25th Battalion (Australia)

25th Battalion
Active	1915–1919 1921–1930 1934–1946 1948–1960 1965–1997
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~900–1,000 all ranks
Part of	7th Brigade, 2nd Division 3rd Division
Nickname(s)	The Darling Downs Regiment
Motto(s)	Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum
Colours	Black over blue
Engagements	First World War Gallipoli Campaign Western Front Second World War New Guinea campaign Bougainville campaign
Insignia
Unit colour patch

The 25th Battalion was an infantry unit of the Australian Army. Raised in early 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, the battalion fought at Gallipoli and in the trenches along the Western Front, before being disbanded in early 1919. In mid-1921, it was re-formed as a part-time unit based in the state of Queensland. Throughout the 1930s, the battalion was merged briefly with the 49th Battalion as a result of manpower shortages, but was later re-raised in its own right. During the Second World War, the 25th deployed to New Guinea where they fought the Battle of Milne Bay in August and September 1942. Later in the war, the 25th took part in the Bougainville Campaign. During the post-war period, the 25th Battalion became part of the Royal Queensland Regiment, variously forming battalion or company-sized elements, before being merged with the 49th Battalion to form the 25th/49th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment.