Australian 7th Brigade
Encyclopedia
7th Brigade is a combined arms formation or brigade
of the Australian Army
. The Brigade was first raised in 1915 as part of the First Australian Imperial Force
and saw action at Gallipoli and on the Western Front
during World War I
. Following the end of the war the brigade was disbanded before being re-raised in 1921 as part of the Citizens Force
(later known as the Militia). During World War II
the brigade took part in the fighting against the Japanese in New Guinea
and on Bougainville. Today, the 7th Brigade is part of the 1st Division
and is based in Brisbane, Queensland and is composed mainly of units of the Regular Army. While the Brigade has not deployed as a whole unit since World War II, component units have deployed on operations to East Timor
, the Solomon Islands, Iraq
and Afghanistan.
, which was raised for overseas service during World War I
. Consisting of four infantry battalions raised in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia—the 25th, 26th, 27th
and 28th Battalions—the brigade was assigned to the 2nd Division in July 1915. After being deployed to Egypt, the brigade was sent to the Gallipoli peninsula in September 1915 as reinforcements for the Allied
force that had landed there on 25 April. In December the brigade was evacuated along with the rest of the force and after spending a further period of training in Egypt where the AIF was expanded, the 7th Brigade sailed to France in March 1916 where for the next two and a half years they would take part in a number of major Australian battles including Pozieres
, the Lagnicourt, Passchendaele, Broodseinde
and the Hundred Days Offensive
.
and the end of the compulsory training scheme
in 1929. In 1938, however, attempts were made to increase the size of the Militia due to concerns about the possibility of war in Europe, and as a part of this the 61st Battalion
was raised in Brisbane and became part of 7th Brigade.
.jpg)
During World War II
, the 7th Brigade was a Militia unit made up of five infantry battalions—the 9th, 15th
, 25th, 47th
and 61st Battalions. At the beginning of the war the brigade was primarily responsible for the defence of South East Queensland
, with battalions located at Chermside
, Cabarlah
and Maryborough
. On 13 December 1941, the brigade received order to partially mobilise; the following day the order for full mobilisation was issued. The brigade then only had 1,393 men in all ranks. Because of the issue of the mobilisation order, by 27 December, this had increased to 4,449 men of all ranks.
In May 1942, the 7th Brigade, consisting only of the 9th, 25th and 61st Battalions,At this time the Australian Army moved from the four battalion brigade structure to the three batalion structure favoured by the British. As a result, the 47th Battalion was reallocated to the 29th Brigade. relocated to Townsville to act as the city's covering force along with the 11th Brigade
and the 29th Brigade. On 9 July 1942, the first elements of the brigade departed Townsville for Milne Bay, arriving there on 11 July. In July, the Brigade took part in the Battle of Milne Bay
along with the 7th Division
. In November 1943 the brigade returned to Australia where it undertook a period of reorganisation and training on the Atherton Tablelands. In early 1944, however, the brigade was deployed overseas again, firstly to Madang
, before being transferred to Bougainville Island
later in the year where they took part in the a number of significant battles until the end of the war including the battles of Pearl Ridge
and Slater's Knoll
.
Following the end of hostilities the brigade was disbanded on 8 December 1945.
, which saw the formation of a number of State-based regiments, including the Royal Queensland Regiment
and a number of the brigade's component units were reorganised and amalgamated.
In late 1964, conscription was reintroduced, albeit in a different form which focused mainly on bolstering the Regular Army in order to meet commitments in Southeast Asia. The following year, the Pentropic system was abolished and the Army returned to the traditional divisional structure. During the Pentropic years, brigade formations had been discontinued, although their headquarters units had remained in many cases, in order to improve the flow of information. Following the decision to return to the traditional triangular divisional structure in 1965, the brigade formations were re-adopted, however, in 1967 the designation of "task force" was adopted instead of "brigade", as it was felt that the later term was too "rigid". As a result the 7th Brigade was known for a time as the "7th Task Force". In 1973 the 7th Task Force was placed under the command of the 1st Division
and in 1982 the formation re-adopted the title of "7th Brigade".
In 1997 a widescale reorganisation of the Army was instituted which saw the amalgamation of a number of the brigade's subordinate units as the 6th Brigade
was disbanded. As a part of the restructure, the brigade moved towards the establishment of a core of Regular Army units supported by the brigade's Reserve
units; the brigade once again adopted the title of "7th Task Force", however, this was once again changed back to "7th Brigade" in 1999. The brigade also underwent a period of capability enhancement between 1997 and 2000 as a number of new equipment platforms were rolled out in an effort to motorise
the brigade. These platforms included Bushmaster vehicles, Ninox night vision equipment, and Pintail radios.
