Australian Army Veteran and armature military history enthusiast

I come from a family history of service in British, Canadian and Australian Forces, including the Royal Navy, British Army, Australia Imperial Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army, spanning across time from:

1880-1881 South African Campaign (First Anglo-Boer War)

1882 South African Campaign (Anglo-Egyptian War)

1886-1871 Fenian Raids (British North America)

1899-1902 South African Campaign (Second Anglo-Boer War)

1914-1918 World War One (Egypt, Gallipoli, Sinai & Palestine, France & Belgium, Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force & Allied occupation of German New Guinea

1939-1945 World War Two (Middle East & North Africa, Malaya & Singapore, New Guinea & Bougainville)

1945-1950 British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Japan)

1948-1960 Malayan Emergency

1950-1953 Korean War

1953-1958 Post-Armistice Peacekeeping (Korea)

1950-1956 British Commonwealth Forces (Korea)

1962-1966 Indonesian Confrontation

1962-1975 Vietnam War

1999-2000 International Force (East Timor)

2001-2021 War in Afghanistan

2003-2011 Iraq War

Specially honouring ancestors, who did not return, but whose footprints remain:

328 Trooper Arthur Michael Creagh 'Buck' Geoghegan

2nd Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron, Bomb-throwing Section

Wounded during 'charge' from Quinn's Post on 14/15 May 1915

Killed by sniper at Old No.3 Post / Beach Well, Gallipoli on 15 September 1915

1528 Private William Daniel 'Bill' Moynihan

15th Infantry Battalion, 3rd Reinforcement, C Company

Killed during 'charge' from Quinn's Post on 9/10 May 1915

Research interests include:

WW1 Australian Light Horse / Corps Mounted Troops

1st Light Horse (Gallipoli): Pope's Post / Bloody Angle 'Chargers' (7 Aug 1915)

2nd Light Horse (Gallipoli): Quinn's Post 'Chargers' (14 May & 7 Aug 1915)

5th Light Horse (Gallipoli): Chatnam's Post / Bird Trenches & Balkan Gun Pit 'Chargers' (28 June & 23 August 1915)

8th & 10th Light Horse (Gallipoli): Russel's Top / Nek 'Chargers' (7 Aug 1915)

4th & 12th Light Horse (Palestine): Beersheba 'Chargers' (31 Oct 1917)

ANZAC Landers (25-30 April 1915)

13th, 14th, 15th & 16th Battalions (Gallipoli): Pope's & Quinn's Post / Dead Man's Ridge & Bloody Angle 'Chargers' (2 May 1915)

Australians who died serving with other Allied Forces

"Disappeared Battalions"

 -        Australian 10th Battalion, AIF: 71 men went missing in the Battle of Poelcappelle on 9 October 1917, an event known as the Mystery of Celtic Wood (On this day LIEUT Scott of 10 Bn led 84 men on a raid into enemy lines near Broodseinde. The main party was seen to enter Celtic Wood & were never seen again. Extensive investigations since that time have failed to fully account for the fate of LIEUT Scott's party. A total of 37 soldiers are still not accounted for & this is the greatest mystery for the AIF in WW1)

 -        British 1/5th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment: Suffered heavy losses at Gallipoli when it became isolated during an attack on 12 Aug 1915 (A myth grew up long after the War that the men had advanced into a mist and simply disappeared)

WW2 Australian Light Horse, Armoured & Cavalry (including Cavalry Commando's)

6th Division Cavalry Regiment "Kelly Gang" in the 1941 Syria-Lebanon Campaign

Coast Watchers & Special Operations

Australian & British Parachute Battalions

Australians attached for Operations with US Forces in the Solomon Islands Campaign (Tulagi & Guadalcanal)

Australian Air Crewmen

Various Australian Casualties by Action & Date

-        Tobruk 1941

-        Greece & Crete 1941

-        Malaya & Singapore 1942

-        Kokoda 1942

3rd Battalion, RAR: Battle of Kapyong, Korea (23-25 April 1951)

2nd Battalion, RAR: Battle of the Hook / Samichon River, Korea (24-26 Jul 1953)

Vietnam Battle of Coral-Balmoral (12 May - 6 Jun 1968)

-        1st Battalion, RAR

-        3rd Battalion, RAR

-        3rd Cavalry Regiment, A Squadron, RAAC

-        1st Armoured Regiment, C Squadron, RAAC

-        12th Field Regiment, RAA

Vietnam Battle of Long Tan (18 Aug 1966)

-        6th Battalion, RAR, D Company (main battle)

-        6th Battalion, RAR, B Company were the first reinforcements to arrive & reinforce

-        As the battle continued, a relief force from A Company arrived at a critical moment, on board seven M113 armoured personnel carriers from 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron, 3 Troop (later known as A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment)

General medal collecting interests also include:

Australians awarded with Order of the British Empire (CBE, OBE, MBE, BEM)

Australians awarded with US decorations

Australians awarded with rare RAAF (GV) Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (only 58 awarded)