64th Australian Infantry Battalion

Troops from 64th Battalion waiting on Ambon wharf. AWM photo 118249

Brief History

Raised during August 1945 as an all volunteer unit on Morotai for occupation duties in the Dutch East Indies, with the 64th Australian Infantry Battalion to occupy Ambon and nearby islands. An advance party of 100 troops aboard HMAS Glenelg preceded the rest of the battalion, landing on 22 September, with the remainder arriving on 27 Sep 1945. Their role after accepting the Japanese surrender was to assist war graves units, assist the 800 or so Australian ex POWs on the island to return home, and to gather any information relevant to war crimes tribunals. In october they wee joined by the 63rd Australian Infantry Battalion.

With the return of the Dutch in December 1945, the unit returned to Morotai where it was disbanded in March 1946.

Battalion Personnel

• Arthur Samuel William Alldridge 25 Aug 1945 - 10 Nov 1945
• Norman Gilbert Bryce 25 Aug 1945 - 19 Jan 1946
• Keith Butcher 25 Jun 1945 - 9 Jan 1946

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 2 - The Australian Army 1939-1945 page 2.346 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018 and various internet sites.