Download Victoria Remembers Calendar 2016

Victoria Remembers
Calendar 2016
Did you know?
We have collected 366 interesting facts from Victoria’s rich military history
to bring you the 2016 Victoria Remembers Calendar – we invite you to share
your own historical facts at www.facebook.com/victoriaremembers.
January 2016
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
1
2
3
New Years Day
Battle of Uijongbu begins, Korea,
1951.
Buna, northern Papua, falls to 18
Australian Brigade, 7th Division
and US forces, 1943.
6th Australian Division begins its
attack on the Italian fortress of
Bardia in Libya, 1941.
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Japanese air raids begin on
Rabaul, New Britain, which Lark
Force, including Australian 2/22nd
Battalion were preparing to
defend, 1942.
Australian government approves
conscription for military service,
1943.
First RAAF air combat in South
West Pacific theatre, 1942.
Destroyer HMAS Tobruk bombards
North Korean positions, 1952.
The last Australian servicemen
leave Korea, 1958.
The Australian Light Horse
captures Rafa, Palestine, 1917.
2nd AIF departs Australia bound for
England and the Middle East, 1940.
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Governor-General Paul Hasluck
issues proclamation officially
ending Australian involvement in
the Vietnam War, 1973.
Australian Military Board and
Council for Defence meet for the
first time, 1905.
A-Squadron, NSW Mounted Rifles,
in combat near Prieska, South
Africa, 1900.
Battle of Gemas/Muar, Malaya,
1942.
The first contingent of 1RAR arrives
in Somalia, 1993.
Buffalo fighter planes of No 21
and 453 RAAF Squadrons attack
Japanese forces off Malayan
Peninsula, 1942.
Gulf War 1 begins, 1991.
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Paris Peace Conference begins at
the Palace of Versailles outside
Paris, 1919.
LTCOL Charles Anderson,
Commanding Officer of Australian
2/19th Battalion awarded the VC
for bravery during the Battle of
Bakri-Parit Sulong, Malaya, 1942.
HMAS corvettes Deloraine,
Katoomba and Lithgow sink a
Japanese submarine off Darwin,
1941.
6th Australian Division Cavalry
Regiment begins its attack on
Tobruk which falls the next day,
1941.
HMAS Patricia Cam sunk by
Japanese aircraft near Elcho
Island, Northern Territory, 1943.
Rabaul, New Britain, falls to a
Japanese invasion force, despite
being defended by Australian
2/21st Battalion and other units of
Lark Force, 1942.
Operation Coburg, or the Battle of
Bien Hoa begins, South Vietnam,
1968.
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
The aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney
serves her last day in action during
the Korean War, 1952.
Australia Day
Paris Peace Accords formally end
US military involvement in the
Vietnam War, 1973.
Captain Sherlock's A Company,
2/6th Battalion, fights to hold the
Japanese assault on Wau, New
Guinea, 1943.
Australian 6 Division prepares to
attack Italians at Derna, North
Africa, but they secretly evacuate
that night, 1941.
Gull Force defends Ambon, East
Indies, from a Japanese invasion
force, but are quickly overwhelmed
by superior numbers, 1942.
The last British and Australian
forces withdraw from the Malayan
mainland onto Singapore Island,
1942.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Australia Day Salute
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For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
February 2016
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
6 Division enters Benghazi, 1941.
RAAF C-130 Hercules transport
plane evacuates Australian and
other foreign nationals from Tehran
during the Iranian Revolution, 1979.
US carrier air group launches air
raids on Japanese bases in the
Marshall-Gilbert Islands, 1942.
3RAR recaptures the provincial
capital of Baria, South Vietnam,
during the Tet Offensive, 1968
The island of Ambon, Dutch East
Indies, defended by the Australians
of Lark Force, is captured by the
Japanese, 1942.
Operation Pamphlet, the convoy
carrying 9th Division home from
the Middle East, departs the Red
Sea, 1943.
Captain Harry Murray, who will
eventually be the most decorated
soldier in Australian military
history, receives the VC for
repeated acts of bravery at Stormy
Trench, France, 1917.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
The first convoy of 2nd AIF troops
arrives in North Africa, 1940.
Final operational sortie by RAAF
aircraft during the Vietnam War
undertaken by No. 35 Squadron
Caribou transport aircraft, 1972.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: National Servicemen's
Association
The RAAF Mesopotamia Half Flight
is born to provide air support for
operations in the Middle East,
1915.
Allies gain the upper hand after
Japanese defeat on Guadalcanal in
Solomon Islands Campaign, 1943.
The aircraft carrier, HMAS
Melbourne, collides with and sinks
her escorting destroyer, HMAS
Voyager, 1964.
Corvettes HMAS Launceston,
Ipswich and Indian sloop HMIS
Jumna sink a Japanese submarine
while escorting convoys in the
Indian Ocean off the coast of India,
1944.
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Ex-Prisoners of War &
Relatives Association
21 Australian nurses killed in the
Banka Island Massacre, 1942.
