18th Battalion (Australia)

2/18th Battalion (Australia) Australian Army infantry battalion January 2017 18th Battalion File:Australian 18th Infantry Battalion at Walcourt during World War I (AWM C04465).JPG 300 Members of the 18th Battalion in France, c. 1916–1918 1915–19191921–1935 1936–1944 Australia Australian Army Infantry ~800–1,000 menDuring World War I, the authorised strength of an Australian infantry battalion was 1,023 men.Kuring 2004 47. By the start of World War II, it was 910 men all ranks, however, later in the war it fell to 803.Palazzo 2004 94. Note 5th Brigade, 2nd Division Purple over green Colours World War I Gallipoli campaign Western Front Evan Alexander Wisdom 100px Unit colour patch The 18th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. During World War I, the battalion was raised in 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force, attached to the 5th Brigade, of the 2nd Division. It was sent initially to Gallipoli, where it suffered many casualties before it was withdrawn from the line and sent to France and Belgium, where it served at the Western Front as part of the Australian Corps and took part in most of the major battles between 1916 and 1918. The battalion's last engagement of the war was at Montbrehain in October 1918 and it was disbanded in April 1919. After the war, the battalion was re-raised as a part-time force in the Sydney area. It was briefly amalgamated with the 51st Battalion in 1935–1936, but the two units were later unlinked and re-raised as separate units. During World War II, the battalion served in a garrison role in Australia and was disbanded in 1944 without having seen active service overseas. History World War I Raised as an Australian Imperial Force (AIF) battalion in March 1915 as part of the 5th Brigade of the 2nd Division, the 18th Battalion was formed at Liverpool, New South Wales. Following training, the battalion was sent to Egypt, and from there to Gallipoli in August 1915 as part of a wave of reinforcements that arrived after the initial landing.Cameron 2011 17. There it participated in the costly August Offensive,http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11205.asp 18th Battalion First World War, 1914–1918 units Australian War Memorial 2 March 2009 during which it was sent to Damakjelik Bair.Cameron 2011 51. From there, they played a mainly defensive role in the campaign, apart from playing a minor role in the attack on Hill 60,Coulthard-Clark 1998 110 Beginning the battle with about 1,000 men, by the end the battalion could muster only 386.Cameron 2011 111. Following that, the battalion was placed in reserve behind the 5th Brigade's positions between Walker's Ridge and Quinn's Post,Cameron 2011 147. until they were withdrawn in December 1915. Their main area of responsibility during this time was Courtney's Post. After returning to Egypt, the AIF underwent a period of reorganisation as it was expanded from two infantry divisions to five prior to their transfer to Europe.Grey 2008 99–100. As the battalion was rebuilt, further training was undertaken before it was sent to France, arriving there in late March 1916. For the next two-and-a-half years they participated in most of the main battles fought by the Australians on the Western Front. Their first major action came at Pozières in mid-1916 as part of the wider Battle of the Somme, being committed twice in July and August. In late August, the 18th was withdrawn to Belgium to recover, before returning to the Somme in October. For the rest of 1916, the battalion undertook defensive duties along the front, although they were not involved in any major attacks. The following year, the Germans shortened their lines and withdrew to the Hindenburg Line, after which the 18th Battalion took part in the fighting around Warlencourt in February 1917 as the Allies sought to follow up the German withdrawal. A brief advance followed before they came up against the forward positions of the Hindenburg Line. In May, the 18th Battalion was committed to the Second Battle of Bullecourt before moving again to Belgium where they saw further action around the Ypres Salient at Menin Road in September and Poelcappelle in October before settling down for the winter. left|thumb|A Stokes mortar from the 18th Battalion in action near Ploegsteert, January 1918 In early 1918, following the collapse of the Russian resistance on the Eastern Front, the Germans had been able to transfer many troops to the Western Front.At 30 November 1917, there were 160 German divisions on the Western Front. Following the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, this rose to 208.Baldwin 1962 126. Note As a result, in March, they launched their German spring offensive. With the Germans