218:
259:
several divisions on the 22nd
Brigade's position in the north-west sector of the island. As the only artillery regiment positioned in support of the 22nd Brigade, the 2/15th was heavily engaged, attacking Japanese barges and assaulting troops, but as the defenders were stretched thinly, their lines were soon penetrated and they were forced to withdraw to prevent encirclement. During the withdrawal, a large number of guns were lost after the 30th Battery's transport became bogged. Over the course of a week, they were pushed back to Singapore city, and by 15 February, the garrison commander, Lieutenant General
234:. The regiment was assigned to the 22nd Brigade on the east coast and established its headquarters around Kluang. The initial onslaught of the Japanese thrust was directed against the British and Indian units in the northern part of peninsula, and so it was not until January that the Australians went into action. When they did, the regiment's batteries were split up: the 65th supported the 45th Indian Brigade, while the 29th and 30th were sent to help the Australian 27th Brigade. Throughout January they had a heavy workload, taking part in significant actions at
124:
206:, which had been deployed to Malaya earlier in the year following a request from the British government for Australian troops to help bolster the garrison amidst rising concerns about Japanese intentions in the Pacific. The regiment's first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel John O'Neil, but on 11 November 1941 Lieutenant Colonel John Wright, who had previously served in the
183:– the 29th and 30th. Each battery consisted of two troops, designated 'A' to 'D', and then later – when a third battery was raised – 'A' to 'E'. The regiment had an authorised strength of 42 officers and 385 other ranks in early 1941. Each battery eventually consisted of eight guns.
263:
gave the order for Allied forces to surrender. A total of 556 personnel from the 2/15th were captured; they would spend three-and-a-half years in
Japanese captivity, during which 294 men died. After the war ended in August 1945, the surviving members of the regiment were repatriated to Australia and
254:
to
Singapore island. During the campaign in Malaya, the regiment suffered numerous casualties as they were frequently called upon to provide support in close contact; the 30th Battery suffered particularly heavy casualties around Muar, with 24 men out of the battery's strength of 98 being wounded.
258:
A brief lull in the fighting followed, during which the regiment continued to fire support missions, attacking
Japanese positions in Johore, as the Allied forces prepared for a Japanese attack on Singapore. On 8 February, the Japanese launched a strike across the Strait of Johore, concentrating
229:
and raised its third battery – designated as the 65th
Battery – by which time the regiment's strength grew to around 600 personnel. In early December 1941, the regiment moved north into Malaya and shortly afterwards the
693:
683:
673:
217:
688:
225:
Shortly after arriving in
Singapore, the regiment began training, taking up a position around Tampines in September. In November, it was re-equipped with
678:
668:
461:
620:. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army. Vol. 4 (1st ed.). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial.
568:
345:
319:
649:
587:
152:
375:
642:
Gunners in the Jungle: A Story of the 2/15 Field
Regiment Royal Australian Artillery, 8 Division, Australian Imperial Force
251:
191:
518:
203:
199:
176:
156:
123:
73:
320:"The Operational Story of 2/15 Fd Regt 8 Div AIF in the Malayan Campaign, December 5,1941 to February 18,1942"
207:
469:
226:
187:
246:
actions over a distance of 150 miles (240 km), as the Allied forces were pushed south towards
93:
353:
323:
645:
621:
602:
583:
564:
195:
180:
164:
117:
296:
231:
160:
148:
88:
242:
and around Ayer Hitam and the
Namazie Estate, firing thousands of rounds as they conducted
260:
235:
211:
140:
45:
239:
662:
102:
379:
83:
615:
243:
144:
55:
625:
606:
159:. In late 1941, it was sent to Singapore and subsequently fought in the
247:
522:
221:
Lieutenant
Colonel John O'Neill's funeral procession, November 1941.
175:
Formed in
November 1940 in Sydney, the regiment was assigned to the
216:
563:(1st ed.). St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.
694:
Military units and formations in British Malaya in World War II
644:. Eastwood, New South Wales: 2/15 Field Regiment Association.
214:, took over after O'Neill was killed in a car accident.
599:
The Gordon Bennett Story: From Gallipoli to Singapore
684:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
582:. St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.
378:. 2/15th Field Regiment Association. Archived from
322:. 2/15th Field Regiment Association. Archived from
194:due to a shortage of field pieces, and deployed to
116:
111:
101:
79:
69:
61:
51:
41:
33:
25:
20:
601:. Sydney, New South Wales: Angus & Robertson.
674:Military units and formations established in 1940
543:
580:The Gunners: A History of Australian Artillery
513:
511:
8:
155:(2nd AIF), the regiment was assigned to the
640:Whitelocke, Cliff; O'Brien, George (1983).
468:. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from
352:. Australian War Memorial. Archived from
561:The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles
502:
490:
448:
424:
412:
277:
400:
17:
350:Military Organisation & Structure
291:
289:
287:
285:
283:
281:
151:. Raised in late 1940 as part of the
7:
436:
190:, the regiment was re-equipped with
689:1945 disestablishments in Australia
14:
519:"2/15 Field Regiment Association"
679:1940 establishments in Australia
669:Artillery regiments of Australia
202:in August 1941 to reinforce the
163:before being captured after the
153:Second Australian Imperial Force
147:regiment that served during the
122:
559:Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1998).
186:After training with antiquated
179:and initially consisted of two
1:
198:and Singapore along with the
264:the regiment was disbanded.
710:
346:"Army: Detailed Structure"
505:, pp. 264 & 271.
