13th Battalion (Australia)
Encyclopedia
The 13th Battalion was an infantry
battalion
of the Australian Army
. Originally raised for the 1st Australian Imperial Force
during the First World War, it was formed just six weeks after the start of the war. Along with the 14th
, 15th
and 16th Battalions which were recruited from New South Wales
, it formed the 4th Brigade
. The battalion saw service initially at Gallipoli
before being transferred to France
in 1916. For the next two years it fought in the trenches of the Western Front
, earning numerous battle honours in the process.
Following the end of the war, the 13th Battalion was demobilised in early 1919, however, it was re-raised in 1921 as a unit of the part time Citizens Force, based around Maitland, New South Wales
. During the Second World War the battalion undertook garrison duties before being amalgamated with the 33rd Battalion
in October 1942. It was re-raised for a third and final time sometime after 1948 and remained on the order of battle until 1960 when it was subsumed into the Royal New South Wales Regiment
.
(AIF). Recruitment for this force began quickly and the 13th Battalion was among some of the first battalions to be raised, doing so in late September 1914, only six weeks after the declaration of war. Drawing its manpower from the state of New South Wales
, it undertook training at the ANZAC Rifle Range
in Long Bay, Sydney
and Broadmeadows and Williamstown
in Melbourne. It left Australia from Albany in late December and arrived in Egypt
in February 1915.
Along with the rest of the 4th Brigade, under the command of then Colonel John Monash
, the 13th Battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove
, arriving late on 25 April 1915. For the first four months, between May and August, they undertook defensive operations as the Anzacs attempted to establish themselves on the narrow beachhead that had been captured on the peninsula. On 8 August 1915 an attempt was made to break out from this position and the battalion took part in a costly, and only partially successful, attack on Hill 971. Later in the month, on 27 August, they were involved in another attack, this time on Hill 60
, during which they suffered further casualties. After this the 13th Battalion was mainly used in a defensive role until the final evacuation in December 1915.
From there, the battalion returned to Egypt where the AIF underwent a period of training and reorganisation which saw the raising of two new divisions which effectively doubled its size. As a part of this expansion, the 13th Battalion was split and provided a cadre of soldiers who had served at Gallipoli to provide experienced men to the newly-raised 45th Battalion
. At the same time the reconstituted 4th Brigade was allocated to the Australian 4th Division along with the 12th
and 13th Brigades
. In June 1916, the battalion embarked for France to join other units of II Anzac Corps
, and for the next two years it served in the trenches along the Western Front
.
During this time, the 13th Battalion saw action in a number of major battles. The first such action that they were involved in came at Pozières
in August 1916. Later, in February 1917, Captain Harry Murray, became the first member of the battalion to earn the Victoria Cross
when he was involved in an attack near Gueudecourt. Later, at Bullecourt in April, the battalion, along with most of the 4th Brigade, suffered heavy losses when they ran up against a strongly defended German position without the tank support that they had been promised. After that, the 13th Battalion spent most of the remainder of 1917 in Belgium, as the Allied armies slowly advanced towards the heavily-defended Hindenburg Line
.
In March 1918, the Germans launched the Spring Offensive
, which saw them gain considerable ground before being halted. During this time, the 13th Battalion undertook defensive operations in an effort to stem the tide. Later, a brief lull in the fighting occurred before the Allies launched their own offensive, known as the Hundred Days Offensive
, which ultimately brought about an end to the war. The 13th Battalion was involved at the outset, taking part in the fighting around Amiens on 8 August 1918, which produced considerable gains for the Allies and was subsequently described as one of the greatest successes in a single day on the Western Front. On 18 September, the battalion took part in its last offensive action, this time around Le Verguier, and it was here that Sergeant Maurice Buckley, serving under the assumed name of Gerald Sexton, performed the deeds that led to him being awarded the Victoria Cross.
