26th Brigade (Australia)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 26th Brigade was an
Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), wh ...
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...
of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Formed in mid-1940, the brigade was assigned to the 7th Division initially, but later transferred to the 9th Division. It was primarily recruited from
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
and
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
. After training in Australia, in late 1940, the brigade deployed to the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
and subsequently took part in the siege of Tobruk, defending the vital port town between April and October 1941. After being relieved, the brigade undertook garrison duties in Syria in the first half of 1942, before taking part in the
First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and Second Battles of El Alamein between July and November 1942. After returning to Australia in early 1943, the brigade fought against the Japanese in
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
in 1943 and 1944, including the capture of Lae and the
Huon Peninsula campaign The Huon Peninsula campaign was a series of battles fought in north-eastern Papua New Guinea in 1943–1944 during the Second World War. The campaign formed the initial part of an offensive that the Allies launched in the Pacific in late 1943 ...
, and then took part in the fighting on
Tarakan Tarakan is an island and the largest city of the Indonesian province of North Kalimantan. The island city is located in northern Borneo, midway along the coast of the province. The city boundaries are co-extensive with the island (including a co ...
in 1945. It was disbanded in early 1946.


History


Formation and service in the Middle East

The 26th Brigade was raised on 22 July 1940 and formed part of the all volunteer
Second Australian Imperial Force The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the name given to the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initia ...
that was raised for overseas service during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Under the command of Brigadier Raymond Tovell, the brigade consisted of three infantry battalions: the 2/23rd, 2/24th and 2/48th. The first two of these were recruited from the state of
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
, while the third came from
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
. Training for the Victorian units was undertaken around
Albury, New South Wales Albury () is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – the ...
, and
Bonegilla, Victoria Bonegilla is a bounded rural locality of the City of Wodonga local government area in north-east Victoria, Australia, east of Wodonga, and around north-east of Melbourne. At the , Bonegilla and the surrounding area had a population of 610 ...
, while the South Australians trained around
Woodside, South Australia Woodside is a town in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia. The town is between Balhannah and Lobethal, from the state capital, Adelaide. Mount Barker is also nearby. Description The town is a useful traffic hub linking Oakbank, L ...
. In November, the brigade embarked for the Middle East, with the Victorians embarking from Melbourne aboard the transport '' Strathmore'', while the South Australians embarked upon '' Stratheden'' from Outer Harbor. The two ships then rendezvoused at sea for the voyage to Egypt, via Ceylon. The brigade reached the Middle East in December 1940 and began training around Dimra Camp, in Palestine. Initially, it was assigned to the 7th Division, but in February 1941 it was transferred to the 9th Division with which it served throughout the war. In March 1941, the brigade was committed to the Western Desert campaign, following up the successes of the 6th Division against the Italians, occupying positions around Baracca. After the German offensive in
Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...
began, the brigade withdrew towards
Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...
, which fell under siege. Between April and October, the brigade formed part of the Allied garrison holding the vital port after it was surrounded. During this time, they held the western side of the defences, before taking part in fighting around an area that became known as The Salient in May. The 2/24th Battalion was heavily engaged during the fighting around Bianca, being reduced to half strength before the rest of the 26th Brigade, with reinforcements from the 18th Brigade restored the situation. Later, the brigade rotated around the perimeter, manning defensive positions throughout the siege. As British and Polish reinforcements arrived by sea, the 26th Brigade was withdrawn by the Royal Navy in late October. Arriving in Palestine via
Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
, the brigade was established at
Julis Julis ( ar, جولس ''Jūlis'', he, ג'וּלִס ''G'ulis'') is a Druze village and local council in the Northern District of Israel. In it had a population of . Etymology According to local legend, the name is derived from "Julius," the na ...
for reorganisation, rest and training. In early 1942, the 9th Division was sent to Syria to relieve the 7th Division, which had been ordered to return to Australia following Japan's entry into the war. The 26th Brigade subsequently undertook occupation duties around
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
and Majlaya. Renewed fighting in the Western Desert resulted in the brigade being hastily redeployed to Egypt in July 1942. As the German offensive threatened Alexandria, the 26th Brigade initially occupied defensive positions around Amiriya before being sent forward. Throughout July and August, they took part in the
First Battle of El Alamein The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert campaign of the Second World War, fought in Egypt between Axis (German and Italian) forces of the Panzer Army Africa—which included the under Field Marsha ...
, during which they fought several defensive actions around Tel el Eisa. In September, the brigade prepared for a coming offensive, during which time Brigadier David Whitehead assumed command of the brigade. Throughout October and early November, the brigade took part in the Allied offensive during the
Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented th ...
, during which it undertook several attacks, pushing towards the coast as the Australians were assigned the task of achieving the initial break-in for other Allied forces to exploit. After a period of consolidation, the 9th Division was withdrawn to Palestine, establishing camp at Beit Jirja. In late January 1943, it was subsequently moved to Egypt in preparation for embarkation to return to Australia.


