The
9th Division of the
Australian ArmyThe 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...
was formed to serve in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as part of the
Second Australian Imperial ForceThe 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...
(AIF). The division was raised from
regular armyIn contemporary use, the term Regular Army refers to the full-time active component of the United States Army, as opposed to the Army Reserve or the Army National Guard. -Civil War:...
units and volunteer infantry brigades, from October 1940 onwards. In common with several other Australian divisions, the 9th Division was one of only a few
AlliedThe Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . The involvement of the Allies in World War II was either natural and inevitable they were invaded or under the direct threat of invasion by the Axis or compelled by concerns that the Axis powers...
army units to serve with distinction against both
Nazi GermanyNazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany between 1933 and 1945, while it was led by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Worker's Party . The name Third Reich refers to the state as the successor to the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages and the German...
(in
North AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the UN definition of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia,Mauritania, and...
) and the
Empire of JapanThe Empire of Japan was a Japanese political entity that existed during the period from the...
(in
New GuineaNew Guinea, located north of Australia, is the world's second largest island. It became separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known as the Torres Strait flooded after the last glacial period. The name Papua has long been associated with the island...
and
BorneoBorneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Administratively, this island is divided among Indonesia , Malaysia and Brunei . Indonesians refer to the island as Kalimantan...
).
Formation
The 9th Division was formed in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
in late 1940, with the 18th and 28th Infantry Brigades as its nominal founding units. However, only the 18th Brigade was actually in the UK. The 24th Brigade was also assigned to the division. These three infantry brigades had all been formed in Australia.
By February 1941, 9th Division headquarters had been relocated to the Middle East. As part of a reorganisation of the AIF, the 18th and 25th Brigades became part of the 7th Division. The 26th and 28th Infantry Brigades replaced them as part of the 9th Division.
Cyrenaica
After completing its initial training in Australia, the UK and Palestine, the 9th Division was sent to
CyrenaicaCyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya and also an ex-province or state of the country in the pre-1963 administrative system. What used to be Cyrenaica in the old system is now divided up into several "shabiyat"...
in Libya in early March 1941 to complete its training and equipping as part of the garrison of this region. When the German-led
AxisThe Axis powers comprised the countries that were opposed to the Allies during World War II. The three major Axis powers—Germany, Italy, and Japan—were part of a military alliance on the signing of the Tripartite Pact in September 1940, which officially founded the Axis powers...
forces launched an offensive, on March 24, the Allied forces were not sufficiently prepared for action and they were quickly driven out of Cyrenaica, an event nicknamed the "
BenghaziBenghazi or Bengasi is the second largest city in Libya and the main city of the Cyrenaica region . It is also a district of Libya of the wider city area...
HandicapHandicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which the advantage is calculated...
" by the Australians. The division suffered relatively light casualties in this retreat and was fortunate to escape without severe loss.
Siege of Tobruk
On 6 April 1941 the retreating 9th Division was ordered to enter and defend the important port town of
TobrukTobruk or Tubruq is a town, seaport, and peninsula in northeastern Libya, near the border with Egypt, in North Africa. It is the capital of Al Butnan District...
which
General WavellField Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC was a British field marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during World War II. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army...
, the commander of the British Middle East Command, had ordered be held for at least two months. Reinforced by the 18th Brigade of the
Australian 7th DivisionThe 7th Division of the Australian Military Forces was raised in February 1940 to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force...
and British artillery and armoured regiments the 9th Division successfully defended the port for over 6 months.
The Australian defence of Tobruk was anchored on three factors: the use of the pre-existing Italian fortifications around the port, aggressive patrolling and raiding of Axis positions and the firepower of the garrison's artillery. Fighting from fixed positions, the Australian infantry successfully contained and defeated repeated German armoured and infantry attacks on the fortress. After the failure of the British attempts to relieve the fortress in May and June 1941 the 9th Division was successful in gradually improving Tobruk's defences through aggressively raiding Axis positions.
Upon the request of the Australian War Cabinet, the bulk of the 9th Division was withdrawn from Tobruk in September and October 1941 with only the 2/13th Battalion remaining in the fortress at the time the garrison was finally relieved in December. The defence of Tobruk cost the 9th Division 3,164 casualties (650 killed, 1,597 wounded and 917 captured)..
Syrian interlude
After its withdrawal from Tobruk the 9th Division enjoyed only a brief period of rest in Palestine before being redeployed to northern
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
where, as part of the British 9th Army, it was responsible for guarding the Turkish-Syrian frontier. This deployment was the first time all the elements of the Division had been concentrated in the one area. In addition to its garrison duties, the 9th Division also conducted some much needed training in mobile warfare during its stay in Syria.
