3rd New Guinea Infantry Battalion

At the start of the war, New Guinea was a former German possession that had become a mandated territory administered by Australia after World War I, and Papua, which been annexed by Queensland in 1883, had been an Australian external territory since 1903. While efforts were made to raise local military forces from indigenous personnel in Papua in the early war years, this did not extend to New Guinea until late in the war.McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2264. The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles was raised in 1939, but consisted entirely of Australian and European expatriates.Downs 1999, p. 34. The 3rd New Guinea Infantry Battalion was formed in June 1945 in the territory of New Guinea, during World War II, to fight against the Japanese. Its soldiers were primarily natives of New Guinea, under the command of Australian officers and NCOs.Sinclair 1990, p. 296. The New Guinea battalions each had an establishment of about 77 Europeans and 550 indigenous soldiers.Dennis et al 1995, p. 449. The main role of the New Guinea infantry battalions was to assume responsibility for "mopping up" operations in rear areas and searching for Japanese stragglers left over after main combat operations had ceased; this essentially freed up the Australian infantry battalions for operations elsewhere.

The Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) along with the 1st and 2nd New Guinea Infantry Battalions were amalgamated to form the Pacific Islands Regiment in November 1944. The 3rd and 4th New Guinea Infantry Battalions joined the regiment upon their formation in 1945, although 4 NGIB was soon disbanded, and the 5th New Guinea Infantry Battalion—although authorised—was never raised.Sinclair 1990, p. 273. Established at Camp Diddy, near Nadzab, and drawing personnel from the PIR's depot battalion, 3 NGIB completed training there until August 1945. Formed late in the war the battalion took no part in the Allied campaigns in New Guinea, although a few of its members saw service with 2 NGIB during the Aitape–Wewak campaign, suffering a number of casualties.Byrnes 1989, p. 184. On the final day of the war, 3 NGIB was declared operationally ready and began moving to New Britain, where it undertook garrison duties around Rabaul in the immediate post war period.McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2268.

The battalion was disbanded in November 1947. The battalion's casualties amounted to one killed, and six dead from accidental causes or disease.Byrnes 1989, p. 269. In the post war period, the PIR was re-formed in 1951, building on the tradition established during the war. One battalion was formed in New Guinea at this time, and another in Papua.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324185906/http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_14186second_world_war.asp |url=http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_14186second_world_war.asp |publisher=Australian War Memorial |title=Pacific Islands Regiment |archive-date=24 March 2014 |access-date=25 August 2019 |url-status=live }}

3 NGIB received no battle honours as it saw no combat during the war. However, as part of the PIR, it was awarded the following:

• World War II: South West Pacific 1942–1945, Kokoda Trail, Kokoda-Deniki, Nassau Bay, Tambu Bay, Finschhafen, Scarlet Beach, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Sio-Sepik River, Kaboibus-Kiarivu and Bonis-Porton.

The following officers commanded the battalion:Sinclair 1990, p. 305.

• Lieutenant Colonel T.F. MacAdie (1945–1946)
• Lieutenant Colonel A.C. Cameron (1946)

{{Reflist}}

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• {{Cite book | last=Byrnes | first=G.M. | year=1989 | title=Green Shadows: A War History of the Papuan Infantry Battalion, 1 New Guinea Infantry Battalion, 2 New Guinea Infantry Battalion, 3 New Guinea Infantry Battalion | publisher=G.M. Byrnes | location=Newmarket | isbn=0-7316-6716-6}}
• {{cite book|last1=Dennis|first1=Peter|last2=Grey|first2=Jeffrey|last3=Morris|first3=Ewan|first4=Robin|last4=Prior |year=1995|title=The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Melbourne|edition=First|isbn=0-19-553227-9}}
• {{cite book|last=Downs|first=Ian|title=The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles NGVR 1939–1943: A History|year=1999|publisher=Pacific Press|location=Broadbeach Waters, Queensland|isbn=1-875150-03-X}}
• {{cite book |last=McKenzie-Smith |first=Graham |author-link=Graham McKenzie-Smith |year= 2018|title=The Unit Guide: The Australian Army 1939–1945, Volume 2 |publisher=Big Sky Publishing |location=Warriewood, New South Wales |isbn=978-1-925675-146 }}
• {{Cite book | last=Sinclair | first=James | year=1990 | title=To Find a Path: The Life and Times of the Royal Pacific Islands Regiment: Volume I — Yesterday's Heroes 1885–1950 | url=http://www.army.gov.au/Our-history/Primary-Materials/Unit-Histories-and-Formations/Pacific-Islands-Regiment | publisher=Boolarong Publications | location=Brisbane | isbn=0-7316-9120-2 | access-date=3 August 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923174427/http://www.army.gov.au/Our-history/Primary-Materials/Unit-Histories-and-Formations/Pacific-Islands-Regiment | archive-date=23 September 2015 | url-status=dead }}

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• [http://ajrp.awm.gov.au/ajrp/AJRP2.nsf/30017f4131c6b2acca256cfb0023646c/09f9fd6fb3c65588ca256f50007998b7?OpenDocument Australia-Japan research project]

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Category:Infantry battalions of Australia

Category:Military units and formations of Papua New Guinea

Category:Military units and formations established in 1945

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1947

Category:Papua New Guinea in World War II