World War I The 22nd Battalion was raised at
Broadmeadows Camp in
Victoria, on 26 March 1915, as part of the
Australian Imperial Force (AIF), the all-volunteer force raised for service during World War I. The battalion was assigned to the
6th Brigade, which formed part of the
2nd Division. After completing rudimentary training, the main part of the battalion left Australia on 8 May 1915, sailing for Egypt where they were to complete their training. According to the Australian War Memorial, the 22nd Battalion's casualties during the war amounted to 854 killed and 2,378 wounded. Early in the war, the 22nd was assigned to the
4th Brigade and undertook garrison duties and training camps in Australia – based mainly in
Queensland. In early 1943, the battalion was deployed to
New Guinea to take part in the fighting against the Japanese serving mainly with the
5th Division, but also briefly as part of the
9th. The battalion initially deployed to the
Milne Bay area in March 1943 undertaking garrison duties and jungle training before moving to
Lae shortly after its capture by Australian forces in early September. Later in the month, the 9th Division carried out a
landing on the Huon Peninsula, and the 22nd Battalion played a support role, advancing towards
Finschhafen overland from Lae, while the 9th Division advanced on the town from the north from their lodgement at
Scarlet Beach. Later, after
Sattelberg was captured, they joined the advance along the northern coast of the Huon Peninsula towards
Madang. After a total of 16 months overseas, the battalion was withdrawn back to Australia for rest and reorganisation in September 1944. After a period of training around
Strathpine, Queensland, the 22nd Battalion was deployed to
New Britain in January 1945. After landing at Wunung Bay, the 22nd Battalion undertook patrols around the local area as the Australians undertook a campaign to contain the larger Japanese force to the northern part of the island. The fighting came to an end in August 1945 and after the war, the 22nd Battalion garrisoned
Rabaul. It was disbanded on 26 May 1946. During the war, the 22nd Battalion lost 43 men killed in action or died on active service, while a further 72 were wounded. In 1966, following the reintroduction of
national service, the 22nd Battalion was re-raised as part of the
Royal Victoria Regiment, as a remote area battalion within the Citizens Military Force, offering special conditions of service for those eligible for call up who elected to serve in the CMF rather than the Regular Army, but who could not meet their training requirements through normal attendance due to their occupation or place of residence. The battalion also included a small detachment of Tasmanians, who had originally been recruited into the
50th Battalion, but who were reallocated when the decision to re-raise that unit was cancelled. With the abolition of national service in late 1972, 22 RVR lost the vast majority of its soldiers. To keep the battalion viable C Company of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment (2 RVR), with depots in Shepparton and Echuca, was attached to 22 RVR. 22 RVR was closed on 30 June 1975 and C Company returned to 2 RVR, which subsequently became the
8th/7th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment in 1987. ==Alliances==