Australian 9th Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 9th Brigade is an Reserve
formation of the Australian Army
headquartered at Keswick Barracks in Keswick, South Australia
, with elements located in Tasmania
, South Australia
, New South Wales
and the Northern Territory
.
for service during the First World War. Consisting of four infantry battalions—the 33rd
, 34th
, 35th
and 36th Battalions—the brigade was formed in 1916 and attached to the 3rd Division. After training in Australia, the brigade was shipped to England before being committed to the fighting on the Western Front
in France
and Belgium
in November 1916. Its first major battle came mid 1917 when it took part in the Battle of Messines
. Later in the year, it fought during the Battle of Passchendaele before taking part in defensive operations during the German Spring Offensive
in early 1918. In April it was involved in the Allied counterattack at the First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
before taking part in the final offensive of the war, the Hundred Days Offensive
. During this time, the 9th Brigade's casualties had been so high, that one of its battalions—the 36th—had to be disbanded in order to reinforce the others.
Following the end of hostilities the brigade was disbanded in 1919, however, in 1921 when it was re-raised as part of the Citizens Military Force following the decision to re-organise Australia's part time military forces in order to perpetuate the numerical designations and traditions of the AIF. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, the brigade was attached to the 2nd Infantry Division and was based in New South Wales
. Initially it consisted of four infantry battalions—the 1st, 4th, 17th and 45th Battalions
—although as the war progressed its establishment was reduced as units were transferred to other formations. As a whole, the brigade did not see active service during the war and was disbanded in July 1944.
Following the end of the war, the Citizens Military Force was not re-established until 1948, when it was re-raised on a reduced establishment. Since then the brigade has been a Reserve formation, although at times its designation has been changed; from the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s it adopted the title of the 9th Task Force. The current 9th Brigade was raised on 1 February 1988 in Land Command. On 1 September 1994 the Brigade moved from under command of Land Headquarters to form part of the 2nd Division and today is based in South Australia
.
In November 2008, 9th Brigade mounted Rotation 17 to the Solomon Islands
under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Russ Lowes, in support of Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). Rotation 17 completed their deployment and returned to Adelaide
on 5 April 2009.
9th Brigade also provides the Australian Army with a Reserve Response Force and a High Readiness Reserve Combat Team which are capable of deployment at short notice with Regular Army Units or in support of civilian agencies.
Brigadier
Steven Smith, AM, CSC, RFD, commanded the 9th Brigade between January 2008 and December 2010.
Warrant Officer
Class One (WO1) Jeffrey Carthew was the Brigade RSM
between January 2009 and December 2010.
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...
formation 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...
headquartered at Keswick Barracks in Keswick, South Australia
Keswick, South Australia
Keswick is an inner south-western suburb of Adelaide, adjacent to the park lands, and located in the City of West Torrens.-Keswick Barracks:Keswick is home to the Keswick Barracks, which is an Australian Army Barracks. It is home to the 9th Brigade , 10th/27th Bn. R. SA Rgt. , the 48th Field...
, with elements located in 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...
, South Australia
South Australia
South 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...
, 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...
and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
.
History
The 9th Brigade was originally formed as part of the First Australian Imperial ForceFirst 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...
for service during the First World War. Consisting of four infantry battalions—the 33rd
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...
, 34th
34th Battalion (Australia)
The 34th Battalion was a unit of 1st Australian Imperial Force, which was established in World War I. The battalion was formed in January 1916 as part of the 9th Brigade of the Australian 3rd Division. The bulk of the battalion’s recruits were drawn from the Maitland area and thus it was dubbed...
, 35th
35th Battalion (Australia)
The 35th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised in late 1915 for service during the First World War, the battalion saw service on the Western Front in France and Belgium before being disbanded in 1919. In 1921 it was re-raised in the Newcastle region of New...
and 36th Battalions—the brigade was formed in 1916 and attached to the 3rd Division. After training in Australia, the brigade was shipped to England before being committed to the fighting on 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...
in 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...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in November 1916. Its first major battle came mid 1917 when it took part 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...
