31:
182:, to fight against the Japanese. Its soldiers were primarily natives of New Guinea, under the command of Australian officers and NCOs. The New Guinea battalions each had an establishment of about 77 Europeans and 550 indigenous soldiers. The main role of the New Guinea infantry battalions was to assume responsibility for "mopping up" operations in rear areas and searching for Japanese stragglers left over after main combat operations had ceased; this essentially freed up the Australian infantry battalions for operations elsewhere.
123:
224:
The battalion was disbanded in
November 1947. The battalion's casualties amounted to one killed, and six dead from accidental causes or disease. In the post war period, the PIR was re-formed in 1951, building on the tradition established during the war. One battalion was formed in New Guinea at this
174:, which been annexed by Queensland in 1883, had been an Australian external territory since 1903. While efforts were made to raise local military forces from indigenous personnel in Papua in the early war years, this did not extend to New Guinea until late in the war. The
209:, and drawing personnel from the PIR's depot battalion, 3 NGIB completed training there until August 1945. Formed late in the war the battalion took no part in the Allied campaigns in New Guinea, although a few of its members saw service with 2 NGIB during the
146:. One of four infantry battalions raised in New Guinea to fight against the Japanese, 3 NGIB was formed in June 1945, and spent the remainder of the war training. After becoming operational, it was sent to
240:: South West Pacific 1942–1945, Kokoda Trail, Kokoda-Deniki, Nassau Bay, Tambu Bay, Finschhafen, Scarlet Beach, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Sio-Sepik River, Kaboibus-Kiarivu and Bonis-Porton.
205:
joined the regiment upon their formation in 1945, although 4 NGIB was soon disbanded, and the 5th New Guinea
Infantry Battalion—although authorised—was never raised. Established at Camp Diddy, near
552:
547:
542:
478:
178:
was raised in 1939, but consisted entirely of
Australian and European expatriates. The 3rd New Guinea Infantry Battalion was formed in June 1945 in the territory of New Guinea, during
400:
Green
Shadows: A War History of the Papuan Infantry Battalion, 1 New Guinea Infantry Battalion, 2 New Guinea Infantry Battalion, 3 New Guinea Infantry Battalion
532:
517:
557:
537:
494:
467:
362:
488:
445:
426:
407:
202:
194:
190:
30:
233:
3 NGIB received no battle honours as it saw no combat during the war. However, as part of the PIR, it was awarded the following:
213:, suffering a number of casualties. On the final day of the war, 3 NGIB was declared operationally ready and began moving to
480:
To Find a Path: The Life and Times of the Royal
Pacific Islands Regiment: Volume I — Yesterday's Heroes 1885–1950
175:
210:
186:
198:
151:
122:
163:
68:
455:
150:
where it undertook garrison duties around Rabaul in the post war period. It later became part of the
166:
was a former German possession that had become a mandated territory administered by
Australia after
171:
484:
463:
441:
422:
403:
116:
358:
139:
78:
526:
179:
143:
214:
167:
147:
88:
218:
206:
417:
Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin (1995).
460:
The Unit Guide: The
Australian Army 1939–1945, Volume 2
438:
The New Guinea
Volunteer Rifles NGVR 1939–1943: A History
421:(First ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
344:
342:
553:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1947
462:. Warriewood, New South Wales: Big Sky Publishing.
419:
The Oxford
Companion to Australian Military History
115:
110:
102:
94:
84:
74:
64:
56:
48:
40:
23:
548:Military units and formations established in 1945
543:Military units and formations of Papua New Guinea
440:. Broadbeach Waters, Queensland: Pacific Press.
249:The following officers commanded the battalion:
16:Battalion of the Australian Army in World War II
332:
330:
272:
270:
293:
291:
8:
217:, where it undertook garrison duties around
253:Lieutenant Colonel T.F. MacAdie (1945–1946)
35:3 NGIB's lines at Nadzab, 8 September 1945
29:
154:before being disbanded in November 1947.
266:
256:Lieutenant Colonel A.C. Cameron (1946)
20:
7:
483:. Brisbane: Boolarong Publications.
221:in the immediate post war period.
533:Australian World War II battalions
365:from the original on 24 March 2014
203:4th New Guinea Infantry Battalions
195:2nd New Guinea Infantry Battalions
14:
136:3rd New Guinea Infantry Battalion
24:3rd New Guinea Infantry Battalion
558:Papua New Guinea in World War II
538:Infantry battalions of Australia
518:Australia-Japan research project
138:(3 NGIB) was a battalion of the
121:
201:in November 1944. The 3rd and
1:
336:McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2268.
276:McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2264.
197:were amalgamated to form the
225:time, and another in Papua.
361:. Australian War Memorial.
176:New Guinea Volunteer Rifles
574:
402:. Newmarket: G.M. Byrnes.
359:"Pacific Islands Regiment"
306:Dennis et al 1995, p. 449.
187:Papuan Infantry Battalion
162:At the start of the war,
28:
477:Sinclair, James (1990).
199:Pacific Islands Regiment
152:Pacific Islands Regiment
456:McKenzie-Smith, Graham
383:Sinclair 1990, p. 305.
315:Sinclair 1990, p. 273.
297:Sinclair 1990, p. 296.
398:Byrnes, G.M. (1989).
211:Aitape–Wewak campaign
189:(PIB) along with the
497:on 23 September 2015
348:Byrnes 1989, p. 269.
324:Byrnes 1989, p. 184.
436:Downs, Ian (1999).
245:Commanding officers
285:Downs 1999, p. 34.
129:
128:
117:Unit colour patch
565:
506:
504:
502:
493:. Archived from
473:
469:978-1-925675-146
451:
432:
413:
384:
381:
375:
374:
372:
370:
355:
349:
346:
337:
334:
325:
322:
316:
313:
307:
304:
298:
295:
286:
283:
277:
274:
125:
33:
21:
573:
572:
568:
567:
566:
564:
563:
562:
523:
522:
514:
509:
500:
498:
491:
476:
470:
454:
448:
435:
429:
416:
410:
397:
393:
388:
387:
382:
378:
368:
366:
357:
356:
352:
347:
340:
335:
328:
323:
319:
314:
310:
305:
301:
296:
289:
284:
280:
275:
268:
263:
247:
231:
160:
140:Australian Army
132:
36:
17:
12:
11:
5:
571:
569:
561:
560:
555:
550:
545:
540:
535:
525:
524:
521:
520:
513:
512:External links
510:
508:
507:
489:
474:
468:
452:
446:
433:
427:
414:
408:
394:
392:
389:
386:
385:
376:
350:
338:
326:
317:
308:
299:
287:
278:
265:
264:
262:
259:
258:
257:
254:
246:
243:
242:
241:
230:
229:Battle honours
227:
159:
156:
130:
127:
126:
119:
113:
112:
108:
107:
104:
100:
99:
96:
92:
91:
86:
82:
81:
76:
72:
71:
66:
62:
61:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
570:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
530:
528:
519:
516:
515:
511:
496:
492:
490:0-7316-9120-2
486:
482:
481:
475:
471:
465:
461:
457:
453:
449:
447:1-875150-03-X
443:
439:
434:
430:
428:0-19-553227-9
424:
420:
415:
411:
409:0-7316-6716-6
405:
401:
396:
395:
390:
380:
377:
364:
360:
354:
351:
345:
343:
339:
333:
331:
327:
321:
318:
312:
309:
303:
300:
294:
292:
288:
282:
279:
273:
271:
267:
260:
255:
252:
251:
250:
244:
239:
236:
235:
234:
228:
226:
222:
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
183:
181:
177:
173:
169:
165:
157:
155:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
131:Military unit
124:
120:
118:
114:
109:
106:Red and green
105:
101:
97:
93:
90:
87:
83:
80:
77:
73:
70:
67:
63:
59:
55:
52:November 1947
51:
47:
43:
39:
32:
27:
22:
19:
499:. Retrieved
495:the original
479:
459:
437:
418:
399:
379:
367:. Retrieved
353:
320:
311:
302:
281:
248:
238:World War II
237:
232:
223:
184:
180:World War II
161:
144:World War II
135:
133:
18:
215:New Britain
168:World War I
148:New Britain
527:Categories
391:References
164:New Guinea
65:Allegiance
369:25 August
98:Battalion
60:Australia
49:Disbanded
44:1945–1947
501:3 August
458:(2018).
363:Archived
111:Insignia
89:Infantry
158:History
142:during
103:Colours
57:Country
487:
466:
444:
425:
406:
219:Rabaul
207:Nadzab
170:, and
75:Branch
69:Allied
41:Active
261:Notes
172:Papua
503:2015
485:ISBN
464:ISBN
442:ISBN
423:ISBN
404:ISBN
371:2019
193:and
185:The
134:The
95:Size
85:Type
79:Army
191:1st
529::
341:^
329:^
290:^
269:^
505:.
472:.
450:.
431:.
412:.
373:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.