While the
Australian I CorpsI Corps of the Australian Army was the main frontline corps of the army during World War II. Various Australian and other Allied divisions came under its control at various times. In 1940-42, the corps was based in the Mediterranean Theatre...
, including the
6thThe 6th Division of the Australian Army was a unit in the Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II. It served in the North African campaign, the Greek campaign and the New Guinea campaign, including the crucial battles of the Kokoda Track, among others.The 6th Division of the...
and
7thThe 7th Division of the Australian Military Forces was raised in February 1940 to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force...
Divisions, was withdrawn to Australia in early 1942 the Australian government agreed to British requests to retain the 9th Division in the Middle East in exchange for an additional American division being sent to Australia. Following the withdrawal of the I Corps the 9th Division was the only Australian Army unit in the Middle East and the last Australian Army unit to see action against the German and Italian armies.
First Battle of El Alamein
During early 1942 the Axis forces advanced steadily through north west Egypt. It was decided that the Eighth Army should make a stand just over 100km west of Alexandria, at the railway siding of
El AlameinEl Alamein is a town in northern Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea coast in Matruh Governorate. It is west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo...
, where the coastal plain narrowed between the
Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
and the inhospitable
Qattara DepressionThe Qattara Depression is a desert basin within the Libyan Desert of northwestern Egypt. The Depression, at 133 m below sea level, contains the second lowest point in Africa...
.
On 26 June 1942 the 9th Division was ordered to begin moving from northern Syria to El Alamein. The lead elements of the Division arrived at El Alamein on 6 July and the Division was assigned the most northerly section of the Commonwealth defensive line.
The Axis leader,
Erwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , was perhaps the most famous German Field Marshal of World War II....
made a major attack on July 1, hoping to dislodge the Allies from the area, take Alexandria, and open the way to
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
and the
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened on November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa...
. However the Eighth Army had regrouped sufficiently to repel the Axis forces and launch counterattacks.
Before dawn on July 10, as Rommel focused his efforts on the southern flank of the battlefield, the 9th Division attacked the north flank of the enemy positions and captured the strategic high ground around Tel el Eisa. Rommel redirected his forces against them, in a series of intense counterattacks, but was unable to dislodge the Australians.
The final phase of the First Battle of El Alamein was a disaster for the Allies and the 2/28th Battalion in particular: an attempt to capture Sanyet el Miteiriya, known as "Ruin Ridge", on July 26. The operation was part of a complex series of night attacks. The 2/28th suffered significant casualties and vehicle losses in its advance, but achieved its objective. However, the battalion was soon surrounded by German infantry. A planned advance by British tanks failed and German tanks arrived. The 2/28th's positions came under a prolonged and methodical attack by the Axis forces. By the time they surrendered, 65 Australians had been killed. Although the vast majority of the 2/28th had become POWs, 105 members of the battalion remained behind Allied lines and it was subsequently rebuilt.
Second Battle of El Alamein
The division was position in the northern sector of the 8th Army's front at El Alamein, nearest the coast, as part of the XXX Corps. This sector was to effect the main thrust of the Allied attack. Whilst the XII and most of the XXX had failed to meet their objectives on the 25th of October, the 9th had gained considerable momentum, attacking both frontally and executing a wide "left hook" form their original positions, in their sector, with one axis outpost after another falling to them. They had badly mauled (together with the 51st (Highland) Division, and the 2nd New Zealand Division) Italian Trento Division and the German 164th Division. By the 26th the Australian 9th had managed to further slice through the German 164th Division and trap the greater part of it against the sea. This caused the Axis to rush reinforcements to their sector, predominantly in the form of the 21st Panzer and, later, the Ariete divisions.
As events unfolded, it was on the 9th that
MontgomeryField Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , often referred to as "Monty", was an Anglo-Irish British Army officer...
pinned his hopes on a breakthrough. They were later referred to by
MontgomeryField Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , often referred to as "Monty", was an Anglo-Irish British Army officer...
as his secret weapon.
South West Pacific
The 9th Division began embarking for its return to Australia on 24 January 1943. The division arrived at
FremantleFremantle is a port city in Western Australia, located southwest of Perth, the state capital, at the mouth of the Swan River on Australia's western coast. It was the first settlement of the Swan River colonists in 1829...
in
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
on 18 February whereupon all members of the division were granted three weeks leave. The division reformed in April 1943 in the semi-tropical
Atherton TablelandThe Atherton Tablelands are a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. it has an area of around...
region of
Far North QueenslandFar North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait....
where it began re-organising and re-training for jungle warfare. As part of the conversion to a
Jungle DivisionThe Jungle Division was a military organisation adopted in 1943 by the Australian Army during the Second World War. This organisation was a much lighter version of the standard British-pattern infantry division used during previous campaigns in the deserts of North Africa and was optimised to meet...
many of the division’s units were either separated from the division, reorganised into new roles or disbanded. After completing amphibious training near Cairns the 9th Division departed for Milne Bay in
New GuineaNew Guinea, located north of Australia, is the world's second largest island. It became separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known as the Torres Strait flooded after the last glacial period. The name Papua has long been associated with the island...
in late July and early August 1943.
