2/28th Battalion (Australia)

2/28th Battalion
2/28th troops board a troopship in Cairns, August 1943, prior to the landing around Lae
Active	1940–1946
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~800–900 personnel[Note 1]
Part of	24th Brigade, 9th Division
Engagements	Second World War Siege of Tobruk First Battle of El Alamein Second Battle of El Alamein Huon Peninsula campaign Borneo Campaign
Insignia
Unit colour patch (1940–42)
(1942–46)

The 2/28th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during the Second World War. Formed in mid-1940 from Western Australian volunteers, the battalion served in North Africa in 1941–42 as part of the 24th Brigade, which was assigned to the 9th Division. The battalion's first major engagement came during the Siege of Tobruk, where the battalion carried out defensive duties as part of the garrison for over six months before being withdrawn by sea. After undertaking occupation duties in Syria and Lebanon, the 2/28th took part in the First Battle of El Alamein in mid-1942 during which it was heavily depleted, and had to be rebuilt prior to its commitment to the Second Battle of El Alamein later in the year. In early 1943, the battalion returned to Australia and later took part in campaigns against the Japanese in New Guinea in 1943–44, where it was committed to capturing Lae, and then clearing the Huon Peninsula, and then retaking Borneo in 1945. After the war, the battalion was disbanded in early 1946.

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