40th Battalion (Australia)
Encyclopedia
The 40th Battalion was an infantry
battalion
of the Australian Army
. Raised in 1916 as part of the First Australian Imperial Force
during the First World War, the battalion was recruited completely from Tasmania
as part of the 10th Brigade
, 3rd Division. During the war the battalion served in the trenches along the Western Front
and had the distinction of having two of its members awarded the Victoria Cross
. The battalion was disbanded in 1919, however was re-reaised in 1921 as part of the Citizens Military Force.
, the battalion embarked aboard HMAT Berrima on 1 July 1916 from Hobart
, arriving in England
on the 23 August, where it encamped at Lark Hill
for training. The Battalion left Southampton
for France
on the 22 November and disembarked at Le Havre
on the 23 November.
Arriving in the front lines by December, the battalion fought in the battle of Messines
in June. During the battle of Broodseinde Ridge in October that Sergeant
Lewis McGee
of "B Company" was awarded the Victoria Cross
. During the battle of Passchendaele the battalion suffered 248 casualties, including Lewis McGee who was killed in action.
During 1918, the battalion fought during the battle of the Somme, where they helped hold back the German Spring Offensive at Morlancourt in March. In August and September the battalion helped to drive the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line. Sergeant Percy Statton was awarded the Victoria Cross for actions near Proyart in August. With the end of hostilities, the battalion was slowly demobilised and was disbanded in 1919. During the war the battalion had suffered 475 killed and 1714 wounded (including gassed).
s and traditions of the AIF battalions that had served during World War I by reorganising the Militia along AIF lines, with previously existing part time units adopting the numerical designations of the AIF units that had been drawn from their traditional recruitment territories. In May 1921, the battalion was reformed.
s:
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...
. Raised in 1916 as part of the First 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, the battalion was recruited completely from Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
as part of the 10th Brigade
10th Brigade (Australia)
The 10th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army. It was raised in 1916 as part of the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force following the end of the Gallipoli campaign and subsequently saw service on the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War...
, 3rd Division. During the war the battalion 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...
and had the distinction of having two of its members awarded 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....
. The battalion was disbanded in 1919, however was re-reaised in 1921 as part of the Citizens Military Force.
History
After a period of training at Claremont, TasmaniaClaremont, Tasmania
Claremont is a suburb of the City of Glenorchy, part of the greater Hobart area, Tasmania, Australia. It is named after Claremont House, which was built in the 1830s by local settler Henry Bilton, who named it after one of the royal homes of England. Claremont was the home of an Army training...
, the battalion embarked aboard HMAT Berrima on 1 July 1916 from Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, arriving in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on the 23 August, where it encamped at Lark Hill
Larkhill
Larkhill is a garrison town in the civil parish of Durrington, Wiltshire, England. It is a short distance west of Durrington village proper and north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. It is about north of Salisbury....
for training. The Battalion left Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
for 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...
on the 22 November and disembarked at Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
on the 23 November.
Arriving in the front lines by December, the battalion fought in the battle of Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
in June. During the battle of Broodseinde Ridge in October that Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Lewis McGee
Lewis McGee
Lewis McGee VC was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces...
of "B Company" was awarded 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....
. During the battle of Passchendaele the battalion suffered 248 casualties, including Lewis McGee who was killed in action.
During 1918, the battalion fought during the battle of the Somme, where they helped hold back the German Spring Offensive at Morlancourt in March. In August and September the battalion helped to drive the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line. Sergeant Percy Statton was awarded the Victoria Cross for actions near Proyart in August. With the end of hostilities, the battalion was slowly demobilised and was disbanded in 1919. During the war the battalion had suffered 475 killed and 1714 wounded (including gassed).
Inter war years
In 1921 the decision was made to perpetuate the 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 and traditions of the AIF battalions that had served during World War I by reorganising the Militia along AIF lines, with previously existing part time units adopting the numerical designations of the AIF units that had been drawn from their traditional recruitment territories. In May 1921, the battalion was reformed.
Battle honours
The 40th Battalion received the following 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:
- Messines 1917Battle of MessinesThe Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
, Ypres 1917, Polygon WoodBattle of Polygon WoodThe Battle of Polygon Wood took place during the second phase of the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I. The battle was fought near Ypres, Belgium, in an area named the Polygon Wood after the layout of the area...
, BroodeseindeBattle of BroodseindeThe Battle of Broodseinde was the most successful attack of the Battle of Passchendaele. Using the "bite and hold" tactic , the Allied forces conducted an attack on well-entrenched German forces and showed that it was possible for the allies to overcome even the stoutest German...
, PoelcappelleBattle of PoelcappelleThe Battle of Poelcappelle marked the end of highly successful British attacks during the Battle of Passchendaele. Pitting the attacking forces against relatively intact German defences in rain and muddy conditions like those in August, the main attack was a failure and only the diversionary attack...
, Passchendaele, Somme 1918Second Battle of the Somme (1918)During the First World War, the Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought on the Western Front from the end of the summer, in the basin of the Somme River...
, Ancre 1918, Amiens, Albert 1918Battle of Albert (1918)Battle of Albert was the third battle by that name fought during World War I, following the First Battle of Albert, and the Second Battle of Albert, with each of the series of three being fought roughly two years apart...
, Mont St QuentinBattle of Mont St. QuentinThe Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin was a battle on the Western Front during World War I. As part of the Allied counteroffensives on the Western Front in the late summer of 1918, the Australian Corps crossed the Somme River on the night of August 31, and broke the German lines at Mont Saint-Quentin...
, Hindenburg LineBattle of the Hindenburg LineThe Battle of St Quentin Canal was a pivotal battle of World War I that began on 29 September 1918 and involved British, Australian and American forces in the spearhead attack and as a single combined force against the German Siegfried Stellung of the Hindenburg Line...
, St Quentin Canal, France and Flanders 1916–1918Western 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...
.
Further reading
- F.C. Green, The Fortieth: a record of the 40th Battalion, A.I.F., (Hobart: 40th Battalion (A.I.F.) Association, 1922).
- N. Meagher, With the Fortieth: the 40th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force abroad, (Hobart: R.J. Meagher, 1917).