20th Brigade (Australia)
Encyclopedia
The 20th Brigade was a brigade
-sized infantry
unit of the Australian Army
. The brigade was raised for service during the World War II
on 7 May 1940 as part of the 7th Division. The brigade was transferred to the 9th Division in 1941. It was disbanded in 1946.
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
-sized infantry
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...
unit 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...
. The brigade was raised for service during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on 7 May 1940 as part of the 7th Division. The brigade was transferred to the 9th Division in 1941. It was disbanded in 1946.
Units of 20th Brigade
- 2/13th Battalion
- 2/15th Battalion
- 2/17th Battalion2/17th Battalion (Australia)The 2/17th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in April 1940 in New South Wales, the unit saw service in the Middle East in 1941–42, taking part in the fighting at Tobruk and El Alamein before returning to Australia early in 1943. In 1943–44 the battalion fought in...
Commander
- BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
John Murray - Brigadier William John Victor Windeyer
- Brigadier Hugh WrigleyHugh WrigleyBrigadier Hugh Wrigley CBE, MC, ED was a senior officer of the Australian Army who served in World War I and World War II. He also served with the Indian Army between 1917 and 1922. After returning to Australia in 1922, Wrigley worked as an oil company representative in New South Wales and...
- Brigadier William John Victor Windeyer