12th Battalion (Australia)
| 12th Battalion | ||
|---|---|---|
.jpg) A 12th Battalion observation team at Gallipoli in August 1915 | ||
| Active | 1914–1919 1921–1936 1953–1960 1972–1975 | |
| Country | Australia | |
| Branch | Australian Army | |
| Type | Infantry | |
| Role | Line infantry | |
| Part of | 3rd Brigade, 1st Division | |
| Motto(s) | Ducit Amor Patriae (Love of My Country Leads Me)[1] | |
| Colours | White over blue | |
| March | Captain Oldfield[1] | |
| Engagements | World War I
| |
| Commanders | ||
| Notable commanders | Unit colour patch  | |
The 12th Battalion was an infantry battalion originally raised for the
12th/40th Battalion, Royal Tasmania Regiment, a unit which continues to serve in the Australian Army Reserve
.
History
First World War
The battalion was raised as part of the all volunteer
Gallipoli Campaign. The 3rd Brigade was the covering force for the Anzac landing on 25 April 1915, and went ashore at around 4.30 am. During the early fighting on the first, the battalion's commanding officer was killed by a sniper.[2]
After the initial landing, a stalemate developed around the beachhead and in August the Allies sought to break the deadlock by launching the
Lemnos Island for rest. While there, Lieutenant Colonel John Gellibrand took command of the battalion.[2][3]
In late December, the Allied forces were evacuated from Gallipoli and the battalion returned to Egypt in January 1916, where the AIF was reorganised and expanded. During this process, the 12th Battalion provided an experienced
Third Battle of Ypres.[2]
In 1918, the battalion helped to stop the
German Spring Offensive that was launched in March and April. The battalion subsequently participated in the last Allied offensive of 1918, launched near Amiens on 8 August 1918. After Amiens, a series of advances followed as the Allies broke through the Hindenburg Line. The battalion continued operations until late September 1918 when it was withdrawn from the line for rest. Following the end of the war members of the battalion began returning to Australia in November for demobilisation and discharge. The 12th Battalion was disbanded in 1919 having sustained casualties of 1,135 killed and 2,422 wounded. Two members of the battalion received the Victoria Cross for their actions during the war: James Newland and John Whittle.[2]
Inter war years and subsequent service
In 1921, the battalion was re-raised as part the re-organisation of the Australian military that took place at that time.12th/40th Battalion. The battalion was disbanded in 1946, having not seen combat during the war.[7]
Reformed in 1948 as part of the
12th/40th Battalion, Royal Tasmania Regiment,[11] a unit which continues to serve in the Australian Army Reserve.[12]
Alliances
The 12th Battalion held the following alliances:[1]
- United Kingdom – 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk).
Battle honours
The 12th Battalion received the following battle honours:
- First World War: Somme 1916–18; Pozières; Bullecourt; Ypres 1917; Menin Road; Polygon Wood; Broodseinde; Poelcappelle; Passchendaele; Lys; Hazebrouck; Amiens; Albert 1918; Hindenburg Line; Epéhy; France and Flanders 1916–18; Anzac; Landing at Anzac; Defence of Anzac; Suvla; Sari Bair–Lone Pine; Gallipoli, 1915; Egypt, 1915–16.[2]
- Second World War: North Africa 1941; Defence of Tobruk; The Salient 1941; South West Pacific 1942–45; Buna–Gona; Sanananda Road; Cape Endaiadere–Sinemi Creek; Sanananda–Cape Killerton; Milne Bay; Goodenough Island; Liberation of Australian New Guinea; Shaggy Ridge; Finisterres; Borneo; Balikpapan.[1]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Festberg 1972, p. 72.
- ^ a b c d e "12th Battalion". First World War, 1914–1918 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
- ^ Mallett, Ross. "Major General Sir John Gellibrand". Australian Defence Force Academy. Archived from the original on 4 March 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
- ^ Bean 1941, p. 42.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 125.
- ^ "Australian Infantry Unit Colour Patches 1921–1949". Digger History. Archived from the original on 12 July 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
- ^ a b Festberg 1972, pp. 72–73.
- ^ Shaw 2010, p. 10.
- ^ Festberg 1972, pp. 33 & 72.
- ^ "12th/40th Battalion, Royal Tasmania Regiment". Digger History. Archived from the original on 29 April 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
- ^ Shaw 2010, p. 11.
- ^ "12th/40th Battalion, The Royal Tasmania Regiment". Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
References
- OCLC 220623454.
- Festberg, Alfred (1972). The Lineage of the Australian Army. Melbourne, Victoria: Allara Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85887-024-6.
- ISBN 978-0-521-69791-0.
- Shaw, Peter (2010). "The Evolution of the Infantry State Regiment System in the Army Reserve". Sabretache. LI (4 (December)). Garran, Australian Capital Territory: Military Historical Society of Australia: 5–12. ISSN 0048-8933.
Further reading
- Newton, L.M. (1925). The Story of the Twelfth: A Record of the 12th Battalion, AIF During the Great War of 1914–1918. Hobart, Tasmania: 12th Battalion Association. OCLC 6048579.