The 19th Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army

Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 as part of the 6th Division. Formed in April 1940 as a result of the reorganisation of the Second Australian Imperial Force

Second Australian Imperial Force

The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...

 when the infantry brigades composition was reduced from four to three battalions. The fourth battalion from the 16th, 17th and 18th brigades

18th Brigade (Australia)

The 18th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army, which served during the Second World War. The brigade was raised on 13 October 1939 and was one of the first three infantry brigades of the Second Australian Imperial Force to be formed. Initially commanded by Brigadier Leslie...

 was proposed to form part the 19th Brigade. Due to transport problems, the third battalion of the 18th Brigade joined the brigade instead of the 2/12th Battalion

2/12th Battalion (Australia)

The 2/12th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during World War II. Raised in late 1939 as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force, the battalion served throughout the course of the war in the United Kingdom, North Africa, New Guinea and on...

.

The brigade fought in the North African campaign

North African campaign

During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...

, the Greek campaign

Battle of Greece

The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...

, the Crete campaign

Battle of Crete

The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...

, before returning to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 and becoming part of the Darwin

Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

 garrison force and later fought in the Aitape-Wewak campaign

Aitape-Wewak campaign

The Aitape–Wewak campaign was one of the final campaigns of the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Between November 1944 and the end of the war in August 1945, the Australian 6th Division, with air and naval support, fought the Imperial Japanese 18th Army in northern New Guinea...

 in New Guinea

New Guinea

New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...

.

Units

• 2/4th Battalion from the 16th Brigade
• 2/8th Battalion from the 17th Brigade
• 2/11th Battalion from the 18th Brigade
• 23rd/21st Battalion
  23rd/21st Battalion (Australia)
  The 23rd/21st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Part of the Citizen Military Force, it was formed in 1929 by the amalgamation of the 23rd and 21st Battalions due to lack of numbers in these two units. Upon formation they adopted the territorial title of the 23rd/21st...
  
   (14 May 1942 – 25 June 1943)

Commanders

• Brigadier Horace Robertson
  Horace Robertson
  Lieutenant General Sir Horace Clement Hugh Robertson KBE, DSO was a senior officer in the Australian Army who served in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War...
  
   (April 1940 - March 1941)
• Brigadier George Vasey (March 1941 – December 1941)
• Brigadier J E G Martin (December 1941 - November 1945)