The First Australian Army was a
field army
A field army (or numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, air armies are equivalent formation within some air forces, and with ...
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 ...
, 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 opposin ...
. The formation's headquarters was raised in April 1942 from the existing
1st Australian Corps headquarters, assuming command of all Allied troops in
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_ ...
. Initially, the formation was assigned a defensive role in anticipation of a possible Japanese invasion; however, this threat subsided and eventually the army was deployed to
Lae
Lae () is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River and at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is the main land transport corridor between the Highl ...
, in
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
, in late 1944, where it co-ordinated Australian offensives around
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 18,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the ...
, in New Guinea, on
New Britain
New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...
and
Bougainville, and around
Madang
Madang (old German name: ''Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen'') is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 (in 2005) on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century.
Histor ...
. The formation was disbanded in February 1946, when it was redesignated as the
8th Military District.
History
The First Australian Army's headquarters was formed at
Toowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 C ...
, on 15 April 1942 when its headquarters was raised from the former Headquarters (HQ)
1st Australian Corps,
which had been formed in January 1940 in Melbourne, before deploying to the Middle East with 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 ...
. Under the command of Lieutenant General
John Lavarack
Lieutenant General Sir John Dudley Lavarack, (19 December 1885 – 4 December 1957) was an Australian Army officer who was Governor of Queensland from 1 October 1946 to 4 December 1957, the first Australian-born governor of that state.
Early l ...
, the formation subsumed the previous Northern and Eastern Commands, and was based in Queensland and New South Wales. Split into two corps – 1st and
2nd
A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI).
Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to:
Mathematics
* 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'')
* Second of arc, an angular measurement unit ...
– initially the First Army had seven Australian divisions:
1st Infantry,
2nd Infantry,
3rd Infantry,
5th Infantry,
7th Infantry,
10th Infantry and
1st Motor.
HQ First Australian Army controlled the 5th Infantry Division in
Townsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...
, the new 1st Australian Corps (ex HQ
Southern Command) defending South Queensland, and 2nd Australian Corps (ex HQ
Eastern Command) defending New South Wales. When the 1st Australian Corps was sent to New Guinea in August 1942 and became known as
New Guinea Force
New Guinea Force was a military command unit for Australian, United States and native troops from the Territories of Papua and New Guinea serving in the New Guinea campaign during World War II. Formed in April 1942, when the Australian First Arm ...
, the 2nd Australian Corps moved to
Esk, Queensland
Esk is a town and locality in the Somerset Region in South East Queensland, Australia. In the , Esk had a population of 1,698 people.
Geography
Esk is approximately northwest of Ipswich on the Brisbane Valley Highway. It was named after the ...
, and New South Wales came under the
Second Australian Army. Two US infantry divisions – the
32nd and
41st – were also assigned to the First Australian Army for periods during this time, having been moved north and transferred from the Second Australian Army earlier in the year; nevertheless, these divisions were transferred to the US
I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to:
France
* 1st Army Corps (France)
* I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...
from September 1942, and were increasingly divorced from the First Australian Army's control, with this separation being formalised in February 1943 when the US
Sixth Army headquarters was established in Brisbane.
![Australian 37th-52nd Infantry at Open Bay New Britain (AWM image 093077)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Australian_37th-52nd_Infantry_at_Open_Bay_New_Britain_%28AWM_image_093077%29.jpg)
During 1942 and 1943, the units under the formation's command varied, and by August 1943, they controlled the
11th Brigade at
Merauke
Merauke is a large town and the capital of the South Papua province, Indonesia. It is also the administrative centre of Merauke Regency in South Papua. It is considered the easternmost city in Indonesia. The town was originally called Ermasoe. It ...
(Dutch New Guinea),
Torres Strait Force
Torres Strait Force was a military command unit of the Australian Army during the Second World War. Reporting directly to the First Army and consisting of infantry, artillery, anti-aircraft, engineers, medical and logistics units, it was respons ...
at
Thursday Island
Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait. TI is located approximately north of Cape ...
, the
4th Infantry Division at Townsville, the
3rd Armoured Division at
Murgon
Murgon is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Murgon had a population of 2,378 people.
Geography
Murgon is in the region of Queensland known as the South Burnett, the southern ...
, and the 2nd Australian Corps on the
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia.
The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tina ...
s, around Barrine, in Queensland. In late 1943, the First Australian Army consisted of 90,784 troops, with a further 41,871 personnel assigned to the Queensland line of communication area within the army's assigned boundary. These troops came under the First Army for operational purposes, but were administered separately by Land Headquarters.
Upon formation, the First Australian Army's role had been focused on defending against a possible Japanese invasion, and assumed the main operational responsibility for this over the Second Army, which over time became focused mainly on training and lesser command roles. But as this threat subsided, a more offensive role developed for the First Army. In May 1944, HQ First Australian Army moved to
Mareeba, Queensland
Mareeba is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba in Far North Queensland, Australia. Between 2008 and 2013, it was within the Tablelands Region. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning ''meeting of the waters'' ...