6RAR and 3rd Cavalry Regiment
are involved in Operation Bribie,
Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam,
1967.
Australia's first overseas
deployment, the 1st Australian
Commonwealth Horse, begins to
depart Australia for service in the
Boer War, 1902.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Darwin Defenders
Eleven RAAF personnel killed by
Japanese captors on island of
Ambon, Dutch East Indies, 1942.
Jericho captured by the Egypt
Expeditionary Force, including the
Australian Light Horse, 1918.
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
No 5 Airfield Construction
Squadron arrived in Japan, 1946.
Major Peter Badcoe, Australian
Army Training Team Vietnam,
performs the first of several
deeds which sees him awarded a
posthumous VC, Vietnam, 1967.
Operation Desert Storm begins
after a month long aerial campaign
to destroy the Iraqi military, 1991.
Formation of Women's Auxiliary
Australian Air Force (WAAAF)
announced by the Australian
Government, 1941.
Battle for Wau, New Guinea, ends,
1943.
Battle of Java Sea, Dutch East
Indies, 1942.
HMAS Perth and USS Houston lost
in the Battle of Sunda Strait, Dutch
East Indies, 1942.
29
HMAS Sydney begins the final
withdrawal of Australian forces
from Vung Tau, Vietnam, 1972.
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For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
March 2016
MONDAY
7
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
1
2
3
4
5
6
Naval forces of the Australian
colonies are amalgamated in the
Commonwealth Naval Forces,
1901.
Battle of the Bismarck Sea begins,
New Guinea, 1943.
For the first time, an Australian
force from a self-governing colony
serves in an imperial war when
the Australian contingent leaves
Sydney Harbour for Sudan, 1885.
HMAS Yarra is sunk while
attempting to escape from
Singapore, 1942.
HMAS Sydney returns to Australia
from Vietnam with 5RAR onboard,
1970.
NSW Mounted Rifles engage
Boer guerillas on the approach to
Blomfontein, 1900.
8
9
10
11
12
13
3RAR captures Hill 703 during the
Korean War, 1951.
Australian troops enter
Blomfontein, South Africa, during
the Boer War 1900.
3RAR deploys to Borneo during
Konfrontasi with Indonesia, 1965.
Australia's first flying school, the
Central Flying School, is formed at
Point Cook, Victoria, 1913.
First elements of 7 Division arrive
in Adelaide after service in Middle
East, 1942.
After landing at Lae and Salamaua
on 8 March, Japanese forces land
at Finschhafen, New Guinea, 1942.
The first Australian contingent
arrives in Namibia as part of
the United Nations Transition
Assistance Group, Australia's
largest deployment since the
Vietnam War, 1989.
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Australian commander General
Blamey arrives in Athens, 1941.
Frank McNamara becomes the first
Australian aviator to receive the VC
during World War One, 1917.
Bert Hinkler is made an honorary
Squadron Leader in the RAAF after
the first successful solo flight from
England to Australia, 1928.
Recruiting for the Women's
Auxiliary Australian Air Force
(WAAAF) begins, 1941.
St Kilda's Lieutenant William
Newton, 22 Squadron, leads an
attack on the Japanese for which
he will be awarded a VC, 1943.
Australian forces attack Italian
outposts in the Battle of Giarabub,
Libya, 1941.
The decision to undertake an
amphibious landing at Gallipoli on
25 April is made after British and
French vessels are sunk by Turkish
sea mines in the Dardanelles,
Turkey, 1915.
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Good Friday
Captain Percy Cherry, originally
from Drysdale, is awarded the VC
for "bravery beyond description"
during the battle of Lagnicourt,
France, 1917.
C-47 Dakota crashes after
take-off from Archerfield airbase,
Brisbane, killing all onboard,
the largest single loss of RAAF
personnel,1943.
Labour Day
The Australian Corps play a pivotal
role in stopping the German
advance during the Kaiseschlacht
(Kaiser's Battle), 1918.
Most of the Australian 16 Brigade,
6th Division, arrives in Greece,
1941.
Australian forces capture
Waitavolo and Tol Plantations on
New Britain, 1945.
The final Australian infantry
battalion, 1RAR, leaves Korea,
1956.
28
29
30
31
Battle of Cape Matapan off the
Greek coast ends, in which HMAS
Perth and Stuart have participated,
1941.
As the South Vietnamese regime
collapses in the face of the
communist offensive, RAAF
C-130 Hercules transports fly
humanitarian relief missions, 1975.
After World War One, the
squadrons of the Australian Flying
Corps (AFC) became the Australian
Air Corps in 1920 and then the
Royal Australian Air Force,1921.
Easter Monday
7th Brigade involved in the Battle
of Slater's Knoll, Bougainville,
which would last a week, 1945.
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Lieutenant Albert Chowne, 2/2nd
Battalion, receives posthumous
VC during the Aitape-Wewak
Campaign, New Guinea, 1945.
