The 52nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, 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 (Austral ...
. It was originally raised in 1916 as part of the
Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I. After training in Egypt, the battalion took part in the fighting in the trenches of the
Western Front in France and Belgium, including major battles at
Mouquet Farm
The Battle of Mouquet Farm, also known as the Fighting for Mouquet Farm was part of the Battle of the Somme and began during the Battle of Pozières (23 July – 3 September). The fighting began on 23 July with attacks by the British Reserve A ...
,
Messines,
Polygon Wood
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two to ...
,
Dernancourt
Dernancourt (; pcd, Dèrnincourt) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Dernancourt is situated on the D52 road, some northeast of Amiens.
Population
Places and monuments
The commune was con ...
and
Villers-Bretonneux
Villers-Bretonneux () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway.
Villers-Bretonneux border ...
. In May 1918, the battalion was disbanded to provide reinforcements for other depleted Australian units. After the war, the battalion was re-raised as a part-time unit in Victoria in 1921 and served until 1930 when it was amalgamated with the
37th Battalion to become the
37th/52nd Battalion. In 1936, the battalion was re-formed and during the early part of World War II it undertook garrison duties in Australia before being merged once again with the 37th Battalion in 1942.
History
World War I
The 52nd Battalion was originally raised in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
on 1 March 1916 as part of the reorganisation and expansion of the
Australian Imperial Force (AIF) following the
Gallipoli campaign. This was achieved by transferring cadres of experienced personnel predominately from the
1st Division to the newly formed battalions and combining them with recently recruited personnel who had been dispatched as reinforcements from Australia. With an authorised strength of just over 1,000 men of all ranks, the unit's first intake of personnel were drawn from men originating 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 ...
,
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
and
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, some of whom had already served with the
12th Battalion. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Miles Fitzroy Beevor, the veterans were bolstered by a large number of new recruits, who were mainly drawn from
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
. The battalion became part of the
13th Brigade attached to the
4th Australian Division.
An intense period of training followed, but in mid-1916 the AIF's infantry units were sent to Europe to fighting on the
Western Front. Sailing on the transport ship HMT ''Ivernia'', the battalion departed
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, Alexandria ...
and landed in
Marseilles
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
on 11 June 1916, and was then moved by rail to northern France where they undertook gas training and received new equipment to prepare them for trench warfare. A period of acclimatisation followed in a "nursery sector" around Petillon before, in mid-August the battalion played a support role in the initial fighting during the
Battle of Mouquet Farm
The Battle of Mouquet Farm, also known as the Fighting for Mouquet Farm was part of the Battle of the Somme and began during the Battle of Pozières (23 July – 3 September). The fighting began on 23 July with attacks by the British Reserve A ...
, before being committed to the fighting for the first time, launching an attack in early September. Assigned to the centre of the 13th Brigade's attack, the majority of 52nd Battalion was tasked with capturing the Fabeck Graben, while two platoons assisted with the drive towards Mouquet Farm. The battalion briefly managed to secure its objective, before being forced back. The attack resulted in heavy casualties, with the battalion losing nine officers and 170 other ranks. Amongst those killed from the 52nd Battalion during the fighting around Mouquet Farm were three brothers: Thomas, Wilf and Hurtle Potter. A fourth member of the family, Ralph, was also wounded in the battle, and invalided back to Australia.
![52nd Battalion in France AWM E02396](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/52nd_Battalion_in_France_AWM_E02396.JPG)
Following the fighting around Mouquet Farm, the 13th Brigade was withdrawn for rest around
Ypres
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
. The 52nd Battalion did not take part in any significant attacks for the remainder of the year. In early 1917, after a bitter winter, the Germans withdrew to the defences of the
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 191 ...
in an effort to shorten their lines and free up a pool of reserves. A brief advance following as the Allies pursued them, during which the 52nd took part in an action around Noreuil on 2 April. Later, after they were moved to the Ypres salient in Belgium they fought around
Messines in early June and then, in late September, during the
Battle of Polygon Wood
The Battle of Polygon Wood took place from 26 September to 3 October 1917, during the second phase of the Third Battle of Ypres in the First World War. The battle was fought near Ypres in Belgium, in the area from the Menin road to Polygon Woo ...
.
In early 1918, following the collapse of Russia, the Germans launched the
Spring Offensive on the Western Front. As the Allies were pushed back in the direction of Paris, the units of the Australian 4th Division were rushed south from Belgium where they had spent the winter. Moving in to a hasty defensive line north-west of the
Ancre River, between Buire and Dernancourt, the battalion helped to blunt the German advance during a defensive battle at
Dernancourt
Dernancourt (; pcd, Dèrnincourt) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Dernancourt is situated on the D52 road, some northeast of Amiens.
Population
Places and monuments
The commune was con ...
on 5 April 1918. The battalion remained in the line until relieved on the evening of 6/7 April; the action cost the battalion 154 casualties, of which 30 were killed. Later that month, as the German offensive approached the vital railhead at
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
, the battalion took part in an Allied counter-attack at
Villers-Bretonneux
Villers-Bretonneux () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway.
Villers-Bretonneux border ...
, commencing late in the evening of 24 April 1918. Two battalions of the 13th Brigade, the 51st and 52nd, were assigned to a thrust south of the town, driving eastwards towards Monument Wood, from a start line between Cachy and Aquenne Wood. By the morning of 25 April, they were short of the objective around Monument Wood, but were tied in to the north of British troops. Early following day, the battalion was relieved by French Zouaves who continued the attack while the Australians moved back to Blangy–Tronville. The attack cost the battalion between 237 and 245 casualties.
