1st Division (Australia)

One of two divisions of the Australian Army November 2020 May 2011 1st Division Lone Pine trench 6 August 1915.jpg A black and white photograph of men wearing military units in a trench. One man stands on a parapet looking away to the left, while others behind him stare into the camera Members of the 7th Battalion in a trench at Lone Pine, 6 August 1915 1914–19191921–19451960–present Australia Australian Army Division Main deployment force Major General Ash Collingburn Brisbane, Queensland 75px Unit colour patch First World War Gallipoli campaign Western Front Second World War William BridgesJames LeggeTalbot HobbsHarry ChauvelWilliam GlasgowHerbert LloydPeter Cosgrove The 1st Division, also known as the 1st (Australian) Division, is a division headquartered in Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane. The division was first formed in 1914 for service during the First World War as a part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). It was initially part of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) and served with that formation during the Gallipoli campaign, before later serving on the Western Front. After the war, the division became a part-time unit based in New South Wales. During the Second World War it undertook defensive duties in Australia. It was disbanded in 1945. After the Second World War, the division remained off the Australian Army's order of battle until the 1960s, when it was reformed in New South Wales. In 1965 it adopted a certification role, determining the operational readiness of units deploying to Vietnam. It was re-formed in 1973 as a full division based in Queensland and in the decades that followed it formed the Australian Army's main formation, including both Regular and Reserve personnel. Throughout this period, the division's component units undertook multiple operations, mainly focused on peacekeeping in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Following the restructuring of the Australian Army under the "Adaptive Army" initiative, the 1st Division no longer had any combat units assigned to it, although the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment became a direct command unit in late 2017. In 2023 the Army's three regular combat brigades were assigned to the 1st Division, which subsequently also gained a logistics brigade and an artillery brigade. The division is tasked with co-ordinating the Army's high-level training activities and maintaining the "Deployable Joint Force Headquarters" (DJFHQ). In the event of the Australian Army undertaking a large-scale land-based operation, the division would have further combat units force assigned to it and would command all deployed assets including those of the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force.1st Division – Australian Army3 History First World War Gallipoli Order of Battle, 1st Division, First World WarStevenson 2013 42 Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (1915) I Anzac Corps (1916–1917) Australian Corps (1917–1918) 1st Brigade (New South Wales) 1st Battalion 2nd Battalion 3rd Battalion 4th Battalion 2nd Brigade (Victoria) 5th Battalion 6th Battalion 7th Battalion 8th Battalion 3rd Brigade 9th Battalion (Queensland) 10th Battalion (South Australia) 11th Battalion (Western Australia) 12th Battalion (SA, WA, Tasmania) 4th Light Horse Regiment 1st Division Artillery 1st Field Artillery Brigade 2nd Field Artillery Brigade 3rd Field Artillery Brigade 1st Field Ambulance 2nd Field Ambulance 3rd Field Ambulance 1st Pioneer Battalion (1916 onwards) 1st Machine Gun Battalion (1918) 4 field engineer companies 4 service corps companies The Australian 1st Division was raised during the initial formation of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 15 August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. The division consisted of around 18,000 men, organised into three infantry brigades, each of four battalions, and various supporting units including artillery, light horse, engineers and medical personnel.Stevenson 2007 185–187 Each infantry battalion initially consisted of eight companies, although in January 1915, they were reorganised into the British four-company system.Stevenson 2013 42 Its first commander was the senior Australian general and head of the AIF, Major General William Bridges.Grey 2008 85–88 Over the course of six weeks, the division's subordinate units were raised separately in the various states before embarking overseas. The transports then concentrated off the Western Australian coast and the combined fleet sailed for Britain.Stevenson 2007 188 While en route, concerns about overcrowding in the training camps in the United Kingdom meant that the decision was made to land the division in Egypt, where it would complete its training before being transported to the Western Front.Stevenson 2007 189 thumb|left|The 11th Battalion posing on the Great Pyramid of Giza, 1915. thumb|right|Men of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, AIF, leaving their camp at Mena, Egypt, bound for Lemnos on their way to Gallipoli, February 1915. While in Egypt, the division