The 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (4 RAR) was an infantry battalion (later a special forces unit) of the Australian Army, forming part of the Royal Australian Regiment and eventually Special Operations Command. The battalion was formed on 1 February 1964, converted to a special forces unit on 01 February 1997, and was renamed the 2nd Commando Regiment on 19 June 2009.
History
Formation
On 18 January 1952, a Royal Australian Regiment Depot was established as a training unit for a special establishment on the Order of Battle. The depot was later renamed 4 RAR on 10 March 1952. This renaming was necessary because government approval had been given to raise a battalion and not a depot. The primary function of 4 RAR at the time was to train and hold infantrymen for service in Korea. On 24 March 1960, the unit was incorporated into the School of Infantry as "Depot Company, Royal Australian Regiment". This resulted in the formation of the Infantry Centre.
The political decision to raise the fourth battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment was made in 1963. Consequently, instructions for the raising of the battalion were issued on 13 January 1964. The official raising of 4 RAR on 1 February 1964 was the first time a regular infantry battalion had been raised on Australian soil. Additionally, it was stated that this battalion was a new battalion and not a resurrection of the old 4 RAR. The battalion subsequently served in Malaysia as part of the Far East Strategic Reserve from August 1965 – September 1967, and saw active service in Borneo against the Indonesian army during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation.
After a period of training the battalion deployed to Sarawak in April 1966 where it was to operate from four company bases in the Bau area. By this time the war was winding down as peace negotiations had begun between Malaysia and Indonesia. Like 3 RAR, 4 RAR conducted cross-border operations and clashed with Indonesian forces on a number of occasions. Its tour was less eventful, however, and the battalion primarily operated in Malaysian territory where it ambushed tracks leading from the border with Indonesia. Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to a peace treaty on 11 August and 4 RAR and the other Commonwealth units in Borneo ceased operations the next day. The battalion returned to Camp Terendak on 30 August having suffered five fatalities in Borneo, though only one man had been killed in action.
Upon its return to Australia in 1967 the battalion began training for service during the Vietnam War.
Vietnam War
The battalion began its first tour of South Vietnam on 1 June 1968, relieving 2 RAR. Based at Nui Dat, in Phuoc Tuy Province it was joined by Victor and Whisky companies from the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (RNZIR) on 2 June, and was formally renamed 4 RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Battalion with an Australian Commander and New Zealander second in command. From 23 June the battalion took part in Operation Toan Thang II on the Biên Hòa-Long Bình border, before conducting patrols through Phuoc Tuy. It was subsequently conducting patrols, ambushes, and searches along the Long Khánh-Biên Hòa border from 15 September in an attempt to disrupt Vietcong (VC) activity and deny them access to supplies as part of Operation Hawkesbury. 4 RAR/NZ returned to Nui Dat on 24 September. 4 RAR/NZ returned to the Long Khánh-Biên Hòa border as part of Operation Goodwood on 27 December, in response to increased in VC activity that suggested an offensive was being planned. The battalion was given a brief respite at Nui Dat from 13 January to 7 February, before taking part in Operation Federal in Biên Hòa province. Operation Overlander commenced in Biên Hòa province on 8 April, before the battalion again returned to Phuoc Tuy on 17 April. It was subsequently replaced by 6RAR on 1 May and departed for Australia on 19 May. Total casualties during the deployment included 15 Australians killed and 97 wounded, with five New Zealanders killed and 37 wounded.