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- .1st Australian Division during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

.1st Australian Division



   1st Australian Division 1914-1918

On 3rd of August 1914, the day before Britain declared war - the Government of Australia offered an expeditionary force of 20,000 men, to be composed of a Division plus a brigade of Light Horse and titled the Australian Imperial Force. The original AIF sailed on 1 November 1914 and proceeded via Colombo to Egypt. The original intention was that the force would continue on to England but problems of accommodation being experienced by the Canadian units then in England forced a change of mind. The Force halted in Egypt and training recommenced. Thereafter the Division fought in many of the major actions of the war.

1915

  • 3 February 1915: two battalions involved in defending against Turkish attack on Suez Canal
  • March 1915 : 3rd Brigade moves to Lemnos
  • 1 April 1915 : Division receives orders to prepare to make amphibious assault at Gallipoli
  • 25 April 1915 : Division lands at what was to become forever known as ANZAC Beach
  • The Division withdrew from Gallipoli in late 1915.

1916

On 13 January 1916 it was decided that the AIF would be developed to create five Divisions, four Australian and one New Zealand. The infantry brigades of 1st Division were split to create a nucleus of the 14th, 15th and 16th Brigades and places in all six brigades were filled by new drafts. The Division was warned for France and sailed on 13 March 1916. It remained in France and Flanders for the rest of the war.

The Battle of Pozieres including the fighting for Mouquet Farm - Somme 1916

1917

  • Operations on the Ancre including the capture of the Thilloys
  • The Arras Offensive, in which the Division fought the German attack on Lagnicourt and in the Battle of Bullecourt
  • The Battle of the Menin Road - Third Battle of Ypres
  • The Battle of Polygon Wood - Third Battle of Ypres
  • The Battle of Broodseinde - Third Battle of Ypres
  • The battle of Poelcapelle - Third Battle of Ypres
  • The Second Battle of Passchendaele - Third Battle of Ypres

1918

The Australian Divisions were not affected by the restructuring of the army to having three brigades per Division, that took place in the British Divisions in February 1918. When the enemy launched its second phase of the spring offensive, the Division was rushed from the Somme to help plug the gap.

  • The Battle of Hazebrouck in which the Division fought the defence of Nieppe Forest - Battles of the Lys
  • The Battle of Amiens
  • The Battle of Albert in which the Division captured Chuignes - Somme 1918
  • The Battle of Epehy - Hindenburg Line

The Division was in Australian Corps reserve at the Armistice and was not selected to advance into Germany.

Demobilisation commenced in early 1919 and by March 1919 the Division merged with 4th Australian Division.

The Divisional Order of Battle of the 1st Australian Division

1st Australian Brigade

  • 1st Battalion, AIF
  • 2nd Battalion, AIF
  • 3rd Battalion, AIF
  • 4th Battalion, AIF
  • 1st Australian Machine Gun Company formed February 1916, left to move into 1st Australian MG Battalion February 1918
  • 1st Australian Trench Mortar Battery formed April 1916

2nd Australian Brigade

  • 5th Battalion, AIF
  • 6th Battalion, AIF
  • 7th Battalion, AIF
  • 8th Battalion, AIF
  • 2nd Australian Machine Gun Company formed February 1916, left to move into 1st Australian MG Battalion February 1918
  • 2nd Australian Trench Mortar Battery formed April 1916

3rd Australian Brigade

  • 9th Battalion, AIF
  • 10th Battalion, AIF
  • 11th Battalion, AIF
  • 12th Battalion, AIF
  • 3rd Australian Machine Gun Company formed February 1916, left to move into 1st Australian MG Battalion February 1918
  • 3rd Australian Trench Mortar Battery formed April 1916

Divisional Troops under direct command of Divisional HQ

  • 1st Australian Pioneer Battalion formed in Egypt
  • 21st Australian Machine Gun Company joined February 1917, left to move into 1st Australian MG Battalion February 1918
  • 1st Australian Machine Gun Battalion formed February 1918
  • 1st Australian Divisional Train ASC later titled 741, 742, 743 and 744 Companies
  • 1st Australian Mobile Veterinary Section AVC
  • 1st Australian Divisional Employment Company joined August 1917

Divisional Mounted Troops under direct command of Divisional HQ

  • 4th Australian Light Horse left April 1915, returned after Gallipoli and left March 1916
  • 1st Australian Cyclist Company formed in Egypt, left May 1916

Divisional Artillery

  • 1 Australian Brigade, RFA
  • 2 Australian Brigade, RFA
  • 3 Australian Brigade, RFA
  • 21 Australian (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA formed in Egypt, absorbed by July 1916
  • 1st Australian Divisional Ammunition Column
  • 1st Australian Heavy Battery RGA formed at Gallipoli in November 1915, disbanded in December
  • V.1.A Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA formed June 1916, left February 1918
  • X.1.A, Y.1.A and Z.1.A Medium Mortar Batteries RFA formed April 1916; in February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each

Royal Engineers

  • 1st Australian Field Company
  • 2nd Australian Field Company
  • 3rd Australian Field Company
  • 1st Australian Divisional Signals Company

    Royal Army Medical Corps

    • 1st Australian Field Ambulance
    • 2nd Australian Field Ambulance
    • 3rd Australian Field Ambulance


    25th Apr 1915 Landings

    Aug 1915 Risk

    Sep 1916 Address

    1st of January 1917   location map

    2nd of January 1917 

    8th of January 1917   location map

    9th of January 1917   location map

    21st of January 1917 

    22nd of January 1917 

    26th of January 1917 

    28th of January 1917   location map

    Mar 1917 Military Police

    Sep 1917 Traffic Control

    11th Apr 1918 Bomb Dumps  location map

    13th of April 1918 Under Heavy Attack  location map

    14th of April 1918 A Counter-Attack  location map

    16th Apr 1918 Attack Fails

    17th of April 1918 HQs Move  location map

    19th of April 1918 Orders  location map

    24th of April 1918 Rest and Reorganisation  location map

    30th of April 1918 Reports  location map

    14th of June 1918 MG Captured  location map

    15th Jun 1918 Trench Raids

    24th of June 1918  Very Quiet  location map

    2nd of July 1918 Artillery Active  location map

    4th of July 1918  Shelling  location map

    13th of July 1918  Unchanged Situation  location map

    18th Sep 1918 Machine Gun Barrage

    Sep 1918 Hard Fighting

    4th Nov 1918 Advance

    Oct 1918 Justice, righteousness and liberty

    If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



  • Want to know more about .1st Australian Division?


    There are:31 items tagged .1st Australian Division available in our Library

      These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


    Those known to have served with

    .1st Australian Division

    during the Great War 1914-1918.

    • McKean John Sharp. Pte.
    • Mills Albert Claude Eugene. Pte.

    All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List


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        World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery
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    260166

    Pte. John Sharp McKean 9th Battalion

    John McKean was my great-uncle. He enlisted on 22nd of July 1915 and was wounded in action.

    Linda Anne McKean




    247350

    Pte. Albert Claude Eugene Mills 1st. Divison Ammunition Column

    Bert Mills passed away in 1944.

    Suzanne Tainsh








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