On 11 November 1918, an armistice
came into effect and the fighting ended. Over the course of the next five months the battalion's personnel were slowly returned to Australia for demobilisation and discharge. On 18 March 1919, the battalion was finallying disbanded, when its remaining personnel were formed into the 13th Composite Battalion along with drafts from the 14th, 15th and 16th Battalions. During the course of the war, the battalion lost 1,090 men killed and 2,128 wounded.
s of the AIF by re-raising those units as part of the Citizens Force. This was done by reorganising the existing Citizens Forces units so that they would adopt the identity of the AIF units that had been recruited within their regions and in which many of the pre-war citizen soldiers had served. As a result by 1924, the 13th Battalion had been re-raised in the Maitland, New South Wales
region. In 1927, territorial titles were introduced and the battalion adopted the title of the "Maitland Regiment", and by 1928 it had been assigned to the 1st Brigade, attached to the 1st Division
.
Following the election of the Scullin
Labor
government in 1929, the compulsory training scheme
was suspended and the Citizens Forces became an all volunteer force. In order to reflect its voluntary basis, it was subsequently renamed the "Militia" at this time. The decision to suspend compulsory training, as well as the hardships associated with the Great Depression
meant that many Militia units were afflicted by low manning levels. As a consequence of this, it was decided to amalgamate a number of units, however, the 13th Battalion was not one of the units affected by this decision and it remained under the command of the 1st Brigade, which was headquartered in Newcastle, New South Wales
as a subordinate unit of the 2nd Military District, until the start of the Second World War in September 1939.
to form the 13th/33rd Battalion.
In 1960, the Australian Army adopted the Pentropic divisional establishment
, the result of which was the reduction of a number of CMF units which were amalgamated to form larger Pentropic battalions as part of six new State-based regiments. At this time, the 13th Battalion was reduced to a company-level formation in the 2nd Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment
, being designated 'D' (Macquarie) Company. When the Pentropic establishment was abandoned in 1965 the CMF was re-organised once more and most of the previously existing regional battalions were re-raised. The 13th Battalion, however, does not appear to have been one of those units.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
. Originally raised for the 1st Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
during the First World War, it was formed just six weeks after the start of the war. Along with the 14th
14th Battalion (Australia)
The 14th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised in 1914 as part of the Australian Imperial Force for service in World War I, the battalion served at Gallipoli initially before being sent to France where it served in the trenches along the Western Front until...
, 15th
15th Battalion (Australia)
The 15th Battalion was raised from volunteers from Queensland and Tasmania in September 1914 during the First World War. It formed part of the 4th Brigade together with the 13th, 14th and 16th Battalions. The battalion served at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.-References:*...
and 16th Battalions which were recruited from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, it formed the 4th Brigade
Australian 4th Brigade
The 4th Brigade is a brigade-level formation of the Australian Army. Originally formed in September 1914 for service during World War I, elements of the brigade served at Gallipoli and in the trenches on the Western Front before being disbanded in 1919. In 1921, the brigade was re-raised as a unit...
. The battalion saw service initially at Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
before being transferred to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1916. For the next two years it fought in the trenches of the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, earning numerous battle honours in the process.
Following the end of the war, the 13th Battalion was demobilised in early 1919, however, it was re-raised in 1921 as a unit of the part time Citizens Force, based around Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
. During the Second World War the battalion undertook garrison duties before being amalgamated with the 33rd Battalion
33rd Battalion (Australia)
The 33rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War I as part of the 1st Australian Imperial Force, the battalion was formed in January 1916 as part of the 9th Brigade of the Australian 3rd Division during an expansion of the AIF...
in October 1942. It was re-raised for a third and final time sometime after 1948 and remained on the order of battle until 1960 when it was subsumed into the Royal New South Wales Regiment
Royal New South Wales Regiment
The Royal New South Wales Regiment is a reserve infantry regiment of the Australian Army based in the state of New South Wales. The regiment consists of four battalions:-Organisation:*1st/19th Battalion*2nd/17th Battalion*4th/3rd Battalion...
.
First World War
Following the outbreak of war, the Australian government announced the decision to raise an all volunteer force for overseas service known as the Australian Imperial ForceAustralian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
(AIF). Recruitment for this force began quickly and the 13th Battalion was among some of the first battalions to be raised, doing so in late September 1914, only six weeks after the declaration of war. Drawing its manpower from the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, it undertook training at the ANZAC Rifle Range
ANZAC Rifle Range
The ANZAC Rifle Range is the largest rifle range in the southern hemisphere, and is located on the Malabar Headland, south of Sydney. It is headquarters to the New South Wales Rifle Association, and hosts the annual NSW Queen's Prize...
in Long Bay, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Broadmeadows and Williamstown
Williamstown, Victoria
Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Williamstown had a population of 12,733....
in Melbourne. It left Australia from Albany in late December and arrived in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in February 1915.
