About This Unit
WW2 Light Horse Derived Units - Motor Regiments /Armoured Car Regiments / Machine Gun Regiments
Source: McKenzie-Smith, Graham 2018 "The Unit Guide The Australian Army 1939-45 Vol 2 of 6 Headquarters, Infantry, Cavalry, Armoured and Intelligence Units, Air Defence and Engineer Units", Big Sky Publishing ISBN 978-1-925675-14-6
When WW2 broke out in 1939 Australia had a large Militia Force organised in a structure resembling that of the First AIF, including large Light Horse formations spread across the country, largely in rural areas.
This page is an aggregation of units that evolved from pre WW2 Light Horse units. Most had a relatively short 'lifespan'. While some deployed overseas to New Guinea, most did not.
When the Second AIF was formed for overseas service, the role of the Militia was obviously going to be one of Homeland Defence. While some Light Horse units found some sort of utility in the Homeland Defence sphere (notably 'Curtin's Cowboys', the North Australia Observation Unit in northern Australia), the imperative of mechanisation had become obvious.
With the entry of Japan into the war after December 1941, a heightened sense of urgency gripped the nation to prepare for the potential of invasion. Light Horse units like many others became the subject of seemingly endless re-organisation and deployment around Australia. Light Horse Regiments morphed into a range of roles from early 1942.
Fig 1. Informal group portrait of members of the 21st Light Horse Regiment (Riverina Horse) on parade at the Wagga Wagga Showgrounds in 1939. 66218 Trooper Clive Charles Swaysland (later NX16332 Corporal C S Swaysland 2/13th Battalion) is second from right. His younger brother 66219 Trooper Ronald Keith Swaysland is third from the right. The other men are unidentified. After serving with the 2/13th Battalion in the Middle East during the Second World War, Corporal Swaysland was killed in action 28 September 1943 at Finschhafen, New Guinea.
Most of these reformed units were progressively disbanded as the threat of invasion receded and personnel were dispersed and transferred to the Second AIF or other militia units.
Light Horse Regiments (generally with a secondary 'Territorial Tag' in their name) most often became Motor Regiments, with the same numerical designation.
Motor Regiments were Motorised Infantry (Truck Mounted) battalions raised as part of the Armoured Division structure. Most were comprised of units and men that had formerly been Militia Light Horsemen pre 1942.
Trucks are not bullet proof and it was realised that something more substantial was required and thus they became Armoured Car Regiments generally equipped with US 'Staghound' wheeled armoured vehicles.
Some Light Horse units were reformed as Machine Gun Regiments from the outset.
Fig 2. A clipping from the Perth Daily News of former Light Horsement as Motorised Mounted Infantry.
Unit listing
1 Light Horse Regiment (Machine Gun) Regiment Royal NSW Lancers - successively 1 MG Regt, 1 Aust Motor Regt, 1 Aust Army Tank Battalion, 1 Aust Army Regiment. This unit actually deployed SW Pacific 1943-45.
2/14 Light Horse Regiment - 2nd Light Horse (Moreton Light Horse) Regiment, Northern Command Reconnaissance Regiment, 2 Australian Reconnaissance Battalion, 2 Australian Divisional Reconnaissance Battalion, 2 Australian Cavalry Regiment. Disbanded Sep 1943.
3 Light Horse Regiment (South Australian Mounted Rifles) - 9 Australian Motor Regiment. Disbanded April 1943.
4 Light Horse Regiment (Coorangamite Light Horse Regiment) - 4 Australian Motor Regiment, 6 Armoured Car Regiment. Disbanded August 1944.
5 Light Horse Regiment (Wide Bay and Burnett Light Horse) 5 Aust Motor Regiment. Disbanded July 1943.
6 Light Horse Regiment (NSW Mounted Rifles) 6 AUst Motor Regiment, 6 Aust Armoured Car Regiment. Disbanded March 1943.
7 Light Horse Regiment (Australian Horse). 7 Australian Motor Regiment. Raised December 1941 Disbanded October 1942.
8 Light Horse Regiment (Indi Light Horse) 8 Aust Reconnaissance Battalion, 8 Aust Divisional Cavalry Regiment, 8 Aust Cavalry Regiment. Mobilised in December 1941. Warned for service in New Guinea, Disbanded March 1944.
9/23 Light Horse Regiment 4MD Reconnaissance Company 23 Reconnaissance Company.
10 Light Horse Regiment (WA Mounted Infantry) 10 Aust Reconnaissance Battalion, 10 Australian Light Horse Regiment. Mobilised December 1941, Disbanded May 1944.
11 Light Horse Regiment (Darling Downs Light Horse), 11 Aust Motor Regiment. Mobilised Gatton Qld December 1941, Disbanded July 1943.
12 Light Horse Regiment (New England Light Horse) 12 Aust Motor Regiment, 12 Aust Armoured Car Regiment. Mobilised Armidale December 1941, Disbanded January 1944
13 Light Horse Regiment (Gippsland Light Horse) 13 Aust Motor Regiment, 13 Aust Armoured Regiment. Mobilised Balcombe Victoria December 1941. Disbanded January 1944
14 Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment 14 Machine Gun Regiment, 14 Motor Regiment, 5 Aust Tank Transporter Company AASC. Mobilised Dec NSW 1941 as 14 MG Rgt. May 1942 transfe4rred to AASC
15 Light Horse Regiment (Northern Rivers Lancers) 15 Aust Motor Regiment. Mobilsed NSW Dec 1941. Disbanded in WA October 1944
16 Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment (Hunter River Lancers) 16 Machine Gun Regiment, 16 Aust Motor Regiment Mobilised Maitland NSW Dec 1941, Disbanded July 1943
17 Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment (Prince of Wales Light Horse), 17 Machine Gun Regiment, 17 Aust Motor Regiment. Mobilised at Bendigo Vic as 17 MG Regiment in December 1941. Disbanded April 1943.
18 Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment (Adelaide Lancers), 18 Machine Gun) Regiment18 Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment 12 Armoured Regiment.
19 Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment (Yarrowee Light Horse) 19 Machine Gun Regiment, 19 Aust Machine Gun Battalion. Mobilised December 1941 at Colac Vic as 19 MG Regt. Darwin Fortress April 1942. Disbanded Watsonia Vic May 1944.
20 Light Horse Regiment (Victorian Mounted Rifles) 20 Aust Motor Regiment, 20 Aust Pioneer Battalion. Mobilised Decvember 1941 at Torquay Vic. 20 Motor Regiment deployed top New Guinea January 1944. February 1945 RTA and reformed. Disbanded August 1945.
21 Light Horse Regiment (Riverina Horse).
22 Light Horse Regiment (Tasmania Mounted Infantry)
24 Light Horse Regiment (Gwydir Light Horse) 24 Motor Regiment
25 Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment 25 Machine Gun Regiment, 25 Motor Regiment, 25 Aust Reconnaissance Battalion, 25 Aust Div Cavalry Regiment, 25 Aust Cavalry Regiment. Mobilised December 1941. Disbanded September 1943.
26 Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment, 26 Machine Gun Regiment, 26 Motor Regiment. Mobilised December 1941 at Gehrang Vic, Disbanded September 1943.
Work in progress.................