42 RQR; Royal Queensland Regiment

HISTORY

In 1884 the Colonies of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria took measures to defend themselves against the threat of invasion. The Colony of Queensland Defence Act provided for the raising of a regiment of the Queensland Voluntary Infantry Corps. Two companies of this regiment were raised in the vicinity of Rockhampton, Gladstone and Maryborough. These two companies were the earliest forerunners of the 42nd Battalion.

In 1903 under the Commonwealth Act the two companies that had been raised in the Central Queensland area were reconstituted as the Port Curtis Infantry Regiment. In 1912 the regiment became known as the 3rd (Port Curtis) Infantry Regiment.

At the outbreak of the First World War Australia raised the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) for overseas service. Towards the end of 1915 it was decided to form a new division of the AIF, for which Queensland was to provide two battalions. One of these battalions was formed at Thompson's Paddock at Enoggera, Brisbane and was known initially as the 36th Battalion, however it was shortly afterwards renamed the 42nd Battalion AIF.

The Battalion entered the war as part of the 11th Brigade of the 3rd Division and by Christmas 1916 the battalion was serving in the line at Armentieres, France. The battalion was in and out of action until near the end of the war and took part in the battles at Messines, Passchendaele, Broodseinde, Ypres, Ancre, Hamel, Somme, Amiens, Mont St Quentin and the Hindenburg Line.

Towards the end of 1918 due to manpower shortages it was decided to reduce the number of battalions per brigade from four to three and it was decided that the 42nd Battalion was to be disbanded. This decision was disputed by the battalion's members and it took four attempts by the hierarchy before the 42nd Battalion was peacefully disbanded. The 42nd Battalion soldiers subsequently became B Company of the 41st Battalion.

554 members of the Battalion died on active service during the First World War.

After the end of the First World War a militia unit was raised in the Central Queensland region which was known as the 2nd Battalion, 42nd Infantry (Port Curtis) Regiment.

Thus the traditions of the 42nd Battalion AIF continued and in 1921 the unit became the 42nd Battalion, Capricornia Regiment.

<< ANZAC Day banner carried by the Association

The Battalion continued to train in its militia role until 1939 when the Second World War broke out.

After mobilisation the Battalion became part of the 29th Brigade and in January 1943 the 42nd Australian Infantry Battalion travelled to New Guinea and fought at Buna, Mt Tambu, Bamboo Knoll, Charlie Hill and Salamaua In August 1944 the unit returned to Australia and after leave it once again deployed on active service to Bougainville in December where it fought until the end of the war. Sixty-one members of the Battalion died on active service during World War Two.

In 1948 the 42nd Infantry Battalion, The Capricornia Regiment once again became a Citizen Military Force (CMF) battalion and had three companies in Rockhampton with its headquarters in Maryborough. An element of the 31st Battalion was raised in the Mackay/Sarina area and it later transferred to become part of the 42nd Battalion. The unit reorganisation continued with the unit headquarters transferring to Rockhampton in 1957.

In 1960 the Australian Army reorganised along pentropic lines and the 42nd Battalion was absorbed into the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Queensland Regiment (RQR). However this state of affairs was rectified on the 2 August 1965 when the 42nd Battalion RQR was re-raised with the headquarters, a rifle company, an administration company and the support company at Rockhampton, a rifle company at Mackay and further rifle company at Gladstone.