was assigned to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps along with the New Zealand and Australian Division. Following the Allied decision to force a passage through the Dardanelles, the division was allocated to take part in a landing on the Gallipoli peninsula along with Anglo-French forces.Stevenson 2007 189 The 1st Division made the initial landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915. The 3rd Brigade formed the covering force which landed first, around dawn.Grey 2008 94 The 1st and 2nd Brigades followed, landing from transports, and all were ashore by 9:00 am. While the landing was lightly opposed on the beach by elements of a single Turkish battalion,Haythornthwaite 2004 39 the Australians were checked short of their objectives as Turkish reinforcements arrived to secure the high ground around Chunuk Bair and Sari Bair.Coulthard-Clark 1998 102 Critical fights developed on the left, over the hill known as Baby 700, and on the right on 400 Plateau,Broadbent 2005 85 but stalemate set in and little further progress would be made for the remaining eight months of the campaign.Coulthard-Clark 1998 103 On 15 May 1915, after Bridges was mortally wounded by a sniper,Grey 2008 96 an English officer, Brigadier General Harold Walker was given temporary command while a replacement was dispatched from Australia.Broadbent 2005 194 This was Colonel James Legge,Broadbent 2005 236 the Australian Chief of the General Staff, who was not an immediately popular choice with either his corps commander, Lieutenant General William Birdwood, or his subordinate brigade commanders.Mionnet 2004 33 That same month, the division's artillery – three field artillery brigades each operating twelve 18-pound pieces, which had proved inadequate in the early battle, was boosted by the arrival of several Japanese-made trench mortars. They were later joined by several heavier guns including a 4.7-inch gun and two 6-inch howitzers.Stevenson 2013 43 On 24 June, Legge replaced Walker, who returned to command of the 1st Brigade, but after Legge was evacuated from Gallipoli he was moved sideways to command of the newly formed Australian 2nd Division and Walker resumed command of the 1st Division.Mionnet 2004 31–34 The 1st Division's role in the August Offensive was to hold the front line and conduct a diversion on 400 Plateau at Lone Pine on 6 August.Ekins 2009 24 The resulting battle was the only occasion when a significant length of the Turkish trench line was captured, but resulted in heavy casualties. The main assault was made by the 1st Brigade, which was later reinforced by the 7th and 12th Battalions. Out of an assault force of 2,900 men, 1,700 were killed or wounded.Haythornthwaite 2004 72 On 7 August, the 6th Battalion from the 2nd Brigade made an unsuccessful attempt to capture the German Officers' Trench as a preliminary operation to other assaults by light horsemen at Quinn's Post and the Nek.Broadbent 2005 199 & 203 In October, Walker was severely wounded and replaced by the division's artillery commander, Brigadier General Talbot Hobbs who in turn fell ill and was replaced on 6 November by the commander of the Australian 1st Light Horse Brigade, Brigadier General Harry Chauvel.Mionnet 2004 31–37 The 1st Division was evacuated from the peninsula in December, returning to Egypt. During the early months of 1916 the AIF underwent a period of re-organisation and expansion, and the division's experienced personnel were used to provide cadre staff to the newly formed 4th and 5th Divisions before being brought back up to strength in preparation for deployment to the Western Front.Stevenson 2007 189–190 On 14 March, Walker, having recovered from his wounds, resumed command of the division, now part of I Anzac Corps.Mionnet 2004 31 Seven members of the division received the Victoria Cross for their actions during the campaign: Alexander Burton, William Dunstan, Frederick Tubb, Patrick Hamilton, Leonard Keysor, Alfred Shout, William Symons.Mionnet 2004 4 & 19 Somme, 1916 After reorganising in Egypt, where it was briefly employed to defend the Suez Canal against an Ottoman attack that never came,Mionnet 2004 4 the 1st Division was transferred to France in mid-March. Arriving in Marseille, they were moved by train to northern France where it was initially sent to a quiet sector south of Armentières to acclimatise to the Western Front conditions.Stevenson 2007 190 The division was not considered ready to be committed to the fighting at the start of the offensive on the Somme in early July,Stevenson 2007 190 but as it dragged on I Anzac was sent to join the British Reserve Army of Lieutenant General Hubert Gough who intended to use the Australian divisions to take the village of Pozières.Stevenson 2007 190 Walker resisted Gough's efforts to throw the 1st Division into battle unprepared, insisting on careful preparation. When the 1st Division attacked shortly after midnight on 23 July, it succeeded in capturing half of the village but failed to make progress in the neighbouring German trench system. After enduring a heavy German bombardment, far surpassing anything yet experienced by an Australian unit, the 