Number VX48775

Battalion 2/23rd Infantry Battalion

Place of Birth. Inverell NSW 15 July 1907

Next of Kin George Prowse, his father. His mother was Annie Prowse

Date and place of enlistment 19 August 1940 at Caulfield

Location on enlistment Dumbalk North

Occupation farmer

Date and place of death

6 September 1943, aged 36, in Papua New Guinea

Location of grave or memorial He is buried in Lae War Cemetery Papua New Guinea

Relationship to Woorayl Shire

He lived at Dumbalk North

Military History

The 2/23rd Infantry Battalion was raised at the Albury Showgrounds in New South Wales in August 1940. Initially the brigade belonged to the 7th Division but in early 1941 moved to the 9th Division. The battalion did its initial training in Albury before moving to Bonegilla, on the Victorian side of Murray River. The battalion embarked Sydney on 8 April 1941and arrived in the Middle East in November.
In early 1941 the battalion moved into Cyrenica in Libya to complete its training. The British forces fell back to Tobruk and needed help. The 2/23rd entered Tobruk between 6 and 10 April. They helped defend Tobruk for eight months. In April the 2/23rd defended the western side and from May to July it moved to the eastern side of Tobruk.

The battalion returned to Australia and was re-organised to fight in tropical jungle. On 4 September 1943 the 2/23rd participated in an amphibious landing at Red Beach, north west of Lae. Shortly before the landing occurred, the invasion fleet was attacked by six Japanese fighters and three bombers. Horace sadly lost his life during this action.