Lae
The 9th Division's first task in New Guinea was to
liberate the town of LaeThe 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 a joint operation with the
7th DivisionThe 7th Division of the Australian Military Forces was raised in February 1940 to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force...
. On 4 September 1943 the 9th Division successfully conducted an
amphibious landing to the eastThe Landing at Lae was an amphibous landing, as part of ', to the east of Lae in the Salamaua-Lae campaign of World War II between 4-6 September 1943....
of the town, while the 7th Division was flown into the
recently secured Nadzab airfieldThe Landing at Nadzab was an airborne landing on 5 September 1943 during the New Guinea campaign of World War II that began with a parachute drop at Nadzab in conjunction with the Landing at Lae....
, to the west of
LaeLae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
, from September 7.
After establishing their supply bases the two Australian divisions raced each other to Lae. The 7th Division entered the town several hours ahead of the 9th Division on 16 September. The 9th Division's advance had been held up by Japanese resistance and difficulties with crossing the rivers between the landing beaches and Lae.
Huon Peninsula campaign
Led by Australian Brigadier
J. V. WindeyerMajor General Sir William John Victor Windeyer KBE CB DSO and Bar PC KC Australian judge, soldier and educator, was a Justice of the High Court of Australia....
's 20th Brigade, the 9th Division made an amphibious landing at Scarlet Beach, 10km (6 mi) north of
FinschhafenFinschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
, on September 22, 1943. After a week of heavy fighting against well-entrenched Japanese troops, the Australians captured the town and airfield of Finschhafen, declaring it liberated on October 2.
However, as most of the initial 4,000 Japanese personnel had retreated to a 1,000 metre (3,000 ft) high mountain called Sattelberg, following the Allied landing. The Japanese launched a counterattack from there on October 16. The 9th Division went on the offensive against Sattelberg on November 7. With intermittent and sometimes heavy air support, the Australian troops worked to uproot the Japanese from the strategically important peak. It fell to the 9th Division on November 25, 1943.
Borneo
The 9th Division returned to Australia between January and March 1944. After a period of leave the division once again re-formed on the
Atherton TablelandThe Atherton Tablelands are a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. it has an area of around...
. Due to high personnel turnover in this period many of the division's units had to be virtually rebuilt.
While the
Australian I CorpsI Corps of the Australian Army was the main frontline corps of the army during World War II. Various Australian and other Allied divisions came under its control at various times. In 1940-42, the corps was based in the Mediterranean Theatre...
(of which the 9th Division was part) had originally been intended to participate in the liberation of the Philippines, these plans were dropped, and the Corps was instead tasked with the liberation of
BorneoBorneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Administratively, this island is divided among Indonesia , Malaysia and Brunei . Indonesians refer to the island as Kalimantan...
.
Tarakan
The 9th Division's role in Borneo was the liberation of
Tarakan IslandTarakan is an island off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a marshy island situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of 117 square miles ....
and British North Borneo.
The 26th Brigade Group landed on Tarakan on May 1, 1945. Resistance from the Japanese was unexpectedly fierce, and it took six weeks to secure the island. The 26th Brigade Group suffered most of the 900 Australian casualties in this operation.
Brunei and Labuan
The remainder of the 9th Division
landed in Labuan and BruneiOperation Oboe Six was the codename for the campaign by Australian forces to retake Brunei and Labuan island from Japanese forces between 10 June 1945 and the end of World War II....
area on June 10, 1945. The 20th Brigade rapidly secured
BruneiBrunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
against relatively light opposition, suffering only 40 casualties in this campaign. The 24th Brigade, however, encountered greater opposition in taking the island of
LabuanLabuan is the main island of the Malaysian Federal Territory of Labuan. Labuan is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as a tourist destination for nearby Bruneians and scuba divers...
. After securing Labuan, the Brigade was landed on the northern shore of Brunei Bay and liberated this area against only light opposition. The division's total casualties in this operation were 114 killed.
