58th Battalion (Australia)
58th Battalion | |
---|---|
Active | 1916–1919 1921–1942 |
Country | Australia |
Branch | Australian Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Line infantry |
Size | ~800–1,000 men[Note 1] |
Part of | 15th Brigade |
Colours | Purple alongside red |
Engagements | World War I |
The 58th Battalion was an
History
World War I
The 58th Battalion was originally raised as a unit of the
The battalion experienced its first taste of fighting on the Western Front in July when it was involved in the
Early in 1918, the Germans launched a large-scale offensive on the Western Front known as the
During its wartime service, the unit lost 615 men killed and 1,550 men wounded.
Inter-war years
In 1921, it was decided that the
Following the election of the Scullin Labor government, the compulsory training scheme was abolished in 1929 and in its place a new system was introduced whereby the Citizens Forces would be maintained on a part-time, voluntary basis only.[14] It also adopted the title of the "Militia" at this time. The result of this change in recruitment policy was a significant drop in the size of the Army, falling by almost 20,000 men in one year as there was little prospect for training and as the financial difficulties of the Great Depression meant that few men were able to take time off from civilian employment for military service.[14] Consequently, the decision was made to disband or amalgamate a number of units,[15] with each brigade within the 3rd Division being reduced from four infantry battalions to three.[16] The 58th Battalion was not one of those units chosen for amalgamation, although throughout the inter-war years its authorised strength was greatly reduced and poor attendance and limited training opportunities characterised the era.[15][17]
In 1936, some efforts were made to reinvigorate the training program and individual units implemented recruiting campaigns.[18] Two years later, as the political situation in Europe grew worse, the Army made a more concerted effort to improve the readiness of the Militia and throughout 1938 increased training opportunities were provided. At the annual camp held that year all units of the 15th Brigade were given negative feedback about their performance, however, the 58th was singled out as having performed particularly poorly.[19] Throughout the inter-war years, the battalion went through a number of name changes: "58th Battalion (Essendon Rifles)", "58th Battalion (The Melbourne Rifles)", "58th Battalion (Essendon Coburg & Brunswick Rifles)" and "58th Battalion (Essendon, Coburg, Brunswick Regiment)",[12] the last of which was adopted in 1939.[20] From 1931, the battalion maintained an alliance with the Northamptonshire Regiment.[10]
World War II
Following the outbreak of World War II, as a result of the provisions of the Defence Act (1903) which prohibited sending the Militia to fight outside of Australian territory, the decision was made to raise an all volunteer force, known as the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), for service overseas.[21] The result of this decision was that the Militia units that already existed lost some of their best personnel who were used to form a cadre of trained men upon which to raise the units of the 2nd AIF, while the units themselves were relegated to administering the training of conscripts that were called up following the reinstitution of the compulsory training scheme in January 1940.[22]
At the same time, they were also progressively called upon to undertake brief periods of continuous training during 1940 and 1941 as part of an effort to improve the nation's level of military preparedness.[22] Throughout 1941 the 58th Battalion was stationed around Seymour in Victoria before undertaking further training near Casino, New South Wales, in 1942. At this time, the 15th Brigade was briefly expanded with the arrival of the 24th Battalion from the 10th Brigade,[23] which had been disbanded as part of a minor demobilisation of forces that was necessitated by a manpower shortage that had developed within the Australian economy. As a result of the addition of the 24th Battalion, the 58th and 59th Battalions were amalgamated to form the 58th/59th Battalion (Essendon, Coburg, Brunswick/ Hume Regiment), in order to maintain the triangular structure of the brigade.[24] This came into effect on 27 August 1942.[25] The 58th/59th Battalion would remain linked for the next four years, seeing action in the South-west Pacific in 1943–45.[26] They were disbanded on 23 February 1946.[12]
Legacy
In 1948, the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) was reformed[27] and the battalion was raised again, albeit as an amalgamated unit with the 32nd Battalion as the 58th/32nd Battalion (Essendon Regiment), based in Essendon, Victoria.[28] The 58th/32nd remained in existence until 1960 when, after the pentropic re-organisation of the Australian Army, the battalion was absorbed as part of the Royal Victoria Regiment. The battalion received 12 battle honours for World War II in 1961, which it bore for the 58th/59th Battalion.[10] Its honours and traditions are now maintained by the 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment (5/6 RVR).[29] The battalion's colours were laid up on 10 May 1970 in the Essendon Town Hall.[30]
Battle honours
The 58th Battalion was awarded the following battle honours:[10]
- World War I:
- World War II: Mivo River.[10]
Commanding officers
The 58th Battalion was commanded by the following officers:
- World War I
- Lieutenant Colonel Charles Robert Davies;
- Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Jackson;
- Lieutenant Colonel Charles Aloysius Denehy;
- Lieutenant Colonel Charles Vincent Watson.[4]
- Inter-war years
- Lieutenant Colonel Nelson Frederick Wellington.[31]
- World War II
Notes
- Footnotes
- ^ During World War I, the approved establishment of an Australian infantry battalion was 1,023 men.[1] By the beginning of World War II, the normal size of an Australian infantry battalion had fallen to 910 men all ranks. Later still, following the reorganisation of the 3rd Division along the jungle establishment, the size dropped to 803 men all ranks.[2]
- Citations
- ^ Kuring 2004, p. 47.
