LT G.R. Anderson – The Regiment and its History

MUR – THE REGIMENT AND ITS HISTORY

(based on an article by Lt. G.R. ANDERSON)

1.      Background to military service in the Colony of Victoria 1884

The following extracts illustrate the military picture at the time of the formation of the forerunner to the MUR, though only slight alterations to the material would be necessary to bring the extracts up to date.

a.         Memorandum of His Excellency Governor Normanby GO 13 17 January 1884

“The disbanding of the Volunteer Force having commenced the Governor takes this opportunity of thanking the past and present officers, non-commissioned officers, and rank and file of the Force for the honorary service which they have so cheerfully rendered to the Colony during many years past.

It is regretted that this purely voluntary and honorary service has not received a more hearty recognition from the public, and that the wealthy, mercantile, professional and leisured classes, which at the initiation of the movement joined in considerable numbers, both as privates and officers, have for many years ceased to belong, or take any active interest in the force; but this only augments the honour and credit due to those who, notwithstanding, remained persevering at their posts.

It is, however, hoped that, under the new order of things now being established, this want of interest will give place to active co-operation on the part of those who,  in the event of an attack, would suffer heavy financial loss, and who, from their position should take a lead in perfecting an economical defence force.”

b.         Memorandum of the Minister of Defence to the Commandant GO 43 5th March 1884.

“Having been informed that members of the old Volunteer Force, and other persons are deterred from joining the militia under the impression that the Government has power to compel members of the militia to serve .outside the Colony, I have deemed it advisable to consult the Law Department upon the point, and now to request that you will be good enough to take such steps as you may deem necessary to notify the Commanding Officer that the Discipline Act 1870 has legal force only in Victoria and that under it the Government has not any power to order the Victorian Land Forces to serve outside the bounds of the Colony.”

2. The University Company 1884-1886

It was into this atmosphere that military training .at the University commenced, and it was in this organisation that Pte (later General Sir John) Monash had an early taste of military life.

Excerpts from Victorian Government Orders.

a.         GOV 20/1884 On 17th January 1884 formation approved of the 4th or Mount Alexander Battalion of Volunteer Rifles.

b.         GOV·121/1884           Approval granted for the formation of one company of the Battalion in connection with Melbourne University.

c.         VGO 104/1885           The Company went  to its first encampment at Frankston in March 1885 taking part in the manoeuvres during the camp.

d.         VGO 154/1885           The Company took part in the parade at Albert Park on 23^rd May 1885 held in honour of the birthday of Queen Victoria.

e.         GOV 193/1885           In June the Company was inspected by the Commandant Colonel Thomas Bruce Hutten at the University.

f.          VGO 344/1886           The last parade as a Company was at the Review held at Albert Park on 24^th May 1886

g.         GOV 556/1886           In promulgating the Order announcing the disbandment of the Company, the Commandant of the Military Forces expressed his thanks to the officers, non-commissioned officers and men who had worked for its advancement, and regretted that the exigencies of the service necessitated its disbandment, to make to make room for a Company at the headquarters of the Battalion, composed of men who had more time to devote to drill than had students of the University.

And so the first chapter of the MUR’s history finishes on a sour note, and it was to be many years before the potential of the university undergraduate was again recognised.

3. The University Corps of Officers 1895-1901

Though the information on this period of the Regiment’s history is sketchy, the following extract discloses an interestingly quaint and gentlemanly approach to military service.

Extracts from a “History of the Melbourne University Rifles” by R.K. Peacock (1936).

“The strength of the Corps was not to exceed forty members and to·be limited to graduates and undergraduates of the Melbourne University between the ages of 18 and 25 years.

No member was considered ‘effective’ unless he attended at least twelve daylight drills and twelve night drills during the University year; such drills to consist of one daylight and one night drill per week, each drill taking an hour and a half.

Practical and theoretical examinations were held among members of the Corps each year. . . .   These examinations included the following military subjects:-

• Duties of Commanders of guards;
• Practical acquaintance of Military regulations;
• Details of arms, ammunition and equipment;
• Drill evolutions for infantry;
• Examination in rifle and bayonet exercise;
• Sword drill and the theory and practice of musketry•

Any member of the Corps after having passed this described examination was gazetted a Lieutenant in the Corps and authorised to be attached for drill to a company of the Metropolitan Militia for a period of three months and then be eligible to join any corps of Militia or Volunteers, in which there happened to be a vacancy as Lieutenant.

Every member was required to pay to the Corps Secretary 2/6d. per term to assist in defraying the expenses of cleaning materials for arms, paying for targets and other incidentals.