For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
April 2016
MONDAY
4
TUESDAY
5
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
1
2
3
The Australian Imperial Force is
formally disbanded, 1921.
Private Joergen Jensen of 50th
Battalion is awarded the VC,
Noreuil, France, 1917.
The first Australian Special Forces
contingent is welcomed home
from its six-month deployment to
Afghanistan, 2002.
6
7
8
9
10
Geelong-born Captain James
Newland performs the first of
several extremely brave deeds
which see him awarded the
Victoria Cross, 1917.
General Erwin Rommel's lead
forces arrive on the outskirts of
Tobruk - the 9th Division and one
brigade of 7th Division will be the
main defenders of the advance
- 1941.
Destroyer HMAS Vampire sunk by
Japanese aircraft while escorting
the British aircraft carrier Hermes
off Ceylon, 1942.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Rats of Tobruk
Association and 2/4th Australian
General Hospital, Siege of
Tobruk 75th Anniversary
3rd and 4th Australian Divisions
defends Villers-Bretonneux and
Dernancourt, France, 1918.
Battle of Ancre, France, 1918.
1RAR takes up positions in
Korea, taking over from the Royal
Leicesters, 1952.
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
4th Australian Division takes part
in the attack on Bullecourt, 1917.
1st Australian Division involved in
the Battle of Hazebrouck, France,
1918.
Australian infantry and tanks of
the Royal Horse Artillery fight
off Rommel's Afrika Korps at
Tobruk,1941.
Corporal John Edmondson, 2/17th
Battalion, awarded a posthumous
VC during the defence of Tobruk,
1941.
Lieutenant Charles Pope is
awarded a posthumous VC for his
actions at Louverval, France, 1917.
2RAR arrives home in Brisbane
from service in the Korean War,
1954.
Second Battle of Gaza, Palestine,
1917.
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Battle of Tempe Gorge, Greece,
1941.
The "Morotai Mutiny" occurs when
several RAAF officers submitted
identical letters of resignation to
the commander of 1st Tactical Air
Force, Air Commodore Harry Cobby,
1945.
Riots in Honiara, Solomon Islands,
see Australian peacekeeping
forces deployed, 2006.
Baron Von Richthofen, the Red
Baron, is shot down by Australian
anti-aircraft machine-gunners
of 5th Division while involved in
low-level aerial combat with Royal
Flying Corps aircraft, 1918.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Melbourne Legacy
Student's Service
Battle of Kapyong begins, Korea
1951.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Friends on the 15th
Brigade, Villiers Bretonneux
Day
25
26
27
28
29
30
Australian 4th Infantry Brigade
occupies Alexishafen, New Guinea,
1944.
RAAF 75 Squadron F/A-18 Hornets
fly their last combat missions in
Iraq, 2003.
Australia ratifies the Treaty of San
Francisco, otherwise known as the
Peace Treaty, with Japan, 1952.
Central Flying School (CFS) is
reformed at Point Cook, 1940.
Australian submarine AE2 is sunk
in the Sea of Marmora, 1915.
ANZAC Day
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: ANZAC Day
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For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
May 2016
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
30
31
1
The first 'Thousand Bomber' raid
on a German city occurs, when
Cologne is hit by the RAF. Dozens
of RAAF aircraft take part, 1942.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Indigenous Service
Personnel
Operation Oboe 1, the invasion of
Tarakan Island, Borneo, begins,
1945.
2
3
4
5
6
Battle of Berlin ends as German
defenders surrender to Russian
forces, 1945.
Second Battle of Bullecourt begins,
France, 1917.
The Battle of the Coral Sea begins
and Australian cruisers Australia
and Hobart are involved, 1942.
The 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade
from Victoria and the New Zealand
Brigade are redeployed from their
positions at Anzac Cove to assist
the British forces at Cape Helles,
1915.
9
10
11
12
100,000 anti-war protestors
demonstrate outside the White
House, Washington DC, coinciding
with other marches around the
world including Australia, 1970.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
7
8
Corporal George Howell, 1st
Battalion, is awarded the VC during
the Battle of Bullecourt, 1917.
Victory in Europe, 1945.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: 6th Battalion
Association, Krithia Day
13
14
15
Private Edward 'Ted' Kenna,
2/4th Battalion from Hamilton, is
awarded the VC for knocking out
a Japanese machine-gun position
during the fighting for Wewak,
New Guinea, 1945.
Germany invades France, Belgium
and the Netherlands, 1940.
19 Brigade, 6 Division, including
the Victorian 2/8th Battalion,
captures Wewak, New Guinea,
1945.
Lieutenant Rupert Moon of
Bacchus Marsh, is awarded the VC
for his actions during the Battle of
Bullecourt, 1917.
9 Australians are killed in the
Battle of Fire Support Base Coral,
Vietnam War, 1968.
Australian hospital ship Centaur,
en route from Sydney to Cairns,
is sunk by a Japanese submarine,
with the loss of nearly 300 lives,
1943.
