Structure of an Australian Independent Company, 1942
The Australian Independent Companies were based on the
British commando formation and the first units given this deceptive
name were trained by British officers of No.104 British Military
Mission, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Mawhood, in the art of
survival field craft, rig explosives, set demolitions, practice various
weapons drill, learn how to kill the enemy silently and dabble in
wireless-radio expertise at the Tidal River Camp situated in the
wilderness of Wilsons Promontary in Victoria. The concept of commando
operations were first formally introduced by the Boer, farming land
owners, during the South African War with Great Britain and Empire at
the turn of the Twentieth century and although the military operation
of hit-and-run has been used in warfare for centuries, even by
indigenous populations against settling intruders, the industrial
manufactured firearm had given the few the power of many. Between July
1941 and February 1942 four Independent Companies had completed the
rigourous training and were deployed to operational areas, a further
four more Companies were formed during 1942, which meant personnel were
hand selected as each soldier was highly trained to possess individual
initiative, physical fitness and accept responsibilities beyond those
of his normal duties and rank. The role of the Australian Commando
formations at this time
were guerilla and irregular warfare, special and paramilitary
operations, organise and supply stay behind parties, set up observation
posts for intelligence collection and reporting, encourage and gather
local resistence movements and sabotage enemy efforts by all means at
hand facing greatly outnumbering odds under the harshest conditions of
terrain and enviroment without normal rations. Then as the many islands
to Australia's north were envisaged to be overrun by the intended
Imperial Japanese onslaught the Independent Companies were deployed as
outpost early warning forces, eventually to be shock troops for full
scale co-ordinated raids supported by wireless radio contacted air and
sea elements, to live off the land and be
provisioned with military supplies by intermittant clandestine
airdrops, be a proverbial thorn in the side to the occupying enemy and
conduct guerilla type raids on vital points inflicting major damage
then disappear into the enviroment before hostile retailitory action
causes unnecessary and cumbersome friendly casualties.
Independent Company
one Major, five Captains, eleven Lieutenants and approximately 256 Other Ranks, total 273.
Company Headquarters
Commanding Officer (CO) – Major
Second in Command (2iC) – Captain
Company Sergeant Major (CSM)
Company Quartermaster Sergeant (CQMS)
Other Ranks, 9 men
A-Platoon (approx. 60 men) – OC Captain, Platoon Sergeant
No. 1 Section (19 men) – Lieutenant, 2 Corporals and Other Ranks
No. 2 Section (19 men) – Lieutenant, 2 Corporals and Other Ranks
No. 3 Section (19 men ) – L ieutenant, 2 Corporals and other Ranks
B-Platoon (approx. 60 men) – OC Captain, Platoon Sergeant
No. 4 Section (19 men) – Lieutenant, 2 Corporals and Other Ranks
No. 5 Section (19 men) – Lieutenant, 2 Corporals and Other Ranks
No. 6 Section (19 men) – Lieutenant, 2 Corporals and Other Ranks
C-Platoon (approx. 60 men) – OC Captain, Platoon Sergeant
No. 7 Section (19 men) – Lieutenant, 2 Corporals and Other Ranks
No. 8 Section (19 men) – Lieutenant, 2 Corporals and Other Ranks
No. 9 Section (19 men) – Lieutenant, 2 Corporals and Other Ranks
Engineers Section – (20 men) Lieutenant, Sergeant, Corporal and 17 Other Ranks
Signals Section – (34 men) Lieutenant, Sergeant, 2 Corporals and Other Ranks
Medical Section, Australian Army Medical Corps - (6 men) Captain (Medical Officer), Sergeant and Other Ranks
Transport Section – (4 men) Corporal and Drivers
See Admiralty Islands in 1942 for No.1 Independent Company and
The fighting on Portuguese East Timor, 1942 for No.2 & No.4 Independent Companies.
Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942
Copyright © Klemen. L. 1999-2000
