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Australian 4th Division (World War I)
Encyclopedia
The Australian 4th Division was formed in the First World War during the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force infantry brigades in February 1916. In addition to the experienced 4th Brigade (previously in the original New Zealand and Australian Division
) were added the new 12th and 13th Brigades (spawned from the battalions of the 4th and 3rd Brigades respectively). From Egypt
the division was sent to France
. After the war ended and the AIF was demobilised, the division was dissolved.
In 1921, the 4th Division name was reactivated as an Citizens Military Forces
(militia/reserve) formation. The division performed home defence duties for most of World War II
, before deactivation in 1944.
The division was initially stationed on the Suez Canal. In June 1916 it moved to France, taking over part of the "nursery" sector near Armentieres. Its stay there was brief and soon it was accompanying the First and Second Divisions to the Somme
sector. In August 1916 it relieved the Second Division on the Pozieres
Heights and repulsed a major German counterattack. It then drove north to the outskirts of Mouquet Farm. A second tour of the Somme at Mouquet Farm followed in September and a third at Flers in October.
On 11 April 1917 the division assaulted the Hindenburg Line
in the First Battle of Bullecourt
. The battle was a disaster and 1170 Australian prisoners were taken by the Germans. In June it participated in the Battle of Messines. In September it participated in the Battle of Polygon Wood.
In March 1918 the division was rushed to the Somme
region to stem the German Offensive. There it repulsed the advancing Germans in hard fought battles at Hebuterne and Dernancourt. In April its 13th Infantry Brigade was involved in the counterattack at Villers-Bretonneux.
The division went on to fight in the Battle of Hamel
, Battle of Epehy
(with distinction), Battle of Amiens and the Hindenburg Line
, finally reaching the town of Bellenglise.
1916-1917: Maj. Gen. W. Holmes
1917-19: Maj. Gen. Ewen Sinclair-Maclagan
Casualties
After the outbreak of war with Japan
, the division became part of III Corps, which was responsible for the defence of Western Australia
. The division garrisoned WA until it was inactivated in November 1944.
6th Brigade (Victoria)
13th Brigade (Western Australia)
11th Brigade (Queensland)
New Zealand and Australian Division
The New Zealand and Australian Division was formed at the start of the Battle of Gallipoli as a composite division under the command of New Zealand general Alexander Godley. At the start of World War I New Zealand had mustered insufficient infantry battalions to form their own division while...
) were added the new 12th and 13th Brigades (spawned from the battalions of the 4th and 3rd Brigades respectively). From 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...
the division was sent 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...
. After the war ended and the AIF was demobilised, the division was dissolved.
In 1921, the 4th Division name was reactivated as an Citizens Military Forces
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
(militia/reserve) formation. The division performed home defence duties for most of 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...
, before deactivation in 1944.
World War I unit history
The 4th Division began forming in Egypt in February 1916. The new division included the 4th Infantry Brigade, 4th Field Company, 4th Field Ambulance and 7th Army Service Corps Company which had fought at Gallipoli. The 12th and 13th Infantry Brigades were formed by taking half the personnel of the 4th and 3rd Infantry Brigades.The division was initially stationed on the Suez Canal. In June 1916 it moved to France, taking over part of the "nursery" sector near Armentieres. Its stay there was brief and soon it was accompanying the First and Second Divisions to the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
sector. In August 1916 it relieved the Second Division on the Pozieres
Pozières
Pozières is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D929 road, some northeast of Amiens between Albert and Bapaume, on the Pozières ridge.-Population:-History:...
Heights and repulsed a major German counterattack. It then drove north to the outskirts of Mouquet Farm. A second tour of the Somme at Mouquet Farm followed in September and a third at Flers in October.
On 11 April 1917 the division assaulted the 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 the First Battle of Bullecourt
Bullecourt
Bullecourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in France.-Geography:Bullecourt lies on the Upper Cretaceous plain of Artois between Arras and Bapaume and east of the A1 motorway. This shows Bullecourt just north of centre. Quéant is the larger of the two...
. The battle was a disaster and 1170 Australian prisoners were taken by the Germans. In June it participated in the Battle of Messines. In September it participated in the Battle of Polygon Wood.
In March 1918 the division was rushed to the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
region to stem the German Offensive. There it repulsed the advancing Germans in hard fought battles at Hebuterne and Dernancourt. In April its 13th Infantry Brigade was involved in the counterattack at Villers-Bretonneux.
