7th Division (Australia)
7th Division | |
---|---|
A. S. "Tubby" Allen (centre), commander of the 7th Division, with Lt Col. Murray Moten (centre right), commander of the 2/27th Infantry Battalion and his men. (Photographer: Frank Hurley.) | |
Active | 1940–1946 |
Country | Australia |
Branch | Second Australian Imperial Force |
Type | Division |
Role | Infantry |
Size | ~17,000 men[1] |
Part of | I Corps |
Nickname(s) | "The Silent Seventh" |
Engagements | World War II
|
Commanders | |
Notable commanders |
The 7th Division was an
History
Formation
The 7th Division was the second
North Africa and Middle East
On arrival in the Middle East the division undertook training in Palestine and Egypt before the 18th Brigade was sent to capture an Italian position at Giarabub. The main assault was undertaken by the 2/9th Battalion on 21 March, although a company from the 2/10th and machine-gunners from the 2/12th provided support.[8] For the loss of 15 killed and 71 wounded,[9] the Australians captured the fortress along with 36 artillery pieces.[10] In April, the 18th Brigade moved from Alexandria to Tobruk,[11] where they later played a successful defensive role in the Siege of Tobruk, from May to August 1941.[12] In the actions around Tobruk, the division suffered 135 killed, 507 wounded and 29 captured.[9]
Meanwhile, the rest of the 7th Division formed the backbone of the
In mid-July an armistice came into effect and the division was employed on garrison duties along the coastal zone, headquartered in Tripoli. The 18th Brigade rejoined the division in September, taking up defensive positions around Aleppo, to defend against a possible invasion by German forces through Turkey.[19]
During the campaign, two 7th Division personnel earned the
New Guinea
In December 1941, as Japanese forces advanced rapidly in
Nevertheless, elements of the division, consisting mainly of men from the
Simultaneously, the 18th Brigade, under the command of Brigadier
Meanwhile, the Kokoda Track campaign had become a vicious, see-sawing battle, featuring fierce fighting around Kokoda itself and at
The 21st Brigade returned for the
During 1943–1944, the whole 7th Division fought extensive and often bloody operations against Japanese forces in the north east of New Guinea. After the
Following the fall of Lae, in late September 1943 the 7th Division was ordered to establish itself around Dumpu and Marawasa to guard the approaches to Lae and begin patrolling operations into the
Throughout October a number of battles were fought. On 8–10 October, the 2/27th captured the high ground around Beveridge's Post, Trevor's Ridge and Pallier's Hill.[46] On 11 October, a single platoon from the 2/14th Battalion destroyed a Japanese company at Pallier's Hill[47] before a counterattack by 500 Japanese troops on the 2/27th's positions on John's Knoll and Trevor's Ridge was turned back on 12 October.[48][49] In November, as the Australians approached the Japanese positions around Shaggy Ridge, the 25th Brigade took over from the 21st as the division's main effort.[45] For the following month the division confined itself to patrolling operations only.[50] In early December, the 21st Brigade took over from the 25th,[51] and throughout late December 1943 and into January 1944 heavy fighting took place with attacks on the two Prothero features, Shaggy Ridge, Green Sniper's Pimple and the Kankiryo Saddle during the Battle of Shaggy Ridge.[48][52] On 4 January 1944, the 18th Brigade relieved the 21st. By February, following an attack on Crater Hill, the main Japanese positions had been captured and shortly afterwards, elements of the 7th Division began to return to Australia. The 25th Brigade departed throughout January and February, and the 21st followed in February and March. The 18th Brigade remained in New Guinea until May, although they were replaced around Shaggy Ridge in February by the 15th Brigade, a Victorian Militia formation transferred from command under the 3rd Division and brought under the 7th Division in January.[53][54][55]
As a show of gratitude to the assistance provided by locals, a memorial school was built at
Borneo
In early 1944, the 7th Division returned to Australia in stages and, following a six-week period of leave, it toured the country conducting welcome home marches in a number of state capitals including
In July 1945, the whole division, supported by the
