Portal:Military history of Australia/Units/August 11

The 2/48th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during the Second World War. It was raised Adelaide, South Australia, in August 1940. Forming part of the 26th Brigade it was initially assigned to the 7th Division, before being transferred to the 9th Division in 1941 when it was deployed to the Middle East. While there, it saw action during the siege of Tobruk and the Second Battle of El Alamein before returning to Australia to take part in the fighting against the Japanese in New Guinea. During the New Guinea campaign, the battalion took part in the advance on Lae and the fighting around Finschhafen and Sattelberg. Following this it was withdrawn to Australia, where the it remained for over a year. In mid-1945 the 2/48th Battalion took part in the landing at Tarakan, which was its final involvement in the war. It was disbanded in October 1945. It is considered to be Australia's most highly decorated unit of the war.