2/5th Battalion (Australia)

2/5th Battalion
2/5th Battalion being addressed by Major General Edmund Herring in Syria, November 1941
Active	1939–1946
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~800–900 men[Note 1]
Part of	17th Brigade, 6th Division
Colours	Black over red
Engagements	World War II North African campaign Battle of Greece Battle of Crete Syrian campaign New Guinea campaign Salamaua–Lae campaign Aitape–Wewak campaign
Insignia
Unit colour patch

The 2/5th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that operated during World War II. It was raised at Melbourne, Victoria, on 18 October 1939 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), attached to the 17th Brigade of the 6th Division. The 2/5th was one of only two Australian infantry battalions to fight against all of the major Axis powers during the war, seeing action against the Germans and Italians in Egypt, Libya, Greece and Crete, and the Vichy French in Syria, before returning to Australia in 1942 to fight the Japanese following a period of garrison duties in Ceylon, where it formed part of an Australian force established to defend against a possible Japanese invasion.

Following its return to Australia, the battalion was re-organised for jungle warfare and took part in two campaigns in New Guinea. The first of these campaigns came in 1942–1943 when it was involved in the defence of Wau and the Salamaua–Lae campaign, and then again in 1944–1945 when it took part in the Aitape–Wewak campaign. Following the end of the war, the battalion embarked for Australia on 1 December 1945 and disbanded at Puckapunyal in early February 1946. Its battle honours are maintained by the 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment.

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