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The Military of Australia, officially known as the Australian Defence Force (ADF) since 1976, consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The Australian Department of Defence administers the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) which consists of the ADF and the civilian personnel supporting the ADF. Approximately 53,000 men and women serve in the ADF with another 21,600 serving in the three reserve components.
The ADF is constituted under the Executive Government sections of the Australian Constitution, Section 68, that says, "The command in chief of the naval and military forces of the Commonwealth is vested in the Governor-General as the Queen's representative." In practice, the control of the ADF is, politically, vested in the Minister for Defence and several subordinate ministers. The Minister acts on most matters alone, however, important matters are considered by the National Security Committee of Cabinet. The Minister then advises the Governor-General who acts as advised in the normal form of executive government. The current Chief of the Australian Defence Force is General David Hurley.
The Military history of Australia covers a period of around 200 years starting with the colonisation of Australia by the British in 1788. Australians have fought in nearly every major war of the 20th Century including the Second Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War as well as numerous UN peace-keeping missions.
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 The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of World War I, with more than one million casualties. The British and French forces attempted to break through the German lines along a 25 mile (40 km) front north and south of the River Somme in northern France. One purpose of the battle was to draw German forces away from the battle of Verdun; however, by its end the losses on the Somme had exceeded those at Verdun. The battle is best remembered for its first day, July 1, 1916, on which the British suffered 57,470 casualties, making it the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army. As horrific as the battle of the Somme is in British memory, it also had a staggering impact on the German army; one officer famously describing it as "the muddy grave of the German field army." By the end of the battle the British had learnt many lessons in modern warfare while the Germans had suffered irreparable losses. Four Divisions of the Australian Imperial Force saw action during the Somme; the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th, in total they suffered around 23,000 casualties.
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Photo credit: User:Fir0002
Poppies placed in the wall panels of the Australian War Memorial on Remembrance Day.
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In view of the result of attained at the Washington Treaty which, my advisors believe, guarantee peace in the Pacific for some time to come, it is proposed to reduce the establishment of the navy and army, and postpone the expansion of the air force.
- — Governor General Henry Forster during the opening of Parliament, 22 June 1922
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- 8 November, 2010 - The Spitfire flown by and remains of Flight Lieutenant Henry Lacy Smith have been found in Normandy. He was killed after being shot down five days after D-Day during World War II.Read more...
- 16 March, 2010 - The remains of Special Air Service Patrolman Lieutenant Kenneth Hudson and Private Robert Moncrieff have been found after being missing in action since 1966 during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.Read more...
- 18 February, 2010 - AN Australian Defence Force inquiry has backed navy seamen who saved their colleagues before asylum seekers when a boat exploded near Ashmore Reef last year. Read more...
- 13 February, 2010 - Japan, Australia To Sign Military Logistics Pact-Nikkei. Read more...
- 30 July, 2009 - The remains of Flying Officer Michael Herbert and Pilot Officer Robert Carver, missing in action (MIA) in Vietnam have been found. They were the last Australian MIA in Vietnam. Read more...
- 16 January, 2009 - Trooper Mark Donaldson is awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia following his actions in Afghanistan on 2 September 2008. Read more...
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Lieutenant General Sir Iven Giffard Mackay KBE, CMG, DSO, VD (7 April 1882 – 30 September 1966) was a prominent Australian soldier who served in both World War I and World War II. Mackay was born at Grafton, New South Wales and is best known for his action as the commander of the 6th Division during the Western Desert Campaign and Greek Campaign of World War II, and later as the commander of the Second Army. Later in life, Mackay took up the post of Australia's first High Commissioner to India, serving until May 1948.
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RAAF Squadron Berlin Air Lift was a Royal Australian Air Force transport squadron raised to participate in the Berlin Airlift. The Squadron was formed at RAAF Base Richmond in August 1948 from C-47 Dakota crews drawn from No. 36 and No. 38 squadrons. In late August the crews travelled to the United Kingdom as passengers in Qantas flying boats. After receiving training in the UK the aircrew moved to Lubeck, West Germany on 14 and 15 September, with the first Australian flight into Berlin being conducted on 15 September. The Australian aircrew continued flights to Berlin until 26 August 1950 when the 2062nd and last Australian flight was conducted. The Berlin Airlift Squadron returned to Australia on 24 October 1949. Template:/box-footer
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The Dingo Scout Car was a light armoured car built in Australia during the Second World War. They were produced by the Ford motor company during 1942. The Dingo was based on a commercial Ford 30-cwt 134.5 inch wheelbase chassis shortened to 110 inches, fitted with a Marmon-Herrington all wheel drive kit to give the vehicle 4 wheel drive. The Dingo was equipped with a Bren light machine gun and Mk19 wireless. The vehicle's weight restricted its off road mobility and the front axle could be bent when travelling over rough terrain. A lighter version with only 10 mm of armour and an open top was proposed at the end of 1942 but not proceeded with as armoured cars could now be imported from overseas. All 245 vehicles produced were disposed of in 1945.