. Later in the year, it fought during the Battle of Passchendaele before taking part in defensive operations during the German 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...
in early 1918. In April it was involved in the Allied counterattack at the First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
The First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, , was part of the wider First Battle of the Somme . The capture of Villers-Bretonneux, being close to the strategic centre of Amiens, would have meant that the Germans could have used artillery there to shell the city.-Background:With the general position...
before taking part in the final offensive of the war, 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...
. During this time, the 9th Brigade's casualties had been so high, that one of its battalions—the 36th—had to be disbanded in order to reinforce the others.
Following the end of hostilities the brigade was disbanded in 1919, however, in 1921 when it was re-raised as part of the Citizens Military Force following the decision to re-organise Australia's part time military forces in order to perpetuate the numerical designations and traditions of the AIF. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, the brigade was attached to the 2nd Infantry Division and was based in 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...
. Initially it consisted of four infantry battalions—the 1st, 4th, 17th and 45th Battalions
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...
—although as the war progressed its establishment was reduced as units were transferred to other formations. As a whole, the brigade did not see active service during the war and was disbanded in July 1944.
Following the end of the war, the Citizens Military Force was not re-established until 1948, when it was re-raised on a reduced establishment. Since then the brigade has been a Reserve formation, although at times its designation has been changed; from the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s it adopted the title of the 9th Task Force. The current 9th Brigade was raised on 1 February 1988 in Land Command. On 1 September 1994 the Brigade moved from under command of Land Headquarters to form part of the 2nd Division and today is based in South Australia
South Australia
South 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...
.
In November 2008, 9th Brigade mounted Rotation 17 to the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Russ Lowes, in support of Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). Rotation 17 completed their deployment and returned to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
on 5 April 2009.
9th Brigade also provides the Australian Army with a Reserve Response Force and a High Readiness Reserve Combat Team which are capable of deployment at short notice with Regular Army Units or in support of civilian agencies.
Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier 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....
Steven Smith, AM, CSC, RFD, commanded the 9th Brigade between January 2008 and December 2010.
Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
Class One (WO1) Jeffrey Carthew was the Brigade RSM
Regimental Sergeant Major
Regimental Sergeant Major is an appointment held by warrant officers class 1 in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many Commonwealth nations, including Australia and New Zealand; and by chief warrant officers in the Canadian Forces...
between January 2009 and December 2010.
Current structure
9th Brigade consists of:- HQ 9th Brigade;
- Adelaide Universities RegimentAdelaide Universities RegimentAdelaide Universities Regiment is an officer training unit of the Australian Army headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia. Currently AUR maintains a cadre staff of trained Regular and Reserve personnel who oversee and administer the training of Reserve officer cadets...
(AUR); - 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australia RegimentRoyal South Australia RegimentThe Royal South Australia Regiment is a reserve regiment of the Australian Army consisting of a single battalion, the 10th/27th Battalion, part of the 9th Brigade. It was raised on 1 July 1960, as The South Australia Regiment.-History:...
; - 12th/40th Battalion, Royal Tasmania RegimentRoyal Tasmania RegimentThe Royal Tasmania Regiment is a Reserve infantry regiment within the Australian Army consisting of a single battalion. Formed in 1960 following a review of military formations in Australia, the Regiment can trace its lineage back the late 19th Century and as served Australia in a number of...
; - 3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles)3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles)The 3rd/9th Light Horse is a Reserve light cavalry regiment of the Australian Army based in Adelaide...
; - 16th Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery;
- 48th Field Battery48 Field Battery, Royal Australian ArtilleryThe 48th Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery is an artillery battery of the Australian Army. The battery traces its lineage back to a unit that was formed for service during the First World War...
, Royal Australian Artillery; - 3rd Field Squadron, Royal Australian EngineersRoyal Australian EngineersThe Royal Australian Engineers is a corps of the Australian Army . The RAE is ranked fourth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, behind the Staff Cadets, Armoured and Artillery Corps...
; - 144th Signals Squadron; and
- 9th Combat Service Support Battalion.