Today, the 7th Brigade is converting from an integrated formation containing both Regular Army and Army Reserve
units, to a mainly Regular formation, based in Queensland
as part of the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters/1st Division
. Under plans announced in 2006, 7th Brigade was expanded by the re-raising of 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
(8/9 RAR), as a Regular motorised infantry battalion. In order to facilitate this, the two Reserve infantry battalions of the Royal Queensland Regiment were transferred to the 11th Brigade in July 2007. As such the current composition of the Brigade is as follows:
While the Brigade has not deployed as a whole unit since World War II, component units have deployed on operations to East Timor
, the Solomon Islands, Iraq
and Afghanistan. Throughout 2010 the brigade provided elements to operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and East Timor, with around 2,500 personnel being deployed. On 20 November 2010, the brigade marched through Brisbane's central business district, as the returning soldiers were officially welcomed back to Australia in the biggest welcome home parade since the end of the Vietnam War.
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
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...
. The Brigade was first raised in 1915 as part 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...
and saw action at Gallipoli and 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...
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...
. Following the end of the war the brigade was disbanded before being re-raised in 1921 as part of the Citizens Force
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
(later known as the Militia). During 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...
the brigade took part in the fighting against the Japanese 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 on Bougainville. Today, the 7th Brigade is part of the 1st Division
1st Division (Australia)
The 1st Division is the main formation of the Australian Army and contains the majority of the army's regular forces. Its headquarters is in Enoggera, a suburb of Brisbane...
and is based in Brisbane, Queensland and is composed mainly of units of the Regular Army. While the Brigade has not deployed as a whole unit since World War II, component units have deployed on operations to East Timor
INTERFET
The International Force for East Timor was a multinational peacekeeping taskforce, mandated by the United Nations to address the humanitarian and security crisis which took place in East Timor from 1999–2000 until the arrival of United Nations peacekeepers...
, the Solomon Islands, Iraq
Security Detachment Iraq (Australia)
The Security Detachment Iraq was the final component of Australia's contribution to coalition operations in Iraq. SECDET was based on an Australian Army combined arms combat team consisting of an infantry company group and a troop of cavalry which operated the Australian Light Armoured vehicles...
and Afghanistan.
History
World War I
The 7th Brigade was formed in early 1915 as part 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...
, which was raised for overseas 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...
. Consisting of four infantry battalions raised in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia—the 25th, 26th, 27th
27th Battalion (Australia)
The 27th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was initially raised in 1915 as part of the First Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I. During the conflict, the battalion saw action briefly at Gallipoli before later fighting on the Western Front between...
and 28th Battalions—the brigade was assigned to the 2nd Division in July 1915. After being deployed to Egypt, the brigade was sent to the Gallipoli peninsula in September 1915 as reinforcements for the Allied
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
force that had landed there on 25 April. In December the brigade was evacuated along with the rest of the force and after spending a further period of training in Egypt where the AIF was expanded, the 7th Brigade sailed to France in March 1916 where for the next two and a half years they would take part in a number of major Australian battles including Pozieres
Battle of Pozières
The Battle of Pozières was a two week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Though British divisions were involved in most phases of the fighting, Pozières is primarily remembered as an Australian battle...
, the Lagnicourt, Passchendaele, Broodseinde
Battle of Broodseinde
The Battle of Broodseinde was the most successful attack of the Battle of Passchendaele. Using the "bite and hold" tactic , the Allied forces conducted an attack on well-entrenched German forces and showed that it was possible for the allies to overcome even the stoutest German...
and the Hundred Days Offensive
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...
.
Inter war years
Following the end of hostilities, 7th Brigade was disbanded in 1919. In 1921, the decision was made to reorganise the part-time Citizens Military Force in order to perpetuate the numerical designations and battle honours of the AIF. As a consequence, 7th Brigade was re-raised on 21 May 1921 under the command of Brigadier James Campbell Robertson. Initially the brigade consisted of four infantry battalions, however, during the 1930s a number of the brigade's subordinate units were merged due manpower shortages that resulted from the economic hardships of the Great DepressionGreat 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 end 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...
in 1929. In 1938, however, attempts were made to increase the size of the Militia due to concerns about the possibility of war in Europe, and as a part of this the 61st Battalion
61st Battalion (Australia)
The 61st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1917 during the First World War but was disbanded the same year without seeing active service. Later it was re-raised as a part of the Militia in 1938 in Brisbane, Queensland...
was raised in Brisbane and became part of 7th Brigade.
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...
