The 2nd Battalion (Amphibious), The Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR (Amphib)) is an amphibious reconnaissance battalion of the Australian Army part of the 1st Division Amphibious Task Group based at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville.

2 RAR was initially formed as the 66th Australian Infantry Battalion, 2nd AIF in 1945 as part of the 34th Brigade (Australia) and since then it has deployed to wars and conducted operations during Japan, the Korean War (As well as Post-Armistice Service), The Malayan Emergency (two tours of 1955–1957 and 1961–1963), Vietnam War (two tours 1967–1968 and 1970–1971), Rwanda, Border Protection, East Timor, the Iraq War (2003), the Solomon Islands, the Afghanistan War, Domestic and Foreign Assistance operations due to flood, cyclone, etc. In 2011, 2 RAR was selected to be the Army's Trial Battalion to be part of Amphibious Ready Element Landing Force embarked on the Navy's new Canberra-class amphibious assault ships. The conversion process was officially completed on 16 October 2017 when the battalion took on this specialist role and was renamed 2 RAR (Amphib), which incorporated its speciality in the name. The battalion now provides a world-class pre-landing force (PLF) capability to the ADF.

History Formation (South West Pacific) 2 RAR was formed originally as the 66th Battalion, 2nd AIF at the end of World War II on 16 October 1945 as a regular infantry force raised from volunteers from the 9th Division for service with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. The battalion was formed first at Labuan in British North Borneo, before being moved to the large Australian base on Morotai, Netherland East Indies and joining the other two newly formed battalions (65th and 67th Australian Infantry Battalions).

Japan (1946–1948) The battalion was stationed primarily at Hiro as part of the 34th Australian Infantry Brigade from February 1946 to December 1948, when they returned to Australia. A month earlier, on 23 November 1948 it was renamed the 2nd Battalion, Australian Regiment with the royal regimental prefix being granted on 31 March 1949.

Puckapunyal (1949–1953) Upon 2 RAR's return to Australia in December 1948, they became part of the 1st Independent Brigade Group at Puckapunyal, Victoria, where they would remain until March 1953 as a training unit for recruits for the two battalions fighting in Korea. During this period upon returning to Australia, the battalion's colour was red. The three battalion's were given the colours, 1 RAR - Blue, 2 RAR - Red and 3 RAR - Green similar to a British regiment at the time. The flag of the battalion was of a red background and a large white '2'. Whilst based in Puckapunyal it was the custom of the battalion's officers to wear a black scarf/cravat after hours. The battalion also received some new drums which had the standard black sides when they arrived, these were left black due to the death of the king. Prior to Korea SGT Keith Foran, a platoon SGT in D Company who was later KIA, had his soldiers polish their gaiters black to help waterproof soldiers boots. This was shown to the CO and then adopted by the battalion. Thus the battalion was unofficially 'Black'

Korean War (1953–1954) 2 RAR's involvement in the Korean War was limited by the fact that it was not committed until late in the fighting. Instead, as mentioned above, the unit was used as a training unit that provided reinforcements for the other two RAR battalions that had been sent to Korea. The unit embarked for Korea on 5 March 1953 on board the MV New Australia, arriving on 17 March 1953. A few days later detachments from all three RAR battalions paraded at Camp Casey near Tongduchon, South Korea, the first time that the Royal Australian Regiment had paraded as a whole.

In April, 2 RAR relieved 1 RAR and became part of the 28th British Commonwealth Brigade, attached to the 1st Commonwealth Division. At this stage of the war, a static phase had developed. Relieving a French battalion, 2 RAR took up a position along the Jamestown Line on Hill 159 and began patrolling in the 'no-man's land' area around the Imjin and Samichon Rivers.

On 9 July 1953 the battalion relieved the 1st Battalion, The King's Regiment around a feature known as 'The Hook' on the left flank of the 1st Commonwealth Division. As peace talks were currently under way, offensive operations were not undertaken by the Australians in this time, although 2 RAR continued to conduct patrolling operations, as well as the myriad of other tasks associated with defense such as maintaining minefields, digging trenches, capturing prisoners and collecting intelligence.

A few weeks later, on the night of 24 July 1953, the Chinese attacked the UN positions on The Hook in an effort to gain more ground prior to the signing of the armistice agreement. Over the course of two nights, waves of Chinese soldiers attacked the Australian and American positions in frontal assaults aimed at overwhelming the defenders through sheer weight of numbers.Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 269. In between attacks, artillery and mortar attacks were launched during the day to soften up the defences. In an effort to hold the line reinforcements from 'D' Company, 3 RAR and the 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry were brought up and placed under 2 RAR command before the attacks were finally beaten off on the morning of 26 July. The number of Chinese dead was estimated between 2,000 and 3,000, while 2 RAR's casualties for the two nights were five killed and another twenty-four wounded.

