Formations of the 2nd
AIF eventually included the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Aust. Divisions, 1st
Aust. Armoured Division, 1st Aust. Corps, and the Aust. Overseas Base
Sub-Area.
This distinction immediately identified the wearer as a volunteer for
unrestricted overseas service, a fact highly prized by the members of
this Force. Another equally prized distinction was the wearing of the
copper oxidised title 'AUSTRALIA' on both epaulettes of the jacket and
greatcoat.
Partial mobilization of the Home Forces did not commence until August
1941, although it should be noted that units of the Fixed Defences and
many individuals of the Citizen Forces had been serving on voluntary
full time duty since the outbreak of the Second World War. This
process was accelerated with the entry of Japan into the war in
December 1941, full scale mobilization being implemented. As part of
the process AIF reinforcements were drafted to CMF units to bring them
up to strength, while experienced personnel from AIF units returning
from the Middle East were posted to CMF units to occupy key positions
or to provide cadres for the formation of new units.
It is necessary to record at this
point, that from early 1942, the Active Citizen Military Forces
provided the sole means of expansion of the Australian Military
Forces, its units comprising a mixture of AIF volunteers, voluntary
Militia, PMF personnel, and compulsorily enlisted Universal Trainees.
Initially, when a member of the AIF was transferred to a CMF unit,
they were required to wear the colour patch of that CMF unit without a
grey background. (For example 2nd Division
Routine Order No. 22 of 3.4.1942, para. 3, stated: "A.I.F.
personnel transferred to Militia Units of 2 Div. will wear the colour
patches of the unit to which they are attached, but they will retain
'Australia' shoulder titles." AA(Vic): MP 508/1, item
36/750/115.)
This created an immediate uproar
from those affected, and while disciplinary action was taken against
recalcitrant soldiers who refused to relinquish the visible signs of
their volunteer status, the general public, through the medium of
returned servicemen's organizations, politicians, clergy, and
soldiers' mothers, registered their disgust at the decision.
(It should be noted that although the personnel involved in these
protests were all volunteers for the AIF, in the majority of cases
they were reinforcements who had never been posted to an AIF unit, nor
served overseas.)
A partial compromise was reached in
May 1942, when the following provision was made for AIF personnel
posted to a unit of the CMF;
(a) AIF reinforcements who had not been allotted to an AIF unit, or
had not proceeded overseas: to wear the colour patch of the CMF unit
to which they were posted, superimposed on a battleship grey
background of the same shape as the patch itself.
(b) Members and ex-members of AIF units who had served overseas, and
reinforcements who had been allotted to AIF units, or had proceeded
overseas: to wear the colour patch approved for their CMF unit, above
which was to be worn a miniature colour patch of the last AIF unit in
which they had served.
GRO A.36/1942, 22.5.1942. According to a statement
by the Minister for the Army on 18.5.1942, para. (b) above was also
applicable to personnel already serving in 2nd AIF units which had
not left Australia. (Ref. AA[Vic]: MP 508/1, item 36/750/101). A HQ
WA L of C Area Routine Order Part I, No. 75/42, states that: "
In addition to the colour patches authorised by GRO 36/1942, members
of the AIF who are serving with CMF units will wear a Battle Grey
background to the colour patching [sic] of the CMF unit." This
was in response to GRO 168/1942 (see fn 255), however there is no
evidence that GRO 168/1942 intended AIF personnel who were already
entitled to wear a miniature colour patch signifying active service
overseas to wear a grey background on the patch of the CMF unit with
which they were now serving.
Having made this small concession,
GHQ then removed another outward sign of AIF status by directing that
that the metal title 'AUSTRALIA' was not to be worn within Australia
and its territories. (GRO A.38/1942, 22.5.1942.)
This order was revoked in July
1942.(GRO A.252/1942, 24.7.1942.)
In July 1942 approval was given for
personnel of the CMF and PMF who were serving with CMF units to enlist
in the AIF, although they continued to serve with their existing unit.
Once accepted, these personnel were directed to wear the colour patch
of their CMF unit superimposed on a battleship grey background of the
same shape as the patch.255
GRO A. 168/1942, sub-para. I (k), 10.7.1942. A
Comd. Fixed Def. Fremantle Routine Order Part I dated 27.7.1942
directs that the patch, inclusive of the 3/16 inch grey background,
would be of the same outside dimensions as the original patch. GRO
345/1942, para. 3, 28.8.1942, also directs that AIF colour patches
and titles could be adopted by CMF and PMF personnel enlisting in
the AT immediately upon the completion of AAF A.200 (Attestation
Form).