The 25th Brigade advanced along the Milford Highway, moving to the north-east towards Samarinda. Coming up against a well-entrenched Japanese rear guard, the advance slowed as the position was reduced with artillery and air support, as the brigade began to encircle the position. Before this could be completed, however, the Japanese were able to withdraw from the position on the night of 21/22 July.[65] This brought an end to the main combat operations, although the Australians continued patrol operations and minor clashes continued until the war ended in August.[65] The campaign had cost the 7th Division 185 killed and 470 wounded.[9]
Following the end of hostilities, the division remained in Borneo undertaking a variety of tasks including guarding Japanese prisoners and restoring law and order.[66] As the demobilisation process began, members of the division were slowly repatriated to Australia or transferred to other units for further service. Some personnel were used to form the 65th Battalion, which was formed to undertake occupation duties in Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.[67]
The 7th Division was finally disbanded in 1946. This was done in stages, with the divisional headquarters disbanding in January–February, and the division's component units disbanding between December 1945 and March 1946.[68] A total of 2,063 men from the division were killed during the war, while a further 4,356 were wounded.[9] Approximately 40,000 men served with the division between 1940 and 1946.[69]
Structure
The 7th Division consisted of the following units:[70]
Main divisional units (with state of origin, where applicable)
- Infantry units
- Markham and Ramu valleys
- 24th Australian Infantry Battalion, Victoria
- 57th/60th Australian Infantry Battalion, Victoria
- 58th/59th Australian Infantry Battalion, Victoria
- 6th Divisionin 1941.
- 2/9th Australian Infantry Battalion, Queensland
- 2/10th Australian Infantry Battalion, South Australia
- 2/12th Australian Infantry Battalion, Queensland/Tasmania
- 9th Divisionin 1941.
- 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion, New South Wales
- 2/15th Australian Infantry Battalion, Queensland
- 2/17th Australian Infantry Battalion, New South Wales
- 21st Australian Infantry Brigade
- Victoria
- 2/16th Australian Infantry Battalion, Western Australia
- 2/27th Australian Infantry Battalion, South Australia
- 9th Division, 1941.
- 2/25th Australian Infantry Battalion, Queensland (from 24th Brigade, 9th Division, 1940)
- 2/31st Australian Infantry Battalion, Queensland
- 2/33rd Australian Infantry Battalion, New South Wales
- Artillery regiments
- 2/4th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (RAA)
- 2/5th Field Regiment, RAA
- 2/6th Field Regiment, RAA
- 2/2nd Anti-Tank Regiment, RAA
- Other units
- 2/2nd Australian Machine-Gun Battalion (until January 1942)
- 2/3rd Australian Machine-Gun Battalion (mid-1941)
- 2/2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion, Victoria
- 7th Aust Divisional Cavalry
- Engineers
- 2/4th Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers (RAE), New South Wales
- 2/5th Field Company, RAE, New South Wales
- 2/6th Field Company, RAE, New South Wales
- 2/2nd Field Park Company, RAE, Western Australia
- 7th Aust Division Salvage Unit
Corps level units attached to the division
- Corps Troops Artillery
- 8th Division)
- 2/11th Army Field Regiment, RAA (originally 8th Division)
- 2/13th Army Field Regiment, RAA (converted from 2/1st Medium Regiment RAA, October 1940.)
- 2/1st Survey Regiment, RAA
- 1st Australian Anti-Aircraft Brigade
- 2/1st Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RAA
- 2/2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RAA
- 2/3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RAA
- Corps Troops Engineers
- General engineer units
- 2/7th Army Field Company, RAE, Queensland
- 2/8th Army Field Company, RAE, Victoria (Transferred to the 6th Division)
- 2/9th Army Field Company, RAE, Tasmania/Victoria
- 2/3rd Corps Field Park Company, RAE, South Australia
- Base and Lines of Communications Units
- HQ Railway Group
- 1st Railway Construction Company, RAE
- 2nd Railway Construction Company, RAE
- 3rd Railway Construction Company, RAE
- 1st Railway Survey Company, RAE
- HQ Forestry Group
- 1st Forestry Companies, RAE
- 2nd Forestry Companies, RAE
- 3rd Forestry Companies, RAE
- General engineer units
Commanders
The following officers served as commanding officer of the 7th Division:
- Major General John Lavarack, February 1941 – June 1941;
- Major General Arthur "Tubby" Allen, June 1941 – October 1942;
- Major General George Alan Vasey, October 1942 – July 1944;
- Major General Edward Milford, July 1944 – August 1945.[70]
Notes
- ^ Dickens 2005, p. xiii.
