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13th Brigade (Australia)

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13th Brigade
Active1912–1919
1939–1946
1948–1960
1988–present
CountryAustraliaAustralia
AllegianceHM King Charles III
BranchAustralian Army
TypeReserve
Size100 (active)
1,350 (reserve)
30 (civilian)[1]
Garrison/HQPerth, Western Australia
EngagementsFirst World War

Second World War

Commanders
Notable commandersBrigadierThomas Glasgow(1916–18)
BrigadierSydney Herring(1918–19)
Insignia
Unit colour patch

The13th Brigadeis anArmy Reserveformation of theAustralian Army.Originally formed in 1912 as aMilitiaformation inVictoria,the brigade was re-raised as aFirst Australian Imperial Forceunit duringWorld War Iand fought on theWestern Front.In the interwar years, the brigade was re-raised as a part-time formation based inWestern Australiaand later fought in theNew Britain CampaignduringWorld War II.

It is currently headquartered atPerthinWestern Australiaand has units located across the state in locations such asGeraldton,Kalgoorlie,Albany,Katanning,JoondalupandRockingham.The current brigade was formed in 1988 and is tasked with the protection of Western Australia. It forms part of the2nd Divisionof the Australian Army.

History[edit]

The 13th Brigade traces its origins to 1912, when it was formed as a Militia brigade as part of the introduction of thecompulsory training scheme,assigned to the3rd Military District.At this time, the brigade's constituent units were located aroundVictoriaincludingSouth Yarra,Prahan,St Kilda,South Melbourne,Albert Park,andPort Melbourne.[2]

World War I[edit]

Following the evacuation ofGallipoliin December 1915, the Australian government decided to expand theAustralian Imperial Forceby creating three additional divisions on top of the two that already existed.[3][4]This was achieved by splitting the battalions of the first four brigades that had fought at Gallipoli to provide an experiencedcadrefor the new battalions that were being formed from reinforcements that had arrived from Australia. Through this process, the3rd Brigadewas divided to form the 13th Infantry Brigade. Assigned to the4th Australian Division,on formation the brigade consisted of four infantry battalions: the49th,50th,51stand52nd Battalions.[4]

LieutenantClifford Sadlier,who received the Victoria Cross for his actions around Villers-Bretonneux in April 1918, while serving with the 51st Battalion.[5]

After undertaking a period of training in Egypt where it had been formed, the 13th Brigade sailed fromAlexandriaforFranceon 5 June 1916 upon three transports:Arcadian,IverniaandJapanese Prince.[6]Upon landing in Marseilles on 11 June, the brigade was transported north by rail. In mid-June, the brigade entered the front line for the first time, moving into a sector nearPetillon,in France, relieving the 3rd Brigade.[7]

The brigade remained along the front for several weeks. Although it was relatively quiet, the tour, which lasted until the night of 10/11 July, cost the brigade 41 casualties. After being relieved by the15th Brigade,the 13th moved to Halloy-les-Pernois, to the west ofPozieresto undertake further training. This included route marches and attacks in concert with artillery to prepare them for entry into theSomme offensive,which had begun on 1 July.[8]

For the next two-and-a-half years, the 13th Brigade took part in the fighting in the trenches along theWestern Frontin France and Belgium and was engaged in a number of significant actions. Its first major action came atMouquet Farmin August 1916. This was followed by further actions atMessinesandPasschendaeleduring 1917. The brigade fought atDernancourt,on theRiver Ancre,where they fought a defensive action in early 1918.[9]

The brigade's most notable action came during the Allied attack onVillers-Bretonneuxon 25 April 1918, during theSecond Battle of the Sommethat took place amidst the German Spring Offensive in early 1918. The brigade's casualties during the offensive were heavy, and as a result one of its battalions – the 52nd – was broken up and its personnel used to reinforce the other three battalions in mid-May 1918.[10]

After the German offensive was blunted, the remaining three battalions of the brigade undertook further actions as the Allies went on the offensive, launching theirHundred Days OffensivearoundAmiensin August. They continued operations into late September, attacking theHindenburg Line.[11][12]Early the following month, the majority of theAustralian Corpsbrigade was withdrawn from the line for rest.[13]