, the 7th Brigade was a Militia unit made up of five infantry battalions—the 9th, 15th
15th Battalion (Australia)
The 15th Battalion was raised from volunteers from Queensland and Tasmania in September 1914 during the First World War. It formed part of the 4th Brigade together with the 13th, 14th and 16th Battalions. The battalion served at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.-References:*...
, 25th, 47th
47th Battalion (Australia)
The 47th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 for service during the First World War and took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium before being disbanded in early 1918 to provide reinforcements for...
and 61st Battalions. At the beginning of the war the brigade was primarily responsible for the defence of South East Queensland
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
, with battalions located at Chermside
Chermside, Queensland
Chermside is a suburb on the north side of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Chermside is a key destination along Queensland Transport's future Northern Busway...
, Cabarlah
Cabarlah, Queensland
Cabarlah is a locality approximately 15 km north of the Toowoomba city centre. It is situated on the Great Divide with views to the east of the Lockyer Valley through to Brisbane and to the west across the Darling Downs...
and Maryborough
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
. On 13 December 1941, the brigade received order to partially mobilise; the following day the order for full mobilisation was issued. The brigade then only had 1,393 men in all ranks. Because of the issue of the mobilisation order, by 27 December, this had increased to 4,449 men of all ranks.
In May 1942, the 7th Brigade, consisting only of the 9th, 25th and 61st Battalions,At this time the Australian Army moved from the four battalion brigade structure to the three batalion structure favoured by the British. As a result, the 47th Battalion was reallocated to the 29th Brigade. relocated to Townsville to act as the city's covering force along with the 11th Brigade
11th Brigade (Australia)
The Australian 11th Brigade is an Australian Army brigade which currently comprises most Australian Army Reserve units located in Queensland. The Brigade was first formed in early 1916 as part of the 3rd Division and saw action during World War I and World War II.-Brigade Structure:*Headquarters...
and the 29th Brigade. On 9 July 1942, the first elements of the brigade departed Townsville for Milne Bay, arriving there on 11 July. In July, the Brigade took part in the Battle of Milne Bay
Battle of Milne Bay
The Battle of Milne Bay, also known as Operation RE by the Japanese, was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese marines attacked the Australian base at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea on 25 August 1942, and fighting continued until the Japanese retreated on 5...
along with the 7th Division
Australian 7th Division
The 7th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. It was formed in February 1940 to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force...
. In November 1943 the brigade returned to Australia where it undertook a period of reorganisation and training on the Atherton Tablelands. In early 1944, however, the brigade was deployed overseas again, firstly to Madang
Madang
Madang is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century....
, before being transferred to Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
later in the year where they took part in the a number of significant battles until the end of the war including the battles of Pearl Ridge
Battle of Pearl Ridge
The Battle of Pearl Ridge was a battle of the Second World War fought between Australian and Japanese forces on Bougainville Island. Part of the wider Bougainville Campaign, the battle took place in the central sector of the island, shortly after the Australians had taken over responsibility from...
and Slater's Knoll
Battle of Slater's Knoll
The Battle of Slater's Knoll was a battle during the Second World War fought between Australian and Japanese forces on Bougainville Island...
.
Following the end of hostilities the brigade was disbanded on 8 December 1945.
Post World War II
In 1948 the Citizens Military Force was re-formed on a voluntary basis and 7th Brigade was subsequently re-raised at Kelvin Grove in Brisbane, Queensland on 7 May 1948 under the command of Brigadier William Steele. During this time although most of the brigade's key appointments were filled by Regular Army personnel, the majority of brigade's personnel were part time soldiers who had a limited training obligation and were confined to one evening parade per week, one training weekend per month and one 14 day continuous training camp a year. In 1951 the compulsory training scheme was reintroduced and this saw the brigade's establishment increase, although this scheme was reduced in 1957 and later suspended once more in 1960. At the same time, the Army adopted the Pentropic divisional structurePentropic 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...
, which saw the formation of a number of State-based regiments, including the Royal Queensland Regiment
Royal Queensland Regiment
The Royal Queensland Regiment is a reserve light infantry formation in the Australian Army based in Queensland.-Current Structure:The regiment currently consists of three battalions:*9th Battalion *25th/49th Battalion...
and a number of the brigade's component units were reorganised and amalgamated.