Along with the rest of the 4th Brigade, under the command of then Colonel John Monash
John Monash
General Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD was a civil engineer who became the Australian military commander in the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the War and then became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt shortly after the outbreak of the War with whom he took part...
, the 13th Battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove
Landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by Australian and New Zealand forces on 25 April 1915. The landing, north of Gaba Tepe on the Aegean coast of the Peninsula, was made by soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and was the first...
, arriving late on 25 April 1915. For the first four months, between May and August, they undertook defensive operations as the Anzacs attempted to establish themselves on the narrow beachhead that had been captured on the peninsula. On 8 August 1915 an attempt was made to break out from this position and the battalion took part in a costly, and only partially successful, attack on Hill 971. Later in the month, on 27 August, they were involved in another attack, this time on Hill 60
Battle of Hill 60 (Gallipoli)
The Battle of Hill 60 was the last major assault of the Battle of Gallipoli. It was launched on 21 August 1915 to coincide with the attack on Scimitar Hill made from the Suvla front by General Stopford's British IX Corps. Hill 60 was a low knoll at the northern end of the Sari Bair range which...
, during which they suffered further casualties. After this the 13th Battalion was mainly used in a defensive role until the final evacuation in December 1915.
45th Battalion (Australia)
The 45th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War I, the battalion served in the trenches on the Western Front in France and Belgium from mid-1916 until the end of hostilities in November 1918. Following this, it was disbanded in May 1919...
. At the same time the reconstituted 4th Brigade was allocated to the Australian 4th Division along with the 12th
12th Brigade (Australia)
The 12th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army. It was initially raised in 1916 as part of the expansion of the First Australian Imperial Force, which was Australia's overseas volunteer force during World War I...
and 13th Brigades
13th Brigade (Australia)
The 13th Brigade is an Army Reserve formation of the Australian Army headquartered at Perth, Western Australia and its various units have depots in Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Albany and Katanning as well as Joondalup and Rockingham in the metro area. The 13th Brigade was first created in early 1916 and...
. In June 1916, the battalion embarked for France to join other units of II Anzac Corps
II Anzac Corps
The II ANZAC Corps was an Australian and New Zealand First World War army corps formed in Egypt in February 1916 as part of the reorganization of the Australian Imperial Force following the evacuation of Gallipoli in November 1915, under the command of William Birdwood...
, and for the next two years it served in the trenches along the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.
During this time, the 13th Battalion saw action in a number of major battles. The first such action that they were involved in came at Pozières
Battle of Pozières
The Battle of Pozières was a two week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Though British divisions were involved in most phases of the fighting, Pozières is primarily remembered as an Australian battle...
in August 1916. Later, in February 1917, Captain Harry Murray, became the first member of the battalion to earn the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
when he was involved in an attack near Gueudecourt. Later, at Bullecourt in April, the battalion, along with most of the 4th Brigade, suffered heavy losses when they ran up against a strongly defended German position without the tank support that they had been promised. After that, the 13th Battalion spent most of the remainder of 1917 in Belgium, as the Allied armies slowly advanced towards the heavily-defended Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in northeastern France during World War I. It was constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916–17. The line stretched from Lens to beyond Verdun...
.
In March 1918, the Germans launched the Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
, which saw them gain considerable ground before being halted. During this time, the 13th Battalion undertook defensive operations in an effort to stem the tide. Later, a brief lull in the fighting occurred before the Allies launched their own offensive, known as the Hundred Days Offensive
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...
, which ultimately brought about an end to the war. The 13th Battalion was involved at the outset, taking part in the fighting around Amiens on 8 August 1918, which produced considerable gains for the Allies and was subsequently described as one of the greatest successes in a single day on the Western Front. On 18 September, the battalion took part in its last offensive action, this time around Le Verguier, and it was here that Sergeant Maurice Buckley, serving under the assumed name of Gerald Sexton, performed the deeds that led to him being awarded the Victoria Cross.
On 11 November 1918, an armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
came into effect and the fighting ended. Over the course of the next five months the battalion's personnel were slowly returned to Australia for demobilisation and discharge. On 18 March 1919, the battalion was finallying disbanded, when its remaining personnel were formed into the 13th Composite Battalion along with drafts from the 14th, 15th and 16th Battalions. During the course of the war, the battalion lost 1,090 men killed and 2,128 wounded.