Disbandment
Following the end of the war the 9th Division remained in Borneo and performed emergency relief and occupation duties until the arrival of
Indian troopsThe Indian Army , now sometimes called the British Indian Army to distinguish it from the modern army of the Republic of India, was the principal army of the British Raj in India during the last half-century before the partition of India in 1947.The Indian Army served both in India and,...
in January 1946. The 9th Division began gradually demobilising on 1 October 1945 with soldiers with dependants or long service being the first to be discharged. The division's headquarters was disbanded on 10 February 1946 and the last unit of the division was disbanded in May 1946.
Casualties
The 9th Division suffered a total of 2,732 killed in action, 7,501 wounded and 1,863 captured. These 12,096 casualties represent approximately one quarter of the men who served with the division.
Structure
Infantry units (with state of origin, where applicable)
- Australian 20th Brigade – from 7th Division
The 7th Division of the Australian Military Forces was raised in February 1940 to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force...
, 1941.
- 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion, New South Wales
New South Wales is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland and east of South Australia...
(NSW)
- 2/15th Australian Infantry Battalion, Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
(Qld)
- 2/17th Australian Infantry Battalion, NSW
- Australian 24th Brigade – from 8th Division
The 8th Division of the Australian Army was formed to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, who were in turn, part of the Allies of World War II. The 8th Division was raised from regular army units and new, all-volunteer infantry brigades, from July 1940 onwards...
, 1940
- 2/25th Australian Infantry Battalion, Qld (to 25th Infantry Brigade, 1940)
- 2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion, Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
(WA)
- 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Victoria
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
(Vic.)
- 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
(SA)
- Australian 25th Brigade - to 7th Div., 1941
- Australian 26th Brigade
- 2/23rd Australian Infantry Battalion, Vic.
- 2/24th Australian Infantry Battalion, Vic.
- 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Victoria
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
(Vic.) (to 24th Brigade, 1940)
- 2/48th Australian Infantry Battalion, SA
The 2/48th Battalion was an Australian Army infantry unit of the Second World War. The 2/48th Infantry Battalion was Australia’s highest decorated unit of the Second World War, awarded four Victoria Crosses and more than 80 other decorations...
- Australian 27th Brigade – to 8th Div., 1941
- Artillery regiments
- 2/7th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
- 2/8th Field Regiment, RAA
- 2/12th Field Regiment, RAA (ex 2/2nd Medium Reg., Corps Artillery)
- 2/3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, RAA (from 8th Div., 194?)
- Other units
- 2/3rd Australian Machine-Gun Regiment (Vic.)
- 2/3rd Australian Pioneer Battalion (from 7th Division, 1942)
- 2/4th Australian Pioneer Battalion
- 9th Australian Divisional Cavalry (from 8th Div., 1941)
- Engineer companies
- 2/3rd Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers, Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, from which it is separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania – the 26th largest island in the world – and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 500,000 ,...
/WA/SA (from 6th Div., 194?)
- 2/13th Field Company, RAE, Qld (ex 2/1st Field Park Company)
- 2/7th Field Company, RAE, Qld (ex Corps Troops)
- 2/4th Field Park Company, RAE, WA (ex 8th Division)
Commanders
- Major General Henry Wynter
Lieutenant General Henry Douglas Wynter, CB, CMG, DSO was a regular Australian Army officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant general during World War II...
(October 1940 - February 1941)
- Major General Leslie Morshead
Lieutenant General Sir Leslie James Morshead KCB, KBE, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian soldier with a distinguished career in both world wars. He is considered to rival John Monash for the appellation of "Australia's greatest general"...
(February 1941 - March 1943)
- Major General George Wootten
Major General Sir George Frederick Wootten KBE, CB, DSO & Bar, ED , was an Australian soldier, public servant, right wing political activist and solicitor. He rose to the rank of temporary Major General during World War II....
(March 1943 - October 1945).
Quotes
- "[A] batch of some 50 or 60 Australian prisoners were marched off close behind us — immensely big and powerful men, who without question represented an elite formation of the British Empire, a fact that was also evident in battle."http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/9thaustr/9th_part1.pdf
Lt. Gen. Erwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , was perhaps the most famous German Field Marshal of World War II....
, Commander, German Afrika KorpsThe German Afrika Korps was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
, Battle of Tobruk, 1941.
- "My God, I wish we had [the] 9th Australian Division with us this morning."
Maj. Gen. Freddie de GuingandMajor-General Sir Francis Wilfred de Guingand KBE, CB, DSO , better known as Freddie de Guingand, was a British Army officer who served with Montgomery from El Alamein to the surrender of the Wehrmacht in the West...
, Chief of Staff, Allied Land-force Headquarters Europe, D-Day, 1944.
External links