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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.
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Put mouse pointer on image for alternate
image of ANZAC Day parade, 1989, with grandsons of 805 Sgt C F W Harris,MM
as bearers
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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.
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.
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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.
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