5th Infantry Battalion (Victorian Scottish Regiment)
From Wikipedia. The button by Stokes shown on page 42 Cossum depicts the rampant lion..
The Victorian Scottish Regiment started as a volunteer unit in 1898, being absorbed into the Commonwealth Military Forces in 1902.
Evening Journal (Adelaide), 5th May 1898 page 2.
Melbourne Punch, 13th July 1899 page 3.
The Arena (Melbourne), 20th October 1900 page 1.
Many men of this unit served in the 5th Battalion during WW1, so post war the regiment was designated as the 5th Battalion.
Bendigonian (Vic), 30th March 1915 page 1. “AUSTRALIANS IN THE DESERT. The “Colonial Scots” shown in our picture. are members of the old “Victorian Scottish” Regiment of Melbourne. They. are proudly flying a Scottish standard, and
combine in themselves all the virile virtues of Scots and Colonials, a combination which the enemy will find rather difficult to deal with. They are serving with the Australian contingent in the Egyptian desert.”
The Herald (Melbourne), 12th November 1927 page 8.
The battalion was called up for 3 months compulsory training early during 1940 before performing garrison duty in WA and NT. The photos below are likely to have been taken during the 1940 training.
They continued until 1960, becoming the 1st Royal Victorian Regiment and are now remembered as part of the 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment.
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