1st Division was withdrawn, having suffered 5,285 casualties, and was replaced by the Australian 2nd Division.Mionnet 2004 5 The division's respite was brief as in mid-August, with its battalions restored to about two-thirds strength, it returned to the line on Pozières Ridge, relieving the Australian 4th Division and continuing the slow progress towards Mouquet Farm. On 22 August, having lost another 2,650 men, the division was once again relieved by the 2nd Division.Mionnet 2004 5 The division rotated through the line, conducting patrols and raids until 5 September when I Anzac Corps was withdrawn from the Somme and sent to Ypres for rest. The division anticipated spending winter quarters in Flanders but was recalled to the Somme for the final stages of the British offensive. This time they joined the British Fourth Army, holding a sector south of Pozières near the village of Flers. The battlefield had been reduced to a slough of mud but the 1st Division was required to mount a number of attacks around Gueudecourt during the Battle of Le Transloy; all ended in failure which was inevitable in the conditions.Stevenson 2007 191 German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line, 1917 Starting on 24 February 1917, the 1st Division took part in the pursuit of the German forces as they retreated to their prepared fortifications in the Hindenburg Line.Mionnet 2004 6 The division advanced against the German screen towards Bapaume and, on the night of 26 February, the 3rd Brigade captured the villages of Le Barque and Ligny-Thilloy. On the morning of 2 March, they withstood a German attempt to retake the villages. The 1st Division was then withdrawn to rest, joining the 4th Division. I Anzac's pursuit was carried on by the 2nd and 5th Divisions.Bean 1993 319 By April, the 1st Division (and I Anzac Corps) was once again part of Gough's Fifth Army (formerly the Reserve Army). On 9 April – the day the British launched the Battle of Arras – the 1st Division captured the last three villages (Hermies, Boursies and Demicourt) used by the Germans as outposts of the Hindenburg Line,Stevenson 2013 5 thereby bringing the British line in striking distance of the main Hindenburg defences. This action cost the division 649 casualties.Stevenson 2013 63 For actions during the fighting at Boursies, Captain James Newland and Sergeant John Whittle, both of the 12th Battalion (3rd Brigade), were awarded the Victoria Cross.Mionnet 2004 19 Hindenburg Line, 1917 The 1st Division was in support during the First Battle of Bullecourt which was the Fifth Army's main contribution to the Arras offensive.Bean 1993 326 Once the first attempt on Bullecourt had failed, British attention concentrated on Arras and the Fifth Army's front was stretched thin with the 1st Division having to cover more than 12000 yd.Bean 1993 334–335 The Germans, well aware of the vulnerable state of the British defences, launched a counter-stroke on 15 April (the Battle of Lagnicourt). The Germans attacked with 23 battalions against four Australian battalions.Mionnet 2004 6 The German plan was to drive back the advanced posts, destroy supplies and guns and then retire to the Hindenburg defences. However, despite their numerical superiority, the Germans were unable to penetrate the Australian line. The 1st Division's artillery batteries in front of Lagnicourt were overrun and the village was occupied for two hours but counter-attacks from the Australian 9th and 20th Battalions (the latter from the 2nd Division) drove the Germans out. In this action the Australians suffered 1,010 casualties, mainly in the 1st Division, against 2,313 German casualties.Stevenson 2013 166 Only five artillery guns were damaged.Bean 1993 336 On 3 May the Second Battle of Bullecourt commenced. Initially the 1st Division in reserve but it was drawn into the fighting on the second day when the 1st Brigade was detached to support the 2nd Division's attack. The Australians seized a foothold in the Hindenburg Line which over the following days was slowly expanded. By 6 May, they had captured over 1000 yd m of the German trenchline, and the 3rd Brigade had also been committed. The German attempts to drive the British from their gains finally ceased on 17 May and the 1st Division was withdrawn for an extended rest, having suffered 2,341 casualties.Mionnet 2004 7 Third Battle of Ypres thumb|Soldiers from the 1st Division at Hooge, 5 October 1917 The 1st Division's artillery was in action from the start of the Third Battle of Ypres on 31 July 1917 but the infantry were not called upon until the second phase of the battle commenced on 20 September with the Battle of Menin Road. Attacking across 1000 m yd on front, along with ten other divisions, including the Australian 2nd Division on their left, the 1st Division captured around 1500 m yd of ground, securing Glencorse Wood and gaining a foothold in Polygon Wood.Stevenson 2013 171 The Australian divisions suffered 5,000 casualties from the battle – the 1st Division lost 2,754 menStevenson 2013 63 – mainly due to retaliatory shelling from heavy artillery after the advance had completed.Bean 1993 367 The 1st Division was