Royal Victoria Regiment, a full history

Melbourne metropolitan units and Victorian regional units make up the Royal Victoria Regiment. The Metropolitan units traditions and histories are entrusted to the 5th/6th Battalion, the Royal Victoria Regiment. The regional unit's traditions and histories have now been passed on to the 8th/7th Battalion, the Royal Victoria Regiment, 5th/6th Battalion's sister unit. Table A shows a listing of the Battalions raised in the metropolitan and rural regions of Victoria.

1880s; 1st Militia Battalion (West Melbourne ) Infantry;

foreground: marching soldier with rifle,

background: mounted officer and Bugler on foot,

These Infantry uniforms were based on British models

Lineage

Battalions Raised in Victoria
Melbourne & Metropolitan Battalions	Regional Battalions
Melbourne Volunteer Rifle Regiment, 1854	Ballarat Volunteer Rifle Regiment, 1858
1st Militia Battalion, 1885	3rd Battalion, Victorian Mounted Rifles, 1885
2nd Militia Battalion, 1885	4th Battalion, Victorian Mounted Rifles, 1885
Victorian Scottish Regiment, 1898	Victorian Rangers, 1888
52nd Battalion AIR (Victorian Scottish)	.
5th Australian Infantry Regiment, 1903	7th Australian Infantry Regiment, 1903
6th Australian Infantry Regiment, 1903	8th Australian Infantry Regiment, 1903
5th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1914	7th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1914
6th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1914	8th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1914
14th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1914	21st Battalion, 1st AIF, 1914
22nd Battalion, 1st AIF, 1915	23rd Battalion, 1st AIF, 1915
24th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1915	32nd Battalion, 1st AIF, 1915
29th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1915	37th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1916
39th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1916	38th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1916
46th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1916	59th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1916
57th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1916	60th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1916
58th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1916	7th Battalion, NW Murray Regiment, 1919
5th Battalion, Victorian Scottish Regiment, 1919	8th Battalion, City of Ballarat Regiment, 1919
6th Battalion, Royal Melbourne Regiment, 1919	21st Battalion, Victorian Rangers, 1919
14th Battalion, Prahran Regiment, 1919	23rd Battalion, City of Geelong Regiment, 1919
22nd Battalion, Richmond Regiment, 1919	37th Battalion, Henty Regiment, 1919
24th Battalion, Kooyong Regiment, 1919	38th Battalion, Northern Victoria Regiment, 1919
29th Battalion, East Melbourne Regiment, 1919	52nd Battalion, The Gippsland Regiment, 1919
39th Battalion, Hawthorn/Kew Regiment, 1919	59th Battalion, Hume Regiment, 1919
46th Battalion, Brighton Regiment, 1919	2nd/7th Battalion, 1939
57th Battalion, Merri Regiment, 1919	2nd/8th Battalion,1939
58th Battalion, Essendon/Coburg Regt, 1919	2nd/21st Battalion, 1939
60th Battalion, Heidelberg Regiment, 1919	2nd/23rd Battalion,1939
2nd/5th Battalion, 1939	37th Battalion, 1939
2nd/6th Battalion, 1939	52nd Battalion,1939
2nd/14th Battalion, 1939	37th/52nd Battalion, 1939
2nd/22nd Battalion, 1939	7th Battalion (Militia), 1939
2nd/24th Battalion, 1939	8th Battalion (Militia) 1939
2/29th Battalion, 1939	58th/59th Battalion, 1939
2nd/32nd Battalion, 1939	60th Battalion, 1939
14th/32nd Battalion, 1939	8th/7th Bn, Nth West Victoria Regiment, 1948
22nd Battalion, 1939	38th Battalion, The Bendigo Regiment, 1948
24th Battalion, 1939	59th Battalion, The Hume Regiment, 1948
29th/46th Battalion, 1939	2 RVR, 1960
39th Battalion, 1939	2nd Battalion, RVR, 1965
57th/60th Battalion, 1939	1st Independent Rifle Coy, 1965
5th Battalion, Victorian Scottish Regiment, 1948	8th/7th Battalion, RVR, 1987.
6th Battalion, Royal Melbourne Regiment, 1948
58th/32nd Battalion, Essendon Regt, 1948
1 RVR, 1960
1st Battalion, RVR, 1965
5th Battalion, RVR, 1965
6th Battalion, RVR, 1965
5/6th Battalion, RVR, 1982

Battle Honours

Many of the 1st Australian Imperial Force and the 2nd Australian Imperial Force units were raised directly from the skeleton of militia units after the declaration of war. For this reason, The Royal Victoria Regiment can earned more Battle Honours than any other Regiment of the Australian Defence Forces. Approved Battle Honours that emblazon the Colours are listed in table B. Go to the respective unit history to see the actual Battle Honours awarded to the various Battalions.

