The 2/43rd Battalion was raised in South Australia and moved to the theatre of war in the Middle East in 1941. Upon its return to Australia, the battalion was redeployed to Papua-New Guinea in 1943. Its battalion colours, together with those of the 1/43rd hang inside the entrance to St. Francis Xavier cathedral,
On November 29 2012, the Memorial Crosses of the 2/43rd Battalion were blessed and handed over into the custodianship of St. Aloysius College. The 2/43rd Battalion A.I.F. Club believed that it was fitting that these crosses, meant to honour the memory of so many men, now placed into the custodianship of young women, would also honour the memory of all the women connected with the battalion who suffered the loss of fathers, sons, brothers and sweethearts.
Every year since 2012, a class of SAC girls has laid out the memorial crosses at the Field of Remembrance and attended the Remembrance Day ceremony.
A Regimental flag, completed 75 years ago by the Women’s Auxiliary of the 2/43rd battalion, contains the names of the campaigns and battlegrounds of the infantry men during World War II. On 19 March 2021, Archbishop Patrick O’Regan presided over a ceremony for the blessing of the 2/43rd Infantry Battalion Regimental flag and Head Memorial Cross of the battalion as they were handed over to the College for safe keeping.
By Neville Stapleton, SAC Archivist 2021
Click to enlarge image
Reference
Lest we forget 2021, The Southern Cross, viewed 2 August 2023, https://thesoutherncross.org.au/news/local/2021/03/31/lest-we-forget-2/