Royal Australian Infantry Corps
The Royal Australian Infantry Corps (RA Inf) is the parent corps for all infantry regiments of the Australian Army. It was established on 14 December 1948, with its Royal Corps status being conferred by His Majesty King George VI. At her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II became Colonel-in-Chief of the corps.[1] Major components of the RA Inf include the various battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment and the six state-based Australian infantry regiments, such as the Royal New South Wales Regiment. The various Regional Force Surveillance and Special Forces units of the Army are also part of the corps.[2] The School of Infantry (SOI) is located at Singleton, New South Wales, and forms part of the Combined Arms Training Centre.
| Royal Australian Infantry Corps | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps | |
| Active | 23 November 1948 – present |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Corps |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | 1 Regular Regiment (7 battalions) 6 State Regiments (13 battalions) 3 Special Forces Regiments 3 Regional Force Surveillance Regiments |
| Motto(s) | Duty and Honour |
| Colours | Infantry Red |
| March | Quick: "El Alamein"; Slow: "Infantry Song" |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Brigadier M. J. Moon, DSC, AM |
The "Head of Corps – Infantry" is usually a Brigadier and is the Honorary Colonel of the Royal Australian Regiment.
Role
The role of the Royal Australian Infantry is to seek out and close with the enemy, to kill or capture him/her/them, to seize and hold ground, to repel attack, by day or night, regardless of season, weather or terrain.[3]
History
The Australian Infantry Corps was formed on 14 December 1948.
Organisation
Regular Army Regiments
State Regiments
Training Regiments
Regional Force Surveillance
School of Infantry
Commanders of the School of Infantry
| Rank | Name | Post-Nominals | Years Served |
|---|---|---|---|
| School of Musketry, Randwick 1911–1921 | |||
| Major | F.B. Heritage | 1911–1915 | |
| Captain | G.F.C. Shipley | 1915–1917 | |
| Captain | W. MacLennan | 1917 | |
| Captain | R.G.C. Prisk | 1918–1919 | |
| Captain | C.F.C. Shipley | 1919–1920 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | F.B. Heritage | MVO | 1920–1921 |
| Small Arms School, Randwick 1921–1940 | |||
| Major | H. Ordish | DSO OBE | 1922–1926 |
| Major | H.C.H. Robertson | DSO | 1926–1930 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | J.J. McCall | DSO | 1930–1934 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | J.A. Chapman | DSO | 1934–1938 |
| Major | T.N. Gooch | 1938–1940 | |
| Medium Machine Gun School, Randwick 1940–1942 | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | R.G. Legge | DSO MC | 1940 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | E.W. Latchford | MBE MC | 1940–1941 |
| Small Arms School, Bonegilla 1942–1945 | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | E.W. Latchford | MBE MC | 1942–1945 |
| School of Infantry, Puckapunyal 1944–1945 | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | R.A. Wolfe-Murray | DSO MC | 1944–1945 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | H.W. Hilless | 1945 | |
| School of Infantry, Bonegilla 1945–1946 | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | E.W. Latchford | MBE MC | 1945–1946 |
| School of Infantry, Seymour 1947–1960 | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | E.W. Latchford | MBE MC | 1947–1948 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | D.R. Jackson | DSO | 1949 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | K.M. McKenzie | OBE | 1949–1952 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | F.G. Hassett | DSO OBE | 1952–1953 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | J.L.A. Kelly | DSO | 1953–1954 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | N.P. Maddern | MBE | 1954–1956 |
| Major | W.F. Roberson | MBE | 1956–1957 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | G.H. Fawcett | OBE | 1957–1959 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | N.R. McLeod | OBE | 1959–1960 |
| Infantry Centre, Ingleburn 1960–1969 | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | G.O. O'Day | OBE | 1960–1963 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | D.G. Sharp | OBE | 1963–1964 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | R.S. Garland | MC | 1965–1967 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | A.J. Milner | OBE | 1967–1969 |
| Infantry Centre, Ingleburn 1969–1973 Commandant | |||
| Colonel | A.J. Milner | OBE | 1969–1971 |
| Colonel | E.H. Smith | DSO | 1971–1973 |
| Infantry Centre, Ingleburn 1969–1973 CO/Chief Instructor | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | R.R. Hannigan | 1969–1970 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | R.L. Burnard | 1971–1972 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | E.R. Philip | 1972 | |
| Infantry Centre, Singleton 1973–1994 Commandant | |||
| Colonel | E.H. Smith | DSO | 1973 |
| Colonel | C.M. Townsend | DSO | 1974–1976 |
| Colonel | J. Essex-Clark | 1976–1979 | |
| Colonel | J.P.A. Deighton | MC | 1979–1981 |
| Colonel | A.W. Hammett | AM | 1981–1984 |
| Colonel | P.M. McDougall | 1984–1987 | |
| Colonel | P.A. Sibree | 1987–1989 | |
| Colonel | P.J. Cosgrove | AM MC | 1989–1991 |
| Colonel | D.J. Mead | 1991–1994 | |
| Infantry Centre, Singleton 1973–1994 CO/Chief Instructor | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | C.F. Thompson | 1973–1974 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | M.P. Blake | MC | 1975–1976 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | R.F. Sutton | MC | 1977–1978 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | J.H. Taylor | MC | 1979–1980 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | R.E. Boxall | 1981–1982 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | J.D. McAloney | MC | 1982–1984 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | D.A. Webster | 1984–1986 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | A.J. Ralph | 1987–1988 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | J.S. Murray | 1988–1989 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | R.H. Greville | 1990–1991 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | R.C. Brown | 1992–1994 | |
| Infantry Centre, Singleton 1994–1999 Commandant | |||
| Colonel | R.J. Margetts | 1994–1996 | |
| Colonel | D.S.M. Roche | CSC | 1992–1994 |
| Infantry Centre, Singleton 1994–1999 CO/Chief Instructor | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | J.C. Dittmar | 1994–1996 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | G.R.C. Pike | 1997–1999 | |
| Dismounted Combat Division, Singleton 2000–2001 | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | D.J. Butler | 2000–2001 | |
| School of Infantry, Singleton 2001–present | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | D.J. Butler | 2001 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | P.T. Roney | 2002–2003 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | W. Austin | 2004–2005 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | D. Franklin | 2005–2007 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | A. Egan | 2008–2009 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | A. Lowe | 2010–2012 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | M. Constable | CSC | 2013–2014 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | S. Morris | CSC | 2015–2017 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | M. Flanagan | 2018–2019 | |
Notes
- Kuring 2004, pp. 221–222.
- "RAInf Units". Australian Army. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
- "The Royal Australian Infantry Corps". Who We Are: Corps. Australian Army. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
References
- Kuring, Ian (2004). Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military Historical Publications. ISBN 1876439998.