The
Australian Corps
The Australian Corps was a World War I army corps that contained all five Australian infantry divisions serving on the Western Front. It was the largest corps fielded by the British Empire in France. At its peak the Australian Corps numbered 1 ...
suffered heavy casualties during the Spring Offensive and, as a result, the AIF was reorganised. As a part of this, three battalions were disbanded to provide reinforcements for those that remained. The 52nd Battalion was one of those chosen and it was disbanded on 16 May 1918. Its personnel were distributed amongst the
49th,
50th and
51st Battalions, with these units, the men of the 52nd subsequently took part in the Allied
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allies of World War I, Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (1918), Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Wester ...
in August, seeing further action as Australians advanced against the Hindenburg Line's outpost line in September and early October. After this, the Australians were withdrawn from the line for rest and further reorganisation and they did not see further action until the war ended in November 1918. During the fighting, the battalion suffered 650 killed in action or died on active service, and 1,438 wounded. Members of the battalion received the following decorations: two
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...
s (DSO), 17
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC i ...
es (MCs) with one
Bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
, eight
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...
s (DCMs), 88
Military Medal
The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...
s (MMs) with one Bar, one
Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include:
* Meritorious Civilian Service Award
*Meritorious Service Me ...
(MSMs), 20
Mentions in Despatches (MIDs) and five foreign awards. A total of 12 battle honours were awarded to the 52nd Battalion in 1927 for its war service.
Inter-war years and World War II
In 1921, Australia's part-time military force, the
Citizen Forces, was reorganised to perpetuate the numerical designations of the AIF. Shortly after this, the 52nd Battalion was re-raised in
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 ...
through the redesignation of the
48th Battalion, which was subsequently re-formed in South Australia. At this time, the battalion was assigned a recruitment area between Caulfield, Dandenong and Gippsland, and was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Knox. In 1925, the battalion was presented colours and battle honours for its service during World War I, and an honorary distinction for
South Africa 1899–1902, which it bore for the 2nd Battalion, Tasmanian Infantry Regiment, which it was linked to through its parent battalion, the 12th, from which it had been raised in 1916. In 1927, the battalion became known as "The Gippsland Regiment" after territorial designations were introduced. At the same time it adopted the motto of "Always Ready".
![AWM 073832 Australian 37th 52nd Infantry Battalion New Guinea 1944](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/AWM_073832_Australian_37th_52nd_Infantry_Battalion_New_Guinea_1944.jpg)
The battalion was amalgamated with the
37th Battalion, known as the "37th/52nd Battalion, The Henty Regiment", was formed in Victoria in 1930 as part of a rationalisation of the Australia's part-time military forces that came about as a result of the combined effects of the suspension of
compulsory service by the newly elected
Scullin Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
government and the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. Assigned to the
10th Brigade, the amalgamated battalion undertook weekly parades and undertook annual camps, and remained in existence until mid-1936 when, as part of an expansion of the Australian military due to concerns about the threat of war in Europe, the battalion was split to reform its predecessor units.
During the early years of World War II, the battalion remained in Australia undertaking garrison duties as part of the 10th Brigade, assigned to the
3rd Division. Although precluded from being sent overseas as a unit due to the provisions of the ''Defence Act'', many 52nd Battalion personnel volunteered to join the
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 initial ...
, serving mainly in the
2/5th and
2/7th Battalions, while others joined the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
or
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
. In January 1940, the battalion concentrated at Trawool where it undertook a three-month period of continuous service designed to improve the Militia's readiness and provide training to conscripts that had been called up under the Universal Training Scheme that had been re-established. Further periods of continuous service were undertaken between December 1940 and April 1941, and between August and October 1941 at Nagambie Road.
Following Japan's entry into the war in December 1941, the battalion was mobilised for war service. In early 1942, when concerns about a Japanese invasion of Australia heightened, the battalion, consisting of 44 officers and 890 other ranks, was moved to Jimboomba, in Queensland, from Bonegilla. The invasion did not eventuate and the government decided to demobilise part of the military to rectify a manpower shortage that developed in the Australian economy. As a result, on 27 August 1942, the 52nd Battalion was once again amalgamated with the 37th Battalion to form the 37th/52nd Battalion, and some of its personnel were released back to civilian industry. The 10th Brigade was disbanded around this time, and subsequently the 37th/52nd Battalion was assigned to the
4th Brigade. Together the amalgamated battalion subsequently served in 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 Finister ...
and
New Britain campaign
The New Britain campaign was a World War II campaign fought between Allied and Imperial Japanese forces. The campaign was initiated by the Allies in late 1943 as part of a major offensive which aimed to neutralise the important Japanese base a ...
s in 1944 and 1945 before being disbanded on 12 June 1946.
Battle honours
The 52nd Battalion was awarded the following battle honours:
*
South Africa 1899–1902 (inherited);
*World War I:
Somme 1916–
18,
Pozières
Pozières (; ) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
The commune is situated on the D929 road, northeast of Amiens between Albert and Bapaume, on the Pozières ridge.
Southwest of the village on ...
,
Bullecourt
Bullecourt () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in France.
Geography
Bullecourt lies on the Upper Cretaceous plain of Artois between Arras and Bapaume and east of the A1 motorway. Thisatellite photographs ...
,
Ypres 1917
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
,
Menin Road Menin may refer to:
*Menin, the French name for the Belgian town of Menen
*Menin, a little village in the municipality of Cesiomaggiore, Italy
*Menin or MEN1, a tumor suppressor associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1
*Měnín, villag ...
,
Polygon Wood
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two to ...
,
Passchendaele,
Ancre 1918,
Villers-Bretonneux
Villers-Bretonneux () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway.
Villers-Bretonneux border ...
,
France and Flanders 1916–18,
Egypt 1916.
Notes
References
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{{Infantry formations of the First Australian Imperial Force , state=collapsed
Australian World War I battalions
Military units and formations established in 1916
Military units and formations disestablished in 1942