making rapid gains, Australian units, including the 18th Battalion, were moved south from Belgium where they had spent the winter and they were thrown into the line to help blunt the attack around Villers-Bretonneux, which lay before the strategically important rail hub at Amiens.Coulthard-Clark 1998 138–141 After this, in August the Allies were able to launch their own offensive, which subsequently became known as the Hundred Days Offensive and ultimately brought about the Armistice. During this offensive, the battalion fought at Amiens and Mont St Quentin before assaulting "Beaurevoir Line", which was the third (and final) fortified line of the Hindenburg Line. There, at Montbrehain, on 3 October 1918, Lieutenant Joseph Maxwell earned the battalion's first and only Victoria Cross in what was ultimately to prove their last engagement of the war. After this the units of the Australian Corps, severely depleted due to heavy casualties and limited reinforcements, were withdrawn from the line upon the insistence of the Australian prime minister, Billy Hughes,Grey 2008 108. for rest and re-organisation and did not return to the front before the Armistice was declared on 11 November 1918. Following the end of hostilities, the demobilisation process began and as personnel were repatriated back to Australia, the battalion's numbers dwindled until the battalion was finally disbanded on 11 April 1919, while it was still in Belgium.http://www.awm.gov.au/diaries/ww1/folder.asp?folder=959 AWM4, 23/35/45, 18th Battalion War Diary, entry for 11 April 1919 Australian War Memorial 2 March 2009 Throughout the course of the war, the battalion suffered 3,513 casualties, of which 1,060 were killed. Members of the battalion received the following decorations: one Victoria Cross, one Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, five Distinguished Service Orders, 35 Distinguished Conduct Medals, 44 Military Crosses, 158 Military Medals, seven Meritorious Service Medals and 39 Mentions in Despatches. The 18th Battalion received 20 battle honours for its war service. Subsequent service Australia's part-time military force was re-organised in 1921 to perpetuate the numerical designations, battle honours and formations of the AIF.Grey 2008 125. The 18th Battalion was re-raised in the Kuring-Gai region of Sydney, as part of the Citizens Forces, at this time drawing personnel from 17th and 18th Infantry Regiments.Festberg 1972 80 In 1927, when territorial designations were adopted,http://www.army.gov.au/AHU/docs/A_Century_of_Service_Stanley.pdf Stanley, Peter Broken Lineage: The Australian Army's Heritage of Discontinuity Army History Unit A Century of Service 21 November 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110604154120/http://www.army.gov.au/AHU/docs/A_Century_of_Service_Stanley.pdf 4 June 2011 it assumed the title of the "Kuring-Gai Regiment". http://regiments.org/regiments/australia/lists/aargxrefn.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20071011044235/http://regiments.org/regiments/australia/lists/aargxrefn.htm Regiments and Corps of Australia Land Forces of Britain, The Empire and Commonwealth Regiments.org 11 October 2007 21 November 2011 On 1 July 1935, the 18th Battalion was amalgamated with the 51st Battalion to form the 18th/51st Battalion. This lasted until 1 October 1936, when the two battalions were unlinked and re-formed as separate units.Festberg 1972, p. 80. At the outbreak of World War II, the battalion was based at Willoughby, New South Wales, where it formed part of the 8th Brigade, attached to the 1st Division within the 2nd Military District. http://www.ozatwar.com/ausarmy/2ndmildist.htm 2nd Military District of the Australian Army in September 1939 Oz at War 21 November 2011 By April 1941, the battalion formed part of the 9th Brigade.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2070 In November 1942, the battalion's machine gun company was detached and in conjunction with several other Militia machine gun companies, it was used to form the 6th Machine Gun Battalion.Morgan 2019 5 Throughout the war, the battalion remained in Australia, where it conducted garrison duties before being disbanded on 20 October 1944. http://www.ordersofbattle.com/Units/UnitHistory?UniX=6788 18 Infantry Battalion: History Orders of Battle.com 21 November 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20140324141513/http://www.ordersofbattle.com/Units/UnitData?UniX=6788&Tab=Uhi&Titl=18%20Infantry%20Battalion 24 March 2014 Over the course of the war, it was assigned variously to the 8th, 9th, 28th and 1st Brigades. http://www.ordersofbattle.com/Units/UnitSuperiors?UniX=6788 18 Infantry Battalion: Superiors Orders of Battle.com 21 November 2011 Following the conclusion of the