, to prepare for a more active role as Australian troops began relieving US troops in New Guinea to free them up for redeployment to the Philippines. While the main elements of the First Australian Army had been deployed forward to Mareeba, the formation had maintained a rear headquarters at
Chermside, Queensland
Chermside is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Chermside had a population of 9,315 people. The suburb is situated by road north of the Brisbane CBD. It is home to a large Westfield shopping centre.
Geography
...
. This headquarters administered several minor units in Brisbane until September 1944, when they came under the control of the Second Australian Army. At this time the army's rear headquarters rejoined headquarters main at Mareeba.
In October 1944, the main element of the army's headquarters moved under Lieutenant General
Vernon Sturdee
Lieutenant General Sir Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee, (16 April 1890 – 25 May 1966) was an Australian Army commander who served two terms as Chief of the General Staff. A regular officer of the Royal Australian Engineers who joined the Mi ...
, to
Lae
Lae () is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River and at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is the main land transport corridor between the Highl ...
, in the Australian territory of
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
, where it was tasked with undertaking operations across a broad area including
Bougainville,
New Britain
New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...
and
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 18,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the ...
. Here they controlled the 2nd Australian Corps on Bougainville, the 5th Infantry Division on New Britain, the
6th Infantry Division 6th Division may refer to:
Infantry divisions
* 6th Division (Australia)
* 6th Division (Austria)
*6th (United Kingdom) Division
* Finnish 6th Division (Winter War)
*Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War)
* 6th Division (Reichswehr)
* 6th Divisi ...
at Aitape and the
8th Infantry Brigade at
Madang
Madang (old German name: ''Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen'') is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 (in 2005) on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century.
Histor ...
. On Bougainville, New Britain and around Aitape, the Australians undertook limited offensive operations. This saw them secure the northern part of the island up to the
Bonis Peninsula
The Bonis Peninsula is a narrow peninsula located on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, at the north of the island. The Buka Passage separates the peninsula from Buka Island.
History 20th century
In the first half of the 20th century, the ...
, and advance south on Bougainville towards the main Japanese strong hold around
Buin, while on New Britain they were able to establish a line across the base of the
Gazelle Peninsula
The Gazelle Peninsula is a large peninsula in northeastern East New Britain, Papua New Guinea located on the island of New Britain within the Bismarck Archipelago, situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
The Rabaul caldera is located on the ...
, isolating
Rabaul
Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...
. In northern New Guinea, they advanced from Aitape and by the end of the war had secured
Wewak
Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city (seat) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak.
Hi ...
.
Meanwhile, a rear headquarters was left behind at Mareeba, where it assumed control of all forces not assigned for operations in the upcoming
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, ...
, while the 1st Australian Corps was placed under direct command of Land Headquarters for the operation. The rear headquarters remained in existence until January 1945, when the
11th Division's headquarters assumed its duties. The HQ First Australian Army was disbanded in February 1946 when it was redesignated as the
8th Military District.
[
]
Order of Battle
Upon formation in April 1942, the First Australian Army consisted of the following formations:
*Headquarters (Toowoomba)
**
5th Infantry Division (Townsville)
**
1st Australian Corps (Brisbane)
***
3rd Infantry Division
***
7th Infantry Division
**
2nd Australian Corps (New South Wales)
***
1st Infantry Division
***
2nd Infantry Division
***
10th Infantry Division
***
1st Motor Division (original logo:
)
In October 1944, the First Australian Army's deployed units consisted of the following formations:
*Headquarters (Lae)
**2nd Australian Corps (Bougainville)
***3rd Infantry Division
*** 11th Infantry Brigade
*** 23rd Infantry Brigade
**5th Infantry Division (New Britain)
**6th Infantry Division 6th Division may refer to:
Infantry divisions
* 6th Division (Australia)
* 6th Division (Austria)
*6th (United Kingdom) Division
* Finnish 6th Division (Winter War)
*Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War)
* 6th Division (Reichswehr)
* 6th Divisi ...
(Aitape)
** 8th Infantry Brigade (Madang)
Commanders
The First Australian Army was commanded by the following officers during the war:
* Lieutenant General John Lavarack (1942–1944)
* Lieutenant General Vernon Sturdee
Lieutenant General Sir Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee, (16 April 1890 – 25 May 1966) was an Australian Army commander who served two terms as Chief of the General Staff. A regular officer of the Royal Australian Engineers who joined the Mi ...
(1944–1945)
* Lieutenant General Horace Robertson
Lieutenant General Sir Horace Clement Hugh Robertson, (29 October 1894 – 28 April 1960) was a senior officer in the Australian Army who served in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War. He was one of the first graduates ...
(1945–1946)
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
* {{cite book , title = The Army List of Officers of the Australian Military Forces , publisher = Australian Army , location=Melbourne , year = 1950 , oclc = 220833388 , ref=CITEREFThe_Army_List_of_Officers_of_the_Australian_Military_Forces1950
External links
First Army war diaries
Australian War Memorial
1
1
1
1942 establishments in Australia
1946 disestablishments in Australia