Following the end of the war, the battalions of the 13th Brigade were returned home and disbanded.[11]The brigade's first commanding officer was BrigadierThomas Glasgow,who had previously served at Gallipoli with the1st Light Horse Brigade.[14]When Glasgow was promoted to take over command of the1st Divisionin June 1918,[9]he was replaced bySydney Herring,who commanded the brigade throughout the remainder of the war.[15]

Inter-war years and World War II[edit]

In 1921, following the conclusion of the demobilisation process, Australia's part-time military force, the Citizens Force, was reorganised to perpetuate the numerical designations of the AIF.[16]As a result, the 13th Brigade was re-raised as part of the5th Military District,headquartered inPerth, Western Australia,and consisted of the11th,16th,28th,and44th Infantry Battalions.As a mixed brigade, it also included a single light horse regiment: the10th Light Horse Regiment.[17][18]

Initially, the Citizens Forces units were maintained through a mixture of voluntary and compulsory service. Throughout the 1920s the compulsory service scheme was adjusted to focus mainly on the populated centres, which meant that the strength of some of the brigade's regional units, such as the 16th Battalion, which was based on the goldfields, was minimal. In late 1929, the scheme was suspended completely by theScullinLaborgovernment, and replaced by an all-volunteer "Militia" scheme.[19]

As a result, the 11th and 16th Battalions were amalgamated in 1930. They remained linked until 1936 when they were both re-raised in their own right again,[20]as part of an expansion of the Australian military due to concerns about war in Europe.[21]By 1938, the 10th Light Horse had been reassigned as field (non divisional) troops directly assigned to the 5th Military District headquarters. However, they continued to be attached to the 13th Brigade.[22]

Troops from the 16th Infantry Battalion land on New Britain, March 1945.

The brigade was mobilised for war service in 1939 after the outbreak of theSecond World War.Due to the provisions of theDefence Act (1903)it was initially only used as a garrison force. It was mobilised for full-time service following Japan's entry into the war in December 1941, and undertook collective training at Melville Camp until early 1942.[23]

Throughout the first part of 1942 the brigade was the main formation defending theWestern Australiancoastline from a possibleJapaneseinvasion, as part of the4th Division.During this time, the 44th Battalion was detached from the brigade and for the remainder of the war its principle units were the 11th, 16th and 28th Infantry Battalions.[20]In 1943, after the threat of a Japanese landing in the west subsided, the brigade was moved north to the Northern Territory, joining the garrison there as part ofNorthern Territory Force.[24]

They remained in the Northern Territory until 1944 when the 13th Brigade was transferred to the5th Division.[25]They then embarked overseas to take part in theNew Britain campaignagainst the Japanese, remaining on the island until the end of the war. Combat was limited during the campaign, as the Australians sought mainly to isolate the Japanese garrison, rather than destroy it. After arriving at Jacquinot Bay in November 1944, the brigade moved to Wunung Plantation and then moved to Palmalal Plantation in January 1945.[26]

They took part in the limited advance from the Tol Plantation and conducted patrol operations as the Australians advanced slowly towards Rabaul. At the conclusion of hostilities, the brigade carried out occupation duties.[26]After returning to Australia, the brigade was disbanded in 1946.[20]

Between 1940 and mid-1945, the brigade was commanded by Brigadier Eric McKenzie,[27]who, according to the Australian War Memorial, held the longest brigade command of any Australian officer of the war.[28]McKenzie was replaced by BrigadierRobert Winningin May 1945 who led the brigade through the New Britain campaign.[29]

Post war[edit]

After the Second World War, Australia's wartime military was demobilised. In 1948 the part-time force was re-raised under the guise of the Citizens Military Force.[30]The 13th Brigade was re-raised at this time, once again headquartered in Western Australia, and assigned toWestern Command.[31]Upon formation, it consisted of two infantry battalions: the 11th/44th and the 16th/28th.

