57th Battalion (Australia)
Encyclopedia
The 57th Battalion was an infantry
battalion
of the Australian Army
. It was originally raised as a unit of the First Australian Imperial Force
in Egypt on 18 February 1916 for service in World War I
through the joining of half of the members of the 5th Battalion with fresh recruits raised in Australia from north-east Victoria. Together with the 58th
, 59th
and 60th
Battalions, the 57th formed part of the 15th Brigade
, which was assigned to the 5th Australian Division. The battalion was sent to France, arriving there in June 1916, and experienced its first taste of fighting on the Western Front
in July when it was involved in the Battle of Fromelles
. After that it spent the next two and a half years in the trenches in France and Belgium, seeing action in many of the major battles fought by the Australians during this time. After the war the battalion was disbanded in 1919, however, it was raised again as part of the Militia in 1921. Headquartered at Preston
, it drew its personnel from the 2nd Battalion, 57th Infantry Regiment.
In 1927 territorial titles were introduced and the 57th Battalion adopted the title of "The Merri Regiment". At this time it also adopted the motto of "Strike Hard". Due to the lack of numbers following the Great Depression
the battalion was amalgamated with the 60th Battalion in 1930, to become the 57th/60th Battalion (Merri/Heidelberg Regiment)
. They would remain linked for the next sixteen years, seeing action in World War II
in the South-west Pacific
in 1943–45. They were finally disbanded on 30 March 1946.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of 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...
. It was originally raised as a unit of the First Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
in Egypt on 18 February 1916 for service in 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...
through the joining of half of the members of the 5th Battalion with fresh recruits raised in Australia from north-east Victoria. Together with the 58th
58th Battalion (Australia)
The 58th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was raised in 1916 for overseas service during World War I and saw action on the Western Front from June 1916 until the end of the war...
, 59th
59th Battalion (Australia)
The 59th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Initially raised for service during World War I, the battalion fought on the Western Front in France and Belgium between 1916 and 1918, before being disbanded in 1919. In 1921 it was re-raised as a part-time unit of the Militia in...
and 60th
60th Battalion (Australia)
The 60th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was raised for service during World War I in 1916 and took part in the fighting on the Western Front for two and a half years. Following the end of the war it was disbanded before being re-raised in 1921 as a part time unit of...
Battalions, the 57th formed part of the 15th Brigade
15th Brigade (Australia)
The 15th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army. Originally raised in 1916 for service during World War I, the brigade took part in the fighting on the Western Front in France and Belgium before being disbanded in 1919. After this it was re-raised as a part-time unit of the Citizens...
, which was assigned to the 5th Australian Division. The battalion was sent to France, arriving there in June 1916, and experienced its first taste of fighting on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in July when it was involved in the Battle of Fromelles
Battle of Fromelles
The Battle of Fromelles, sometimes known as the Action at Fromelles or the Battle of Fleurbaix , occurred in France between 19 July and 20 July 1916, during World War I...
. After that it spent the next two and a half years in the trenches in France and Belgium, seeing action in many of the major battles fought by the Australians during this time. After the war the battalion was disbanded in 1919, however, it was raised again as part of the Militia in 1921. Headquartered at Preston
Preston, Victoria
Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:...
, it drew its personnel from the 2nd Battalion, 57th Infantry Regiment.
In 1927 territorial titles were introduced and the 57th Battalion adopted the title of "The Merri Regiment". At this time it also adopted the motto of "Strike Hard". Due to the lack of numbers following the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
the battalion was amalgamated with the 60th Battalion in 1930, to become the 57th/60th Battalion (Merri/Heidelberg Regiment)
57th/60th Battalion (Australia)
The 57th/60th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during the Second World War. It was formed in 1930 as part of the Militia by the amalgamation of the 57th and 60th Battalions and was assigned to the 15th Brigade, 3rd Division in Victoria...
. They would remain linked for the next sixteen years, seeing action in 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...
in the South-west Pacific
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
in 1943–45. They were finally disbanded on 30 March 1946.
Battle honours
- World War I: Somme 1916, Somme 1918, Bullecourt, Ypres 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Ancre 1918, Villers-Bretonneux, Amiens, Albert 1918, Mont St Quentin, Hindenburg Line, St Quentin Canal, France and Flanders 1916–1918, Egypt 1915–1917.