Second World War (1939–1945) During the Second World War, the Australian Army raised a number of units that were designated as carrying out commando-type operations. The first of these units were the independent companies, which were raised over a period of twelve months between 1941 and 1942. These units would go on to carry out various roles during the campaigns in New Guinea and Borneo and their members would serve with considerable distinction. Later, following a reorganisation, they would be designated as fully-fledged "Commando" squadrons. Other units were raised, such as the special units, whose tasks would be somewhat more clandestine. The
Royal Australian Navy (RAN) also raised commando units during the war, employing them mainly in the role of beach parties and underwater clearance teams.
Independent companies At the beginning of the Second World War, the Australian Army did not possess any "special forces" units. Late in 1940, the British government sent a military mission to Australia, headed by Lieutenant-Colonel J.C Mawhood, to investigate the possibility of establishing a number of such units within the Australian Army. The British proposed the establishment of independent companies that would receive special training in order to take part in combined operations and various other tasks, including "...raids, demolitions, sabotage, subversion and organising civil resistance". Acting on British advice, the Australian Army began raising and training the
2/1st Independent Company in March 1941. Formed from volunteers from all branches of the Australian military, they were initially modelled upon the
British Army Commandos and began training at the 7th Infantry Training Centre, Guerrilla Warfare School, at
Wilson's Promontory,
Victoria. Of those who trained the first Australian commandos were renowned British commandos
Mike Calvert and
F. Spencer Chapman. In addition, the
New Guinea Air Warning Wireless Company provided surveillance teams behind Japanese lines throughout Papua, New Guinea and the surrounding area. These first units were: •
1st Independent Company (raised May/June 1941) •
2nd Independent Company (raised Oct 1941) •
3rd Independent Company (raised Oct 1941) •
4th Independent Company (raised December 1941) •
New Guinea Air Warning Wireless (Independent) Company (raised January 1942) •
2/5 Independent Company (raised March 1942) •
2/6 Independent Company (raised March 1942) •
2/7th Independent Company (raised March 1942) •
2/8th Independent Company (raised May 1942) Initially the independent companies were raised to serve alongside the
Second Australian Imperial Force (Second AIF) in the Middle East; however, as the threat from Japan developed it was decided to use them in the Pacific theatre, in the islands to the north of Australia where it was necessary to establish outposts to warn of the approach of Japanese forces. Their mission would then be to remain behind and harass the invading Japanese forces. The first Australian commando unit to see action was the 1st Independent Company. Many of its members were killed or captured The 2nd Independent Company performed with considerable success during the
Timor campaign of 1942–43, conducting a guerrilla style campaign and occupying the attention of an entire
Imperial Japanese Army division for almost twelve months. On return the 2nd Independent Company was redesignated as the 2/2 Independent Company, and then later the 2/2nd Commando Squadron and was one of only two of the original independent companies to remain operationally independent, outside a regimental structure. By the end of the war the 2/2nd Commando Squadron could "...claim to have spent longer in contact with the enemy than any other unit of the Australian Army" and indeed their success was later used as a model of SAS training.
Re-organisation 1943 In mid-1943, the Australian Army re-organised its six front-line divisions as
light infantry Jungle Divisions. As the three Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) divisions'
armoured reconnaissance regiments were considered to be unsuited to jungle terrain, having been raised for service originally in the Middle East and North Africa, their cavalry squadrons were disbanded. The regimental headquarters of the disbanded units were then used to command and administer the independent companies, as they were amalgamated into a regimental structure. Subsequently, the independent companies were redesignated as "Cavalry Commando Squadrons" and later, in 1944, this was simplified to "Commando Squadrons". As a part of this re-organisation, the following regiments were formed: •
2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment (attached to the
Australian 6th Division) •
2/7th Commando Squadron •
2/9th Commando Squadron •
2/10th Commando Squadron •
2/7th Cavalry Commando Regiment (attached to the
Australian 7th Division) •
2/3rd Commando Squadron •
2/5th Commando Squadron •
2/6th Commando Squadron •
2/9th Cavalry Commando Regiment (attached to the
Australian 9th Division) •
2/4th Commando Squadron •
2/11th Commando Squadron •
2/12th Commando Squadron In the last year of the war, the eleven commando squadrons fought in Borneo, New Guinea and Bougainville. and arguably this led to further ambivalence—even resistance—in the Australian Army high command towards so-called "special forces" which was later to hinder the formation of other such units after the war.
M & Z Special Units of M Special Unit being beheaded by a Japanese soldier, Yasuno Chikao, on 24 October 1943. AWM photo. With the outbreak of war in the
Pacific, two multi-national combined forces commando units were formed as part of the
Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB), attached to its
Special Operations Australia (SOA) branch. These units were
M Special Unit (primarily a
coastwatching unit) and the more famous
Z Special Unit (also known as Z Force), and they were to be used by the
Allies to conduct covert operations in the
South West Pacific Area against the
Japanese. These units were formed with volunteers from all branches of the military and from personnel from Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and the Netherlands-East Indies. M Special Unit was used primarily to provide intelligence on Japanese naval and troop movements around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, with personnel being inserted along the coast behind enemy lines where they would observe enemy movements and report back to the AIB via radio. However, in 1944 the similar but larger
Operation Rimau, which also targeted shipping at Singapore Harbour, resulted in the loss of all 23 personnel involved.
Post-Second World War After the war, the existing commando units were disbanded as the focus of Australian defence planning returned to the old concept of supplying troops under Commonwealth defence arrangements. In 1955, following a liaison visit to Malaya by Lieutenant-General Sir
Henry Wells, the need to preserve the skills possessed by the Second World War units was realised as it became clearer that there was a role for Australian special forces within the Southeast Asian region. However, financial constraints and possibly an institutional phobia of "special forces" limited the commitment that the Australian Army could make to the concept, and consequently, it was decided that any such units raised would have to be drawn from the
Citizens Military Force (CMF), as the army reserve was known at the time. As a result, two CMF Commando companies were raised: 2 Commando Company (2 Cdo Coy) in February 1955, based in Melbourne, and 1 Commando Company (1 Cdo Coy) in July 1955, based in Sydney. However, the commando units retained a separate identity, with an emphasis on raiding and larger offensive operations, rather than the
special reconnaissance and "surgical strike" role that was the classic function of SAS units. In February 1981, it was decided to unite the two commando companies under a single headquarters unit. As a result,
1 Commando Regiment (1 Cdo Regt) was formed at
Randwick, New South Wales to oversee the two reserve companies, although 2 Coy remained in Melbourne. In addition, 126 Signal Squadron (Special Forces), based in Melbourne, was incorporated to provide long-range communications support. A regular
light infantry unit,
4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (4 RAR) was converted into a commando role in 1996, in order to provide a full-time commando capability within the regular army. 126 Signal Squadron was incorporated to provide signal support (301 Signal Squadron was re-raised to refill the role within the 1st Commando Regiment). Subsequently, 4 RAR was renamed 4 RAR (Cdo) until 19 June 2009, when it was again renamed, becoming
2nd Commando Regiment (2 Cdo Regt). This unit is largely used in the traditional commando role, and is heavily involved in
combat operations in Afghanistan. 2 Cdo Regt also has a counter-terrorism function within Australia, providing members to the
Tactical Assault Group – East (TAGEAST), to perform the same role on the eastern seaboard that the SASR provides on the western seaboard. In May 2003,
Special Operations Command (Australia) was established as the administrative and operational headquarters for all of Australia's special forces and commando units. ==Current organisation==