demobilisation process, Australia's part-time military force was re-raised under the guise of the Citizens Military Force in 1948.Grey 2008 200. At this time, the 18th Battalion was re-raised, albeit as an amalgamated unit with the 17th Battalion to form the 17th/18th Battalion (The North Shore Regiment).http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-army-today/state-regts/rnswr-off-orbat.htm#17%20RNSWR Royal New South Wales Regiment Battalions Off Orbat Harris Ted Digger History.org 15 May 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090702115041/http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-army-today/state-regts/rnswr-off-orbat.htm 2 July 2009 live In 1960, the Australian Army was reorganised along Pentropic lines,Grey 2008 228. and the 17th/18th Battalion became 'B' Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment (2 RNSWR).2/17 Battalion History Committee 1998 328 When the Pentropic divisional structure was abandoned in 1965, however, the 17th Battalion was reformed in its own right as the 17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment, but the 18th Battalion was not re-raised. Battle honours The 18th battalion received the following battle honours: World War I: Suvla, Gallipoli 1915–16, Egypt 1915–16, Somme 1916–18, Pozières, Bapaume 1917, Bullecourt, Ypres 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Hamel, Amiens, Albert 1918, Mont St Quentin, Hindenburg Line, Beaurevoir, France and Flanders 1916–18. World War II: Malaya 1941–42, Johore, Jemaluang, Singapore Island.Entrusted to the 18th Battalion in 1961 to hold on behalf of the 2/18th Battalion. Note Commanding officers During World War I, the following officers served as commanding officer of the 18th Battalion: Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Ernest Chapman; Lieutenant Colonel Evan Alexander Wisdom, DSO;Wisdom received his DSO for actions at Gallipoli. He later achieved the rank of brigadier general.http://www.awm.gov.au/units/people_17843.asp Evan Alexander Wisdom Australian War Memorial 21 November 2011 Note Lieutenant Colonel George Francis Murphy. During World War II, the following officers commanded the 18th Battalion:Pratten 2009 317. Lieutenant Colonel Claude Ewen Cameron; Lieutenant Colonel Garnet Ingamells Adcock; Lieutenant Colonel Clive Henry Neville. Notes Footnotes Note Citations 3 References 2/17 Battalion History Committee What We Have We Hold: A History of the 2/17 Australian Infantry Battalion, 1940–1945 1998 Australian Military History Publications Loftus, New South Wales 1-876439-36-X Baldwin Hanson World War I: An Outline History 1962 Hutchinson London 988365 Cameron David Gallipoli: The Final Battles Evacuation of Anzac 2011 Big Sky Publishing Newport, New South Wales 978-0-9808140-9-5 Coulthard-Clark Chris 1998 Where Australians Fought: The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles 1st Allen and Unwin St Leonards, New South Wales 1-86448-611-2 Festberg Alfred The Lineage of the Australian Army 1972 Allara Publishing Melbourne, Victoria 978-0-85887-024-6 Grey Jeffrey Jeffrey Grey A Military History of Australia 3rd Cambridge University Press Melbourne, Victoria 2008 978-0-521-69791-0 Kuring Ian Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001 2004 Australian Military History Publications Loftus, New South Wales 1-876439-99-8 McKenzie-Smith Graham Graham McKenzie-Smith 2018 The Unit Guide: The Australian Army 1939–1945, Volume 2 Big Sky Publishing Warriewood, New South Wales 978-1-925675-146 Morgan Joseph They Also Served: The 6th and 7th Machine Gun Battalions During World War II Sabretache Military Historical Society of Australia LX 1 2019 4–10 0048-8933 Palazzo Albert Organising for Jungle Warfare The Foundations of Victory: The Pacific War 1943–1944 2004 Dennis, Peter Grey, Jeffrey Army History Unit Canberra, Australian Capital Territory https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/2003-the_pacific_war_1943-1944_part_1_0.pdf 978-0-646-43590-9 26 July 2017 14 April 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180414083928/https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/2003-the_pacific_war_1943-1944_part_1_0.pdf dead Pratten Garth Garth Pratten Australian Battalion Commanders in the Second World War 2009 Cambridge University Press Port Melbourne, Victoria 978-0-521-76345-5 June 2020 collapsed 18 Category:Military units and formations established in 1915 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944 Category:1915 establishments in Australia Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1919 Category:Military units and formations established in 1921 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1935 Category:Military units and formations established in 1936