Summary:

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment is a regiment of the Australian Army and is the second most senior in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. The regiment serves in the armoured reconnaissance role.

The regiment was formed in 1965 as 1st Cavalry Regiment through the regimentation of regular squadrons in CMF regiments:

A Squadron – A Squadron, 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse
B Squadron – A Squadron, 2nd/14th Queensland Mounted Infantry

These two squadrons initially had no Regimental Headquarters or HQ Squadron. However, with reorganisation of the RAAC came both an RHQ and a new name. RHQ and HQ Sqn formed at Gallipoli Lines, Holsworthy in 1971. In order to avoid confusion, it was decided that the armoured regiments of the regular army would be numbered sequentially; 1st Armoured Regiment was the most senior, so 1st Cavalry was renamed 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

When first formed, the regiment consisted of a reconnaissance squadron and an armoured personnel carrier squadron. This continued until 1976, when the Royal Australian Regiment took on a mechanised role, leaving 2nd Cavalry Regiment to concentrate on the reconnaissance role. By 1996 C squadron was raised. All three squadrons were equipped with the M113 vehicle in the reconnaissance role until the mid 1990s, with the Regiment being re-equipped with the Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) between 1995 and 1997.

Since being re-equipped with the ASLAV the 2nd Cavalry Regiment has played a key role in Australian military operations. In 1999 C Squadron deployed to East Timor as part of the initial Australian contribution to INTERFET, with the ASLAVs providing the Australian force with the majority of its mobility and armoured support during the early days of the intervention. Detachments from the Regiment supported all subsequent Australian troop deployments to East Timor.

More recently, 2nd Cavalry Regiment has deployed its ASLAVs to Iraq in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion. The Regiment’s initial role was to provide armoured transport for Australian diplomats and military personnel based in Baghdad and northern Iraq. The Regiment has also formed a key element of the Al Muthanna Task Group rotations, with the Regimental Headquarters commanding the initial rotation and a squadron from the Regiment forming part of the first two rotations of Task Group elements. The regiment has also contributed soldiers and vehicles of the Security Detachment in Baghdad and also to the Overwatch Battle Group (West) rotations.

Elements of the regiment have also been deployed to Afghanistan as part of the various Reconstruction Task Forces as part of Operation Slipper.

Role: Reconnaissance Regiment
Location: Robertson Barracks, Palmerston, NT
Motto: Courage
Regimental Birthday: 20th November
March – Quick: Garry Owen/The Girl I left Behind Me
March – Slow: Song of Joy
Affiliations: 2nd Armoured Cavalry Regiment (2ACR) – USA
Regimental Competitions:
Keldie Cup
Beersheba Cup
A H Smith Trophy
Brigadier Eldridge Challenge Trophy
Adjutant’s Cup (RAAC)
Battle Honours (inherited from the 2/6th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment): North Africa 1940–41, Bardia 1941, Capture of Tobruk, Cerna Giaabub, Syria 1941, Meejayun, Adlum, Sidon, Darmour, South West Pacific 1944–45, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Abau-Malin, Anub River, Maprik, Wewak, Wirui Mission.

Barracks:
Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney
Chauvel Lines, Robertson Barracks, Darwin

  Regimental History

Regimental Uniforms and Insignia

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2nd Cavalry Regiment Association

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