The division went on to fight in the Battle of Hamel
Battle of Hamel
The Battle of Hamel was a successful attack launched by the Australian Corps of the Australian Imperial Force and several American units against German positions in and around the town of Hamel in northern France during World War I....
, Battle of Epehy
Battle of Epéhy
The Battle of Épehy was a World War I battle fought on 18 September 1918, involving the British Fourth Army against German outpost positions in front of the Hindenburg Line.- Prelude :...
(with distinction), Battle of Amiens and the 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...
, finally reaching the town of Bellenglise.
4th Brigade
- 13th Battalion (New South WalesNew South WalesNew 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...
) - 14th Battalion (VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
) - 15th Battalion (QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
& TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania 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...
) - 16th Battalion (Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
& South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
) - 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery [3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 4th Machinegun Company [Vickers machineguns]
12th Brigade
- 45th Battalion (New South Wales)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...
- 46th Battalion (Victoria)
- 47th Battalion (Queensland & Tasmania)47th Battalion (Australia)The 47th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 for service during the First World War and took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium before being disbanded in early 1918 to provide reinforcements for...
(Disbanded in May 1918) - 48th Battalion (South Australia & Tasmania)
13th Brigade
- 49th Battalion (Queensland)
- 50th Battalion (South Australia)
- 51st BattalionFar North Queensland RegimentThe 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment is a light infantry battalion of the Australian Army. The battalion serves as a Regional Force Surveillance Unit , carrying out reconnaissance and surveillance tasks as its primary role...
(Western Australia) - 52nd Battalion (South Australia, Western Australia & Tasmania) (Disbanded in May 1918)
Artillery
4th Division ArtilleryField Ambulance
4th Division Field AmbulanceCommanders
1916: Maj. Gen. H. V. CoxHerbert Cox
General Sir Herbert Vaughan Cox GCB KCMG CSI was a British officer in the Indian Army.Cox was born in Watford, the son of the Rector of Upper Chelsea. He was educated at Charterhouse and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was commissioned into the 25th Foot in 1880...
1916-1917: Maj. Gen. W. Holmes
1917-19: Maj. Gen. Ewen Sinclair-Maclagan
Battles
- 1916 - Somme sector: Pozieres Heights, Mouquet Farm, Flers.
- 1917 - Hindenburg Line: First Battle of Bullecourt, Second Battle of Bullecourt, Battle of Messines, Battle of Polygon Wood.
- 1918 - Somme: Hebuterne and Dernancourt, Villers-Bretonneux, Battles of Hamel, Amiens and the Hindenburg Line, finally reaching the town of Bellenglise.
Casualties
- killed in action: 8,360
- died of wounds: 2,613
- other deaths: 872
- prisoners: 2,076
- wounded: 27,127
- total: 41,048
After World War I
In 1921, the 4th Division name was revived and was assigned to an Australian Citizens Military Forces (reserve) unit based in Melbourne, which served in Australia during World War IIWorld 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...
After the outbreak of war with Japan
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, the division became part of III Corps, which was responsible for the defence of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The division garrisoned WA until it was inactivated in November 1944.
6th Brigade (Victoria)6th Brigade (Australia)The 6th Brigade is an Australian Army brigade. First formed during the First World War as an infantry unit of the Australian Imperial Force, the brigade served at Gallipoli and in France and Belgium on the Western Front...
- 23rd/21st Battalion
- 14th/32nd Battalion
- 19th Battalion
13th Brigade (Western Australia)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...
- 11th Battalion
- 16th Battalion
- 28th Battalion
12th Brigade (Tasmania)
- 40th Battalion
- 12th Battalion
11th Brigade (Queensland)11th Brigade (Australia)The Australian 11th Brigade is an Australian Army brigade which currently comprises most Australian Army Reserve units located in Queensland. The Brigade was first formed in early 1916 as part of the 3rd Division and saw action during World War I and World War II.-Brigade Structure:*Headquarters...
- 31st/51st Battalion
- 62nd Battalion
- 26th Battalion
- 20th Motor Regiment
See also
- Australian 4th Division Vehicle Marking
- Military history of Australia during World War IMilitary history of Australia during World War IIn Australia, the outbreak of World War I was greeted with considerable enthusiasm. Even before Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, the nation pledged its support for the Empire alongside other Commonwealth nations and almost immediately began preparations to send forces overseas to...
