Portal:Military history of Australia/Selected anniversaries/February
Selected anniversaries in February
January • February • March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November • December
Anniversaries can be found here from the Army news website or here at the AWM or here at the Australian History unit, or in books, journals or other sources related to Australian military history.
- 1943 – World War II: Last Australian forces, members of the 9th Division, sail for home from the Middle East.
- 1964 – 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is established at Woodside Barracks, South Australia.
- 1942 – World War II: First Japanese air attack on Port Moresby.
- 1968 – Vietnam War: The 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, recaptured Baria after the Tet Offensive.
- 1943 – World War II: Australian troops counter attack Japanese forces at Wau, New Guinea.
- 1965 – Indonesian Confrontation: The Australian Government decided to commit ground troops for operational service in Borneo.
- 1917 – World War I: Captain Harry Murray wins VC for action at Stormy Trench near Gueudecourt, France.
- 1942 – World War II: Japanese demands for the surrender of Singapore rejected. The Battle of Singapore follows.
- 1942 – World War II: Australian troops sailed from Suez to return to Australia in response to the Japanese threat.
- 1993 – 12th/40th, Royal Tasmanian Regiment granted freedom of entry to the City of Hobart.
- 1941 – World War II: Australian troops of the 2/4th Battalion enter Benghazi, Libya.
- 1942 – World War II: First massacre of Australian troops by the Japanese at Laha airfield on Ambon.
- 1902 – The Rising Sun Badge is approved as the official badge of the Australian Army.
- 1941 – World War II: All Australian forces in the Darwin area were transferred to the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command.
- 1841 – Construction begins on Victoria Barracks, Sydney, using a labour force made up mostly of convicts.
- 1942 – World War II: Japanese invade Singapore by crossing the Straits of Johore clashing with the 22nd and 27th Brigades.
- 1900 – Second Boer War: Australian troops in action at Slingersfontein and Jasfontein, South Africa.
- 1916 – World War I: Australian Government decides to increase the size of the First Australian Imperial Force from two to five divisions.
- 1944 – World War II: Members of the 5th Division link up with the US 126th Infantry Regiment at Saidor to mark the end of the Huon Peninsula campaign.
- 1968 – Vietnam War: 3 RAR flew north to relieve 7 RAR in Operation Coburg at Fire Support Base Anderson.
- 1941 – World War II: the Australian Government announced that the defences at Darwin and Port Moresby were to be strengthened.
- 1975 – Vietnam War: Major R Burnard, Naval and Military Attache to Vietnam returned to Australia. He was the last Australian soldier to serve in the country.
- 1902 – Second Boer War: The first contingent of Australian Commonwealth troops embarked on the SS St Andrew for service in the Africa.
- 1940 – World War II: First convoy of troops of the Second Australian Imperial Force reached Egypt and entrained for their camp at Qastina, Palestine.
- 1946 – 34th Brigade disembarked at Kure, Japan as part of the Australian commitment to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.
- 1965 – Indonesian Confrontation: The advance party from 1 SAS Squadron departed for service in Borneo.
- 1916 – World War I: Riots broke out amongst troops at Liverpool and Casula; at its peak 15,000 participated in the riot. One soldier was killed.
- 1942 – World War II: The SS Vyner Brooke was sunk of Banka Island by Japanese aircraft, many survivors who made it to shore were killed in the Banka Island massacre.
- 1885 – The British Government announced its acceptance of the New South Wales Governments offer of a military contingent to the Sudan campaign.
- 1942 – World War II: Singapore falls to the Japanese, 12,000 Australian troops (largely from the 8th Division) are captured.
- 1942 – World War II: the Banka Island massacre takes place following the sinking of the SS Vyner Brooke, Lt Vivian Bullwinkel was the only survivor.
- 1947 – World War II: Demobilisation of Second Australian Imperial Force is completed.
- 1942 – World War II: The Australian Government demanded the return of 6th and 7th Divs from the Middle East.
- 1970 – Vietnam War: the 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment fought the Battle of Long Hai in South Vietnam, supported by tanks from the 1st Armoured Regiment.
- 1941 – World War II: the 22nd Brigade of the 8th Division arrived in Singapore to reinforce the Commonwealth garrison.
- 1943 – World War II: 9th Division arrived in Fremantle on its return from the Middle East.
- 1942 – World War II: First Japanese air raid on Darwin, 243 were killed and 350 injured.
- 1943 – World War II: The Government passed the Defence (Citizen Military Forces) Act 1943. This act defined the so-called South West Pacific Zone to which militia units could be sent for active service.
- 1969 – Vietnam War: the Battle of Hat Dich concludes
- 1901 - Government issued the proclamation leading to the amalgamation of all Australian colonial naval and military forces. The order was effective on 1 March 1901.
- 1968 - Vietnam War: 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment repulsed the second attack at Fire Support Base Anderson
- 1918 – World War I: The city of Jericho is captured by the 3rd Light Horse Regiment.
- 1967 – Vietnam War: 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment lost 7 killed and 22 wounded in two land mine explosions in the Long Hai hills area of South Vietnam.
- 1944 - World War II: Papuans of Papuan Infantry Battalion pursue Japanese troops towards Madang, New Guinea.
- 1967 – Vietnam War: Peter John Badcoe was awarded the VC for actions in the Phu Thu district, South Vietnam.
- 1970 – Monash University Regiment was raised.
- 1941 – World War II: Members of the 2/5th Battalion exchanged fire with German force Agheila. This was the first contact between the Germans and Australians in the North African campaign.
- 1951 – Korean War: 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment commenced a three day battle leading to the capture of Hill 614, in Korea.
- 1917 - World War I: I Anzac Corps launched a series of attacks at Le Barque, a pocket of German resistance during the Allied pursuit to the Hindenburg Line.
- 1942 - World War II: American-British-Dutch-Australian Command was dissolved.
- 1902 - Second Boer War: Western Australian components of the 2nd Australian Commonwealth Horse and the Commonwealth Army Medical Corps sailed for South Africa.
- 1965 - Following an expansion in the Army, 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment was split to form 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.
- 1900 – Second Boer War: The 3rd South Australian Bushmen contingent sailed for service in South Africa.
- 1942 – World War II: Japanese troops began to land on Java beginning the Battle of Java.
- 1900 – Second Boer War: The Australian Regiment advanced to the relief of Colesberg and proceeded through the Orange Free State to the Capital, Bloemfontein.
- 1942 – World War II: The military assumed control of Northern Australian combat areas under the National Security (Emergency Control) Regulations.
- 1944 – World War II: Australian and US forces launch the Admiralty Islands campaign