History

The 9th Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment (9RAR) was raised in Adelaide, South Australia, on 13 November 1967 by it’s Commanding Officer (CO), Lt Col A.L. (Alby) Morrison, MBE. The Battalion’s strength on Day One was seven officers, including Capt. Mick Bawden (Acting Adjutant) and the Quartermaster, Capt Jim Gerrans, three warrant officers, including the Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant, W02 Arthur Weaven, and seven other ranks.

The reason for raising 9RAR come from the decision in 1967 to increase the number of battalions in the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) in Vietnam to three battalions. 3RAR left Australia in November 1967 to be replaced by 9RAR in November 1968. 8RAR was to return to Australia from serving in Singapore in time to relieve 9RAR in November 1969.

Raising 9RAR was unique. The Battalion had to be trained, tested and deployed to Vietnam within twelve months. Previously, when other new battalions of the Regiment had been formed, an established battalion or battalions provided a cohesive nucleus of trained officers and other ranks, but this was not possible for 9RAR. Instead, the new Battalion was to be built up by the individual posting of trained officers and NCOs and by drafts of soldiers from the Australian Regular Army (ARA) Training Battalion and National Service (NS) Training Battalions.

The unit was given all of it’s officers and warrant officers, 80 per cent of it’s sergeants and 40 per cent of it’s corporals. The intention was for the full complement of Regular and National Service (NS) soldiers to be available by July 1968: drafts of ARA trained soldiers would arrive every month from January to April 1968, and NS trained soldiers from MS Intake 2/67 would arrive on 30 November 1967. NS Intake 3/67 on 3 January 1968, NS Intake 4/67 on 19 April 1968, and NS Intake 1/68 in July 1968. The NS build-up was too slow and, fortunately, to speed it up, Army Headquarters allowed 9RAR to conduct it’s own corps training for it’s last NS draft - Intake 1/68.

In April 1968 Capt Lew Tizard formed Tango Company, the Corps Training Company in which 140 national servicemen completed the full corps training syllabus seven weeks earlier than was originally planned.

Not everyone knew that 9RAR was being raised in Adelaide. Sgt Houston, the first transport sergeant of the Battalion, was posted from a Sydney unit. He was authorised to use his own car to travel to his new unit, which he was told was in Townsville. He had no reason to doubt this destination and when, eventually, he arrived in that city he found that he had been led astray by some 5000 kilometres.

Sgt Houston met the CO in the 9RAR Sergeants’ Mess on Christmas Eve 1967, the day he arrived in Adelaide, and despite his ordeal he displayed a tolerance befitting the season of goodwill.

Keswick Barracks was the unit’s temporary home until the main body of 3RAR left Woodside for Vietnam. As 9RAR troops arrived at Woodside, they were allotted to companies, with priority given to forming Maj John Sheldrick’s Support Company and Maj John Stewart’s Administration Company so that specialists required by these sub-units could be trained. As the company commanders arrived they were allotted to their companies: Maj Warwick Smith to A Coy, Maj Ted Chitham to B Coy, Maj Laurie Lewis to C Coy and Maj Bill McDonald to D Coy, Maj Don Anstey, the second-in-command of the Battalion, had assumed duty at Keswick in November and so, too, had the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) WO1 Doug Cassidy.

Gradually the unit took shape. The build-up was more rapid than expected, but a major problem was finding sufficient junior NCOs from soldiers who, at that time, had limited military experience. Each new platoon raised required one officer, one sergeant, three corporals and three lance-corporals.

In April 1968, 9RAR reached it’s full strength and three months later, on 1 July 1968, was warned officially for duty in Vietnam.

9RAR was the youngest battalion of The Royal Australian Regiment. LT COL. A. L. (Alby) Morrison formed the battalion on 13th November 1967 at Woodside, in South Australia and completed it’s raising and training in nine months. The unit left Australia for service in Vietnam, fully trained and operational, in November 1968.

In Australia the battalion trained in Woodside, Cultana and the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. Specialist platoons of the battalion trained in New South Wales. All soldiers underwent the compulsory individual training in Canungra and the battalion successfully completed it’s testing exercise in Shoalwater Bay in Queensland.

In addition, in order to meet deadlines for the time of departure for Vietnam, the battalion found it necessary to complete, in unit lines, the basic-to-corps training for 140 of it’s national servicemen. As a result, these national servicemen were trained and allotted to companies some seven weeks earlier than if they had followed the normal training system it was a very valuable saving of time.

During it’s tour of duty in South Vietnam the battalion took part in twelve main operations over four provinces. In broad terms these covered:-

9RAR continued on operations until it left South Vietnam on 28 November 1969. It had many heavy contacts with the enemy during it’s tour of duty and sadly, 35 of it’s members were killed and over 150 were wounded in action. The battalions service in Vietnam resulted in the award of one DSO, two MC’s, seven MM’s and eight MID’s to members of the battalion.

On return to Australia in December 1969 the battalion reformed at Enoggera under the command of LT COL E. R. Phillip. 9RAR was the “next to go” again when Australia’s commitment in South Vietnam finished.

The battalion remained in Enoggera until it was linked with 8RAR to form 8/9RAR on 31st October 1973. Sadly on Friday 30th June, 1997, 8/9RAR was disbanded. On Wednesday 17th July, 1997 the former CO Alby Morrison, the President of the 9RAR Association (NSW), a representative from the 9RAR Association (QLD), several foundation members of 9RAR and many members of 8RAR paid a final tribute to the Queens and Regimental Colours of both battalions before they were laid up at the Infantry Centre Corps museum at Singleton.

Vietnam War - 1st May 1967