22nd Brigade (Australia)
22nd Brigade | |
---|---|
Active | 1912–1921 1940–1942 |
Country | Australia |
Branch | Australian Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Brigade |
Part of | 8th Division (1940–42) |
Engagements | World War II
|
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Harold Taylor Arthur Varley |
Insignia | |
Headquarters unit colour patch |
The 22nd Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. It was briefly raised in 1912 as a Militia formation providing training as part of the compulsory training scheme. Later, during World War II, the brigade was raised as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force in April 1940. Assigned to the 8th Division, in early 1941 the brigade was deployed to British Malaya, where it formed part of the defensive garrison that was established there by the British, eventually establishing its headquarters in the Mersing–Endau area.
In early 1942, following the
History
The 22nd Brigade briefly existed as
During World War II, the 22nd Brigade was re-raised as part of the all volunteer
Following a request from the British government, the 22nd Brigade, along with support troops – a force of over 5,000 personnel – were deployed to
When the
This led to the redeployment of the 2/18th Battalion to the Nithsdale Estate, while the 2/20th remained around Mersing, where they subsequently fought several minor actions against the advancing Japanese before a larger action took place around the Mersing River as the battalion fought to retain control of the vital road bridge. Ultimately, the Japanese gained the bridge and the brigade was ordered to withdraw to Jamaluang. Following a Japanese landing around Endau, the 2/18th Battalion carried out a successful ambush around Nithsdale, although this was followed by a further withdrawal to the crossroads around Kota Tinggi.[13] The 2/19th returned to the 22nd Brigade at this time, and it was joined by the 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. Together they subsequently took up rearguard positions north of the causeway that led to Singapore, and held the line until 1 February, when they withdrew just before engineers blew up a large span to delay the advancing Japanese.[11][14]
On Singapore, the Australians were reinforced by elements of the newly arrived 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion, while the 2/19th received a large batch of barely trained recruits who had been hastily deployed from depots in Australia. Amidst hasty preparations for the defence of the island, the 22nd Brigade assumed defensive positions in the north-western sector of the island. Here their lines were longer than normal, and interspersed with mangroves and swamps that made the ground difficult to defend. After only a brief interlude, the Japanese began their assault on Singapore on the night of 8/9 February, with two division's crossing the Johore Strait and landing in the 22nd Brigade's area. Throughout the night, heavy fighting took place during the Battle of Sarimbun Beach as the Japanese infiltrated the sector, bypassing outposts that became isolated and cutting off many of the defenders. Subsequently, the surviving members of the three 22nd Brigade battalions fell back towards the airfield at Tengah.[15] Further fighting took place around Bulim, where the 2/18th fought a delaying action along with remnants of the 2/19th and 2/20th Battalions, which were hastily reorganised as "Merritt Force". By 10 February, the 22nd Brigade had been pushed back to Ulu Pandan. Here, several ad hoc battalions were joined and reorganised for a counter-attack, although this ultimately did not come to fruition as the tempo of the Japanese advance disrupted and dislocated the defending troops. A further withdrawal followed after the Japanese destroyed one of the assembling ad hoc battalions.[11]
As the Allied perimeter continued shrink around the town, the 8th Division units were brought together around Tanglin Barracks, where they remained until the garrison surrendered on 15 February.[15] In the final stages of the fighting, Taylor was relieved of command due to exhaustion, with the commander of the 2/18th Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Varley, being promoted to brigadier.[16] In the aftermath, the 22nd Brigade's surviving personnel were taken prisoner and subsequently sent to camps around south-east Asia and Japan. Conditions were harsh and many of the soldiers died in captivity before the survivors were liberated when the war ended in August 1945.[17]
Units
The following units were assigned to the 22nd Brigade:[6][18]
- 2/18th Battalion (1940–1942)
- 2/19th Battalion (1940–1942)
- 2/20th Battalion (1940–1942)
- 2/10th Field Regiment (1940–1942)
- 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (February 1942)
Commanders
The following officers commanded the 22nd Brigade during the war:[5][16]
- Brigadier Harold Taylor (15 July 1940 – 11 February 1942)
- Brigadier Arthur Varley (12–15 February 1942)
Citations
- ^ Australian Military Forces 1912, p. 26.
- ^ Kuring 2004, p. 108.
- ^ Palazzo 2001, pp. 68 & 91.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 125.
- ^ a b Morgan 2013, p. 4.
- ^ a b "22nd Infantry Brigade: Subordinates". Order of Battle. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
- ^ Morgan 2013, p. 5.
- ^ McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2097.
- ^ Morgan 2013, p. 6.
- ^ McKenzie-Smith 2018, pp. 2097–2098.
- ^ a b c McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2098.
- ^ "2/19th Battalion". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
- ^ Morgan 2013, pp. 10–11.
- ^ Morgan 2013, p. 11.
- ^ a b Morgan 2013, p. 12.
- ^ a b Wigmore 1957, pp. 361–362.
- ^ Morgan 2013, pp. 12–13.
- ^ "2/10th Field Regiment". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
References
- Australian Military Forces (1912). The Military Forces List of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1 January 1912. Melbourne, Victoria: Government Printer. OCLC 221429471.
- ISBN 978-0-521-69791-0.
- Kuring, Ian (2004). Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military Historical Publications. ISBN 1-876439-99-8.
- McKenzie-Smith, Graham (2018). The Unit Guide: The Australian Army 1939–1945, Volume 2. Warriewood, New South Wales: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 978-1-925675-146.
- Morgan, Joseph (2013). "A Burning Legacy: The 'Broken' 8th Division". Sabretache. LIV (3). Garran, Australian Capital Territory: Military Historical Society of Australia: 4–14. ISSN 0048-8933.
- Palazzo, Albert (2001). The Australian Army: A History of its Organisation 1901–2001. Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195515072.
- Wigmore, Lionel (1957). The Japanese Thrust. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1, volume 4. Canberra, Australia: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 898915242.
External links
- Australian War Memorial – 2/18th Battalion unit history
- Australian War Memorial – 2/20th Battalion unit history