Wisdom Conquers All – The History of Adelaide University Regiment 1948 – 1973

Description

Title: Wisdom Conquers All – The History of Adelaide University Regiment 1948 – 1973

Author: Graeme-Evans, A L

Condition: Very Good

Edition: 1st Edition

Publication Date: 1973

ISBN: N/A

Cover: Hard Cover with slighly tattered Dust Jacket – 153 pages

Comments: The history of Adelaide University Regiment from 1948 to 1973. Now scarce.

Adelaide Universities Regiment was originally called Adelaide University Regiment. Concerns during the post war period spurred the Australian Government to reform the old ‘Militia’ (renamed CMF). Approval to raise Adelaide University Regiment was given on 17 September 1947 following the many good leaders trained from Sydney and Melbourne University Regiments for the 2nd AIF for World War Two. The rationale of having AUR on the Order of Battle was that in war, many university graduates would become officers in the Army and by having had a sound infantry training they would be better officers.

Enlistment and training for AUR was to commence on 01 May 1948 under the command of Major R.J. Lipman, ED, BDS, JP, the first Commanding Officer later to become Lieutenant Colonel Lipman. Major Lipman had seen active service in the South West Pacific, Moratai, British North Borneo and Timor and in 1945 he was mentioned in dispatches. After the war, Major Lipman was a full time dental student at Adelaide University and was seemingly the logical choice if a student was to be the Commanding Officer.

The Regiment was organised based on the Commonwealth Military Forces (CMF) Infantry Battalion of three companies. The unit had a rifle company consisting of one rifle platoon and a support company with transport, antitank, mortar, signals, and intelligence sections; and a headquarters company. Machine gun and assault pioneer sections were added later.

The Regiment’s first home was a small section of the Hydraulics Laboratory in the Physics Building at the Adelaide University, RHQ having moved in during October 1948. The Regiment’s home was to be here until 1952 when 27th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment left Torrens Training Depot to be replaced by AUR. AUR relocated to Hampstead Barracks on 01 October 2001.

Part of AUR went to a Transport Training camp conducted at Hampstead in December 1948. The Regiment’s next camp was held at Woodside from 05-29 January 1949 and was attended by 8 Officers and 92 Other Ranks. The January 1949 camp was the first post-war CMF camp and it was the centre of much AHQ and political attention.

In 1949, the first Honorary Colonel, Brigadier A.S. Blackburn, VC, CMG, CBE, LLD, ED was appointed, he held this post until 1955. In 1956 AUR had expanded to the extent that the unit was relocated to the Torrens Training Depot. During 1966, an Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU) style training commenced and the first graduates were commissioned in April 1967. In 1982 elements of AUR moved into additional accommodation at Prospect and St Marys. In 1984 the St Marys depot was closed due to a decline in the number of students joining the unit from the nearby Flinders University and Prospect depot is no longer used.

In 1991/92 the Australian Defence Force underwent a Force Structure Review (FSR). As a special part of the FSR, University Regiments were also reviewed. The review had wide implications on the future of AUR in that:

a. AUR’s secondary role of providing military training to tertiary students was removed; and

b. AUR became the only Officer Training Unit in South Australia.

On 1 July 2008 AUR joined the 2nd Division under the direct command of 9 Brigade. AUR will now form the core of the 9 Brigade Reserve Individual Training Capability (RITC). This capability has been established within 2nd Division by reinforcing the University Regiments with additional Regular, Reserve and Australian Public Service personnel. From January 2009, Adelaide Universities Regiment will be tasked to conduct directed individual training (Tier 1,2 & 3) for all soldiers and officers of Australia Army Reserve, as well as the continued delivery of the ARES GSO FAC for RMC.