Plenty for Australia. Gallipoli 1915; Fromelles 1916 (6,000 casualties in a hour or so); loss of the Australian 6th Division in Greece and Crete 1941; loss of Aus 8th Div in Malaya and Singapore 1942; The Sandakan Death March 1945 and Vietnam; 1st and 2nd Gulf Wars.

Rowan, Im not sure where your coming from with some of your choices.
Gallipoli although very bitter fighting was low on casualties campared to what was to come in France.
Loss of the 8th Div was a tragedy. Agree, they were thrown away for a lost cause. Canadians probably feel the same about their Hong Kong Garrison.
Sandakan did not involve any fighting, just the systematic starvation and marching to death of Australian and British POWs..... more of a war crime than battle.
Gulf War 1 and 2 has me at a loss.
Lots of observers for Gulf War 1 (1990) which was more of an RAN show.
Gulf War 2, provided us with experience, an exceptionaly good working relationship with our Allies (good lessons learned) and pretty good allowances to go with it. This then morphed into the follow on phases that have seen all three services involved ever since. No complaints from everyone I know that was there and our casulties were pretty low compared to everyone else.
Afghansitan and the war on terror may be a different story depending on what you did there.......

Fair enough, scratch Sandakan as a "battle" but it was a major tragedy for Australia. Canada is irrelevant to the discussion as it concerns the respondent's country in terms of what is asked by the post. AND I personally think that we should have not been involved in the Gulf Wars.. perhaps a geo-political disaster. Afghanistan is different due to our ANZUS Treaty.

Originally Posted by Rowan

Fair enough, scratch Sandakan as a "battle" but it was a major tragedy for Australia.

As it was for the British, one of my uncles died on the death march on 26th March 1945. The Japs said he died of malaria. They forgot to mention the beatings, the starvation and his murder.

Apologies off topic.

In my opinion the debacle in Malaya rests firmly at the feet of successive British Governments who refused to update the equipment and an effective RAF fighter force in the Far East. It was insanity to send HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse to the Far East without proper air cover being available, the result? Two valuable ships resting on the bottom of the South China Sea, their crews dead or taken prisoner.

Originally Posted by Rowan

Fair enough, scratch Sandakan as a "battle" but it was a major tragedy for Australia. Canada is irrelevant to the discussion as it concerns the respondent's country in terms of what is asked by the post. AND I personally think that we should have not been involved in the Gulf Wars.. perhaps a geo-political disaster. Afghanistan is different due to our ANZUS Treaty.

You do know the difference between the gulf wars right ? And the commitments Australia made to each ?

Gulf wars gave us an exceptionaly good opportunity for working alongside international partners. Something many of our officers and troops rarely get to do other than exercises. No comment on the politics involved as I don't really care.

12th century BC The Fall of Troy
331 BC Battle of Gaugamela
The walls of Constantinople 718, heard before the Arabs suffered defeat by the Bulgarians, suspension Arab invasion of Europe
On 14 April 1205 the battle takes place in Edirne - defeating the Fourth Crusade
500 years war against Turkey - between 1393 and 1878
...

For the US it was the "Siege of the Penobscot" 1782, I believe. Never made it to history books, but the whole American fleet was sunk off Castine, Maine and the survivors escaped thru the woods and fled all the way to safety in Boston, quite a hike. A series of blunders by admiral Saltinstal, Paul Revere and many other leaders.

As a Canadian I'd have to say Dieppe. But Hong Kong is right up there.

As an Egyptian, speaking of modern military history, I'd say the 5th of June, 1967 AKA Six Day War.