relieved by the Australian 5th Division before the next assault, the Battle of Polygon Wood (26 September), but in turn took up the advance for the following Battle of Broodseinde (4 October), the third and final of the successful bite-and-hold attacks conceived by General Herbert Plumer of the British Second Army. This battle marked the peak of British success during 3rd Ypres and apart from minor roles on the southern flank of the Canadian Corps during the Battle of Poelcappelle, First Battle of Passchendaele and the Second Battle of Passchendaele, it was the end of the 1st Division's involvement.Stevenson 2013 178–179 The division's casualties were 2,448 men killed or wounded.Stevenson 2013 63 Hazebrouck The Australians wintered in Flanders, engaging in vigorous patrolling and raiding. The 1st Division was still at Messines when the Germans launched their final offensive starting on the Somme with Operation Michael on 21 March 1918. In the first week of April, the 1st Division, along with the 2nd, began moving to the Somme when, on 9 April, the Germans launched Operation Georgette; an attack north and south of Armentières followed by a swift drive towards the vital rail junction of Hazebrouck.Stevenson 2007 191Stevenson 2013 185 The 1st Division, having reached Amiens and about to join up with the Australian Corps, was ordered to turn around and hurry back north.Stevenson 2007 191 Hazebrouck was reached on 12 April, just in time to relieve the exhausted British divisions. Holding a line 5 mi km east of the town, the 1st Division helped halt the German advance on 13 April (the Battle of Hazebrouck) and then repulsed a renewed offensive on 17 April after which the Germans abandoned their push, concentrating instead on the high ground west of Messines.Bean 1993 428–429 The division remained active in Flanders from May to July, engaging in a process of informal but carefully planned raiding known as peaceful penetration.Stevenson 2013 188 Their greatest success came on 11 July when they took 1000 yd of front, 120 prisoners and 11 machine guns from the German 13th Reserve Division. This unrelenting pressure had a severe impact on German morale.Bean 1993 455 Hundred Days, 1918 The 1st Division returned to the Australian Corps on 8 August 1918, the day on which the final British offensive commenced with the Battle of Amiens. The division was sent into action the following day, relieving the 5th Division, but arrived late due to its rushed preparation.Stevenson 2013 195 The 1st Division continued the attack for the next three days, driving towards Lihons, but progress was slow as the Australians moved beyond their supporting guns and tanks.Bean 1993 474–475 On 23 August the 1st Division attacked south of the River Somme towards Chuignes with the British 32nd Division on its southern flank attacking Herleville. The Australians suffered 1,000 casualties but took 2,000 German prisoners out of a total of 8,000 captured by both the British Third and Fourth Armies on that day. The 1st also captured a German 15-in naval gun.Stevenson 2013 203 On 18 September, despite being severely depleted – only 2,854 infantrymen out of division's 12,204 nominal strength were available – the 1st Division took part in the assault on the Hindenburg "Outpost" Line during the Battle of Épehy, capturing a large section of the line.Mionnet 2004 7 After this, the division was withdrawn from the line.Bean 1942 935 They would take no further part in the fighting, having lost 677 men in their final battle.Stevenson 2013 63 In early October, the rest of the Australian Corps, severely depleted due to heavy casualties and falling enlistments in Australia, was also withdrawn upon a request made by Prime Minister Billy Hughes, to re-organise in preparation for further operations.Grey 2008 109 On 11 November, an armistice came into effect, and as hostilities came to an end, the division's personnel were slowly repatriated back to Australia for demobilisation and discharge. This was completed by 23 March 1919, when the division was disbanded. Throughout the course of the war, the division suffered losses of around 15,000 men killed and 35,000 wounded,Stevenson 2007 192–193 out of the 80,000 men that served in its ranks.Stevenson 2007 197 In commemoration of its war dead, the division built a memorial a stone obelisk memorial at Pozières, as the division lost more casualties there than any other battle (7,654 casualties in six weeks). The memorial lists the division's main battles as: Pozières, Mouquet Farm, Le Barque, Thilloy, Boursies, Demicourt, Hermies, Lagnicourt, Bullecourt, Third Ypres, Menin Road, Broodseinde Ridge, Poelcapelle, Second Passchendaele, Hazebrouck, Second Somme, Lihons, Chuignolles, Hindenburg Line and Épehy.McLachlan 2007 Inter war years Order of Battle, 1st Division, 1922Mionnet 2004 20 1st Brigade (Newcastle) 13th Battalion 33rd Battalion 35th Battalion 41st Battalion 7th Brigade (Brisbane) 15th Battalion 25th Battalion 26th Battalion 49th Battalion 8th Brigade (Sydney) 2nd Battalion 17th Battalion 18th Battalion 30th Battalion 51st Battalion Sydney University Scouts 16th Field Ambulance 1st Division Engineers 