The convoy carrying the battalion put into Fremantle in mid-February, where the small number of Western Australian personnel disembarked to begin their home leave.
The rest of the battalion continued on to Port Melbourne, before moving to Adelaide by rail.
In late March, after the South Australian personnel had completed their leave, the battalion was re-constituted.
At that time, a series of parades were held in every Australian capital city to welcome home the 9th Division; the 2/48th marched through Adelaide.
After this, the 2/48th were transported to the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, where they established a camp on the Barron River, near Kairi.
In April 1943, the battalion was re-organised and re-trained for jungle operations in the South-West Pacific theatre in order to prepare it for the conditions in New Guinea.
Undertaking training on the Tablelands, the battalion was converted to the tropical establishment.
Warfare in the Pacific posed unique problems and differed greatly to that which the 2/48th had experienced in North Africa.
In the jungles of New Guinea logistics and transport were significant challenges and in order to meet them, the battalion's size was reduced by over 100 men, to around 800, as its anti-aircraft and Bren carrier platoons were disbanded, while each of the battalion's four rifle companies lost most of their organic motor transport; the mobility issue would be solved by marching on foot as vehicles were relatively useless in dense jungle, while supplies would be brought up using native carriers as well as by air.
In July 1943, the battalion moved to Cairns where they undertook amphibious training with the American 532nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment around Trinity Beach as part of their final preparations before being committed to the fighting in New Guinea.

Sailing aboard the Henry T. Allen, after arriving in New Guinea in early August, the 2/48th established a camp around Milne Bay where they undertook further amphibious training, before taking part in the landing around Lae on 4 September 1943, as part of the final phase of the Salamaua–Lae campaign.
This was the first large-scale amphibious landing conducted by the Australian forces since the landings at Gallipoli in 1915, and the battalion, along with the rest of the 26th Brigade, landed on Red Beach, about 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Lae.
They subsequently advanced westwards, and on 14 September captured Malahang airstrip.
Following the fall of Lae to the 7th Division—which had advanced from Nadzab as part of the two-pronged assault—on 16 September, the Allies hurriedly launched a follow up campaign on the Huon Peninsula.
Initially, only one brigade was committed to the operation, and so the 2/48th Battalion remained around Lae until the 26th Brigade was transported by sea to Finschhafen in late October in order to reinforce the 20th Brigade, which had landed the month previous in an effort to follow up troops withdrawing from Lae, before coming under heavy Japanese counterattack.
During this time the battalion took part in repelling an attempted landing at Scarlet Beach, as the Japanese launched a counteroffensive against the Australian lodgement.

After the Japanese counteroffensive was defeated in late October 1943, Australian attention turned to Sattleberg, the site of an abandoned Lutheran mission.
The newly arrived 26th Brigade was chosen to lead the assault as it was fresher than the division's other brigades.
The main advance began on 17 November, although the battalion took part in a preliminary attack on Green Ridge the previous day in order to secure the start line for the advance.
Pushing north-west from Jivevaneng in company with Matilda tanks from the 1st Tank Battalion, the 2/48th began the drive towards Sattleberg.
In difficult terrain and against stubborn Japanese defence, the advance made slow progress, nevertheless by 22 November Steeple Tree Hill was captured and the battalion reached the southern slopes of the Sattelberg feature, about 600 yards (550 m) from its summit.

On 24 November, the 2/48th's 'C' C
The convoy carrying the battalion put into Fremantle in mid-February, where the small number of Western Australian personnel disembarked to begin their home leave. The rest of the battalion continued on to Port Melbourne, before moving to Adelaide by rail. In late March, after the South Australian personnel had completed their leave, the battalion was re-constituted. At that time, a series of parades were held in every Australian capital city to welcome home the 9th Division; the 2/48th marched through Adelaide. After this, the 2/48th were transported to the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, where they established a camp on the Barron River, near Kairi. In April 1943, the battalion was re-organised and re-trained for jungle operations in the South-West Pacific theatre in order to prepare it for the conditions in New Guinea. Undertaking training on the Tablelands, the battalion was converted to the tropical establishment. Warfare in the Pacific posed unique problems and differed greatly to that which the 2/48th had experienced in North Africa. In the jungles of New Guinea logistics and transport were significant challenges and in order to meet them, the battalion's size was reduced by over 100 men, to around 800, as its anti-aircraft and Bren carrier platoons were disbanded, while each of the battalion's four rifle companies lost most of their organic motor transport; the mobility issue would be solved by marching on foot as vehicles were relatively useless in dense jungle, while supplies would be brought up using native carriers as well as by air. In July 1943, the battalion moved to Cairns where they undertook amphibious training with the American 532nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment around Trinity Beach as part of their final preparations before being committed to the fighting in New Guinea.
Sailing aboard the Henry T. Allen, after arriving in New Guinea in early August, the 2/48th established a camp around Milne Bay where they undertook further amphibious training, before taking part in the landing around Lae on 4 September 1943, as part of the final phase of the Salamaua–Lae campaign. This was the first large-scale amphibious landing conducted by the Australian forces since the landings at Gallipoli in 1915, and the battalion, along with the rest of the 26th Brigade, landed on Red Beach, about 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Lae. They subsequently advanced westwards, and on 14 September captured Malahang airstrip. Following the fall of Lae to the 7th Division—which had advanced from Nadzab as part of the two-pronged assault—on 16 September, the Allies hurriedly launched a follow up campaign on the Huon Peninsula. Initially, only one brigade was committed to the operation, and so the 2/48th Battalion remained around Lae until the 26th Brigade was transported by sea to Finschhafen in late October in order to reinforce the 20th Brigade, which had landed the month previous in an effort to follow up troops withdrawing from Lae, before coming under heavy Japanese counterattack. During this time the battalion took part in repelling an attempted landing at Scarlet Beach, as the Japanese launched a counteroffensive against the Australian lodgement.
After the Japanese counteroffensive was defeated in late October 1943, Australian attention turned to Sattleberg, the site of an abandoned Lutheran mission. The newly arrived 26th Brigade was chosen to lead the assault as it was fresher than the division's other brigades. The main advance began on 17 November, although the battalion took part in a preliminary attack on Green Ridge the previous day in order to secure the start line for the advance. Pushing north-west from Jivevaneng in company with Matilda tanks from the 1st Tank Battalion, the 2/48th began the drive towards Sattleberg. In difficult terrain and against stubborn Japanese defence, the advance made slow progress, nevertheless by 22 November Steeple Tree Hill was captured and the battalion reached the southern slopes of the Sattelberg feature, about 600 yards (550 m) from its summit.
On 24 November, the 2/48th's 'C' C
2/48th Battalion (Australia)