Australian 17th Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 17th Brigade was an infantry brigade in 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...

. First formed in 1917 during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, it did not see any action. Reformed 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...

 it took part in fighting in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....

, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

 and 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...

 before being disbanded in 1946. Today, its name is perpetuated by the 17th Combat Service Support Brigade
17th Combat Service Support Brigade (Australia)
The 17th Combat Service Support Brigade currently commands the Australian Army's deployable operational level logistics units. Raised on 20 May 2006, the brigade was formerly known as the Logistic Support Force , and is made up of varied logistic corps and trades. It encompasses both reserve and...

, which was raised as a logistics formation in May 2006.

World War I

The 17th Brigade was formed in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, on the Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...

, as part of the 6th Division on 25 April 1917. The formation did not see any action and was disbanded on 26 September 1917.

Units

  • 62nd Battalion
    62nd Battalion (Australia)
    The 62nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was first raised in 1917 during World War I but was disbanded before seeing active service. During World War II the battalion was re-raised in 1942 as a unit of the Militia and was tasked with undertaking garrison duty in Dutch...

     (25 April 1917 – 16 May 1917)
  • 63rd Battalion (25 April 1917 – 16 May 1917)
  • 65th Battalion (17 May 1917 – 16 September 1917)
  • 66th Battalion (25 April 1917 – 16 September 1917)
  • 67th Battalion (25 April 1917 – 16 September 1917)
  • 70th Battalion (17 May 1917 – 16 September 1917)
  • 17th Machine Gun Company (1 June 1917 – 20 August 1917)
  • 17th Light Trench Mortar Battery (28 May 1917 – 16 September 1917)

Commanders

  • Brigadier General
    Brigadier General
    Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...

     John Paton
    John Paton (general)
    Major General John Gibson Paton CB, CMG was an Australian general who served in World War I. Paton was born in Newcastle, New South Wales and joined the New South Wales Military Forces in December 1887 as a second lieutenant in the 4th Infantry...

     (25 April 1917 – 19 July 1917)
  • Colonel
    Colonel
    Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

     William Watson (19 July 1917 – 26 September 1917)

World War II

The 17th Brigade was reformed on 13 October 1939, again as part of the 6th Division, recruited from Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

. The 17th Brigade fought in the Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...

 in Libya, the Battle of Greece
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 Battle of Wau
Battle of Wau
The Battle of Wau, 29–31 January 1943, was a battle in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Forces of the Empire of Japan sailed from Rabaul and crossed the Solomon Sea and, despite Allied air attacks, successfully reached Lae, where they disembarked...

, the Salamaua-Lae campaign
Salamaua-Lae campaign
The Salamaua–Lae campaign was a series of actions in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Australian and United States forces sought to capture two major Japanese bases, one in the town of Lae, and another one at Salamaua. The campaign to take the Salamaua and Lae area began with the Australian...

 in Papua, and 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
Territory of New Guinea
The Territory of New Guinea was the Australia-controlled, League of Nations-mandated territory in the north eastern part of the island of New Guinea, and surrounding islands, between 1920 and 1949...

.

Units

  • 2/5th Battalion (18 October 1939 – 28 February 1946)
  • 2/6th Battalion (25 October 1939 – 18 February 1946)
  • 2/7th Battalion (25 October 1939 – February 1946)
  • 2/8th Battalion (30 October 1939 – Feb-April 1940) to 19th Brigade
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