1st Mobile Veterinary Section 1st Division Signals 1st Division Artillery Medical Army Service Corps In 1921, after the AIF was disbanded, the part-time Citizens Forces was re-organised to adopt the numerical designations of the AIF.Grey 2008 125 Thus the 1st Division was re-raised as a reserve formation, initially under the command of Colonel Charles Brand, composed primarily of infantry units based in New South Wales and Queensland.Mionnet 2004 8 During the inter-war years, the assignment of battalions to brigades and divisions varied considerably within the Army and as a result the 1st Division's composition was changed a number of times; its initial order of battle included three infantry brigades – the 1st, 7th and 8th – each of four infantry battalions, and various supporting elements including engineers, field ambulance, artillery, signals, transport, medical, veterinarians and service corps troops.Mionnet 2004 20 The division was based headquartered at Burwood, New South Wales.Mionnet 2004 9 Second World War Upon the outbreak of Second World War the 1st Division consisted of two infantry brigades – the 1st and 8th – as well as two field artillery regiments, one medium artillery regiment and two engineer field companies.Orders of Battle At this stage the division was partly mobilised, although as the provisions of the Defence Act (1903) precluded the deployment of the Militia to fight outside of Australian territory, it was decided to raise an all volunteer force for overseas service. This force was known as the Second Australian Imperial Force, and initially about a quarter of its soldiers were drawn from the Citizens Military Forces. After fighting broke out in the Pacific, however, in December 1941 members of the Militia were prevented from joining the AIF and were called up for full-time service to bolster defences in Australia in an effort to counter the possibility of attacks by Japanese land forces against the Australian mainland.Grey 2008 145–147 Later a number of Militia formations took part in the fighting against the Japanese in the Pacific, notably in New Guinea and Borneo, however, the 1st Division remained in Australia throughout the war.Orders of Battle Based in New South Wales, the division formed part of the Port Kembla Covering Force during the early stages of the Pacific War and in March 1942 became part of the II Corps, First Army.Mionnet 2004 9 During this time the division's composition changed numerous times as many of its subordinate units were transferred. Shortly after mobilisation the division lost its engineer field companies and in June 1940 the three artillery regiments assigned to the division were also transferred out, to be replaced by a light horse regiment which had been converted to the machine gun role although this too was later removed from the division's order of battle.Orders of Battle In mid-1942, the division's headquarters staff were transferred along with their commander, Major General Cyril Clowes, to Milne Force, which later took part in the Battle of Milne Bay.Mionnet 2004 9 Later the division was transferred to the Second Army.Mionnet 2004 10 By April 1943, the division consisted of the 1st, 9th and 28th Brigades, and was headquartered in Parramatta.Dexter 1961 16 As manpower restrictions in the Australian economy forced the early demobilisation of large numbers of men, the majority of which came from infantry units in Australia that were not involved in fighting overseas. The 1st Division was one of these units and by January 1945, when the 2nd Brigade was disbanded, the division consisted of only one infantry brigade, the 1st.Long 1963 25 The division was officially disbanded on 6 April 1945.Mionnet 2004 10 Post Second World War Order of Battle, 1st Division, 2004Mionnet 2004 27 1st Brigade (Darwin) 1st Armoured Regiment 2nd Cavalry Regiment 1st Combat Engineer Regiment 1st Combat Signals Regiment 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 1st Combat Service Support Battalion 3rd Brigade (Townsville) B Squadron, 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment 4th Field Regiment 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment 3rd Combat Signals Regiment 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 3rd Combat Service Support Battalion 7th Brigade (Brisbane) 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment 1st Field Regiment 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment 7th Combat Signals Regiment 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment 25th/49th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment 7th Combat Service Support Battalion 11th Brigade (Townsville) 35th Field Squadron, RAE 11th Combat Signals Regiment 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment 42nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment 11th Combat Service Support Battalion 1st Joint Support Unnit 131st STAB right|thumb|1RAR soldiers prepare to board a United States Marine Corps helicopter in Somalia After the Second World War, the Australian military was demobilised.Grey 2008 198–200 By 1948 this process had been completed and a period of reorganisation began. This