10th Australian Light Horse Regiment ww2

Trooper Keith Butcher with his horse in July 1943.

Brief History

In order to perpetuate the traditions and distinctions of the Australian Imperial Force, it was decided in July 1919 that all CMF units would be re-designated with the unit numbers of the AIF. From this date, the 25th Australian Light Horse Regiment was renamed the 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment. The regiment was called up for training in November 1939 based at Bunbury, spending a month camped just south of Woodman Point on the location of the abandoned Naval Base. They returned to Bunbury in January 1940 for another three months training before moving to Wanneroo

During the Second World War, the regiment underwent several name changes in order to show its varying roles. In January 1942 it was restructured as 10th Reconnaissance Battalion with one of the squadrons now motorised as opposed to being on horses. In 1943, it was gazetted as an Australian Imperial Force unit, after the majority of its personnel volunteered to serve overseas. This did not occur, though, and instead, its main task was the defence of south-west Australia. During this period, the regiment was also partially mechanised, although it did retain horses which were used to patrol the coastline. It was the last regiment in Australia to employ horses. It was disbanded on 14 April 1944.

Regimental Personnel

• Douglas George Edgar Alexander 29 Nov 1936 - 3 Dec 1938 & 3 Aug 1940 - 16 Jan 1942
• William Ritchie Napier 29 Nov 1936 - 21 May 1942
• Charles Owen Parkin 7 Nov 1937 - 20 May 1940
• John Rowland Griffiths 1937-38 & 26 Jan 1939 - 29 Mar 1941
• George Victor Parkin 17 Jan 1939 - 15 Jul 1940
• John Hartley Craddon 27 Jan 1939 - 12 Jun 1941
• Donald George Martin 31 Jan 1939 - 27 May 1941
• William Frederick Reid 10 Aug - 27 Nov 1942
• Antonio Del Borrello 8 Dec 1939 - 8 Mar 1944
• Keith Butcher 6 Jul 1940 - ? May 1944
• James Robert McCormack ?? - 28 May 1940
• Harold James Paulsen 6 Jul 1940 - 10 Aug 1940
• Ernest Woolhead 1 Aug 1940 - 11 May 1944
• Douglas George Edgar Alexander 3 Aug 1940 - ??
• Herbert Andrew Thomas Alexander 3 Aug 1940 - 17 Dec 1941
• Albert Henry Dyson 8 Aug 1940 - 15 Jan 1942 & 15 Oct 1942 - 22 Jan 1943
• John William (Jack) Vance 10 Aug 1940 - 28 May 1941
• Ernest Emanuel Mills 3 Sep 1940 - 11 May 1944
• Frederick (Brian) Buckingham 21 Sep 1940 - 10 May 1941
• William James Hills 26 Sep 1940 - 11 May 1944
• Vernon Wallace Marsh 10 Oct 1940 - 24 Mar 1941 part time only
• Arthur (George) Candish 2 Apr 1941 - 16 Jan 1942 ?
• Mervyn Roy Drummond 2 Apr 1941 - 14 Jan 1942 - Full Time from 5 Oct 1941
• Arthur Edward Pries 3 Apr 1941 - 19 May 1943 to join the RAN
• John Douglas (Doug) Donald 14 Jun 1941 - 11 May 1944
• Marvin Redvers Cuthbert Barge 9 Oct 1941 - 15 Jan 1942
• Herbert Patrick Carter 21 Oct 1941 - 15 Jun 1942
• Desmond Cecil Challis 21 Oct 1941 - 10 Apr 1944
• Douglas Joseph (Doug) Mills 21 Oct 1941 - 12 May 1944
• Mervyn Charles Henry Sharp 21 Oct 1941 - 9 Jul 1942
• Roy William Davey 5 Jan 1942 - ?? Jun 1942
• William James O'Meagher 5 Jan 1942 - 12 May 1944
• Arthur Gordon Fielder 5 Jan 1942 - 15 Jun 1942
• Mervyn Maitland 23 Jan - 20 Apr 1942 as 10th Reconnaissance Battalion & 21 Apr - 8 Jul 1942
• † George Brushmeyer 17 Mar - 8 May 1942
• Luke Pense 25 May 1942 - 24 Apr 1944
• Donald Norman MacLeod Lyall 9 Dec 1942 - 5 Jun 1944
• Maxwell John Buckingham 3 Apr 1943 - 12 May 1944

Notes

The use of ww2 at the end of the unit title is an administrative decision of the wiki to separate in the data base the WW1 and ww2 units of the same name.