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
1RAR and the 3rd Cavalry
Regiment repel attacks at Fire
Support Base Coral, Vietnam War,
1968.
617 Squadron, later known as the
Dambusters, launch their first and
most famous air raid on Ruhr Valley
dams, Germany, 1943.
Major-General William Throsby
Bridges, commander of the
Australian Imperial Force, dies of
wounds, Anzac Cove, 1915.
John Simpson Kirkpatrick, "the
man with the donkey" is killed in
Monash Valley, Gallipoli, 1915.
German airborne forces begin the
invasion of Crete, and Australian
and New Zealand forces provide
the bulk of the defenders, 1941.
HMAS Sydney leaves Brisbane
bound for Vung Tau, South
Vietnam, carrying 4RAR, 1968.
4RAR, the last battalion to serve
in the Vietnam war, arrives in
Vietnam, 1971.
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
2/5th Independent Company
arrives at Wau to reinforce Kanga
Force, New Guinea, 1942.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Keith
Payne, a member of the Australian
Army Training Team Vietnam,
awarded the VC for actions on this
night,1969.
2 Australians killed at the Battle of
Fire Support Base, Balmoral, 1968.
The aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney
begins her first of 25 'Vung Tau'
supply and transport runs, in
which she will carry thousands
of Australian soldiers, to South
Vietnam, 1965.
Victorian 2/7th and 2/8th
Battalions cover the withdrawal
of Commonwealth forces south to
evacuation beaches at Sphakia,
Crete, 1941.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Boer War
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German submarine U-21 sinks the
RN battleship HMS Triumph off
Gallipoli, reducing the naval gunfire
support, 1915.
For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
June 2016
MONDAY
6
TUESDAY
7
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
1
2
3
4
5
The final Commonwealth troops
are evacuated from Crete, 1941.
The Victorian 37th/52nd Australian
Infantry Battalion lands on Karkar
Island during the advance on Sio,
New Guinea, 1944.
HMAS Melbourne and USN Frank
E. Evans collide in the South China
Sea with 74 lives lost, 1969.
Battle of Midway begins, 1942.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Bomber Command
8
9
10
11
12
Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith, SAS,
is awarded the VC for actions
during a helicopter assault in
Kandahar Province, Afghanistan,
2010.
Two Army Blackhawk helicopters
crash during a night time training
mission, killing 15 members of the
SAS and 3 aircrew, 1996.
Australian servicemen are involved
on sea, air and land, most serving
with British units, in what becomes
known as D-Day, 1944.
Battle of Messines begins, costing
ANZAC Corps 13,500 casualties,
1917.
Sydney and Newcastle are shelled
by Japanese submarines, 1942.
Australian 7 Division crosses the
Litani River, Syria, 1941.
Operation Oboe 6, an amphibious
landing on Labuan Island in Brunei
Bay on the island of Borneo begins,
1945.
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Queen's Birthday 21
Gun Salute
6RAR begins first operation in
Vietnam, 1966.
Sergeant James Rogers, 1st
Victorian Mounted Infantry
Company, is awarded the VC
for rescuing several men whose
mounts had been shot from under
them during the Boer War, 1901.
HMAS Nestor is sunk whilst
escorting a convoy to Malta, 1942.
A pilot of 10 Squadron, RAAF,
receives the first decoration for
bravery after carrying out an attack
on a German U-boat, 1940.
RAAF C-130 Hercules transport
planes bring home the final
members of the ADF Overwatch
Battle Group from Iraq, 2008.
Lieutenant Roden Cutler, 2/5th
Field Regiment is awarded the
VC for repeated acts of bravery
between 19 June and 6 July during
the Syrian Campaign, 1941.
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
German General Rommel advances
into Egypt, 1942.
North Korea invades South Korea,
sparking Australian preparations
for deployment, 1950.
Private John Jackson, 17th
Battalion becomes the first
Australian to be awarded the VC
on the Western Front, 1916.
Queen's Birthday
The supply ship HMAS Matafele
disappears with all hands while en
route from Townsville to Milne Bay,
Papua, 1944.
Damascus, Syria, captured by
British and Australian forces, 1941.
Operation Barbarossa, the German
invasion of Russia, 1941.
The Australian contingent to the
Sudan War returns to Sydney
Harbour, 1885.
27
28
29
30
Royal Military College, Duntroon,
Canberra, is founded, 1911.
Australia's commitment to the
Treaty of Versailles signed, formally United Nations intervention in the
ending the Great War, 1919.
Korean War begins, 1950.
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HMAS Waterhen sunk, the first
Australian vessel lost during WWII,
on the Tobruk Run, 1941.
For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
July 2016
MONDAY
4
TUESDAY
5
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
1
2
3
The unmarked Japanese
freighter Montevideo Maru, with
approximately 1,000 Australian
POWs aboard, is sunk by the
submarine USS Sturgeon off the
Philippines,1942.