Battle Honours emblazoned on the Colours
Regimental Colour	Queens Colour
South Africa (1899-1902)	Bardia 1941
Pozieres	Capture of Tobruk
Ypres 1917	El Alamein
Amiens	Greece 1941
Mont St Quentin	South West Pacific 1942-45
Somme 1916,1918	Bobdubi II
Bullecourt	Lae-Nadzab
Polygon Wood	Finisterres
Albert 1918	Hari River
Hindenberg Line	Borneo
Landing at ANZAC

The Victoria Cross

Click here to view the names of Victorians who have been awarded the highest bravery medal in Australia / British Commonwealth - the Victoria Cross.

Activity Report
The Dibb Report of the mid 1980's saw the 5th/6th and 8th/7th Battalions given the task of Vital Asset Protection of the Tindal Air Force Base in the Northern Territory as their primary role. Both battalion's participated in two large multinational Kangaroo exercises in 1989 and 1992; the battalions also sent smaller elements to the region subsequent exercises.

In 1988, it was decided to reintroduce Colour Patches for the first time since the end of the Second World War. The original 5th Battalion patch, as worn the day that the 5th Battalion, 1st AIF raised from Melbourne and landed at ANZAC cove on the 25th of April 1915 was adopted for the 5th/6th Battalion RVR. This patch, of a black rectangle on top of a red rectangle, is worn on the puggaree on the slouch hat. The original 8th Battalion patch, as worn on that day when the 8th Battalion landed at Anzac Cove on 25th of April 1915 was adopted for use by the 8th/7th Battalion RVR. This patch, of a white rectangle on top of a red rectangle, is worn on the puggaree.

A change of Government in 1996 led to a review of the Army Reserve which impacted directly on the 4th Brigade in general, and the 5/6th Battalion in particular. The Brigade was to be "revitalized" and recruitment was stepped up to increase the size of the Battalion. Concurrently, additional Regular Army Staff were posted to increase the readiness and training tempo of the unit. Training was well resourced and tested by independent observers at the Cultana training area in 1999.

East Timor
The 5th/6th Battalion supplied to Company Group to rotate through the Butterworth Air Force base, Malaysia, in Nov 1999-Jan 2000 becoming one of the first Army Reserve units to do so. The company group was drawn primarily from the 5th/6th Battalion. Additional strength was drawn from 8/7 RVR as well as other units within the 4th Brigade.

The events in East Timor during 1999/2000 resulted in the requirement reinforce Regular Army units, and members of the both the battalions volunteered for service. Most served with the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment. Some elected to stay with the regular Army on their return to Australia while others returned home to their Battalion.

In July 2002, the first Army Reserve Infantry Rifle Company to serve on peace keeping operations was raised from volunteers from both 5/6 RVR, 8/7 RVR and soldiers from 2/17th Battalion, The Royal New South Wales Regiment.

Today the 5th/6th and the 8th/7th Battalions, The Royal Victoria Regiment are proud to carry on the traditions, customs and experiences of Infantrymen based in Melbourne and Country Victoria that are enshrined within the Battalions and the various Associations. It remains very much a part of Victoria.

Books

The following books are selected reading for further information about the various Infantry Battalions.

5th Battalion,1st AIF	Forward with the Fifth
2nd/5th Battalion	All the Kings Enemies
5th Battalion	Espirit de Corps - A history of the 5th Battalion and the Victoria Scottish Regiment
6th Battalion, 1st AIF	As Rough as Bags: Ron Austin
2nd/6th Battalion	Nothing Over Us: Sir David Hay
6th Battalion	Bold, Steady, Faithful - A history of the 6th Battalion and the Royal Melbourne Regiment; Ron Austin
2nd/14th Battalion	The 2nd/14th Battalion: W.B. Russell
22nd Battalion	Mud and Blood: P Share
39th Battalion	To Kokoda and Beyond: Victor Austin
39th Battalion	Those Ragged Bloody Heroes: Peter Bruhne
58th/59th Battalion	Militia Battalion at War: Russell Mathews
5th.6th,7th,8th Bn's	The White Ghurka's: Ron Austin
2nd/6th Battalion	Not as Duty Only: Maj. H Gullet MC

this page is a part copy of the website provided by the Association. Some alterations have been made.