resulted in the establishment of a Regular infantry force consisting of a single brigade and two divisions of part-time soldiers in the Citizens Military Force (CMF).Grey 2008 200–201 There was no room within this structure for the 1st Division and as a result it remained off the Australian Army's order of battle until 1960, when its headquarters was reformed in Sydney, following the implementation of the Pentropic divisional structure, commanding all Army units – Regular and CMF – in New South Wales. It was also responsible for training some CMF units in other states.Mionnet 2004 10 In 1965, the Pentropic structure was abolished and the divisional headquarters' was tasked with determining the readiness of units deploying to Vietnam. It fulfilled this role until Australia's commitment to the conflict ended in late 1972. In November the following year, the division was established at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane, Queensland, and was re-formed as the Australian Army's "main striking force".Mionnet 2004 10 Throughout the Cold War era, the division grew into a formation of over 13,000 personnel, which, at its peak in the early 2000s consisted of four brigades: two Regular, one integrated and one Reserve spread across Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory.Mionnet 2004 10 In 1997, the formation's headquarters assumed the additional task of raising a deployable joint force headquarters, tasked with commanding Army, Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Australian Navy assets during large-scale operations.Mionnet 2004 10 During this time, the division was not deployed as a complete formation, although its elements undertook numerous operations. These include peacekeeping operations in Namibia, Western Sahara, Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, East Timor, and the Solomon Islands. The division also deployed personnel to Iraq as part of Operation Catalyst and to Afghanistan as part of Operation Slipper.Mionnet 2004 11 Present thumb|right|480px|1st (Australian) Division organization 2025 Following the establishment of Forces Command, in 2009, and the implementation of the "Adaptive Army" initiative it was decided that no combat units would be directly assigned to the 1st Division on a permanent basis.Adaptive Army Instead, it was decided that all combat forces would be assigned to Forces Command and the Headquarters 1st Division would provide a command and control function for "high-level training activities", during which activities combat units would be force assigned to the division.1st Division – Australian Army It was also tasked with commanding "large scale ground operations" and, at the behest of Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC), the divisional headquarters was tasked with forming the "Deployable Joint Force Headquarters (DJFHQ)", responsible for commanding all deployed forces including those of the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force.1st Division – Australian Army As of mid-October 2017, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment became a direct command unit of headquarters of the 1st Division, serving as a specialist amphibious warfare unit. The unit remains based at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville.Doran Mark Amphibious Display https://www.armynewspaper.defence.gov.au/army-news/august-10th-2017/flipbook/12/ Army: The soldiers' newspaper 10 August 2017 Department of Defence Canberra 12 2209-2218 1402 20 July 2023 Effective 1 July 2023, the division was renamed the 1st (Australian) Division. The 1st, 3rd and 7th Brigades were also placed under the direct control of the division's headquarters. This reform aimed to improve the connections between the divisional headquarters and the brigades it commands during deployments.Commands, divisions adjusted https://www.armynewspaper.defence.gov.au/army-news/july-20-2023/flipbook/2/ Army: The soldiers' newspaper 20 July 2023 Department of Defence Canberra 2 2209-2218 1539 15 July 2023 15 July 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230715033708/https://www.armynewspaper.defence.gov.au/army-news/july-20-2023/flipbook/2/ dead The 17th Sustainment Brigade was transferred to the 1st Division on 5 November 2024.Big changes for 17th Sustainment Brigade https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2024-12-05/big-changes-17th-sustainment-brigade Department of Defence 5 December 2024 5 December 2024 In December 2024 the 1st Intelligence Battalion and 7th Signal Regiment were temporarily assigned to the direct command of the 1st Division's headquarters when the 6th Brigade was disbanded. These two units will be transferred to the 10th Brigade after it is re-raised.Historic brigade lowers its colours https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2024-12-02/historic-brigade-lowers-its-colours Department of Defence 5 December 2024 2 December 2024 Commanding generals Date commenced Date ended CommanderMionnet 2004 12 26 October 1914 15 May 1915 BridgesMajor General William Bridges AUS CMG 15 May 1915 22 June 1915 WalkerBrigadier General Harold Walker AUS DSO 22 June 1915 