33rd Battalion (Australia)

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33rd Battalion
Active1916–1919
1921–1929
1936–1942
CountryAustralia
BranchAustralian Army
TypeInfantry
Size~900 – 1,000 men
Part of9th Brigade, 3rd Division
ColoursBlack and green
EngagementsWorld War I
Insignia
Unit colour patch

The 33rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Formed in 1916, the battalion fought on the Western Front during World War I. It was disbanded after the war, but later re-raised as a part-time unit based in New South Wales. During the inter war years, it was amalgamated with other battalions a couple of times before being re-raised in its own right in 1936. During World War II, the battalion remained in Australia and in 1942 was amalgamated with the 13th Battalion, which was disbanded the following year having not served overseas.

History

World War I

Raised for service during

Inverell; and 'D' Company from Glen Innes, Guyra, and Tenterfield.[4] With an authorised strength of 1,023 men,[5] the battalion's first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Frederick Parker,[6] who fell ill soon after being given command.[7] Major Leslie Morshead was then given the command of the 33rd Battalion,[8][9] and was the sole commanding officer while the battalion was on active-service. He later reached the rank of lieutenant general and commanded an Australian corps against the Japanese during World War II.[10] After undertaking initial training at the showgrounds in Armidale,[11] the battalion moved to Maitland, where they concentrated with the rest of the 9th Brigade.[12] On 3 May 1916, the battalion entrained for Sydney, where they embarked upon the HMAT Marathon. Although originally it had been intended that they would go to Egypt, en route the battalion was redirected to the United Kingdom.[13]

George Cartwright, one of two men from the 33rd to receive the Victoria Cross.

Sailing via Albany, in Western Australia, and making stops at Durban, Cape Town and Dakar, the battalion arrived in the United Kingdom on 9 July 1916.[14] Moving to Larkhill, on Salisbury Plain, the 33rd underwent five months of intense training along with the rest of the 3rd Division to prepare them for the rigours of war on the Western Front, before moving to France in late November, crossing the English Channel on the ferry Mona Queen.[15] After arriving in Le Havre, in France, the battalion moved by rail to Bailleul, from where they marched to the front, occupying a section of the line around Armentières.[16] Assigned to a "nursery" sector, for the next month they rotated between occupying the forward trenches and undertaking training courses, as the battalion was introduced to life on the European battlefield. Although the battalion gained some experience of combat over Christmas, when they launched raids against the German lines,[17] their first major battle did not come until mid-1917, by which time the focus of British operations had shifted to the Ypres sector in Belgium.[2]

This first battle came at Messines where the 33rd, along with the rest of the 9th Brigade, led the 3rd Division's assault.[18] After a number of mines were exploded in front of their positions, the assault began.[19] The 33rd went in on the right, around Ploegsteert Wood, having been chosen especially for the position due to its danger.[20] Despite suffering around 200 casualties from Allied gas-shells that had dropped short, the battalion went "over the top" at the appointed hour and, after skirting the large crater the mine had caused, secured their objective.[21] After the battle, the battalion remained at the front, holding the ground they had gained, enduring almost constant shelling.[2] The 33rd's casualties amounted to 92 killed in action or died of wounds, and 260 wounded; the heaviest they would suffer for the entire war.[22] Messines was followed by actions during the Third Battle of Ypres in October.[2] Moving up to Zonnebeke on the night of 2/3 October, in the first week of the push against Broodseinde, they were assigned a support role as the narrowness of the front limited the role of the 3rd Division. On 12 October, the Allied attack progressed into a second phase and the 3rd Division was thrown into the assault during the First Battle of Passchendaele. Heavily depleted, with a frontage of just 242 men, they fought around Augustus Wood, where the Germans had established many pillboxes before heavy rain washed away any hope of an Allied breakthrough.[23]