77 Squadron RAAF flies its first
combat mission of the Korean War,
1950.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Reserve Forces Day
6
7
8
9
10
The Battle of Damour, Syria
reaches its climax, when Victorians
of 2/5th and 2/14th Battalions
participate in this battle which
opens the road to Beirut and final
victory only days later, 1941.
Battle of Calabria, 1940.
Battle of Britain begins, 1940.
15
16
17
Lieutenant Albert Borella, originally
from Borung, Victoria, awarded the
VC for destroying several enemy
gun positions during the fighting
near Villers-Bretonneux, 1918.
One of the most successfully
executed battles of the Great
War, and regarded as LieutenantGeneral Sir John Monash's finest
hour, the Battle of Hamel, 1918.
John Curtin, Australian Prime
Minister for most of the Second
World War, dies, 1945.
Corporal Walter Brown, 20th
Battalion is awarded the VC during
fighting for Villers-Bretonneux,
1918.
77 Squadron RAAF suffers its first
casualty of the Korean War when
its deputy commander Squadron
Leader Graham Strout, was shot
down during the Korean War, 1950.
11
12
13
14
Vichy French surrender in Syria,
1941.
Arguably the most well-known
Australian POW of the Japanese
during WWII, surgeon Edward
"Weary" Dunlop, who will become
a legend amongst his men for
saving countless lives, is born at
Major's Plain, Victoria, 1907.
HMAS Tobruk begins her last
combat patrol before the Korean
War ends, 1953.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Bastille Day,
Association Des Anciens
Combattants Francais de
Victoria
Second Battle of the Marne begins,
1918.
Australian forces, including the
Victorian 2/5th Battalion, involved
in Battle of Mt Tambu, New
Guinea, 1943.
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Japanese forces begin landing at
Buna and Gona on the north coast
of Papua, and will begin advancing
over the Kokoda Track,1942.
Sisters Clare Deacon, Dorothy
Cawood, Alice Ross-King and
Staff Nurse Mary Derrer of the
Australian Army Nursing Service
receive Military Medals for
rescuing patients from a burning
Casualty Clearing Station in France,
1917.
Battle of Pozieres begins, 1916.
Over a six-week period the
Australian 1st, 2nd and 4th
Divisions saw fierce combat
suffering massive casualties in first
seizing and then holding the small
French village of Pozieres in the
Somme Valley.
Battle of the Hook, Korea 1953.
2/28th Battalion attacks Makh
Khad Ridge during the First Battle
of El Alamein, 1942.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Centenary of the Battle
of Fromelles
The final air battle over the
Australian mainland occurs when
RAAF Spitfires intercept and shoot
down a Japanese reconnaissance
aircraft, 1944.
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
New Zealand born, Thomas Cooke
of the Victorian 8th Battalion is
awarded a posthumous VC for his
actions in command of a Lewis Gun
team during the Battle of Pozieres,
1916.
The Victorian 39th Battalion tries
to hold back the Japanese forces
advancing towards Kokoda, losing
Captain Sam Tepleton,1942.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Korean Veterans
Association
During a night attack in the Battle
of Pozieres, Sergeant Claud
Castleton is awarded the VC for
rescuing wounded comrades whilst
under heavy fire, 1916.
No 77 Squadron flies the first ever
RAAF jet aircraft mission during
the Korean War, 1951.
Darwin, Broome and Port Hedland
hit by Japanese air raids, 1942.
Third Battle of Ypres, soon known
as Passachendale, begins, 1917.
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For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
August 2016
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
RAAF C-130 Hercules of 36
Squadron aids a Japanese ship run
aground, dropping Air Sea Rescue
kits, Indian Ocean, 1995.
Iraq invades Kuwait, which will see
Australia provide sea, air and land
forces to assist the later US-led
Operation Desert Storm, 1990.
The Australian Army Training Team
Vietnam (AATTV) arrives in Saigon,
Vietnam, 1962.
Great Britain declares war on
Germany and as a consequence
Australia is also at war, 1914.
The Cowra Breakout, 1944.
Battle of Lone Pine begins, 1915.
The first Australian contingent to
be sent to China during the Boxer
Rebellion boards their troopships,
1900.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Battle of Savo Island, Guadalcanal
occurs overnight on 8/9 August,
1942.
Corporal Alexander Burton,
Corporal William Dunstan and
Lieutenant Frederick Harold Tubb
of Longwood of the Victorian 7th
Battalion are awarded the VC for
their part in the battle of Lone
Pine, 1915.
Acting Corporal Arthur Sullivan
serving with the Russian Relief
Force is awarded the VC for
rescuing several comrades from
drowning while under enemy fire,
1919.
Captain Alfred Shout, performs the
deeds which see him awarded the
VC, and sadly dies of wounds, Lone
Pine, Gallipoli, 1915.
Sergeant Percy Statton, 40th
Battalion, is awarded the VC for his
role in destroying several German
machine-gun positions which were
holding up the advance of his unit,
Proyart, France, 1918.
Australian Women's Army Service
is established, 1941.
