First World War The battalion was raised as part of the all volunteer
Australian Imperial Force (AIF) within three weeks of the declaration of war in August 1914, and left Australia just two months later. Part of the
3rd Brigade,
1st Division it was formed from recruits from
Tasmania,
South Australia and
Western Australia. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Lancelot Clarke, the battalion proceeded to
Egypt on
HMAT A2 Geelong, arriving on 2 December. A period of training in the desert followed to prepare the Australian forces for their eventual transfer to Europe, but in late April they were committed to the
Gallipoli Campaign. The 3rd Brigade was the covering force for the
Anzac landing on 25 April 1915, and went ashore at around 4.30 am. During the early fighting on the first, the battalion's commanding officer was killed by a sniper. After the initial landing, a stalemate developed around the beachhead and in August the Allies sought to break the deadlock by launching the
August Offensive. As a part of this, the 12th contributed two companies to the diversionary attack on
Lone Pine. The offensive failed, but the campaign continued and the battalion remained served on the Gallipoli Peninsula until early December when it was withdrawn to
Lemnos Island for rest. While there, Lieutenant Colonel
John Gellibrand took command of the battalion. In late December, the Allied forces were evacuated from Gallipoli and the battalion returned to Egypt in January 1916, where the AIF was reorganised and expanded. During this process, the 12th Battalion provided an experienced
cadre of troops to the newly raised
52nd Battalion. In March 1916, the AIF's infantry divisions were transferred to the
Western Front, and after arriving in
France, the 12th Battalion deployed to the
Somme. The battalion's first major action in France was at
Pozières in July 1916. Later the battalion fought at
Ypres, in
Belgium, before returning to the Somme in winter. In 1917, the battalion returned to
Belgium to take part the
Third Battle of Ypres. In 1927, it received the title "The Launceston Regiment". The battalion was subsequently amalgamated with the
50th Battalion as the "12th/50th Battalion (The Launceston Regiment/The Tasmanian Rangers)" on 1 December 1936. During the Second World War, the two battalions remained linked, serving as part of
York Force and undertaking garrison duties in the
Northern Territory. On 2 May 1945 the 12th/50th Battalion was amalgamated with the
40th Battalion ("The Derwent Regiment") and became the
12th/40th Battalion. The battalion was disbanded in 1946, having not seen combat during the war. Reformed in 1948 as part of the
Citizens Military Force, the 12/40th Battalion was unlinked in 1953 with both battalions being reformed in their own right at that time. In 1961, the 12th Battalion was awarded the Second World War
battle honours of the
2/12th Battalion (AIF). The battalion was granted the freedom of the
City of Launceston in May 1960. In the early 1960s, the Australian Army adopted the
Pentropic divisional establishment, which resulted in the regionally-based regiments being subsumed into larger State-based regiments. As a result, the 12th Battalion formed 'A' Company within the Pentropically organised 1st Battalion, The
Royal Tasmania Regiment (1 RTR). In 1972, 1 RTR was split up and the 12th and 40th Battalions reformed, but this was only short lived as both formations were reduced to independent rifle companies in 1975. The 12th and 40th Independent Rifle Companies were amalgamated in 1987 as part of a reorganisation of Australia's reserve infantry force, forming the
12th/40th Battalion, Royal Tasmania Regiment, a unit which continues to serve in the
Australian Army Reserve. ==Alliances==