Royal Australian Regiment

The Royal Australian Regiment
Cap badge of the Royal Australian Regiment
Active23 November 1948 – present
CountryAustralia
BranchArmy
TypeLine infantry
RoleMechanised infantry (3 battalions)
Motorised infantry (3 battalions)
Amphibious infantry (1 battalion)
SizeSeven battalions
Part ofRoyal Australian Infantry Corps
Garrison/HQ1st Battalion – Townsville
2nd Battalion – Townsville
3rd Battalion – Townsville
5th Battalion – Palmerston
6th Battalion – Enoggera
7th Battalion – Adelaide
8th/9th Battalion – Enoggera
Nickname(s)1st Battalion – The Pony Soldiers or The Big Blue One[1]
2nd Battalion – Second to None[2]
3rd Battalion – Old Faithful[3]
4th Battalion – The Fighting Fourth[4]
5th Battalion – The Tiger Battalion[5]
6th Battalion – Bluedog
7th Battalion – The Pigs[6]
8th Battalion – The Grey Eight[7]
8th/9th Battalion – Old Dependable Brisbane's Own
Motto(s)Duty First[8]
Colours3rd Battalion and 6th Battalion entitled to wear the Unit Citation for Gallantry and the US PUC streamers on the Regimental Colour; whilst the 1st Battalion has been awarded the Unit Citation for Gallantry, the US MUC and Gallantry Cross (South Vietnam) streamers on the Regimental Colour
MarchQuick – El Alamein (Band); Black Bear (Pipes and Drums)
Slow – Infantry Song[9]
Mascot(s)1st Battalion – Shetland pony "Septimus"[1]
3rd Battalion – None[10]
4th Battalion – None[4]
5th Battalion – Sumatran tiger "Quintus Rama"[11]
6th Battalion – Blue Heeler Corporal "Ridgeliegh Blue"[12]
8th/9th Battalion – Merino ram John "Stan the Ram" Macarthur[13]
Commanders
Current
commander
Major General Shane Caughey
(Colonel commandant)[14]
Colonel of
the Regiment
General David Hurley
(Governor-General of Australia)
Insignia
Unit colour patches
TartanThe Australian (2 and 7 RAR piper's kilts and plaids)
Royal Stewart (3 RAR piper's kilts and plaids)
AbbreviationRAR

The Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) is the parent administrative regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. It was originally formed in 1948 as a three battalion regiment; however, since then its size has fluctuated as battalions have been raised, amalgamated or disbanded in accordance with the Australian government's strategic requirements. Currently, the regiment consists of seven battalions and has fulfilled various roles including those of light, parachute, motorised and mechanised infantry. Throughout its existence, units of the Royal Australian Regiment have deployed on operations in Japan, Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam, Somalia, Rwanda, Cambodia, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan.

  1. ^ a b "1 RAR: "The Pony Soldiers"". Digger History. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  2. ^ "2 RAR: The Boys in Black". Digger History. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  3. ^ Kuring 2004, p. 245.
  4. ^ a b "Traditions and Accoutrements". 4 RAR Association. 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  5. ^ "5 RAR: The Tigers". Digger History. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  6. ^ "7 RAR: "Pork's People" or "The Pigs"". Digger History. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  7. ^ "8 RAR: The "Grey Eight"". Digger History. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  8. ^ Horner & Bou 2008, p. xxxii.
  9. ^ "The Royal Australian Regiment (RAR)". Digger History. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  10. ^ "3 RAR: "Old Faithful"". Digger History. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  11. ^ "Quintus Ram, Mascot of the 5th Battalion RAR". 5th Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment Association. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  12. ^ "Battalion History". 6 RAR Association. Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  13. ^ "8/9th Battalion RAR: History". Digger History. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  14. ^ Humbler & Daniels 2013, p. 9.

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