RAAF F-86 Sabre fighter becomes
the first aircraft to break the sound
barrier in Australia in a flight over
Port Phillip Bay, 1953.
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
VP Day. Japan unconditionally
surrenders, 1945.
Imperial Bushmen from all six
Australian colonies are in action at
Buffel's Hoek, South Africa, 1900.
No. 2 Squadron Canberra
bombers fly the final RAAF
bombing missions of the Malayan
Emergency, 1959.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Vietnam Veterans Day,
50th Anniversary of the Battle of
Long Tan
The Australian Naval & Military
Expeditionary Force departs from
Sydney Harbour, and will be the
first Australian unit to see action in
World War One, 1914.
18 Brigade, 7th Division relieved
by 1st (Polish) Carpathian Brigade
during siege of Tobruk, 1941.
18 Brigade, 7th Division completes
landing at Milne Bay, Papua, 1942.
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
ADF medical personnel are sent
to Rwanda as part of the UN
Assistance Mission, 1994.
Elsternwick born William Joynt of
8th Battalion is awarded the VC,
1918.
Special Forces Task Group is
deployed to Afghanistan for the
first time since 2002, 2005.
The Battle of Milne Bay, Papua
1942.
The Victorian 6th Brigade is heavily
involved in the Battle of Mouquet
Farm, 1916.
Lance-Corporal Bernard Gordon,
41st Battalion is awarded the VC
near Bray, France, 1918.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Legacy Sunday
29
30
31
Battle of Alam el Halfa, Egypt,
1942.
The Australian 2nd Division crosses
the Somme River late on the night
of 31 August in order to begin the
assault on Mont St Quentin early
the next morning, 1918.
Private Bruce Steel Kingsbury is
awarded the first VC on Australian
territory at the Battle of Isurava on
the Kokoda Track as the Victorian
2/14th Infantry Battalion fights
desperately to hold back the
advancing Japanese forces, 1942.
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For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
September 2016
MONDAY
5
TUESDAY
6
WEDNESDAY
7
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
1
2
3
4
Battle of Mont St Quentin begins
at 5am, 1918.
The Australian commander of the
2nd AIF, General Thomas Blamey,
signs the Japanese Instrument of
Surrender aboard the battleship
USS Missouri, Tokyo Bay, 1945.
The Second World War begins
after Germany ignores an
ultimatum to stop its invasion of
Poland,1939.
20th Brigade, 9 Division, makes an
amphibious landing near Lae, New
Guinea, 1943.
8
9
10
11
The Commanding Officer of 77
Squadron, Wing Commander Lou
Spence, is killed when his P-51
Mustang fighter crashes during a
ground attack, South Korea, 1950.
Battle of Madagascar, 1942. The
capture of the island secures
transport routes across the Indian
Ocean as it prevents the Axis
forces from using it to launch naval
attacks on Allied convoys.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Rabaul Remembers
16
17
18
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Peacekeepers and
Peacemakers Veterans'
Association / The Royal Air
Forces Association (Battle of
Britain)
Russo-Japanese War ends, 1905.
Destroyer HMAS Anzac sees
action for the first time when she
is ordered to shell enemy positions
during the Korea War, 1951.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Battle for Australia
Australia is one of the signatories
of the South East Asia Collective
Defense Treaty is signed in Manila,
1954.
12
13
14
15
The Japanese transport ships
Rakyuo Maru and Kachidoki Maru
are sunk by American submarines,
with more than 1,500 Australian
and British POWs killed, 1944.
Minesweeper HMAS Warnambool
is sunk by a mine whilst engaged
in post-war mine clearance
operations in the Great Barrier
Reef area, 1947.
Australian submarine AE1
disappears near New Britain and is
presumed lost at sea, 1914.
Australian Prime Minister Robert
Menzies announces the formation
of the 2nd AIF, 1939.
Troops of 7th and 9th Division enter
Lae from different directions, 1942.
Melbourne born combat
photographer Damien Parer,
famous for his Kokoda Frontline
documentary, is killed in action
while with the US Marine Corps on
the island of Peleliu, 1944.
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
2/6th Independent Company
captures the Japanese held town
of Kaiapit, New Guinea, 1943.
2nd Lieutenant Frederick Birks,
6th Battalion awarded the VC for
his exceptional bravery during the
advance on Glencourse Wood,
Belgium, 1917.
Private Reg Inwood, 10th Battalion,
awarded the VC during the Battle
of Polygon Wood, 1917.
9 Division lands at Scarlet Beach,
New Guinea, 1943.
General Thomas Blamey appointed
Commander in Chief of Australian
Military Forces, 1942.
While delivering 2/4th Independent
Company to reinforce the
Australian guerilla forces on Timor,
the destroyer HMAS Voyager runs
aground and is later destroyed by
demolition,1942.
Anzac Mounted Division captures
Amman, Jordan, 1918.
26
27
28
29
30
5,800 Australian casualties in the
Battle of Polygon Wood, 1917.