Fighting in New Guinea and on Tarakan

Embarking from
Port Tewfik The Suez Port is an Egyptian port located at the southern boundary of the Suez Canal. It is bordered by the imaginary line extending from Ras-El-Adabieh to Moussa sources including the North Coast until the entrance of Suez Canal. Originally ''Por ...
aboard the '' Nieuw Amsterdam'', the brigade reached Melbourne in late February. A period of leave followed, after which the brigade concentrated at
Kairi, Queensland Kairi is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Kairi had a population of 442 people. Geography Kairi is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It is close to Lake Tinaroo and the cl ...
, where the 9th Division was converted to the
jungle division The Jungle division was a military organisation adopted in early 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 campaig ...
establishment and undertook training to prepare it for combat in New Guinea. This included amphibious warfare training around Cairns and then Milne Bay in July and August. In early September 1943, the brigade took part in operations to capture Lae. The brigade was in reserve for the initial amphibious assault, except for the 2/23rd Battalion which landed after the first wave from the 20th Brigade; the remainder of the 26th arrived as follow-on elements and then joined the advance along the coast towards Lae. The advance was slow, hampered by numerous river crossings and by 15 September Lae fell to the 7th Division, which had advanced from
Nadzab Nadzab Village is in the Markham Valley, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea on the Highlands Highway. Administratively, it is located in Gabsongkeg ward of Wampar Rural LLG. The Nadzab Airport is located East of Nadzab Village and was the site ...
. After a period of rest, the brigade joined operations on the
Huon Peninsula Huon Peninsula is a large rugged peninsula on the island of New Guinea in Morobe Province, eastern Papua New Guinea. It is named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec. The peninsula is dominated by the steep Saruwaged and Finisterr ...
. As the Australians advanced inland from Finschhafen the brigade fought significant actions at Sattelberg and
Wareo Wareo is a village on the Huon Peninsula, in Kotte Rural LLG, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. The village was liberated by the Australian Army during World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or ...
, before playing a supporting role during the drive on Sio. After being relieved by Militia troops from the
5th Division In military terms, 5th Division may refer to: Infantry divisions * 5th Division (Australia) *5th Division (People's Republic of China) * 5th Division (Colombia) *Finnish 5th Division (Continuation War) * 5th Light Cavalry Division (France) *5th Mo ...
, the brigade returned to Australia for rest in January – February 1944. In May 1944, the brigade concentrated at
Ravenshoe, Queensland Ravenshoe ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Ravenshoe had a population of 1,400 people. Geography Ravenshoe is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It is located south w ...
, on the Atherton Tablelands after a period of leave. A period of uncertainty followed regarding the future employment of the Australian Army in the Pacific as US troops took the lead in the theatre around this time. Large numbers of personnel were discharged from the brigade's constituent units as part of a partial demobilisation to return soldiers to civilian industry; other personnel who had seen considerable active service were discharged due to medical reasons. They were replaced by largely inexperienced personnel and so a period of intense training was undertaken. Eventually, in the final stages of the war, the brigade was assigned to the
Borneo campaign The Borneo campaign or Second Battle of Borneo was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area during World War II to liberate Japanese-held British Borneo and Dutch Borneo. Designated collectively as Operation Oboe, ...
. Within this campaign, the 26th Brigade was tasked with capturing Tarakan to secure an airfield for future operations in the area. In March 1945, the brigade moved to
Morotai Island Morotai Island ( id, Pulau Morotai) is an island in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands. Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It ha ...
as part of a preliminary move ahead of the attack. On 1 May, the 2/23rd and 2/48th Battalions landed at Lingkas and the Australians began advancing inland. The 2/24th Battalion and the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion consolidated positions around the beachhead while the 2/23rd secured the oilfield around Parmusian. Japanese resistance grew after the initial landing and fighting in bunkers and tunnels took place for several days before the high ground around the beachhead was secured on 4 May. The heavily damaged airfield was captured the following day, but the fighting in the hinterland continued for another six weeks, with minor actions continuing until the end of the war in mid-August. Following the conclusion of hostilities, the 26th Brigade remained on Tarakan for several months undertaking garrison duties while personnel awaited repatriation to Australia for demobilisation. Initially there was a shortage of shipping available, which delayed the process. In October, around 300 personnel from the brigade volunteered for service with the
British Commonwealth Occupation Force The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) was the British Commonwealth taskforce consisting of Australian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952. At its peak, ...
in Japan, forming part of the 66th Infantry Battalion. This unit later became part of the
Royal Australian Regiment The Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) is the parent administrative regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. It was originally formed in 1948 as a t ...
in the post war period. Throughout November and December 1945, drafts of personnel from the brigade embarked for Australia as ships became available. Finally, the 26th Brigade was disbanded in
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
on 25 January 1946. Around 9,447 personnel served in the brigade's three infantry battalions. Casualties amongst these men were high, with 764 being killed in action, 2,301 wounded and 415 captured. Another 244 died of their wounds, or from accidents or other causes. Five soldiers assigned to the brigade received the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
during the war. Four of these –
Stan Gurney Arthur Stanley Gurney, VC (15 December 1908 – 22 July 1942) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Military car ...
, Bill Kibby, Percy Gratwick and Tom Derrick – served with the 2/48th Battalion, while the other,
Jack Mackey John Bernard "Jack" Mackey, VC (16 May 1922 – 12 May 1945) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British Commonwealth forces. Mackey was one of twent ...
, served with the 2/3rd Pioneers, which was temporarily assigned to the brigade during its final campaign of the war.


Structure

The 26th Brigade typically consisted of: * Brigade Headquarters ** 2/23rd Australian Infantry Battalion ** 2/24th Australian Infantry Battalion ** 2/48th Australian Infantry Battalion


Commanders

The following officers commanded the 26th Brigade during the war: * Brigadier Raymond Tovell (1940–1942) * Brigadier David Whitehead (1942–1945)


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * *


External links


26th Brigade war diary, Australian War Memorial
{{Infantry formations of the Second Australian Imperial Force , state=collapsed 26 Military units and formations established in 1940 Military units and formations disestablished in 1946 1946 disestablishments in Australia