| 33rd Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1916–1919 1921–1929 1936–1942 |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | ~900 – 1,000 men |
| Part of | 9th Brigade,3rd Division |
| Colours | Black and green |
| Engagements | World War I |
| Insignia | |
| Unit colour patch |  |
The33rd Battalion was aninfantrybattalion of theAustralian Army. Formed in 1916, the battalion fought on theWestern Front duringWorld War I. It was disbanded after the war, but later re-raised as a part-time unit based inNew 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. DuringWorld War II, the battalion remained in Australia and in 1942 was amalgamated with the13th Battalion, which was disbanded the following year having not served overseas.
Raised for service duringWorld War I as part of the all-volunteer1st Australian Imperial Force (AIF), the 33rd Battalion was formed in Australian in January 1916 as part of an expansion of the AIF that took place after theGallipoli campaign.[1] The majority of the battalion's personnel came from theNew England region ofNew South Wales and as a result the 33rd Battalion came to be known unofficially as "New England's Own".[2] and then the "Northern Battalion".[3] Along with the34th,35th and36th Battalions, all of which were raised from New South Wales, the 33rd formed the9th Brigade of theAustralian 3rd Division.[4] Consisting of fourcompanies, initially the battalion was formed along regional lines: 'A' Company was made from recruits drawn fromArmidale andTamworth; 'B' Company fromWalcha,Uralla,Barraba,Bingara, New South Wales, andManilla; 'C' Company fromNarrabri,Moree, andInverell; and 'D' Company fromGlen Innes,Guyra, andTenterfield.[4] With an authorised strength of 1,023 men,[5] the battalion's firstcommanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Frederick Parker,[6] who fell ill soon after being given command.[7] MajorLeslie 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 duringWorld War II.[10] After undertaking initial training at the showgrounds in Armidale,[11] the battalion moved toMaitland, where they concentrated with the rest of the 9th Brigade.[12] On 3 May 1916 the battalion entrained for Sydney, where they embarked upon HMATMarathon. Although originally it had been intended that they would go to Egypt, en route the battalion was redirected to the United Kingdom.[13]
Sailing viaAlbany, in Western Australia, and making stops atDurban,Cape Town andDakar, the battalion arrived in the United Kingdom on 9 July 1916.[14] Moving toLarkhill, onSalisbury 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 theWestern Front, before moving to France in late November, crossing theEnglish Channel on the ferryMona Queen.[15] After arriving inLe Havre, in France, the battalion moved by rail toBailleul, from where they marched to the front, occupying a section of the line aroundArmentières.[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 theYpres sector in Belgium.[2]
This first battle came atMessines 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 theThird Battle of Ypres in October.[2] Moving up toZonnebeke on the night of 2/3 October, in the first week of the push againstBroodseinde, 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 theFirst 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 amajor 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 ofAmiens. 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 onVillers-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 and52nd – in order to reinforce others.[27][28] Apeaceful penetration action was foughtaround Morlancourt by the 9th Brigade in early May 1918.[29][30] In August, the Allies launched their own offensive – theHundred 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 theHindenburg 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 theAbbeville area, taking up billets inCiterne, 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 fordemobilisation and finally, in May 1919, the battalion was disbanded.[2] During the course of the war, the 33rd Battalion lost 451 killed men and 2,052 wounded.[2] Two members of the battalion received theVictoria Cross:John Carroll andGeorge Cartwright.[34][35] The battalion received a total of 14 battle honours, which were bestowed upon it in 1927.[36]
After the war, when Australia's military was re-organised to perpetuate the numerical designations of the AIF units in 1921,[37] the battalion was reformed as a part-time unit of theCitizens Force, based in the New England region, assigned to the1st Brigade. This was achieved by transferring personnel from two previously existing units: the 2nd Battalion, 33rd Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment. In 1927, when territorial designations were introduced, the battalion adopted the title of the "New England Regiment" and theLatin mottoStrenue Percute (translatedstrike vigorously), which had previously been used by the battalion during the war, was confirmed.[36][38] From the outset, the Citizen Forces units were maintained through a mixture of voluntary and compulsory service; however, in 1929, the Universal Training Scheme was abolished by theScullinLabor government and replaced with an all volunteer force known as the "Militia".[39][40] This, coupled with the austerity of theGreat Depression, resulted in a decline of volunteers and, as a result, the 33rd Battalion was amalgamated with the35th Battalion to form the 35th/33rd Battalion.[36] In 1933, the 35th/33rd was split and the 33rd joined with the41st 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]
DuringWorld War II, due to the provisions of theDefence Act, which precluded Militia units from being sent outside Australian territory to fight,[42] the battalion remained in Australia undertaking garrison duties. Initially it served as part of the 1st Brigade, but in February 1942, following Japan's entry into the war, the 33rd Battalion was transferred to the32nd Brigade, which formed part of theNewcastle Covering Force that had been tasked to defend against a possible Japanese invasion.[43] On 27 August 1942, the battalion was linked with the13th Battalion to become the 13th/33rd Battalion.[44] It was disbanded on 25 November 1943 having not served outside Australia; the 33rd has remained off the Australian Army's order of battle since then.[36] The battalion did not receive any battle honours for direct involvement in the war, but in 1961, the battalion was entrusted with the 20 battle honours earned by the2/33rd Battalion, which was aSecond Australian Imperial Force unit that fought inNorth Africa,Syria and theSouth West Pacific Area during World War II.[36]
The 33rd Battalion held the following alliances:
For its service, the 33rd Battalion received the followingbattle honours:[36]
The following officers commanded the 33rd during World War I:[2]
The following officers commanded the 33rd during World War II:[45]