26 July 1915 LeggeMajor General James Legge AUS CMG 26 July 1915 13 October 1915 WalkerBrigadier General Harold Walker AUS DSO 13 October 1915 6 November 1915 HobbsBrigadier General Talbot Hobbs 6 November 1915 14 March 1916 ChauvelMajor General Harry Chauvel AUS , CB CMG 14 March 1916 31 May 1918 WalkerMajor General Sir Harold Walker AUS , KCB DSO 30 June 1918 6 May 1919 GlasgowMajor General Sir Thomas Glasgow AUS , KCB CMG DSO 1 May 1921 31 December 1925 BrandMajor General Charles Brand AUS , CB CMG DSO 1 January 1926 31 May 1927 BrucheMajor General Julius Bruche AUS , CB CMG 1 June 1927 5 April 1929 DoddsBrigadier General Thomas Dodds AUS , CMG CVO DSO 23 July 1929 30 November 1931 HeritageBrigadier Francis Heritage AUS , CBE MVO 16 January 1932 31 January 1933 CorletteBrigadier James Corlette AUS , CMG DSO VD 1 February 1933 10 July 1934 PhillipsBrigadier General Owen Phillips AUS , CMG DSO 24 August 1934 1 June 1935 NorrieBrigadier Edward Norrie AUS , DSO VD 1 June 1935 5 November 1939 HardieMajor General John Hardie AUS , DSO OBE 5 November 1939 1 May 1940 JacksonMajor General Robert Jackson AUS , CMG DSO 2 May 1940 6 January 1941 FewtrellMajor General Albert Fewtrell AUS DSO 7 January 1942 31 July 1942 ClowesMajor General Cyril Clowes AUS , DSO MC 1 August 1942 21 September 1943 DerhamMajor General Francis Derham AUS DSO 22 September 1943 7 May 1945 LloydMajor General Herbert Lloyd AUS , CB CMG CVO DSO 12 December 1960 30 November 1963 MurdochMajor General Ian Murdoch AUS CBE 1 December 1963 8 May 1966 AndersenMajor General John Andersen AUS CBE 8 May 1966 13 January 1967 VincentMajor General Douglas Vincent AUS OBE 24 May 1967 16 December 1968 MackayMajor General Kenneth Mackay AUS MBE 30 January 1969 20 August 1969 WeirBrigadier Stuart Weir AUS MC (Acting) 13 October 1969 28 February 1970 PearsonMajor General Cedric Pearson AUS , DSO OBE MC 20 April 1970 6 December 1970 HayMajor General Robert Hay AUS , CB MBE 5 April 1971 31 October 1973 HendersonMajor General William Henderson AUS , DSO OBE 1 November 1973 February 1974 GrahamMajor General Stuart Graham AUS , DSO OBE MC 13 February 1974 1975 HughesMajor General Ronald Hughes AUS , CBE DSO February 1975 March 1977 McDonaldMajor General Bruce McDonald AUS , DSO OBE MC 21 March 1977 3 June 1979 BennettMajor General Phillip Bennett AUS DSO June 1979 March 1981 KellyMajor General John Kelly AUS DSO March 1981 March 1984 DrabschMajor General David Drabsch AUS , AO MBE March 1984 March 1985 Clunies-RossMajor General Adrian Clunies-Ross AUS MBE March 1985 March 1988 JefferyMajor General Michael Jeffery AUS , AO MC March 1988 January 1991 FittockMajor General Arthur Fittock AUS AO January 1991 June 1994 ArnisonMajor General Peter Arnison AUS AO June 1994 February 1996 KeatingMajor General Michael Keating AUS AM February 1996 March 1998 FordMajor General Tim Ford March 1998 November 1999 CosgroveMajor General Peter Cosgrove AUS , AM MC November 1999 July 2002 MolanMajor General Jim Molan AUS AO July 2002 April 2004 JacksonMajor General Mark Evans AUS , DSC AM April 2004 July 2005 KellyMajor General Mark Kelly AUS , AM 2 July 2005 6 July 2007 PowerMajor General Ash Power AUS , AM CSC 6 July 2007 2009 WilsonMajor General Richard Wilson AUS , AO 2009 22 February 2011 SlaterMajor General Michael Slater AUS , DSC AM CSC 22 February 2011 31 October 2012 BurrMajor General Rick Burr AUS , DSC AM MVO 31 October 2012 November 2015 SmithMajor General Stuart Smith AUS , AO DSC November 2015 5 December 2018 SmithMajor General Paul McLachlan AUS , AO CSChttp://www.army.gov.au/Our-people/Leaders/Commander-1st-Division Commander 1st Division Australian Army 18 March 2016 18 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160324143632/http://www.army.gov.au/Our-people/Leaders/Commander-1st-Division 24 March 2016 dead 6 December 2018 30 November 2021 SmithMajor General Jake Ellwood AUS , DSC AM 30 November 2021 12 December 2023 SmithMajor General Scott Winter AUS , AM 12 December 2023 Incumbent SmithMajor General Ash Collingburn AUS , AM DSM See also 1916 Pioneer Exhibition Game Notes References https://www.army.gov.au/our-people/units/1st-division 1st Division Australian Army Our people 14 September 2018 CITEREF1st Division – Australian Army https://web.archive.org/web/20180914094248/https://www.army.gov.au/our-people/units/1st-division 14 September 2018 dead http://www.army.gov.au/docs/Adaptive_Army_Public_Info_Paper.