Raised in St Kilda as part of the 1^st AIF in 1915 the 4^th FAB commenced service in northern France 1916 and was disbanded in 1919. 10, 11 and 12 Batteries were equipped with 18 Pounder Field Guns and supplemented with a Howitzer Battery, the 104^th. The 4^th FAB took part in many of the significant battles of the conflict: Pozieres, Bullecourt, Messines, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodsiende, Passchendaele, Villers Brettonoux, Amiens, Mont St Quentin, Perrone and the Hindenburg Line.   

World War Two and Two Regiments

The 2/4^th Field Regiment was raised for overseas service as part of the 2^nd AIF in 1940 and many of the militia gunners of 4^th Field Regiment Militia enlisted. In 1941, the Regiment commenced service in North Africa as part of the 7^th Division and soon saw action, using 25 Pounders, in Lebanon and Syria defeating the Vichy French in a six-week campaign. Upon Japan’s entry to the war, the Regiment took part in the 1943-44 campaigns in northern New Guinea: the airborne assault on Nadzab, Markham Valley, Lae, Ramu Valley and the assaults on Shaggy Ridge. In mid-1945, the Regiment was part of Australia’s largest amphibious landing at Balikpapan, Borneo.

In the almost six years of service during the war the 2/4^th members were awarded 23 decorations and 30 made the supreme sacrifice.

The 4^th Field Regiment (Militia) were mobilised upon Japan’s entry to the war and were also equipped with 25 Pounder Guns.  After briefly deploying to northern New Guinea in 1944, the Regiment spent the remainder of the war on Bougainville supporting most of the significant battles, in particular, the landing at Porton Plantation.

During 4^th Field Regiment’s 18 months of action, its members were awarded 25 decorations and 14 paid the supreme sacrifice.

Both Regiments were disbanded with little fanfare in 1946.

The Modern Regiment

The 4^th Field Regiment, RAA was re-raised in 1960 at Wacol Barracks in Brisbane. Initially made up of HQ, 103 and 105 Batteries, they were equipped with 25 Pounder Guns, soon replaced by 105mm L5 Pack Howitzers. By 1965, the Regiment was made up of HQ, 106,107 and 108. The first 12 years consisted of garrison duty in Malaya and deployments to South Vietnam (1967-68 and 1970-71). These two deployments saw 11 decorations awarded and six members make the supreme sacrifice.

After a significant period of peacetime training, the Regiment contributed members to peacekeeping operations in Rhodesia, Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Bougainville and The Solomon Islands. In 1999 over half of the Regiment deployed to East Timor in various roles including a Rifle Company. Further peacekeeping and warlike deployments to, now Timor Leste, occurred over the following seven years.

In 2004 the Regiment deployed members to the Iraq the Australian Army Training Team Iraq,  followed two years later with Joint Fires Teams supporting the Multinational Force in Iraq. 13 years later the Regiment was once again providing small arms training and Joint Terminal Attack Controller instruction to the Iraqi Army. Several deployments to Afghanistan occurred over a ten year period, providing Joint Fires Teams; instructors to the Afghan School of Artillery and Officers Academy; and, embedded with the Royal Artillery in Helmand Province. One member made the supreme sacrifice in Afghanistan.

The Regiment has recently focussed on engagement with the Region with training deployments to The Philippines, PNG and The Solomons. Domestic support to the nation has also occurred in the form of Op Flood Assist 19 and 22 as well as Op COVID Assist. After dropping the descriptor “Field” from its title, the Regiment is currently equipped with the 155mm M777 Howitzer and is on track to receive the AS9 Huntsman Self-Propelled Howitzer in 2025.

Etched into the black granite of the Regiment’s memorial are the names of 237 gunners who made the supreme sacrifice in four wars.

https://artilleryhistory.org/artillery_memorials/4_regiment_memorial_1.html