With the advent of Federalism the University Corps of Officers faded out of existence, the officers being allotted to units under the Commonwealth reorganisation.“

4. The Melbourne University Rifles 1910-1915

In 1910 two Companies of Volunteer infantry were formed at the Melbourne University and designated the Melbourne University Rifles.

Establishments

1910             120 all ranks. Universal Training was introduced being organised·on a territorial basis. However MUR was organised extra-territorially to provide military training for members of the University and members of Public Schools of military age who were allotted to MUR.

1911             16 officers and 380 other ranks – full Battalion HQ and 4 Companies – HQ, A and B Coys at Melbourne·University; C Coy from Wesley College, Melbourne Grammar School, Scotch College and Xavier College; and D Coy from Melbourne High School, St. Patrick’s College Melbourne, Geelong College and Geelong Grammar School.

1915-16        30 Officers and 500 other ranks – 3 Companies

1917-1918    730 other ranks, still with 3 Companies.

Postwar        34 Officers and 486 other ranks.

1931             The Unit had a change in status now being officially recognised as an OTC with the aim of training men to take out their commissions after a 3 year course.

5. Wartime Statistics

Although the MUR has no battle honour itself its many members have individually rendered great service during two World Wars.

(i)         First World War – the Unit provided 23 officers and 771 other ranks for the AIF. 180 gained commissions on active service and 84 were killed in action.

(ii)        Second World War – the Unit provided 1162 officers and numerous other ranks to the Second AIF not to mention the navy and airforce.

6. Reminiscences

Soldiers of the MUR in the 1920’sand 1930’s were very often the Leaders of the Second World War and their recollections of their early days as soldiers in the MUR give an interesting insight into the problems as the following example illustrates.

Col. W. W. Lempriere DSO, ED:

“Most regiments pride themselves upon their battle honours, their finest hours that prove their quality, their discipline, their esprit de corps. Others lay stress upon the brilliance of their Officers taking some credit for the polishing process. But who can assess the impact of a good unit upon the great amorphous mass of private soldiers and recruits passing through its ranks under the full frustrating conditions of Compulsory Training as practised in the 1920’s?

Certainly it was close enough to World War One for the ‘lessons of war’ to be remembered and the uniform and equipment were a definite link with the First AIF. Training and tactics were fixed in the past. We were the first new boys in the old school.

Compared with other units, we felt it was a good school. At the end of a parade we were apt to break off when the Company Commander said ‘Thank you, gentlemen’. In fact we considered we knew as much drill as most of our NCO’s; but NCO’s classes were held during university vacations and were reputed to consist mainly of helping old Corbett to clean rifles in the QM store. So there were many who preserved their integrity as private soldiers”.

7. The Depression Years

The Depression years held their effect on the Unit as the financial position of the country resulted in a change in the Commonwealth system of military training, and a voluntary system was substituted for the compulsory system. Under the compulsory system the officers and NCO’ s of the Unit had been volunteers while the other ranks had not.

Compulsory camps were suspended in 1930 because of the economic situation and voluntary courses were held, though by 1931 Annual Camps were reintroduced and through out the thirties these were held generally in March and at Portsea.

8. World War II

Report on Activities to HQ Vic of C Area by Major J. Brake, Commanding MUR 20^th June 1945 – extract

“At the outbreak of the war, the MUR fulfilled its allotted role and formed the HQ Security Bn. On formation of 6 Aust Inf Div and enlistment of 50% of Unit officers and many OR’s in AIF, the security Bn duties were handed over to 3 Aust. Div. Units.

The Unit was called up and. remained in camp for 4 months November 1939 to March 1940 under continuous training with the remainder of·2 Inf Bde, to which this Unit was attached.

On return to home station, home training parades were held to June 1940 when No. 2 OTS was established under command of CO MUR. Staffed by Officers and NCO’s of MUR, this OTS trained over 400 officers and potential Officers for AIF and AMF Units.

In December 1940 the Unit again went into camp for 3 months continuous training until March 1941 and on return resumes home training parades for the remainder of the academic year.

On December 4th 1941 the Unit’s long vacation camp commenced at Bonegilla with a strength of nearly 2000 organised into 5 wings. In February 1942 following the entry of Japan into the war, University courses were restricted and of the students then in camp, over 1000 were drafted to FTD with AIF and AMF Units. Engineering, Medical and personnel still in reserved faculties returned for the opening of the academic year and resumed home training.

In June 1942 compulsory home training parades were cancelled and activities were then to be limited to a camp period annually of 4 weeks duration during the long vacation.

Preparations were in hand for camp in the 1942-43 vacation when instructions were received that the camp would not be held. The reasons for this, according to the University authorities was due to manpower pressure for the provision of urgent seasonal needs to which students were to be diverted.

The same position arose when preparations for 1943-44 camp were under way but it was not until 6th January 1944 that the manpower authorities closed the issue by directing students to seasonal occupations.

Although the liability of students for military training has not been removed the application of manpower directions has brought about the present position whereby the Unit has been prevented from carrying out training requirements. Unless further training is directed or. the services of the Unit Staff are further required by HQ Vic L of C Area it is felt that the work of the Unit will soon be limited to the upkeep of records”.

And so the Unit faded out of existence once more.

8. The Melbourne University Regiment 1948

On 1st April 1948 Lt. Col Rhoden was appointed CO MUR under the command of the 6th Inf Bde.

In 1951 National Service was introduced and the Regiment began to change in character with the advent of 300 national servicemen per year for 2 years.

In 1953 MUR ceased to come under command 6th Infantry Brigade and came directly under command of HQ S Comd.

In 1954 MUR raised elements of RAAC, RAA, RAust Sigs, RAEME as well the existing RAE troop; and on the 8th and 9^th May held the annual live firing bivouac at Scrub Hill.

a.         “Students not blamed for destroying tank” – Herald, 14th May 1954.

“There·will be no inquiry into the destruction of a General Grant tank at Puckapunyal by University students on the weekend.

The tank was obsolete and was used by the Armoured Division during the Second World War. The type were brought to Australia in 1942 and none were delivered after the war.

An Army spokesman said today that no inquiry was needed, but disciplinary action might be taken, He said the position of the broken-down tank should have been reported. The students were not to blame.

The tank broke down on the Puckapunyal target range last week and was left among target hulks.

Melbourne University Regiment trainees pumped 12 six-lb armor piercing shells into it from 800 yards after mistaking it for an old tank.

The Army is using the General Grant tanks to train CMF members. The tanks are used ‘until they stop in their tracks’. No spares are available and when the tanks break down beyond repair they are cannibalised to keep others going, Many have been sold as scrap.

An Army officer said today that the tanks were not worth much more than £50 to the Army. He said the Regular Army was equipped with Modern Centurion tanks which out-gunned, out-sped and out-armoured the General Grants.”

Throughout the fifties and the early sixties, although the volume of undergraduates being fed through the National Service system was considerable, the Regiment’s records of the period are negligible, and the little information that is available does not point to the period as being one of the Regiment’s most startling.

9. The Melbourne University Regiment 1963

In February 1963 the Adjutant MUR Capt M.D. Currie wrote:

“The CO and myself realising that MUR is at very low ebb, have had considerable discussion between us and other members of the unit concerning its state. Amongst other things we discovered that the unit in fact has no Charter that can be traced. A ‘tradition’ has sprung up that the unit’s aim is ‘To produce Officers’. This however is most vague and unqualified. As a result of the discussion by the CO within and without the unit he decided that the Charter of MUR should be formally lodged as ‘To produce officers, capable of leading an infantry platoon in war, for supply to CMF Field Force Units’”.

In Army Training Instruction 2-8 of 1964 it was laid down that ‘The role of University Regiments is to provide officers for the CMF and in so doing provide military training for undergraduates’.

In 1965 MUR reverted to command 3 Division and came with Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU) under the immediate command of Officer Training Group (OTG).

By 1966 a separate Officer Training Platoon had been established and first appointment candidates were given a full 12 months coaching course.

However the output of officers remained small and in 1968 it was again stated that the Regiment must not alter its role from that laid down in the Army Training Instruction. MUR was to be an officer training unit and was not to operate as an Infantry Battalion. The task is a difficult one.

The broad objectives were again clarified, but what was not provided for was the solution to the basic problems of CMF service as an alternative for National Service, and of motivating soldiers to become officers in peacetime. A further review of the situation would be made in 1970.

10. The Melbourne University Regiment 1970

The 1970′ s saw the Regiment decline in strength along with all CMF units for various reasons including the following:

a.         the unpopular involvement in the Vietnam conflict,

b.         no recruiting on campus,

c.         a general apathy toward defence and the “No threat for 15 years” policy.

During this period the Regiment came under command of 3 Training Group and was given a subtle change of role viz “to provide military training for graduates and undergraduates and officer training for selected personnel.”

11. The Melbourne University Regiment 1979

In 1979, the Regiment found itself at a low ebb. It had a posted strength of about 120. With a change of command the time seemed right to return and recruit on campus. This action was most successful and at mid-1980 the Regiment had a posted strength in. excess of·400.

This massive expansion took place without a commensurate increase in NCO or Officers and the Regiment is still coming to grips with the problems associated with this. An additional pressure is the present general ARES expansion campaign in which MUR must participate and contribute. MUR’s present contribution includes training 24 “In-Service” commissioning candidates in additional to its own Officer training program presently catering for nine Candidates.