Interwar years
In 1921 the decision was made to perpetuate the numerical designations and battle honourBattle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s of the AIF by re-raising those units as part of the Citizens Force. This was done by reorganising the existing Citizens Forces units so that they would adopt the identity of the AIF units that had been recruited within their regions and in which many of the pre-war citizen soldiers had served. As a result by 1924, the 13th Battalion had been re-raised in the Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
region. In 1927, territorial titles were introduced and the battalion adopted the title of the "Maitland Regiment", and by 1928 it had been assigned to the 1st Brigade, attached to the 1st Division
1st Division (Australia)
The 1st Division is the main formation of the Australian Army and contains the majority of the army's regular forces. Its headquarters is in Enoggera, a suburb of Brisbane...
.
Following the election of the Scullin
James Scullin
James Henry Scullin , Australian Labor politician and the ninth Prime Minister of Australia. Two days after he was sworn in as Prime Minister, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred, marking the beginning of the Great Depression and subsequent Great Depression in Australia.-Early life:Scullin was...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government in 1929, the compulsory training scheme
Conscription in Australia
Conscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood...
was suspended and the Citizens Forces became an all volunteer force. In order to reflect its voluntary basis, it was subsequently renamed the "Militia" at this time. The decision to suspend compulsory training, as well as the hardships associated with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
meant that many Militia units were afflicted by low manning levels. As a consequence of this, it was decided to amalgamate a number of units, however, the 13th Battalion was not one of the units affected by this decision and it remained under the command of the 1st Brigade, which was headquartered in Newcastle, New South Wales
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
as a subordinate unit of the 2nd Military District, until the start of the Second World War in September 1939.
Second World War
Because of the provisions of the Defence Act (1903), which prohibited sending the Militia to fight outside of Australian territory, the decision was made to raise an all volunteer force to serve overseas while the Militia would be used to undertake garrison duties in Australia. The compulsory training scheme was also re-instituted at this time and the Militia were called up for periods of continuous training that varied between 30 and 90 days. In October 1942, however, the battalion was amalgamated with the 33rd Battalion33rd Battalion (Australia)
The 33rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War I as part of the 1st Australian Imperial Force, the battalion was formed in January 1916 as part of the 9th Brigade of the Australian 3rd Division during an expansion of the AIF...
to form the 13th/33rd Battalion.
Post Second World War
In 1948, with the completion of the demobilisation process, the Citizens Force was re-raised as the Citizens Military Force (CMF), which was established on a restricted establishment of two divisions. The 13th Battalion (Maitland Regiment) was re-established sometime after this date. In 1952 it was re-designated as the "Macquarie Regiment".In 1960, the Australian Army adopted the Pentropic divisional establishment
Pentropic organisation
The Pentropic organisation was a military organisation used by the Australian Army between 1960 and 1965. It was based on the United States Army's pentomic organisation and involved reorganising most of the Army's combat units into units based on five elements, rather than the previous three or...
, the result of which was the reduction of a number of CMF units which were amalgamated to form larger Pentropic battalions as part of six new State-based regiments. At this time, the 13th Battalion was reduced to a company-level formation in the 2nd Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment
Royal New South Wales Regiment
The Royal New South Wales Regiment is a reserve infantry regiment of the Australian Army based in the state of New South Wales. The regiment consists of four battalions:-Organisation:*1st/19th Battalion*2nd/17th Battalion*4th/3rd Battalion...
, being designated 'D' (Macquarie) Company. When the Pentropic establishment was abandoned in 1965 the CMF was re-organised once more and most of the previously existing regional battalions were re-raised. The 13th Battalion, however, does not appear to have been one of those units.
Battle honours
For their service, the 13th Battalion received the following battle honours:- First World War: Somme 1916, Somme 1918, Pozieres, Bullecourt, Messines 1917, Ypres 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Passchendaele, Arras 1918, Ancre 1918, Hamel, Amiens, Albert 1918, Hindenburg Line, Epehy, France and Flanders 1916–1918, ANZAC, Landing at ANZAC, Defence at ANZAC, Suvla, Sari Bair.