which became the genesis of the 65th Ground Liaison Section.

The 65th Ground Liaison Section was formed in 1973, with Major C. A. Miller as the first Officer Commanding. Over time the unit became less involved in ground liaison but as the only permanent Australian Army presence in Butterworth, assumed important coordination and administrative functions.

During this period the Australian Rifle Company in addition to training with the TDM (Malaysian Army) was additionally tasked with providing ground security support to RAAF Butterworth. In the event of a state of emergency being declared and on the direct orders of the Officer Commanding RAAF Butterworth, the Company was to assist with the protection of facilities, personnel and families. During this period, 65th Ground Liaison Section provided advice to the Rifle Company, but did not command the Rifle Company.

In 1985, the Officer Commanding, 65th Ground Liaison Section, Major A.W. Pike proposed disbanding the 65th Ground Liaison Section. He argued the unit ceased to conduct 'ground liaison' and a unit was needed with liaison, coordination and logistic functions. The recommendation was accepted and 65th Ground Liaison Section was disbanded.

Land Command Liaison Section 1988-2007

Liaison Section Butterworth was established in 1988 when 65th Ground Liaison Section was disbanded and the role of the Rifle Company changed from airfield guard duties to sub-unit training. In line with a draw down of RAAF personnel and facilities in 1989 the Australian Rifle Company adopted the name 'Rifle Company Butterworth' and responsibility for air base security was finally handed over to the RMAF.

Raja Naga - King of All Serpents

In 1989, Liaison Section Butterworth was retitled Land Command Liaison Section (LCLS) and took on the Raja Naga (King of all sea serpents) as its unit emblem. The unit's role was to facilitate and coordinate the missions of Australian Army units operating in Southeast Asia as directed by the Land Commander thus promoting Australian defence relationships within Southeast Asia. Land Command Liaison Section's round-the-clock casualty evacuation support to CJTF 629 on Operation Tsunami Assist was a prime example of this role.

In January 2006 following the recommendations of a Unit Establishment Review the role of Land Command Liaison Section was changed when it was established as a Direct Command Unit of Land Headquarters within Land Command Support Group. The Officer Commanding was replaced with a Commanding Officer and the Rifle Company Butterworth was allocated under command.

By late 2006 it became apparent that Land Command Liaison Section was no longer responsible merely for liaison and was not a 'section'. Furthermore, the term Land Command Liaison Section conveyed little meaning to the armed forces of Southeast Asia.

In June 2007 the Commanding Officer of the Land Command Liaison Section, proposed that the unit be retitled the 2nd/30th Australian Infantry Battalion (Butterworth). The new unit title drew upon the historical legacy of 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion, as well as aligning the unit's name with its collective training function. The proposed unit title adoption was given full support by the 2nd/30th Battalion Association.

The initial proposal was amended by Chief of Army and final approval for retitling as the 2nd/30th Training Group was issued on 02 August 2007.

History of 2nd/30th Battalion, AIF

2/30 Bn Colour Patch

The 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion formed part of the Australian 27th Brigade of the 8th Division, the third Australian division to be raised on the outbreak of war. Lieutenant Colonel Frederick 'Black Jack' Galleghan was appointed commanding officer of the Battalion and recruiting took place in rural NSW.

The first parade of the 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion took place in Tamworth on 21 November 1940. The 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion took its name and colour patch from the original 30th Battalion. The original 30th Battalion was raised as part of the 8th Brigade at Liverpool, New South Wales on 5 August 1915. The Battalion deployed to Egypt and France in WWI and was disbanded on 21 March 1919.

2/30 Bn March through Tamworth

By February 1941, the 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion moved to Bathurst to complete training for war. It embarked for Singapore, arriving on 15 August and by September had established itself in Batu Pahat in Johore Baru. Further training and competitive sport occupied much of the troops' time, until December 1941.

On 8 December the 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion received word that fighting had broken out in Kota Bahru and that Singapore had been bombed. In January 1942, as Japanese forces advanced to capture Singapore, the men of the 8th Division AIF, were called into action. Initially the 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion was tasked to support the 22nd Brigade defence of the likely Japanese landing area but after rapid Japanese successes, the 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion was tasked to ambush the main Japanese advance.

