THE MAKING OF WARRIORS

The story of the 2/1st Infantry Battalion, (aka The First), the predecessor to 1 RAR.

The First was one of 3 battalions of the 16th Brigade, (City of Sydney Regiment), formed in October 1939 following the outbreak of WW II. The men who enlisted were mostly from the Sydney suburbs and country NSW. They were somewhat of a ragtag bunch, coming from all walks of life, including labourers, farm hands, factory workers and also included some with dubious backgrounds.

They were soon honed into a well-disciplined fighting force at the newly established Ingleburn Barracks, and sent off to fight for Australia in North Africa, Greece, Crete and New Guinea. They would go on to gain a reputation for being extremely resilient and formidable jungle fighters; they would come to know that every day might be their last, but they would keep on going, and fighting, and dying if necessary.

In Libya, at Battle of Bardia, The First had the honour of being the first Australian infantry unit into battle in WW II, being the first across the attacking start line as part of an allied force which took 40,000 Italian prisoners. Shortly thereafter, The First took part in the Battle of Tobruk, which netted a further 27,000 Italian prisoners.

On the island of Crete, the battalion was overwhelmed by far superior number following a German paratroop invasion, and captured, but not before they bloodied the nose of the Germans during ferocious close-fighting; some managed to escape the island but those captured were subsequently interned in German POW camps for the remainder of the war. The First was quickly re-formed in Palestine from its sister battalions, and soon ordered to New Guinea to fight in what was arguably the most gruelling and deadliest campaign of the war, along the treacherous Kokoda Track. Under the command of Lt Col Paul Cullen (later Maj Gen, AC,

About the Author

Graham J. Smith served for 14 years in two Australian police forces and 11 years as a full-time member of the Australian Intelligence Corps. Members of his immediate family have accrued a total of over 140 years of service, spread across the 3 services of the ADF and state police forces.

Following his military and police service, Graham worked in the security industry. He holds tertiary qualifications in information management and security risk management. Now semi-retired, he spends much of his spare time writing.

The Making of Warriors was written in honour of Graham’s great uncle, Sergeant John ‘Jack’ Patrick Ledden MC (pictured on the cover), who served with both the 1st and 3rd Battalions throughout WW II; his heroic actions are featured in Chapter 12 - Soputa.

CBE, DSO & Bar, ED), the battalion was instrumental in driving the Japanese back to their northern beachheads.

The story is told predominately through veterans’ first-hand accounts, quotes from unit war diaries, personal letters and news reports of the time, and is supported by over 100 illustrations, including colour maps and wartime photos. Also running parallel with the storyline in the New Guinea chapters, are Japanese first-hand accounts, describing their desperate plight as the Australians gain the upper hand in the vicious close-in jungle fighting.

The Making of Warriors provides a unique insight into the daily lives of the men of The First during WW II, who by the end of the Kokoda campaign were considered arguably to be the best jungle fighting force in the world, beating the Japanese at their own game. The campaign has been described by a Kokoda veteran as:

The story culminates with blow-by-blow, gut-wrenching first-hand accounts of an action in the area of a little-known village called Soputa near the north coast, where 90 men under the command of the renowned Capt. Basil Catterns MC, launched a surprise attack on a Japanese defensive position, occupied by around 1700 enemy troops. The action lasted 24 hours, during which Catterns and his remaining men formed a small defensive perimeter around a large fig tree. Reminiscent of the Battle of Rorkes Drift (Anglo-Zulu War 1879), the Japanese launched repeated attacks on Catterns and his small force, but were doggedly driven back each time. The Japanese, having suffered high losses at the hands of the Australians, eventually withdrew, paving the way for the final allied assault, and victory at the Battle of the Beachheads.

Sadly, following the Soputa action, of Catterns force of 90, only 24 came out (not killed or wounded). In total, this single action resulted in recommendations for the following awards for gallantry for members of The First:

1 Victoria Cross, 3 Military Crosses, 3 Distinguished Conduct Medals, and 7 Military Medals.

Published by: Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd www.rosenbergpub.com.au

Size: 272 pages

RRP $34.95

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“A campaign without chivalry, a bloody fight to the death. An elemental struggle with only one password, kill or be killed”.