In 1960, when the Citizens Military Force was reorganised following the adoption of thePentropic divisional establishment,[32]the brigade was disbanded. It was re-raised again in 1988, and is currently responsible for the bulk of Army Reserve formations in Western Australia.[27]

Assigned to the2nd Division,it is headquartered in Perth and commands units across Western Australia, based in places such as Joondalup, Rockingham, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Albany and Katanning. The brigade's personnel have deployed on operations to theSolomon Islands,East TimorandAfghanistanand have also been deployed to provide aid to the civil community.[33]UnderPlan Beersheba,the brigade is tasked with forming a battlegroup along with the11th Brigade,to support the Regular Army3rd Brigadewhen it is the ready brigade.[34]

Organisation[edit]

As of 2023 the 13th Brigade consists of:[33]

Former units include:

All units are part of theArmy Reserve.[33]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^The Australian Army. Modernisation from Beersheba and Beyond(PDF).Commonwealth of Australia. p. 5. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 26 March 2015.Retrieved4 December2014.
  2. ^Australian Military Forces 1912,p. 22.
  3. ^Grey 2008,p. 100.
  4. ^abBean 1941,p. 42.
  5. ^"Clifford William King Sadlier".AIF Project.Australian Defence Force Academy. Archived fromthe originalon 16 February 2012.Retrieved21 February2014.
  6. ^Edgar 2006,pp. 62–63.
  7. ^Edgar 2006,p. 64.
  8. ^Edgar 2006,pp. 65–66.
  9. ^abHarry, Ralph (1983)."Glasgow, Sir Thomas William (1876–1955)".Australian Dictionary of Biography.Canberra: National Centre of Biography,Australian National University.ISBN978-0-522-84459-7.ISSN1833-7538.OCLC70677943.Retrieved21 February2014.
  10. ^"52nd Battalion".First World War, 1914–1918 units.Australian War Memorial.Retrieved21 February2014.
  11. ^ab"51st Battalion".First World War, 1914–1918 units.Australian War Memorial.Retrieved21 February2014.
  12. ^"49th Battalion".First World War, 1914–1918 units.Australian War Memorial.Retrieved21 February2014.
  13. ^Grey 2008,p. 109.
  14. ^Edgar 2006,p. 57.
  15. ^Katzmann, Anna (1983)."Herring, Sydney Charles Edgar (1881–1951)".Australian Dictionary of Biography.Canberra: National Centre of Biography,Australian National University.ISBN978-0-522-84459-7.ISSN1833-7538.OCLC70677943.Retrieved21 February2014.
  16. ^Grey 2008,p. 125.
  17. ^Hall 1968,p. 77.
  18. ^"Australian Infantry Unit Colour Patches 1921–1949".Digger History.Archived fromthe originalon 12 July 2007.Retrieved2 February2014.
  19. ^Shaw 2010,p. 9.
  20. ^abc"WA Infantry History".Royal Western Australia Regiment Association. Archived fromthe originalon 26 February 2014.Retrieved21 February2014.
  21. ^Keogh 1965,pp. 46–50.
  22. ^Hall 1968,p. 81.
  23. ^McKenzie-Smith 2018,p. 2076.
  24. ^McKenzie-Smith 2018,pp. 2039–2040.
  25. ^"11th Battalion (City of Perth Regiment)".Second World War, 1939–1945 units.Australian War Memorial.Retrieved24 June2018.
  26. ^abMcKenzie-Smith 2018,p. 2077.
  27. ^ab"Unit History – 13th Brigade".Department of Defence. Archived fromthe originalon 21 April 2009.Retrieved21 February2014.
  28. ^"28th Battalion (Swan Regiment)".Second World War, 1939–1945 units.Australian War Memorial.Retrieved16 April2014.
  29. ^Connor, John (2002)."Robert Emmett Winning (1906–1971)".Australian Dictionary of Biography.Vol. 16. Canberra: National Centre of Biography,Australian National University.ISBN978-0-522-84459-7.ISSN1833-7538.OCLC70677943.Retrieved8 September2019.
  30. ^Grey 2008,p. 200.
  31. ^Palazzo 2001,p. 238.
  32. ^Shaw 2010,p. 10.
  33. ^abc"13th Brigade".Australian Army. Archived fromthe originalon 12 February 2014.Retrieved21 February2014.
  34. ^Sutton, Michael; DeSilve-Ranasinghe, Sergei (April 2014)."'Let Difficulties not Deter: The Army's Reserve's 13th Brigade "(PDF).The Australian Reservist(22). Defence Reserves Association: 20–21. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 12 March 2015.Retrieved25 July2015.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]


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