466:World War II Nominal Roll
462:"O'Neill, John Considine"
299:. Australian War Memorial
614:Wigmore, Lionel (1957).
297:"2/15th Field Regiment"
227:Ordnance QF 25-pounders
208:Australian Flying Corps
188:Ordnance QF 18-pounders
578:Horner, David (1995).
222:
65:~ 400 to 600 personnel
220:
137:2/15th Field Regiment
21:2/15th Field Regiment
597:Legg, Frank (1965).
544:Coulthard-Clark 1998
250:and then across the
617:The Japanese Thrust
546:, pp. 202–204.
103:Battle honours
525:on 11 January 2014
472:on 11 January 2014
382:on 11 January 2014
326:on 11 January 2014
223:
570:978-1-86448-611-7
427:, pp. 51–52.
415:, pp. 84–86.
165:Fall of Singapore
130:
129:
118:Unit colour patch
701:
655:
629:
610:
593:
574:
547:
541:
535:
534:
532:
530:
521:. Archived from
515:
506:
500:
494:
488:
482:
481:
479:
477:
458:
452:
446:
440:
434:
428:
422:
416:
410:
404:
398:
392:
391:
389:
387:
372:
366:
365:
363:
361:
356:on 6 August 2014
342:
336:
335:
333:
331:
315:
309:
308:
306:
304:
293:
232:Japanese invaded
161:Malayan Campaign
149:Second World War
126:
18:
709:
708:
704:
703:
702:
700:
699:
698:
659:
658:
652:
639:
636:
634:Further reading
613:
596:
590:
577:
571:
558:
550:
542:
538:
528:
526:
517:
516:
509:
501:
497:
489:
485:
475:
473:
460:
459:
455:
447:
443:
435:
431:
423:
419:
411:
407:
399:
395:
385:
383:
374:
373:
369:
359:
357:
344:
343:
339:
329:
327:
317:
316:
312:
302:
300:
295:
294:
279:
270:
261:Arthur Percival
212:First World War
173:
141:Australian Army
133:
12:
11:
5:
707:
705:
697:
696:
691:
686:
681:
676:
671:
661:
660:
657:
656:
651:978-0959212303
650:
635:
632:
631:
630:
611:
594:
588:
575:
569:
555:
554:
549:
548:
536:
507:
495:
493:, p. 101.
483:
453:
451:, p. 322.
441:
439:, p. 178.
429:
417:
405:
403:, p. 233.
393:
367:
337:
318:Wright, John.
310:
276:
275:
274:
269:
266:
192:3-inch mortars
172:
169:
131:
128:
127:
120:
114:
113:
109:
108:
105:
99:
98:
97:
96:
91:
81:
77:
76:
71:
67:
66:
63:
59:
58:
53:
49:
48:
43:
39:
38:
35:
31:
30:
27:
23:
22:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
706:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
670:
667:
666:
664:
653:
647:
643:
638:
637:
633:
627:
623:
619:
618:
612:
608:
604:
600:
595:
591:
589:9781863739177
585:
581:
576:
572:
566:
562:
557:
556:
552:
551:
545:
540:
537:
524:
520:
514:
512:
508:
504:
499:
496:
492:
487:
484:
471:
467:
463:
457:
454:
450:
445:
442:
438:
433:
430:
426:
421:
418:
414:
409:
406:
402:
397:
394:
381:
377:
371:
368:
355:
351:
347:
341:
338:
325:
321:
314:
311:
298:
292:
290:
288:
286:
284:
282:
278:
272:
271:
267:
265:
262:
256:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
228:
219:
215:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
184:
182:
178:
170:
168:
166:
162:
158:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
132:Military unit
125:
121:
119:
115:
110:
106:
104:
100:
95:
92:
90:
87:
86:
85:
82:
78:
75:
72:
68:
64:
60:
57:
54:
50:
47:
44:
40:
36:
32:
28:
24:
19:
16:
641:
616:
598:
579:
560:
553:Bibliography
539:
527:. Retrieved
523:the original
503:Wigmore 1957
498:
491:Wigmore 1957
486:
474:. Retrieved
470:the original
465:
456:
449:Wigmore 1957
444:
432:
425:Wigmore 1957
420:
413:Wigmore 1957
408:
396:
384:. Retrieved
380:the original
376:"25 Pounder"
370:
358:. Retrieved
354:the original
349:
340:
328:. Retrieved
324:the original
313:
301:. Retrieved
257:
224:
204:22nd Brigade
200:27th Brigade
185:
177:8th Division
174:
157:8th Division
136:
134:
84:World War II
74:8th Division
70:Part of
15:
401:Horner 1995
210:during the
80:Engagements
663:Categories
529:11 January
476:11 January
386:11 January
360:11 January
330:11 January
303:10 January
268:References
437:Legg 1965
273:Citations
244:rearguard
181:batteries
145:artillery
94:Singapore
56:Artillery
37:Australia
29:1940–1945
252:Causeway
112:Insignia
626:3134219
607:3193299
171:History
139:was an
34:Country
648:
624:
605:
586:
567:
248:Johore
196:Malaya
143:field
107:Ubique
89:Malaya
42:Branch
26:Active
236:Gemas
646:ISBN
622:OCLC
603:OCLC
584:ISBN
565:ISBN
531:2014
478:2014
388:2014
362:2014
332:2014
305:2014
240:Muar
135:The
62:Size
52:Type
46:Army
665::
510:^
464:.
348:.
280:^
238:,
167:.
654:.
628:.
609:.
592:.
573:.
533:.
480:.
390:.
364:.
334:.
307:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
