This book tells the story of one of the finest battalions of the Second AIF.
Formed in November 1939 the 2/9th was the first battalion raised in Queensland
and it fought in Giarabub and Tobruk in North Africa, Milne Bay, Cape Endaiadere
and Sanananda in Papua, on Shaggy Ridge in New Guinea and at Balikpapan in
Borneo.
Over six years of war and seven campaigns the Battalion suffered 975 battle
casualties but never lost a man as a prisoner of war and carried every on of its
casualties from the field. Those who did not return home lie remembered in
carefully tendered graves around the world.
As the successor to the 9th Battalion of the First AIF, the 2/9th wore a
rectangular colour patch of Black over Blue with the border of grey that
signified the Second AIF. In the years since the end of the war the fact that
they wore the Black over Blue has been a great source of pride to the men of the
2/9th Battalion.
Contents:
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
A Note on Army Structure
A Note on the Use of Names and Ranks
Abbreviations
Illustrations and Maps
Part 1: The Call of Empire
1. A Battalion is Born
2. The England
3. Giarabub
4. Tobruk
5. Syria
Part 2: A Homeland to Defend
6. Home Before Empire
7. Milne Bay
8. The Northern Beaches
9. Ravenshoe
10. Shaggy Ridge
Part 3: Finale
11. Kairi
12. Borneo
13. Victory in the Pacific
Appendices
Bibliography
Index
