2nd Cavalry Regiment

[slick_mick]

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment is a regiment of the Australian Army and is the second most senior in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. The regiment serves in the armoured reconnaissance role.

The regiment was formed in 1965 as 1st Cavalry Regiment through the regimentation of regular squadrons in CMF regiments:

* A Squadron - A Squadron, 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse
* B Squadron - A Squadron, 2nd/14th Queensland Mounted Infantry

These two squadrons initially had no Regimental Headquarters or HQ Squadron. However, with reorganisation of the RAAC came both an RHQ and a new name. RHQ and HQ Sqn formed at Gallipoli Lines, Holsworthy in 1971. In order to avoid confusion, it was decided that the armoured regiments of the regular army would be numbered sequentially; 1st Armoured Regiment was the most senior, so 1st Cavalry was renamed 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

When first formed, the regiment consisted of a reconnaissance squadron and an armoured personnel carrier squadron. This continued until 1976, when the Royal Australian Regiment took on a mechanised role, leaving 2nd Cavalry Regiment to concentrate on the reconnaissance role. By 1996 C squadron was raised. All three squadrons were equipped with the M113 vehicle in the reconnaissance role until the mid 1990s, with the Regiment being re-equipped with the Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) between 1995 and 1997.

Since being re-equipped with the ASLAV the 2nd Cavalry Regiment has played a key role in Australian military operations. In 1999 C Squadron deployed to East Timor as part of the initial Australian contribution to INTERFET, with the ASLAVs providing the Australian force with the majority of its mobility and armoured support during the early days of the intervention. Detachments from the Regiment supported all subsequent Australian troop deployments to East Timor.

More recently, 2nd Cavalry Regiment has deployed its ASLAVs to Iraq in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion. The Regiment's initial role was to provide armoured transport for Australian diplomats and military personnel based in Baghdad and northern Iraq. The Regiment has also formed a key element of the Al Muthanna Task Group rotations, with the Regimental Headquarters commanding the initial rotation and a squadron from the Regiment forming part of the first two rotations of Task Group elements. The regiment has also contributed soldiers and vehicles of the Security Detachment in Baghdad and also to the Overwatch Battle Group (West) rotations. It has since had elements deployed to Afghanistan.



1st Cavalry Regiment battledress title - extremely rare as it was only worn around 1965/1966 before being replaced by the 2nd Cavalry Regiment title.



Soldiers posted to the regiment at the time (1965/66) wore the RAAC Corps badge.



Immediately after the name 1st Cavalry Regiment was adopted, a Squadron competition was held to design a distinctive badge for the Regiment. Since the unit was intended largely to carry out the role of reconnaissance ("the eyes of the ADF") a bird of prey seemed the logical emblem. The Australian Wedge Tailed Eagle, with its keenness of sight and its ability to roam over large distances, was finally selected as the model for a badge. A competition was run within the unit and won by the orderly room corporal, Corporal T. C. Burgess. Early in 1967, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment received its new badge, a wedge tailed eagle swooping, carrying a lance bearing the motto "Courage" in its talons. Unofficially known within the regiment as the "chook on a stick".



Also worn was the 2CAV metal title. Now obsolete, this (and all other metal titles) were replaced by a generic curved AUSTRALIA title in 2010 (most likely to save $$$).



Mick

[johnG]

Thanks for the beaut posting Mick. Your badges are fantastic, and when the Brit weather gets me down I can always call up one of your postings and drool over the badges in your collection. Thanks mate.

John

[slick_mick]

Glad you like them John

I have plenty more pictures I can post

Mick

[johnG]

Keep them rolling.

Please advise Mick, in a collection of WAMI/10LH, would one be justified in including the Victorian Mounted Rifles as being associated with the history of 10LH ?

[slick_mick]

Hi John,

No mate - VMR had nothing to do with them.

Pre World War 1, there was a 10th Light Horse VMR but that was only a numerical re-designation. That regiment remained in Victoria and later became (from memory) the 13th Light Horse (Gippsland Regiment).

The 10th WAMI and it's predecessors have always been in the West.

10th Light Horse Regiment Lineage

18th Australian Light Horse Regiment (Western Australian Mounted Infantry) - 1903

25th Light Horse (Western Australian Mounted Infantry) - 1912

10th Light Horse (Western Australian Mounted Infantry) - 1918

10th Reconnaissance Battalion (Western Australian Mounted Infantry) - 1941

10th Light Horse (Western Australian Mounted Infantry) - 1942

Disbanded - 1944


Source: "The Lineage of Australian Army" by Alfred N Festberg

Mick

[johnG]

Thank Mick, I have now got it clear in my mind where the VMR came into it. Much obliged.

John

[Lancer 17]

G'day John

Re VMR / 10WAMI etc, you have to understand that the W stands for West as in Western Australia, where as the V stands for Victoria. Like wise T is Tasmania, SA is South Australia, Q is for Queensland and NSW is New South Wales etc.

It all goes back to pre federation distinctions, the pre fed mounted rifle regts were the fore runners of the Light Horse that came into being with the raising of the Australian army following federation in 1901.

A lot of the early titles still see use today in the modern army, ie light horse now use armoured personell carriers etc as your Lancer, Hussar and Light Dragoons do like wise and are also tank mounted.

Hope that this helps to clear up your thinking.

Regards

Phil.

[johnG]

Thanks Phil, between you and Mick you have explained it all very clearly and I am much obliged to you. I served with 10 WAMI/10LH in the 1950's before moving on to Africa, but never was sure in my mind where the VMR came into it, and if I should include a VMR shoulder title in my 10LH display, as part of its history. Display now dismatled due to recently moving home, but when reconstructed the VMR s/t will be in the 'spares' box.

Thanks once again.

John

[slick_mick]

Originally Posted by Lancer 17

G'day John

A lot of the early titles still see use today in the modern army, ie light horse now use armoured personell carriers etc as your Lancer, Hussar and Light Dragoons do like wise and are also tank mounted.

Hope that this helps to clear up your thinking.

Regards

Phil.

The APC is no long in use by the reserve regiments - replaced by the Light Cavalry Land Rover or the Bushmaster.

Mick

[Lancer 17]

Originally Posted by johnG

Thanks Phil, between you and Mick you have explained it all very clearly and I am much obliged to you. I served with 10 WAMI/10LH in the 1950's before moving on to Africa, but never was sure in my mind where the VMR came into it, and if I should include a VMR shoulder title in my 10LH display, as part of its history. Display now dismatled due to recently moving home, but when reconstructed the VMR s/t will be in the 'spares' box.

Thanks once again.

John

G'day John.

If the VMR shoulder title is a spare can I please have it? How much or what do you want for it? Pm me and lets see if we can do a deal.

Thanks

Phil.