There were no further attacks and the armistice came into effect the following day. Despite the end of hostilities, 2 RAR remained in Korea as part of the UN forces stationed in the country until 6 April 1954, when it returned to Australia, once again on the MV New Australia. Total losses for 2 RAR while it had been in Korea had been 22 killed.

Enoggera (1954 -1955) 2 RAR upon returning was welcomed back with a March through Brisbane. 2 RAR was also the first battalion of the RAR to receive its colours. This occurred during a period known as the 'Colours Controversy' and 2 RAR catholic members did not go on the parade ground, they held ground around the edge, this was solved later in the ADF by three members of different denominations, blessing, consecrating and dedicating the colours when they are introduced into service. During this period members of 2 RAR were posted to the Jungle Training Centre in Cunungra, QLD to help restart this. The first troops to use the newly started facility were rotations from 2 RAR preparing for service in Malaya.

Malayan Emergency (1955–1957) In the late 1950s and early 1960s, 2 RAR undertook two tours of Malaya during the Malayan Emergency, the first between October 1955 and October 1957 and the second between October 1961 and August 1963. The battalion arrived in Malaya for its first tour on 19 October 1955 and was once again attached to the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group as part of the British Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve (FESR) along with British and New Zealand troops. Throughout the two-year tour the battalion was based at Minden Barracks on Penang Island, although it spent large periods of time in the jungle conducting operations and exercises that frequently lasted weeks at a time.

Due to a delay in obtaining Australian government approval to conduct operations against the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), and their armed wing the Malayan National Liberation Army, 2 RAR did not commence operations until 1 January 1956 when the battalion was involved in Operation Deuce, which was a search and security operation in Kedah that was to last until the end of April when 2 RAR was relieved by the 1st Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment. For the next twenty months the battalion would continue to conduct similar operations – known as Operations Shark North and Rubberlegs – mainly in Perak, which was considered to be one of the main areas of Communist activity.Dennis et al 1995, p. 385. These operations were primarily long-distance patrols in and around jungle areas searching for the Communists and providing perimeter security for the 'New Villages'.

During this time contacts were very limited, and the most intense action came on 22 June 1956 when a five-man patrol from 2 RAR was ambushed by a group of Communists near the Sungei Bemben reservoir. Three Australians were killed in this incident and three others were wounded and as other Australian patrols converged on the area a firefight ensued in which two of the attackers were killed before the others broke contact and dispersed.

Throughout 1956 operations continued and 2 RAR's companies took turns rotating through Kroh in the north of Perak on the Thai-Malay border. Between May and June 1957, 2 RAR took part in Operation Eagle Swoop, during which, on the afternoon of 24 June, they discovered a large Communist camp and in the subsequent clash two Australians were killed and one was wounded. Further operations were undertaken, including further patrols and ambushes, until finally in August 1957 2 RAR was withdrawn from anti-Communist operations and returned to its primary deterrence role as part of the FESR. This did not last long, however, as the battalion returned to Australia shortly afterwards in October 1957, to a large welcome home parade in Sydney. 2 RAR's total losses for the Malayan Emergency were 14 killed.

At the end first tour or upon return home the battalion's colour was red still, its flag was red with a gold skippy badge and a small '2' centrally below this in gold as well. During ceremonial occasions the battalion also wore red and white sock flashes in its ceremonial tropical uniform. In 1957, the three battalion's of the regiment were issued the first flags of the regiment that were now standardized. 2 RAR was now officially 'Black'

Holsworthy (1957–1961) During its time at Holsworthy it became a 'Pentropic' battalion establishment. This was a large US styled organization with a colonel as CO. With the closing of the 1st Infantry Brigade Group, the fourth original large brass skippy badge was given to 2 RAR for safe keeping.

Malaya (1961–1963) The Emergency had officially ended in 1960, however the battalion's second tour of Malaya came four years later when it joined the 28th Brigade again, this time at Canberra lines, Camp Terendak near Malacca in October 1961. While they had been in Australia, they had been converted to a Pentropic Battalion, however, prior to their deployment they had been converted back to the tropical establishment. In August 1962 they were committed to anti-Communist operations in Perlis and Kedah once more, searching for the remnants of the MNLA Communist guerrillas along the Thai-Malay border. This lasted only a couple of months before it was decided to withdraw the battalion from this role for six months' training as part of the FESR. Regardless, several 2 RAR companies were used on further operations against the Communists in May 1963, before the battalion returned to Australia in August, without having suffered any losses. During this second tour, the battalion wore sock flashes that were both black as well as a black backing to their Australia's on their epaulets, soldiers did not wear lanyards.

Enoggera (1963–1967)