- ^ Dickens 2005, p. 367.
- ^ Brune 2004, p. 48.
- ^ a b James 2017
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 1.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 2.
- ^ Johnston 2005, pp. 2–3.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Johnston 2005, p. 250.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 24.
- ^ Wilmot 1993, p. 80.
- ^ Wilmot 1993, pp. 88, 150–151 and 280.
- ^ Johnston 2005, pp. 47 and 55.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 56.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 61.
- ^ Johnston 2005, pp. 63–64.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 66.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 71.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 75.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 69.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 72.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 77.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 79.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 130.
- ^ Johnston 2005, pp. 80–81.
- ^ Wigmore 1957, p. 457.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 81.
- ^ a b Johnston 2005, p. 82.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 83.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 84.
- ^ Brune 2004, p. 279.
- ^ Brune 2004, p. 273.
- ^ Brune 2004, p. 277.
- ^ Brune 2004, p. 392.
- ^ Johnston 2005, pp. 91–92.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 102.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 119.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 162.
- ^ Palazzo 2004, p. 89.
- ^ Palazzo 2004, p. 91.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 172.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 174.
- ^ a b Keogh 1965, p. 345.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 181.
- ^ a b Dickens 2005, p. 264.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 183.
- ^ Bradley 2004, p. 72.
- ^ a b Johnston 2007, p. 29.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 184.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 346.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 348.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 353.
- ^ Bradley 2004, p. 241.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 359.
- ^ Corfield 1991, p.103
- ^ "7th Infantry Division Returns to Situm". Rotary Club of Lae Huon Gulf, Papua New Guinea. 5 May 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
- ^ Johnston 2005, pp. 207–208.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 211.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 212.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 214.
- ^ "2/1st Machine Gun Battalion". Second World War units, 1939–1945. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
- ^ Johnston 2007, p. 46.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 461.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 462.
- ^ a b c d Keogh 1965, p. 463.
- ^ Johnston 2005, pp. 242–243.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 242.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 243.
- ^ Johnston 2005, p. 251.
- ^ a b Johnston 2007, p. 43.
References
- ISBN 0-19-555100-1.
- Brune, Peter (2004) [2003]. A Bastard of a Place: The Australians in Papua. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74114-403-1.
- Corfield, Robin (1991). Hold Hard, Cobbers: The Story of the 57th and 60th and 57/60th Australian Army Infantry Battalions, 1912–1990. Volume II (1930–1990). Glenhuntly, Victoria: 57/60th Battalion (AIF) Association. ISBN 0-646-04099-5.
- Dickens, Gordon (2005). Never Late: The 2/9th Australian Infantry Battalion 1939–1945. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military History Publications. ISBN 1-876439-47-5.
- James, Richard (2017). Australia's war with France: the campaign in Syria and Lebanon, 1941. Newport, New South Wales: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 978-1-925520-92-7.
- ISBN 978-1-84603-123-6.
- Johnston, Mark (2005). The Silent 7th: An Illustrated History of the 7th Australian Division 1940–46. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-74114-191-5.
- OCLC 7185705.
- Palazzo, Albert (2004). "Organising for Jungle Warfare". In Dennis, Peter; ISBN 978-0-646-43590-9. Archived from the originalon 9 March 2016.
- Wigmore, Lionel (1957). The Japanese Thrust. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army. Vol. IV (1st ed.). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 3134219.
- ISBN 0-14-017584-9.