48 Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery
| 48th Field Battery | |
|---|---|
| Active | 6 March 1916 – 2013 |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Role | Field Artillery |
| Equipment | 81 mm Mortar |
| Battle honours | Ubique |
| Commanders | |
| Current Commander | MAJ Mick Gray, CSM |
| Notable commanders |
Tom Elder Barr Smith |
| Insignia | |
| Unit Colour Patch |  |
The 48th Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery was an artillery battery of the Australian Army. The battery traced its lineage back to a unit that was formed for service during the First World War. Assigned to the 9th Brigade, it was located at Keswick Barracks in South Australia until mid-2013 when it was amalgamated with the Launceston-based 16th Field Battery, to form the 6th/13th Light Battery.
The 48th Field Battery was formed at Tel el Kebir, Egypt, on 6 March 1916 as part of the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) that took place following the end of the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. Assigned to the 12th Field Artillery Brigade, 4th Division, the battery was transferred to Europe where it saw action in France with the 24th Field Artillery Brigade, employing the Ordnance QF 18 pounder. The battery saw action on the Western Front between June 1916 and January 1917, when it was disbanded.
In 1921, the battery was re-raised as a part-time field artillery unit in South Australia. As part of a wide-scale reorganisation of Australia's part-time military forces that saw units of the Citizens Force adopt the numerical designations of the AIF, the battery was formed from the previously existing 45th Battery that had been established. Under the command of Major H.J. Copley, at this time the battery was mounted on horses and organised into two sections, each consisting of two guns, with a total strength of around 60 personnel. At this time, it was assigned to the 6th Cavalry Brigade's 22nd Australian Field Artillery Brigade, but was attached to the 13th Field Brigade for administration purposes. Initially the battery was manned through the compulsory training scheme, but after this was suspended in 1929, recruitment into the Citizens Force became voluntary.
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