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Army • History
Armoured Units, Army Aviation, First Australian Imperial Force, Second Australian Imperial Force, Brigades, Cadets, College, Enlisted Ranks, Memorial, Officer Ranks, RAR, Regiments, Senior Officers, Regional Surveillance Units, Structure, VC Recipients, Weapons
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RAAF • History
Aircraft, Airfield Defence Guards, Bases, Chief of Air Force, Flights, First Tactical Air Force, Ranks, Roulettes, Squadrons, Structure
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RAN • History
Admiral of the Fleet, Bases, Cadets, Clearance Divers, Current Ships, Fleet Air Arm, Future, Historic ships, HMAS, Memorial, Patrol Boat Group, Persian Gulf Operations, RANVR, Reserve, Ship classes, Silent Service, WRANS
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Special Forces
1st Commando Regiment, 171st Squadron, 200 Squadron, 4 RAR, Coastwatchers, Incident Response Regiment, SASR, SOCOMD, Tactical Assault Group, WWII Companies, Z Special Unit
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- Attention needed
- ...to referencing and citation • ...to coverage and accuracy • ...to structure • ...to grammar • ...to supporting materials
- Cleanup needed
- 2nd Division (Australia) • 2nd Division (New Zealand) • 4th Division (Australia) • 8th Division (Australia) • Court martial of Breaker Morant • History of the Royal Australian Navy • Military history of New Zealand • Military history of New Zealand in World War I • Military history of New Zealand during World War II • New Zealand Army • New Zealand in the Vietnam War • Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment • Slouch hat • Uniforms of the New Zealand Army
- Requested articles
- Auckland Regiment • Canterbury Regiment (currently a redirect) • Otago Regiment (currently a redirect) • Wellington Regiment • Battle of Lababia Ridge • 1st Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery • 2nd Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery • 4th Medium Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery • 6th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery • 12th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery • Queensland Imperial Bushmen • Queensland Citizen Bushmen • South Australian Imperial Bushmen • South Australian Citizen Bushmen• South Australian Mounted Rifles • Tasmanian Citizen Bushmen • Tasmanian Mounted Infantry • Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen (currently redirect) • Victorian Citizen Bushmen • Victorian Imperial Bushmen • Western Australian Mounted Infantry (currently redirect) • Western Australian Citizen Bushmen • New South Wales Mounted Infantry • New South Wales Mounted Rifles • New South Wales Citizen Bushmen • 22nd Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, 2nd/4th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment • 3rd/6th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment • II ANZAC (XXII Corps) Mounted Regiment • No. 83 (Army Cooperation) Wing • No. 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron • No. 52 Squadron RNZAF • No. 51 Squadron RNZAF • No. 43 Squadron RNZAF • No. 12 Squadron RNZAF • No. 11 Squadron RNZAF • No. 10 Squadron RNZAF • Territorial Force (New Zealand) • CAC/North American Avon Sabre in Australian service • GAF/Dassault Mirage III in Australian service • Boeing CH-47 Chinook in Australian service • Lewis Ernest Stephen Barker • Harry Charles Bundock • Frederick Alexander Burrows • Grant Cavenagh • Frederick Hay Christison • John August Clareborough • Jack Kerr Coffey • Bertrand Combes • Combined Arms Training Centre (Australia)• John Craven • Ralph Daly • Charles Stewart Davies • Harold Charles de Low • Francis Plumly Derham • Harold Clive Disher • William Huggett Douglas • Herbert Frederick Henry Durant • Leslie Glanville Howard Dyke • Henry Herrick Edwards • Cyril Maurice Lloyd Elliott • Albert Cecil Fewtrell • Frederick Percy Herbert Fewtrell • Alexander Moore Forbes • Stephen Gilbert Friend • Vivian Harrold Gatliff • Arthur Harry Langman Godfrey • Peter Haddad • William Allan