In late 1964, conscription was reintroduced, albeit in a different form which focused mainly on bolstering the Regular Army in order to meet commitments in Southeast Asia. The following year, the Pentropic system was abolished and the Army returned to the traditional divisional structure. During the Pentropic years, brigade formations had been discontinued, although their headquarters units had remained in many cases, in order to improve the flow of information. Following the decision to return to the traditional triangular divisional structure in 1965, the brigade formations were re-adopted, however, in 1967 the designation of "task force" was adopted instead of "brigade", as it was felt that the later term was too "rigid". As a result the 7th Brigade was known for a time as the "7th Task Force". In 1973 the 7th Task Force was placed under the command of the 1st Division
1st Division (Australia)
The 1st Division is the main formation of the Australian Army and contains the majority of the army's regular forces. Its headquarters is in Enoggera, a suburb of Brisbane...
and in 1982 the formation re-adopted the title of "7th Brigade".
In 1997 a widescale reorganisation of the Army was instituted which saw the amalgamation of a number of the brigade's subordinate units as 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...
was disbanded. As a part of the restructure, the brigade moved towards the establishment of a core of Regular Army units supported by the brigade's Reserve
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
units; the brigade once again adopted the title of "7th Task Force", however, this was once again changed back to "7th Brigade" in 1999. The brigade also underwent a period of capability enhancement between 1997 and 2000 as a number of new equipment platforms were rolled out in an effort to motorise
Motorised infantry
In NATO and most other western countries, motorised infantry is infantry which is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers, infantry combat vehicles, or infantry fighting vehicles...
the brigade. These platforms included Bushmaster vehicles, Ninox night vision equipment, and Pintail radios.
Current organisation
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
units, to a mainly Regular formation, based in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
as part of the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters/1st Division
1st Division (Australia)
The 1st Division is the main formation of the Australian Army and contains the majority of the army's regular forces. Its headquarters is in Enoggera, a suburb of Brisbane...
. Under plans announced in 2006, 7th Brigade was expanded by the re-raising of 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally formed in 1973 by linking together both the 8th and 9th Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment...
(8/9 RAR), as a Regular motorised infantry battalion. In order to facilitate this, the two Reserve infantry battalions of the Royal Queensland Regiment were transferred to the 11th Brigade in July 2007. As such the current composition of the Brigade is as follows:
- HQ 7 Brigade
- 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)2nd/14th Light Horse RegimentThe 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment is a regiment of the Australian Army and forms part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. The regiment was formed in 1952 though sentimentally traces its lineage to 1860...
- 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in Brisbane, Queensland, on 6 June 1965 and has since then served in a number of overseas deployments and conflicts including South Vietnam, East Timor and Iraq...
(Motorised InfantryMotorised infantryIn NATO and most other western countries, motorised infantry is infantry which is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers, infantry combat vehicles, or infantry fighting vehicles...
) - 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian RegimentThe 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally formed in 1973 by linking together both the 8th and 9th Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment...
(Motorised InfantryMotorised infantryIn NATO and most other western countries, motorised infantry is infantry which is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers, infantry combat vehicles, or infantry fighting vehicles...
) - 1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian ArtilleryThe 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is a close support regiment attached to the 7th Brigade at Enoggera Barracks in Queensland. The unit was formed in 1914 under the name 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade, part of 1st Division Artillery during World War I and later served in World War...
- 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (Australia)The 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment ' is an Australian Army modular engineer regiment trained for sapper/combat engineer operations. 2 CER's lineage is traced back to 7th Field Company . During World War I, this unit was renowned for action during the Battle of the Somme, Menin Road and the Hindenburg...
- 139th Signals SquadronThe 7th Combat Signal Regiment was disbanded 31 December 2006.
- 7th Combat Service Support Battalion7th Combat Service Support Battalion (Australia)The 7th Combat Service Support Battalion is an Australian Army administration and logistics battalion which provides transport, supply, catering, maintenance and health support services to combat units of the 7th Brigade...
.
- 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
While the Brigade has not deployed as a whole unit since World War II, component units have deployed on operations to East Timor
INTERFET
The International Force for East Timor was a multinational peacekeeping taskforce, mandated by the United Nations to address the humanitarian and security crisis which took place in East Timor from 1999–2000 until the arrival of United Nations peacekeepers...
, the Solomon Islands, Iraq
Security Detachment Iraq (Australia)
The Security Detachment Iraq was the final component of Australia's contribution to coalition operations in Iraq. SECDET was based on an Australian Army combined arms combat team consisting of an infantry company group and a troop of cavalry which operated the Australian Light Armoured vehicles...
and Afghanistan. Throughout 2010 the brigade provided elements to operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and East Timor, with around 2,500 personnel being deployed. On 20 November 2010, the brigade marched through Brisbane's central business district, as the returning soldiers were officially welcomed back to Australia in the biggest welcome home parade since the end of the Vietnam War.