- ^ Palazzo 2004, p. 94.
- ^ Grey 2008, pp. 99–100.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "58th Battalion". First World War, 1914–1918 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 100.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 138.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 145.
- ^ Laffin 1999, p. 111.
- ^ "People Profiles: Lieutenant Rupert Vance Moon VC". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Festberg 1972, p. 114.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 125.
- ^ a b c "58th/59th Battalion". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ Palazzo 2001, p. 102.
- ^ a b Grey 2008, p. 138.
- ^ a b Keogh 1965, p. 44.
- ^ Palazzo 2002, p. 69.
- ^ Popple 1982, pp. 44–48.
- ^ Palazzo 2002, p. 82.
- ^ Palazzo 2002, p. 72.
- ^ Kuring 2004, pp. 112–113.
- ^ Johnston 2007, p. 5.
- ^ a b Grey 2008, p. 146.
- ^ Dexter 1961, p. 60.
- ^ Dexter 1961, p. 61.
- ^ Mathews 1961, p. 7.
- ^ Kuring 2004, p. 215.
- ^ Grey 2008, p. 200.
- ^ "Royal Victoria Regiment: A Full History". Digger History. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ Palazzo 2002, p. 172.
- ^ Goldschmidt 2009, p. 615.
- ^ Atken 1953, p. 3.
- ^ "58th Battalion: Appointments". Orders of Battle.com. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
- ^ Mathews 1961, p. 8.
- ^ Pratten 2009, p. 322.
References
- Atken, EF (1953). The Story of the 2/2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion. Melbourne, Victoria: 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion Association. OCLC 12043761.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1998). Where Australians Fought: The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles. St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-611-2.
- Dexter, David (1961). The New Guinea Offensives. Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Series 1—Army. Volume VI (1st ed.). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 186193918.
- Festberg, Alfred (1972). The Lineage of the Australian Army. Melbourne, Victoria: Allara Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85887-024-6.
- Goldschmidt, Michael (2009). Marching with the Tigers: The History of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment 1955–1975. Barnsley, United Kingdom: Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-78159-866-5.
- ISBN 978-0-521-69791-0.
- ISBN 978-1-84603-123-6.
- OCLC 7185705.
- Kuring, Ian (2004). Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military History Publications. ISBN 1-876439-99-8.
- ISBN 0-86417-970-7.
- Mathews, Russell (1961). Militia Battalion at War: The History of the 58th/59th Australian Infantry Battalion in the Second World War. Melbourne, Victoria: 58th/59th Battalion Association. OCLC 224101353.
- Palazzo, Albert (2001). The Australian Army: A History of its Organisation 1901–2001. Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-551506-4.
- Palazzo, Albert (2002). Defenders of Australia: The 3rd Australian Division 1916–1991. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military Historical Publications. ISBN 1-876439-03-3.
- Palazzo, Albert (2004). "Organising for Jungle Warfare". In Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey (eds.). The Foundations of Victory: The Pacific War 1943–1944. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Army History Unit. pp. 86–101. ISBN 978-0-646-43590-9. Archived from the originalon 9 March 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-521-76345-5.
- Popple, Jeff (1982). "The Australian Militia 1930–39". Defence Force Journal (33 (March/April)). North Melbourne, Victoria: Department of Defence: 44–48. ISSN 0314-1039.