59th Battalion (Australia)
Encyclopedia
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 Victoria. They remained in existence until 1942 when, due to a manpower shortage in the Australian economy, the decision was made to amalgmate the battalion with the 58th Battalion
to form the 58th/59th Battalion
. Together they remained linked throughout World War II
, serving in New Guinea
and Bougainville. In 1952, the 59th Battalion was re-raised and subsequently was absorbed into the Royal Victoria Regiment
in 1960.
(AIF) in Egypt
on 21 February 1916 for service in World War I
as part of an expansion of the AIF that took place following the end of the Gallipoli campaign. The battalion was formed through the joining of half of the members of the 7th Battalion with fresh recruits raised in Australia from rural Victoria. Together with the 57th
, 58th
and 60th
Battalions, the 59th formed part of the 15th Brigade
, attached to the 5th Australian Division.
Arriving in France on 23 June, the battalion experienced its first taste of fighting on the Western Front
in July when it was involved in the Battle of Fromelles
, suffering heavy casualties to machine gun fire. The battalion was allocated defensive duties for the next 10 months before participating in the Polygon Wood
on 26 September 1917. In reserve during the Villers-Bretonneux
on 25 April 1918, the battalion next participated in the fighting at Amiens on 8 August, the Battle of Mont St Quentin and Péronne
on 31 August and lastly during the Battle of St. Quentin Canal on 29 September. Placed into reserve again for rest and reinforcement, the war ended before the battalion saw further action, and it was disbanded on 24 March 1919.
The battalion was raised again as the "59th Battalion (The Coburg-Brunswick Regiment)" as part of the Citizens Force in 1921. At this time it was assigned to the 15th Brigade again, which was then under the command of the 3rd Division.Palazzo 2001, p. 102. Due to the lack of numbers and funding following the Great Depression
and the suspension of the compulsory training scheme
, the battalion's authorised strength was greatly reduced during the interwar years and it suffered from a lack of recruits and training opportunities during this time.
In 1939, the battalion underwent a name change, adopting the territorial title of the "Hume Regiment", when its recruitment territory was re-adjusted with the 59th Battalion. From 1938 to 1940 the 59th Battalion (Hume Regiment) came under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Purnell Hill, MM, ED. In 1940, Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Whalley, VD, took over the role of commander, filling the post until 1942. On 27 August 1942, as a result of a governmental decision to reduce the size of the Militia and return some of its personnel to civilian industry, the 59th Battalion amlgamated with the 58th Battalion becoming the 58th/59th Battalion. The 58/59th Battalion would go on to see action in World War II
in the South-west Pacific
in 1943–45. It was disbanded on 23 February 1946.
Following the end of the war, Australia's part time military force was re-raised in 1948 under the guise of the Citizens Military Force. The 59th Battalion was not re-formed at this time, however. In 1952, the battalion was raised again as the "59th Battalion (Hume Regiment)" and assigned to the 6th Brigade
. On 23 March 1958 the battalion became the first infantry battalion in Australia to be granted the Freedom of Entry to a city when it was afforded the honour by the city of Shepparton, Victoria
. After the Pentropic
re-organisation of the Australian Army in 1960, the battalion was absorbed into the 2nd Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment
, forming a company-sized element of that unit.
58/59th Battalion
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...
. Initially raised for service during 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...
, the battalion fought 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 France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
between 1916 and 1918, before being disbanded in 1919. In 1921 it was re-raised as a part-time unit of the Militia in Victoria. They remained in existence until 1942 when, due to a manpower shortage in the Australian economy, the decision was made to amalgmate the battalion with the 58th Battalion
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...
to form the 58th/59th Battalion
58th/59th Battalion (Australia)
The 58th/59th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army which served during the Second World War. Raised in 1942 as part of the Militia through the amalgamation of the 58th and 59th Battalions, it formed part of the 15th Brigade, assigned to the 3rd Division...
. Together they remained linked throughout 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...
, serving in New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
and Bougainville. In 1952, the 59th Battalion was re-raised and subsequently was absorbed into the Royal Victoria Regiment
Royal Victoria Regiment
The Royal Victoria Regiment is an Infantry Regiment of the Australian Army, consisting of two battalions, the 5th/6th Battalion and the 8th/7th Battalion.-History:...
in 1960.
History
The 59th Battalion was originally raised as a unit of the First Australian Imperial ForceFirst 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...
(AIF) in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on 21 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...
as part of an expansion of the AIF that took place following the end of the Gallipoli campaign. The battalion was formed through the joining of half of the members of the 7th Battalion with fresh recruits raised in Australia from rural Victoria. Together with the 57th
57th Battalion (Australia)
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...
, 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...
