Royal Pacific Islands Regiment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Cap Badge of the Royal Pacific Islands Regiment |
|
| Active | 1951- |
| Country | Papua New Guinea |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Line Infantry |
| Role | Light Role |
| Size | Two battalions |
| Garrison/HQ | 1st Battalion - Taurama 2nd Battalion - Moem |
| Motto | To Find a Path |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel in Chief | HRH The Prince of Wales |
The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment is the primary fighting force in the army of Papua New Guinea. It is an infantry regiment consisting of two battalions.
The regiment is descended from the infantry battalions formed in the territories of Papua and New Guinea. The 1st Papua Infantry Battalion was raised in 1940, while the others (2nd Papua Infantry Battalion, 1st and 2nd New Guinea Infantry Battalions) were formed by 1944. In November 1944, all four battalions were grouped together into a single Pacific Islands Regiment within the Australian Army. This regiment continued in service until it was disbanded in 1946.
In 1951, the Pacific Islands Regiment was reformed when two battalions were raised, one for each of the Australian trust territories. This stayed as part of the Australian Army until Papua New Guinea gained independence in 1975. At that time, the regiment became the Royal Pacific Islands Regiment, becoming the main part of the new Papua New Guinea Defence Force. Currently, the regiment has two battalions:
- 1st Battalion, Royal Pacific Islands Regiment - Taurama
- 2nd Battalion, Royal Pacific Islands Regiment - Moem
Since 1984, the regiment's Colonel-in-Chief has been HRH The Prince of Wales.
- Battle Honours
- The Second World War: South West Pacific 1942-45, Kokoda Trail, Kokoda-Deniki, Nassau Bay, Tambu Bay, Finschhafen, Scarlet Beach, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Sio-Sepik River, Kaboibus-Kiarivu, Bonis-Porton