Z Special Unit paddles into
Singapore Harbour and plants
mines to sink Japanese ships in
Operation Jaywick, 1943.
3RAR arrives in Korea, 1950.
Battle of St Quentin Canal, planned
by Australian General John
Monash and which broke through
the Hindenburg Line and hastened
the end of the war, 1918.
Private Edward Ryan, 55th
Battalion is awarded the VC during
the assault on the Hindenburg
Line, 1918.
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For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
October 2016
MONDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
31
1
2
The 4th Light Horse Brigade
launches its most famous assault
of the war, the Battle of Beersheba,
1917.
Australian Light Horsemen capture
Damascus, Syria, 1918.
20 Brigade, 9th Division, captures
Finschhafen, New Guinea, 1943.
3
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
4
5
Battle of Maryang San begins,
Korea, 1951.
10
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
6
7
8
9
The Battle of Broodseinde Ridge
begins, 1917.
2nd Lieutenant George Ingram
of Sandhurst is awarded the VC
for his extraordinary heroism at
Montbrehain, 1918.
The crest of Hill 317 is captured by
3RAR during the Battle of Maryang
San, Korea, 1953.
John Curtin becomes Prime
Minister of Australia, 1941. Within
weeks the Japanese will launch
their attacks and Australia will go
through its darkest hours.
Australian-led peacekeeping
"Operation Lagoon" in Bougainville,
begins, 1994.
Battle of Poelcappelle, 1917.
11
12
13
14
15
16
82 men killed when Aircraft
Carrier HMAS Melbourne and her
escorting destroyer HMAS Voyager
collide, 1964.
Boer War begins, 1899.
2/25th Battalion contact Japanese
defenders at Templeton's Crossing
on the Kokoda Track, 1942.
RAAF C-130 Hercules transport
planes begin the evacuation of
those injured in the Bali Bombings,
2002.
Battle of Eora Creek/Templeton's
Crossing, Kokoda Track, Papua,
1942.
25 Brigade drives the Japanese
back from Templeton's Crossing on
the Kokoda Track, 1942.
Japanese forces launch concerted
attacks on Scarlet Beach with
2/17th Battalion bearing most of
the brunt, 1943.
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Australian Flying Corps formed,
1912.
Battle of El Alamein, 1942.
3RAR involved in capture of
Sariwon, North Korea, 1950.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Navy Commemorative
Service
2RAR arrives in Malaya for its first
tour of operations, 1955.
First Australian troops arrive in
Somalia, 1992.
HMAS Australia is hit by a
Japanese Kamikaze aircraft
during the Battle of Leyte
Gulf, Philippines, killing 30
crew members, including her
Commanding Officer, Captain Emile
Dechaineux, 1944.
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
16 Brigade, 6th Division, attempts
to outflank Japanese defences,
Eora Creek, 1942.
The Australian Government
announces the deployment of
Army, Navy and Air Force assets
to support the US led Coalition
operations in Afghanistan, 2001.
Private Percy Gratwick, 2/48th
Battalion, is awarded a
posthumous VC, El Alamein, 1942.
Rommel attempts counterattack
at El Alamein, but 9 Division holds
firm, 1942.
Conscription referenda, 1916.
Battle of Chongju, North Korea,
1950.
The Armistice of Mudros ended the
war between the Ottoman Empire
and the Allied powers, 1918.
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For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
November 2016
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
1
2
3
4
5
6
Chinese forces enter the Korean
War, 1950.
Kokoda airstrip captured by
Australian forces, 1942.
A Canberra bomber of 2 Squadron,
RAAF is reported missing in action,
1970.
6 Brigade lands at Jacquinot Bay,
New Britain, 1944.
Battle of Pakchon, Korea, 1950.
RAAF component of British
Commonwealth Occupation Force
(BCOF) in Japan substantially
downgraded, 1948.
8
9
10
11
12
13
Melbourne Cup
7
Gaza falls to British forces,
including the Australian Light
Horse, 1917.
460 Squadron RAAF Lancaster
bomber G-George arrives at
Amberley airfield, Brisbane, 1944.
HMAS Sydney sinks the German
cruiser Emden off the Cocos
Islands, while escorting the 1st AIF
convoy to the Middle East, 1914.
Australian Government introduces
conscription for 20 years via ballot,
1964.
At the Shrine - Commemorative
service: Remembrance Day
Battle of Strait of Otranto, 1940.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Kevin
Wheatley, AATTV, is awarded a
posthumous VC after refusing to
leave a wounded team member
and both are killed, Tra Bong Valley,
Vietnam, 1965.
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Sergeant Len Waters becomes the
first Indigenous Australian fighter
pilot, 1944.
460 Squadron, RAAF formed, 1941.
Battle of Buna-Gona begins
following the successful
conclusion of the Kokoda Track
Campaign,1942.
Battle of Sattelberg, New Guinea,
begins, 1943.
Battle of the Somme officially
ends, 1916.