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20110422123258/http://www.army.gov.au/docs/Adaptive_Army_Public_Info_Paper.pdf Adaptive Army Public Information Paper Australian Army 4 June 2013 22 April 2011 CITEREFAdaptive Army http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=6208&Tab=Uhi https://archive.today/20070706171348/http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=6208&Tab=Uhi dead 6 July 2007 Australian 1st Division Orders of Battle.com 21 November 2009 CITEREFOrders of Battle Bean Charles Charles Bean 1946 1993 rev. Anzac to Amiens Penguin Books Ringwood, Vic., Australia https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1069871/ 0-14-016638-6 Bean Charles 1942 The Australian Imperial Force in France During the Allied Offensive, 1918 Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 VI 1st https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1069923/ Angus and Robertson Sydney, New South Wales 41008291 Broadbent Harvey Harvey Broadbent Gallipoli: The Fatal Shore 2005 Penguin Group Australia Camberwell, Victoria 0-670-04085-1 Coulthard-Clark Christopher 1998 1st The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles Allen & Unwin St Leonards, New South Wales 978-1-86448-611-7 Dexter David The New Guinea Offensives Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army 6 Canberra Australian War Memorial 1961 https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070205/ 2028994 Ekins Ashley Bloody Ridge: The Assault of Lone Pine Wartime 47 2009 12–14 & 16–18 1328-2727 Grey Jeffrey Jeffrey Grey A Military History of Australia 3rd Cambridge University Press Melbourne 2008 978-0-521-69791-0 Philip J. Haythornthwaite Philip Haythornthwaite Gallipoli 1915: Frontal Assault on Turkey Osprey Campaign Series #8 1991 2004 London 0-275-98288-2 Long Gavin Gavin Long The Final Campaigns Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Series 1—Army. Volume VII 1963 1st Australian War Memorial Canberra https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070206/ 1297619 McLachlan Mat Mat McLachlan Walking with the ANZACS 2007 Hachette Australia 978-0-7344-0907-2 Mionnet Yvonne History of the 1st Division: From Gallipoli to Brisbane, 5 August 1914 to 5 August 2004 2004 224412941 Stevenson Robert The Forgotten First: The 1st Australian Division in the Great War and its Legacy Australian Army Journal IV 1 http://www.army.gov.au/Our-future/LWSC/Our-publications/Australian-Army-Journal/Past-issues/~/media/Files/Our%20future/LWSC%20Publications/AAJ/2007Autumn/15-TheForgottenFirstThe1st.pdf 2007 185–199 30798241 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20131203101744/http://www.army.gov.au/Our-future/LWSC/Our-publications/Australian-Army-Journal/Past-issues/~/media/Files/Our%20future/LWSC%20Publications/AAJ/2007Autumn/15-TheForgottenFirstThe1st.pdf 3 December 2013 Stevenson Robert To Win the Battle: The 1st Australian Division in the Great War, 1914–1918 2013 Cambridge University Press Port Melbourne, Victoria 978-1-107-02868-5 Further reading Bean Charles Charles Bean 1941 1921 The Story of ANZAC from the Outbreak of War to the End of the First Phase of the Gallipoli Campaign, May 4, 1915 11th Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 I Australian War Memorial Canberra, Australian Capital Territory https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1069750/ 40934988 Bean Charles 1941 1926 The Story of ANZAC from 4 May 1915, to the Evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula 11th Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 II Australian War Memorial Canberra, Australian Capital Territory https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1069751/ 220051990 Bean Charles The Australian Imperial Force in France, 1916 1941 1929 12th Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 III Australian War Memorial Canberra, Australian Capital Territory https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1069752/ 220623454 Bean Charles 1941 1933 The Australian Imperial Force in France: 1917 11th Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 IV Australian War Memorial Canberra, Australian Capital Territory https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1069753/ 17648490 Bean Charles 1941 1937 The Australian Imperial Force in France during the Main German Offensive, 1918 8th Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 V Australian War Memorial Canberra, Australian Capital Territory https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1069922/ 493141496 Connery David Which Division? Risk Management and the Australian Army's force structure after the Vietnam War https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/which_division.pdf Occasional Paper Series Army History Unit Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2014 9780987495990 29 October 2019 19 April 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190419085804/https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/which_division.pdf dead Tyquin Michael Training for War: The History of Headquarters 1st Division 1914–2014 2017 Newport, New South Wales Big Sky 9781925520422 External links First AIF Order of Battle 1914–1918: First Division Photos of the 1st Division's Memorial Photos of the 1st Division's Memorial, including it while being constructed https://web.archive.org/web/20160304024117/http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/pozieres-australian-memorial/index.html 4 March 2016 Photos of Australian memorials in France (including the 1st Division's Memorial) Photos of the all Australian Divisional memorials Australian 1st Division Vehicle Marking collapsed 01 01 01 Category:Military units and formations established in 1914 Category:1914 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 1944 Category:Military units and formations established in 1948 Category:Military units in Queensland