Hailes • Eric Fairweather Harrison • Neville Gordon Hatton • Health Services Wing RAAF • William Alexander Henderson • John Hill • Frederick Brock Hinton • Oswald Vick Hoad • Austin Claude Selwyn Holland • Interim Infantry Mobility Vehicle • Maurice Barber Bevan Keating • Douglas Oswald Luke Kitto • Errol Knox • Ian Lillie • John Edward Lloyd • William James Macavoy Locke • Thomas Steane Louch • Leonard Cuthbert Lucas • Daniel Aston Luxton • John Walter Main • Gordon Edward Manchester • James Eric Gifford Martin • Athelsan Markham Martyn • John Maxwell • Patrick Sanfield McGrath • Eric George Henderson McKenzie • Kenneth Alan McKenzie • Douglas Murray McWhae • Charles George N. Miles • Arthur James Mills • Raymond Frederic Monaghan • Gerald Vincent Moriarty • Edward Michael Neylan • Reginald Havill Norman • Francis Roger North • Harry Scott Nurse • David O'Brien • John William Alexander O'Brien • Douglas Paine • William Edward Hill Pascoe • Michael Phelps • Owen Forbes Phillips • Claude Esdaile Prior • Ralph Carlyle Geoffrey Prisk • Beauchamp Worters Pulver • John Herbert Rasmussen • John Dalylell Richardson • John David Rogers • Henry Gordon Rourke • John Robinson Royston • Raymond Ladais Sandover • Harry Blamyre Sewell • Colin McOlvin Sharp • Edward Lonergan Sheehan • James Thomas Simpson • Fritz Peter Max Solling • Victor Paul Hildebrand Stantke • William Howard St. Clair • John Rowlstone Stevenson • Robert Mackay Stodart • Roy Buchanan Sutherland • Harold Bourue Taylor • Percy Chamberlin Thompson • Roy Meldrum Thompson • Raymond Walter Tovell • Walter James Urquhart • Donald Norwood Veron • Eric Lacy Vowles • Roy William Whiston Walsh • Augustine William Wardell • Thomas Edgar Weavers • David Welch • Frank Elwyn Wells • Allan Respen Wendt • John Laurence Whitham • Ernst Morgan Williams • Kenneth Williams • Thomas Rhys Williams • Kenneth Agnew Wills • Robert Emmet Winning • Survey and Acoustic Research Vessel • 2nd Infantry Brigade (New Zealand) • Australia and the Empire Air Training Scheme • Consolidated PBY Catalina in Royal Australian Air Force Service
- Expansion needed
- Australian Army Veterinary Corps • Military history of Australia during the Malayan Emergency • 32nd Small Ship Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers • 1st Aviation Regiment (Australia) • 1st Combat Engineer Regiment (Australia) • II Anzac Corps • 5th Division (Australia) • 8th Brigade (Australia) • 11th Division (Australia) • 11th Brigade (Australia) • Alfred Richard Baxter-Cox • Australian military involvement in peacekeeping • Battle of Wide Bay • Emile Dechaineux • Finisterre Range campaign • Harold Farncomb • History of the Australian Army • History of the Royal Australian Air Force • John Baker • John Royston • Landing at Lae • Lark Force • New Britain campaign • New Guinea campaign • Northern Territory Force • Robert William Rankin • 3rd Division (New Zealand) • Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers • HMNZS Resolution (A-14) • Military history of New Zealand in Malaysia • New Zealand and Australian Division • New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade • New Zealand Rifle Brigade • Survey Motor Boat • List of Royal Australian Air Force aircraft squadrons • List of Australian generals and brigadiers • List of Australian armoured units • Australian Army Artillery Units, World War I • Air Lift Group • Surveillance and Response Group • Combat Support Group RAAF • Aerospace Operational Support Group RAAF • 41 Wing • 42 Wing • No. 26 Squadron RAAF • No. 29 Squadron RAAF • Air Movements Training and Development Unit RAAF• Surveillance and Control Training Unit RAAF • No. 386 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron RAAF • No. 322 Combat Support Squadron RAAF • No. 323 Combat Support Squadron RAAF • No. 324 Combat Support Squadron RAAF• No. 1 Combat Logistics Squadron RAAF • No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron RAAF • No. 3 Airfield Defence Squadron RAAF • Combat Reserve Wing RAAF • more...
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War and the military
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