HMAS Sydney sunk by the German
raider Kormoran approximately 280
kilometres off Carnarvon, Western
Australia, 1941.
A Japanese-based C-47 Dakota
is tasked to evacuate Australian
embassy in Nanjing, China, as the
communist forces approach the
city, 1948.
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Battle of Brisbane, 1942.
HMAS Parramatta (U44), an
Australian sloop, is sunk by the
German submarine U-559 in the
Mediterranean while escorting
a supply convoy to the besieged
garrison of Tobruk, 1941.
3rd Australian Division arrives in
France, 1916.
Japanese night air raid on Moratai
Island, Halmahera, destroys 15
Allied aircraft of the RAAFs 1st
Tactical Air Force, 1944.
Kilmore-born Lieutenant Leslie
Maygar is awarded the VC for
rescuing a comrade during the Boer
War, 1901.
28
29
30
Battle of Wareo, New Guinea,
1943.
Flight Sergeant Rawdon Middleton
is awarded a posthumous VC for
piloting his seriously damaged
Stirling bomber back to England
and allowing the majority of his
crew to bail out safely, 1942.
Battle of Tassafaronga,
Guadalcanal, 1942.
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The National Service Act (1964)
passes Federal Parliament, 1964.
Battle of Belhamed, Tobruk, North
Africa, battle honour awarded to
2/13th Battalion, 1942.
For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
December 2016
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
1
2
3
4
Corvette HMAS Armidale is
sunk by Japanese bombers off
Portuguese Timor, 1942.
Russia and the Central Powers
reach an armistice at Brest, 1917.
AIF disembark at Alexandria,
Egypt,1914.
3RAR are presented with the
Presidential Unit Citation by US
Commander James Van Fleet, for
their actions during the Battle of
Kapyong in April 1951, 1952.
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
First operational sortie by an RAAF
aircraft in World War Two, when
a Sunderland flying boat of No 10
Squadron flies an anti-submarine
patrol from England. 1939.
Aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney
begins her second patrol of the
Korean War, 1951.
Pacific War begins after The
Imperial Japanese military
launches attacks at Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, 1941.
Prime Minister John Curtin
announces that Australia is now at
war with Japan, 1941.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ralph Honner,
39th Victoria Battalion, leads his
men into Gona Village, 1942.
HMS Battleship Repulse and
Battlecruiser Prince of Wales sunk
by Japanese carrier aircraft, 1941.
1RAR launches Operation Fauna,
Korea, their last attack before
returning to Australia, 1952.
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Battlecruiser HMAS Australia
damaged in a collision with HMS
Repulse, 1917.
From 11-13 December, units of
the Australian Light Horse were in
action against the Senussi at Um
Rakham in Egypt, 1915.
Japanese forces land at Penang,
Malaya, after several days of air
raids, 1941.
The last Australian forces depart
Tarin Kot, Uruzgan Province,
Afghanistan, after 12 years of
combat, 2013.
Two Victorian battalions of the
4th brigade lead the advance on
Fortification Point, New Guinea,
1943.
Empire Air Training Scheme
agreement signed by several
Commonwealth nations, 1939.
18 Brigade, 7th Division, launches
assault on Buna, Papua, supported
by tanks of 2/6th Armoured
Regiment, 1942.
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Christmas Day
Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin
and sinks HMAS Arrow, a Royal
Australian Navy patrol boat, with
the loss of two sailors, 1974.
Battle of Adele River, Bougainville,
1944.
Second conscription referendum,
1917.
Battle of Jaffa, Palestine, 1917.
The first US troops begin arriving in
Australia, 1941.
Capture of Magdhaba, Sinai, by
General Harry Chauvel's Mounted
Brigade, 1916.
26
27
28
29
30
31
6th Australian Division in action for
the first time, probing the Italian
defences outside the fortress of
Bardia, 1940.
Sailors from the Victorian Colonial
warship Victoria see action on
shore at Matarikoriko, during the
Maori Wars, 1860.
Battle of Pearl Ridge, Bougainville,
1944.
2nd AIF convoy departs Albany, WA
for Egypt and Gallipoli, 1915.
A 37 Squadron RAAF C-130
Hercules is the first plane into
Darwin to help evacuate survivors,
1974.
Christmas Day Holiday
Boxing Day
Japanese forces capture Hong
Kong, 1941.
Prime Minister John Curtin's
speech "Australia looks to
America", is published in The
Herald, 1941.
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For a full list of ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance
please visit www.shrine.org.au/ceremonies
Australia's military history spans more than a
century, from the late 1800s to current conflicts and
peacekeeping operations in which our men and women
serve proudly today. This calendar presents just a small
snapshot of that history. We encourage all Victorians to
learn more about our story of service and to share their
own stories so that we may continue to preserve and
pass on this rich history to future generations.
Accessibility: An accessible version of this publication is available at
www.vic.gov.au/victoriaremembers
Images reproduced courtesy of the Australian War Memorial and Susan Gordon-Brown.
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