By 14 January, the last vehicles of the withdrawing British and Indian troops passed across the bridge at Gemencheh. Engineers from the 2nd/12th Field Company prepared the bridge for demolition. B Company of the 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion occupied the position behind, along the high banks of the road. Bren gunners and riflemen waited to ambush the Japanese, they were silent, not daring to move or speak. The remainder of the Battalion were located further down the road towards Gemas.

The Japanese 5th Division were veterans of the war in China. After initial successes, they had not encountered any allied troops for over 60 km and were not on their guard. The Officer Commanding B Company, Captain Des Duffy wrote:

'As the afternoon moved on we were thinking to ourselves that we would have to spend another wretched night in the jungle. The rain had ceased by this time and we had heard a peculiar "swishing" sound such as a swarm of bees might make. On looking along past the bridge we caught our first sight of the enemy, a column of them about a coy in strength riding five abreast on bicycles and taking up all the narrow road. As they approached us we realized that the noise we could hear was caused by the cycle tires "singing" on the tarred road. Our feelings at this moment were those of intense excitement, as we realized in a matter of minutes we would be in the action for which we had trained so long.'

Ambush at Gemencheh River

The bridge was blown, seeing bodies and bicycles thrown high into the air. For 20 minutes, all of B Company's weapons fired at the Japanese troops until the whole road surface was covered by dead and dying men. A platoon was sent to clear the road of surviving enemy and with rifle and bayonet, the task was completed. B Company withdrew from the ambush site and marched through the jungle all night to rejoin the main Battalion position. During this action, only one Australian was killed although several were wounded.

The action at Gemencheh was one of the most successful Australian ambushes of the war and official reports indicate between 700 - 1,000 Japanese were killed. The Japanese Official History of the event read, "the Australian troops encountered at Gemencheh-Gemas fought with a bravery the Imperial Japanese Army had not previously encountered". This was to be the only reference to an individual Australian unit in the entire Japanese war history.

Following the ambush, 'B' Company withdrew to the main Battalion position at Gemas and this time, the whole Battalion was engaged in defending the Japanese attack. More delaying defences occurred all the way to Singapore until the British surrender. Over the next four years many were to suffer and perish as prisoners of war in Singapore, Thailand, Borneo and Japan. Through their indomitable spirit and fortitude many did survive but it was through their decisive military action in January 1942 that the 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion secured a proud place in Australian military history.

Whilst in Changi, the Battalion formed the '2nd/30th Battalion Association' to support its members which still survives today and maintains over 800 members.

2nd/30th Training Group

On the 11th October 2007, a renaming ceremony and memorial service was held on the site of the 2/30th Battalion action near Gemencheh. Mr Darcy Pickard, a 2nd/30th Infantry Battalion veteran and present at the ambush in 1942, presented the new unit flag to Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Watts. Prior to the ceremony, the Gemencheh Memorial was refurbished by soldiers from the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment, who later went on to provide the catafalque party for the ceremony.

Unit Naming Ceremony

The Commander of Land Command Support Group, Colonel Mark Shephard, CSC and Land Command Support Group unit commanding officers and regimental sergeant majors, attended the ceremony. The President of the 2nd/30th Battalion Association, Mr Iain Huntley led veterans of the original 2nd/30th Battalion and their families.

The 2nd/30th Training Group comprises a headquarters with Rifle Company Butterworth under command. The unit is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and consists of three warrant officers, two Sergeants and four locally employed civilians.

Today, Rifle Company Butterworth conducts a variety of training activities from bi-lateral exercises with the armies of Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore to live fire activities at both Gurun Ranges and PULADA in Malaysia. The Australian Army utilises the deployment as a valuable training ground for its junior commanders at the company level in an environment that is physically and mentally challenging and replicates the stress of operations away from the Australian cultural and physical environment.

2/30 Training Group - Honour Roll

Honour Rolls