Table of Contents

1939-1945 Service record for Keith JOHNSTON

Army Number VX6111
Name Keith Thomas JOHNSTON
Unit 2nd A.I.F. 6th Division Special Forces
Enlisted At Preston, Victoria
Enlisted Date 16 November 1939
Age 24 years 6 months
Date of Birth 18 August 1915
Place of Birth Birregurra, Victoria, Australia
Occupation Orchardist
Next of kin Arthur Thomas JOHNSTON, Hurstbridge
Religion Presbyterian
Date Place Record Report
16 November 1939 Showgrounds Taken on strength O.C.D.D.
21 November 1939 Puckapunyal Posted to 2nd 8th Infantry on transfer to Puckapunyal D.C. 2/8 Battalion
6 December 1939 Puckapunyal Promoted Temporary Lance Corporal D.C. 2/8 Battalion
15 December 1939 Puckapunyal Corporal D.C. 2/8 Battalion
19 January 1940 Puckapunyal Appointment to the complement D.C. 2/8 Battalion
14 April 1940 Port Melbourne Embarked H.M.T. Ys D.C. 2/8 Battalion
18 May 1940 Kantara, Egypt Disembarked D.C. 2/8 Battalion
7 June 1940 Kilo 89 Appointed Leiutenant Sergeant D.C. 2/8 Battalion
5 July 1940 Kilo 89 Admitted Camp Reception Station (Influenza), discharged to duty 7th July B.R.S.
10 September 1940 Bir Salim Attending No 12 Mortar and Grenade course, Middle East weapons Training school C.O. 2/8 Bn
28 September 1940 Kilo 89 Rejoined unit from training school C.O. 2/8 Bn
31 March 1941 Alexandria Embarked for Greece C.O. 2/8 Bn
May 1941 Middle East Disembarked from Greece
28 May 1941 Middle East Evacuated 7th Australian General Hospital, transferred to X List (Chicken Pox) 7 A.G.H.
16 June 1941 Middle East Discharged from 7 A.G.H. to 19 Australian Infantry Training Battalion 19 I.T.B.
16 June 1941 Kilo 89 Marched into 19 Australian Infantry Training Battalion from 7 A.G.H. 19 I.T.B.
20 June 1941 20 ? Marched out to 2/8 Battalion 19 I.T.B.
20 June 1941 Middle East Taken on Strength 2/8 Bn
4 July 1941 Kantara Evacuated 2nd Australian General Hospital and transferred to X List (Tonsilitis) 2 A.G.H.
29 July 1941 Kantara Evacuated 2nd A.G.H. to 1st Australian Convalescent Depot 2 A.G.H.
11 August 1941 Middle East Discharged 1 A.C.D. and transferred to 19 Australian Infantry Trg Bn 1 Q.C.D.
11 August 1941 Middle East Marched into 19 Australian Infantry Battalion from 1 A.C.D. 19 A.I.T.B.
1 September 1941 Middle East Marched out to 2/8 Bn from 19 A.I.T. Bn 19 A.I.T.B.
1 September 1941 Middle East Taken on strength C.O. 2/8 Bn
2 November 1941 Middle East Offence: Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline C.O. 2/8 Bn
6 November 1941 Middle East Award: Severely reprimanded by A/C.O. 2/8 Bn C.O. 2/8 Bn
17 January 1942 Middle East Promoted Acting Sergeant 2/8 Bn
13 February 1942 Middle East Embarked Middle East per “Aronda” 2/8 Bn
29 March 1942 Australia Disembarked 4 M.D. 2/8 Bn
26 February 1942 Atitea Rank of Sergeant confirmed 2/8 Bn
30 April 1942 Australia Married: Wife Jean JOHNSTON, Hurstbridge, Victoria 2/8 Bn
3 June 1942 Australia Marched in to Northern Territory 2/8 Bn
21 June 1942 N.T. Attended N.T. Force School No 2 Carrier Course until 16 July 1942 2/8 Bn
3 January 1943 Australia Marched out to No 12 Map Reading Course N.T.F. School 2/8 Bn
21 January 1943 Australia Rejoined unit from No 12 Map Reading Course 2/8 Bn
Qualified N.T. Force School No 12 Map Reading Course 2/8 Bn
16 June 1943 N.T. Entrained N.T. L.Y.C. for Victoria 2/8 Bn
5 August 1943 Queensland Detrained Queensland L.Y.C. from Victoria L.Y.C. 2/8 Bn
19 December 1943 Queensland Detached for duty to 2/1 Australian Pur Battalion 2/8 Bn
8 February 1944 Queensland Rejoined unit from 2/1 Australian Pur Battalion 2/8 Bn
7 November 1944 Queensland Embarked CAIRNS per “THOMAS COHWIN” 1 Aust Adv
12 November 1944 New Guinea Disembarked AITAPE 2 Echelon
24 June 1945 New Guinea Serving with unit 2/8 Bn
2 July 1945 New Guinea Evacuated 2/7 Australian Field Ambulance (rec. Fibrositis back) 2/7 Fd Amb
3 July 1945 New Guinea Evacuated to 2/11 Q.G.H. and transfer to X List 2/7 Fd Amb
14 July 1945 New Guinea Discharged to New Guinea Details Depot 2/11 Q.G.H.
16 July 1945 New Guinea Rejoined unit from N.G.D.D. 2/8 Bn
31 July 1945 New Guinea Promoted to acting warrant officer class 2 2/8 Bn
19 August 1945 New Guinea Transferred to holding strength RR-GDD L of C area, pending discharge 2/8 Bn
28 August 1945 Wewak Embarked WEWAK per “S.S. GORGON” Qld Echelon and Records
28 August 1945 Australia Embarked WEWAK per S.S. GORGAN N.S.W.
4 September 1945 Australia Disembarked Sydney Echelon and Records
5 September 1945 Royal Park Marched in for Discharge ex L.T.D. Vic. G.D.D.
2 October 1945 Royal Park Discharged A.M.R.O. AMF Discharge Depot