In August 1942 LHQ directed that
where 75% of the posted strength of a CMF unit, or (from February
1943) 65% of its authorised War Establishment, whichever was the
greater, had volunteered for the AIF, that unit would be reclassified
as an AIF unit.(GROA.344/1942,28.8.1942;
GROA.170/1943, 26.2.1943; GROA.838/1943,31.12.1943.)
In October 1942 it was directed that such units would use the affix
(A.I.F.) in their unit designation, (GRO
G.482/1942, 23. 10. 1942.) and
in December 1943 such distinction was restricted to units serving, or
which could be reasonably expected to serve, outside the mainland of
Australia. As a result of these decisions, LHQ directed in October
1942 that all personnel of the AIF who were serving with a CMF unit
would wear a grey background to the colour patch of that CMF unit.
(GRO A.491/1942, 23.10.1942.)
There is considerable misconception
in regard to wearing of a grey background by personnel of units of the
CMF which were reclassified as AIF, the general view being summed up
by comment in the Army Colour Patch Register that when a CMF unit
converted to AIF status, it added a battleship grey background to the
original unit colour patch. (ACPR, Section I to
Part 2, para. 112.)
This is incorrect, and it should be
clearly understood that at least 65% of personnel on a unit's War
Establishment, or 75% of its posted strength, were already wearing a
grey background on their colour patches prior to its reclassification
as an A.I.F. unit. Many units reclassified as (A.I.F.) still had
members of the PMF and CMF on strength who could not, or would not,
for a variety of reasons, transfer to the AIF. GRO
491/1942 stated that personnel of the CMF would not wear a grey
background on their colour patches, nor the title 'AUSTRALIA', even
though the unit with which they were serving was classified as an AIF
unit.
Thus it can be seen, that from mid 1942 the original object of the
grey background, that of identifying units of a particular Force
raised for overseas service, had changed to that of identifying
individuals serving with any unit of the AMF who had volunteered for
unrestricted overseas service. It therefore became general policy from
mid 1942 to approve and promulgate new colour patch designs without
grey backgrounds, each approval specifying that AIF personnel would
wear that patch superimposed on a grey background which would appear
as a 3/16 inch wide border on all sides of the colour patch.
Orders placed with a manufacturer
for supply requested that a percentage of each design be produced with
grey backgrounds. (For example Order No. 3271
for the 20th Aust. Field Ambulance, 800 pairs with grey backgrounds,
200 pairs without, and Order No. 2597, Aust. Special Wireless Group,
1,500 with, 1,000 without. (AA[Vic.]: CRS B1540, item 36/702, entries
for 8.11.42 and 1.7.42 respectively.)
The reader should therefore be aware
that, although not shown in the colour plates or text, any colour
patch in use on 22.5.1942, or approved subsequent to that date, may be
seen with a grey background as a result of the principles promulgated
by GRO's 36/1942, 168/1942, 345/1942, 491/1942 and 60/1945. By the
same token, some colour patches approved for 2nd AIF formations,
notably 1st Aust. Armoured Division, will be seen with the grey
background removed or trimmed back flush with the patch itself. This
is the result of the transfer of some CMF units to AIF formations from
1942 onwards.
This policy obviously created some confusion when implemented, i.e.
AIF personnel of the 1st/45th Aust. Infantry Battalion wore an
identical colour patch to that approved for the 2/1st Aust. Infantry
Battalion, and the difficulty in identification which resulted in many
similar cases is one of the reasons put to the Minister for the Army
by General Blarney in early 1945 for a simplification of the colour
patch scheme. Second AIF units themselves were critical of the use of
the grey background by personnel of CMF units, for example the twice
yearly publication of the 2/14th Aust. Field Regiment Association, The
Drum, after remarking that the vertical break in their colour patch
had a secondary aim in differentiating between members of the regiment
and AIF personnel of units of the 3rd Aust. Division artillery,
states, "Although this may sound like unnecessary
small-mindedness [sic] now - 50
years ago it was a matter of some consequence to differentiate one's
unit from militia. (Extracts from recent issues
of the publication contained in a reply dated 31.5.1995 by the
Association Secretary, Mr. Bill Smallcombe, in response to a query by
the author regarding the history of the unit colour patch.)
A distinction similar to that used by the 2/14th Field Regiment may
have in fact provided the
solution to the problem, however it does not appear to have been
addressed.
- Finally, as the policy for
wearing a grey background is, I believe, fully set out in the
preceding paragraphs, I make no apology for not depicting the grey
background on colour patches in use from 1942 onwards where the
unit was subsequently reclassified as (AIF).
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