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 59th 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...
, attached to the 5th Australian Division.
Arriving in France on 23 June, the battalion 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...
, suffering heavy casualties to machine gun fire. The battalion was allocated defensive duties for the next 10 months before participating in the Polygon Wood
Battle of Polygon Wood
The Battle of Polygon Wood took place during the second phase of the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I. The battle was fought near Ypres, Belgium, in an area named the Polygon Wood after the layout of the area...
on 26 September 1917. In reserve during the Villers-Bretonneux
Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux came during the period of the battle of Lys, 24–27 April 1918, but was launched against the British lines in front of Amiens.The Germans developed a small number of tanks, and used them in this offensive...
on 25 April 1918, the battalion next participated in the fighting at Amiens on 8 August, the Battle of Mont St Quentin and Péronne
Battle of Mont St. Quentin
The Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin was a battle on the Western Front during World War I. As part of the Allied counteroffensives on the Western Front in the late summer of 1918, the Australian Corps crossed the Somme River on the night of August 31, and broke the German lines at Mont Saint-Quentin...
on 31 August and lastly during the Battle of St. Quentin Canal on 29 September. Placed into reserve again for rest and reinforcement, the war ended before the battalion saw further action, and it was disbanded on 24 March 1919.
The battalion was raised again as the "59th Battalion (The Coburg-Brunswick Regiment)" as part of the Citizens Force in 1921. At this time it was assigned to the 15th Brigade again, which was then under the command of the 3rd Division.Palazzo 2001, p. 102. Due to the lack of numbers and funding 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...
and the suspension of the compulsory training scheme
Conscription in Australia
Conscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood...
, the battalion's authorised strength was greatly reduced during the interwar years and it suffered from a lack of recruits and training opportunities during this time.
In 1939, the battalion underwent a name change, adopting the territorial title of the "Hume Regiment", when its recruitment territory was re-adjusted with the 59th Battalion. From 1938 to 1940 the 59th Battalion (Hume Regiment) came under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Purnell Hill, MM, ED. In 1940, Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Whalley, VD, took over the role of commander, filling the post until 1942. On 27 August 1942, as a result of a governmental decision to reduce the size of the Militia and return some of its personnel to civilian industry, the 59th Battalion amlgamated with the 58th Battalion becoming the 58th/59th Battalion. The 58/59th Battalion would go on to see 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. It was disbanded on 23 February 1946.
Following the end of the war, Australia's part time military force was re-raised in 1948 under the guise of the Citizens Military Force. The 59th Battalion was not re-formed at this time, however. In 1952, the battalion was raised again as the "59th Battalion (Hume Regiment)" and assigned to the 6th Brigade
6th Brigade (Australia)
The 6th Brigade is an Australian Army brigade. First formed during the First World War as an infantry unit of the Australian Imperial Force, the brigade served at Gallipoli and in France and Belgium on the Western Front...
. On 23 March 1958 the battalion became the first infantry battalion in Australia to be granted the Freedom of Entry to a city when it was afforded the honour by the city of Shepparton, Victoria
Shepparton, Victoria
Shepparton is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in the north east of Victoria, Australia approximately north-east of Melbourne. It is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. The estimated population of Shepparton's statistical area is 48,926.It began as a sheep station...
. After the Pentropic
Pentropic organisation
The Pentropic organisation was a military organisation used by the Australian Army between 1960 and 1965. It was based on the United States Army's pentomic organisation and involved reorganising most of the Army's combat units into units based on five elements, rather than the previous three or...
re-organisation of the Australian Army in 1960, the battalion was absorbed into the 2nd Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment
Royal Victoria Regiment
The Royal Victoria Regiment is an Infantry Regiment of the Australian Army, consisting of two battalions, the 5th/6th Battalion and the 8th/7th Battalion.-History:...
, forming a company-sized element of that unit.
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, Hindenburg Line (12 September 1918 – 9 October 1918), St Quentin Canal, St Quentin Canal (29 September 1918 – 2 October 1918), France and Flanders 1916–1918, Egypt 1915–1917.
- World War II: South-West Pacific 1943–45, Bobdubi I, Bobdubi II, Komiatum, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Finisterres, Hongorai River, Hari River, Ogorata River, Mivo Ford, Barum, Mobiai River.
World War I
- Ernest Albert Harris;
- Herbert Thomas Christoph Layh;
- Charles Conway Mason;
- John Joseph Scanlan.
World War II
59th Battalion- Ernest Purnell Hill;
- Rupert Whalley.
58/59th Battalion
- Rupert Whalley;
- Arthur Palmer;
- Patrick Star;
- George Warfe;
- Hyde Sweet;
- William Mayberry.