Service Record

Information about the 2/8 Battalion

The headquarters of the 2/8th Battalion opened at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds on 30 October 1939 and four days later relocated to the newly-established camp at Puckapunyal. After completing its basic training, the battalion departed Melbourne for service overseas on 14 April 1940.

The battalion was originally formed as part of the 17th Brigade of the 6th Australian Division, but in February it was decided to reorganise Australian infantry brigades along British lines, with three battalions instead of four. This meant the 2/8th was eventually transferred to the 19th Brigade, but remained part of the 6th Division.

Arriving in the Middle East on 18 May 1940, the 2/8th trained in Palestine and Egypt in preparation for its first campaign, against the Italians in eastern Libya.

It played only a small role at Bardia (3-5 January 1941) but suffered the heaviest casualties of any Australian unit during the battle for Tobruk (21-22 January 1941), after having to attack a strong point constructed around a line of dug-in tanks. The 19th Brigade led the divisional advance onwards to Benghazi, which was reached on 6 February; the Italian forces surrendered the next day.

In early April 1941 the 2/8th deployed to Greece. It fought a fierce battle with German troops at Vevi in the country's north on 11 and 12 April but, overstretched and assailed by a vastly superior force, was forced to withdraw. The battalion became disorganised, lost a great deal of its weapons and equipment, and many of its troops were separated.

It played no significant role in the rest of the campaign and was evacuated from Kalamata, in two ships, on the night of 26 April.

199 members of the battalion were taken straight back to Egypt, while another 394 were landed on Crete after their transport, “Costa Rica”, was sunk. This party fought around Canea after the landing of German paratroops on 20 May.

The battalion was reunited in Palestine on 3 June and in October it joined the force garrisoning Syria. It left Syria in mid January 1942, embarked for home on 12 February, and arrived at Adelaide on 28 March.

In June, the 19th Brigade was deployed to defend Darwin and the 2/8th remained there for what became a boring and frustrating year. The brigade rejoined the rest of the 6th Division training in northern Queensland in June 1943 but another 18 months would pass before it saw action again.

The 2/8th landed at Aitape in New Guinea on 12 November 1944 to undertake its only campaign against the Japanese. It was involved in the Danmap River operations between December 1944 and February 1945, and then the advance on Wewak and clearance of the Prince Alexander Range between April and July 1945. The capture of the dominating heights of Mount Shiburangu on 27 June was the battalion's greatest achievement of the campaign.

Following the Japanese surrender on 15 August, drafts of 2/8th men began returning to Australia for discharge. The remainder of the battalion departed Wewak on 10 November, and disbanded at Puckapunyal on 14 December 1945.

Source: Australian War Memorial (Unit 11259)

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