The following year, as the Germans launched a major offensive on the Western Front,[24] they were thrust into the line in a desperate attempt to hold the line in front of the vital railhead of Amiens. There, the 33rd took part in heavy fighting when the Australians counter-attacked at Hangard Wood on 30 March, before finally turning back the German attack on Villers-Bretonneux on 4 April.[2][25] At the end of the month, the battalion amalgamated with the 36th Battalion,[26] as part of a general re-organisation of the AIF necessitated by heavy casualties and falling recruitment, which saw the disbandment of three battalions – the 36th, 47th and 52nd – in order to reinforce others.[27][28] A peaceful penetration action was fought around Morlancourt by the 9th Brigade in early May 1918.[29][30] In August, the Allies launched their own offensive – the Hundred Days Offensive – which ultimately brought about an end to the war. The 33rd was committed to the battle on 8 August, tasked with capturing Accroche Wood.[31] A series of advances followed as the Allies broke through the German defences along the Hindenburg Line. After attacking around Road Wood in late August, they were withdrawn for three weeks training before taking part in a joint American-Australian attack at Bellecourt in late September.[32] Following up the Americans, the 33rd held off a strong counter-attack by German forces around Gillemont Farm, before carrying out mopping-up operations towards Bony. After this, in early October, the battalion was pulled back to the Abbeville area, taking up billets in Citerne, where they remained until the armistice was signed in November.[33]

Following the end of hostilities, the battalion's numbers were slowly reduced as personnel were repatriated to Australia for

George Cartwright.[34][35] The battalion received a total of 14 battle honours, which were bestowed upon it in 1927.[36]

Inter war years and subsequent service

After the war, when Australia's military was re-organised to perpetuate the numerical designations of the AIF units in 1921,

41st Battalion to form the 33rd/41st Battalion. They remained linked until October 1936,[36] when the 33rd Battalion was reformed in its own right as part of an expansion of Australia's military force as tensions rose in Europe, raising concerns of a future war.[41]

During

Syria and the South West Pacific Area during World War II.[36]

Alliances

The 33rd Battalion held the following alliances:

Battle honours

For its service, the 33rd Battalion received the following battle honours:[36]

Commanding officers

The following officers commanded the 33rd during World War I:[2]

The following officers commanded the 33rd during World War II:[45]

  • Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Dougherty;
  • Lieutenant Colonel Charles Assheton
  • Lieutenant Colonel Albert Hague

See also

References

  1. ^ Bean 1941a, p. 42.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Australian War Memorial.
  3. ^ The Farmer and Settler (Sydney, NSW 1906 - 1955) Fri 25 Feb 1916
  4. ^ a b Edwards 1996, p. 5.
  5. ^ Kuring 2004, p. 47.
  6. ^ The Bathurst Times, 4 March 1916
  7. ^ The Maitland Weekly Mercury, 22 April 1916
  8. ^ The Maitland Weekly Mercury, 22 April 1916
  9. ^ The Border Morning Mail and Riverina Times, 1 May 1916
  10. ^ Coombes 2001, p. 184.
  11. ^ Edwards 1996, pp. 5 & 7.
  12. ^ Edwards 1996, p. 7.
  13. ^ Edwards 1996, pp. 9–10.
  14. ^ Edwards 1996, p. 15.
  15. ^ Edwards 1996, pp. 16–19.
  16. ^ Edwards 1996, p. 21.
  17. ^ Edwards 1996, p. 22.
  18. ^ Palazzo 2002, p. 33.
  19. ^ Palazzo 2002, pp. 32–33.
  20. ^ Bean 1941b, p. 596.
  21. ^ Edwards 1996, p. 41.
  22. ^ Edwards 1996, p. 47.
  23. ^ Edwards 1996, pp. 53–55.
  24. ^ Baldwin 1962, p. 141.
  25. ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, pp. 139–141.
  26. ^ Edwards 1996, p. 84.
  27. ^ Neillands 2004, p. 493.
  28. ^ Bean 1968, p. 435.
  29. ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 146.
  30. ^ Carlyon 2006, p. 635.
  31. ^ Edwards 1996, p. 93.
  32. ^ Edwards 1996, pp. 110–111.
  33. ^ Edwards 1996, pp. 111–114.
  34. ^ Clark 1979, pp. 572–573.
  35. ^ Staunton 1993.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h Festberg 1972, p. 93.
  37. ^ Grey 2008, p. 125.
  38. ^ Armidale Express 7 September 1917, p. 10.
  39. ^ Grey 2008, pp. 125 & 138.
  40. ^ Keogh 1965, p. 44.
  41. ^ Grey 2008, p. 140.
  42. ^ Johnston 2007, p. 5.
  43. ^ Orders of Battle.
  44. ^ Mackenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2116.
  45. ^ Pratten 2009, p. 319.

Bibliography

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