First and Foremost : A Concise Illustrated History of 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, 1945-2018

This illustrated history reminds us of the Battalion’s rich contribution to the security and prosperity of our great nation. This history has been published to mark 70 years of service as well as the 50th Anniversary of the battle of Coral/Balmoral in Vietnam in 1968, the 25th Anniversary of service in Somalia in 1993 and the 10th anniversary of service in Afghanistan in 2008/09. It covers only the ‘wave tops’ of 70 years of history and mentions only a few individuals, mostly commanding officers or contingent commanders who had ultimate responsibility for operational success or failure; thus, deserving their prominence. Photographs and tables do their best to enhance the narrative in the expectation of, ‘A picture is worth a 1000 words’. By measures of its operational record, The 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment is one of the first and foremost battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment.