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| Australian 39th Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | 39th Battalion |
| Dates | 1916–1989 |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Imperial Force |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Battalion |
Australian 39th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army raised for service during the First World War and later reconstituted between the wars and during the Second World War. The unit served in the Western Front and on the New Guinea campaign, participating in operations associated with the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Messines, the Huon Peninsula campaign and the Battle of Buna–Gona. It underwent multiple reorganizations, amalgamations and postwar transitions before final disbandment.
The battalion was raised in 1916 in Victoria as part of the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force following the Gallipoli campaign and the decisions made at the Imperial War Conference. Recruits were drawn from cities such as Melbourne and regional centres like Ballarat, Bendigo, and Geelong, and were initially trained alongside formations of the 5th Division and the 12th Brigade. Officers attending Royal Military College, Duntroon courses and veterans of the Second Boer War and the AIF reinforced cadres, while logistical support came from depots in Broadmeadows and shipping through Port Melbourne.
After embarkation from Fremantle and staging at Suez and Alexandria, the battalion proceeded to the Western Front where it joined actions around the Somme and the Battle of Pozières. It participated in the Battle of Mouquet Farm alongside formations from the British Expeditionary Force and the New Zealand Division. During the 1917 Third Battle of Ypres period the battalion fought in sectors associated with the Battle of Passchendaele and the Battle of Menin Road Ridge, and later took part in the Battle of Polygon Wood in coordination with the Australian Corps and units such as the 1st Division and the 3rd Division. In 1918 the battalion endured the German spring offensive and contributed to the Hundred Days Offensive, advancing with elements of the British Army and the Canadian Corps during the final pushing actions that culminated near the Hindenburg Line. Casualties and decorations included awards already familiar to AIF units, and survivors returned to Australia for demobilization and repatriation through ports like Sydney and Melbourne.
In the aftermath of the Paris Peace Conference and the postwar reductions mandated by the Washington Naval Treaty era fiscal constraints, the battalion was re-raised as a part-time Citizens Military Force unit based in Victoria, aligning with the Royal Australian Infantry Corps’s peacetime structure. During the 1920s and 1930s it formed links with other units such as the 24th Battalion and took part in annual camps at locations like Puckapunyal and Lysterfield. The economic impact of the Great Depression and policies from the Commonwealth led to manpower shortages and amalgamations with militia elements including the 37th Battalion and training exchanges with officers who had attended Staff College, Camberley. Pre-war reorganization under the Defence Act 1903 framework and the influence of British doctrine saw the battalion redesignated and reequipped in the lead up to global tensions involving Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan and the broader developments preceding the Second World War.
With the onset of the Pacific War the battalion was mobilized for full-time service in the Militia and deployed to meet threats in New Guinea as part of the Papuan campaign. Elements were engaged in the defence of forward positions during fighting that connected to the Battle of Milne Bay and the series of actions on the Huon Peninsula, operating alongside formations such as the 3rd Division and the 9th Division when coordination required. The battalion took part in jungle warfare training influenced by lessons from the Boer War and conducted amphibious and riverine operations that linked to the Buna–Gona campaign and the later Aitape–Wewak campaign. It frequently cooperated with units from the United States Army, including elements of the US Fifth Air Force and logistics provided through bases at Port Moresby, Lae, and Finschhafen. Combat saw use of tactics developed in conjunction with the 1st Australian Corps and coordination with Royal Australian Air Force close air support and Royal Australian Navy convoys. Casualties, battlefield promotions, mentions in dispatches and awards reflected the intensity of the New Guinea operations.
After Japan’s surrender following the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Surrender of Japan, the battalion underwent demobilization and many personnel transferred to occupation duties with formations tied to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force or returned to civilian life amid the postwar reconstruction overseen by agencies such as the Department of Post-War Reconstruction. The battalion’s battle honours were perpetuated in successor units within the Royal Victoria Regiment and regimental museums and memorials in Melbourne, Ballarat and local RSL sub-branches preserve its history alongside collections referencing the Australian War Memorial and the papers of veterans who served under commanders linked to the Australian Staff Corps. Legacy efforts include reunions, published unit histories, entries in the Australian Official Histories of Australia in the Second World War and commemorative ceremonies on Anzac Day and at memorials related to the Western Front and the New Guinea campaign. The final organizational changes during the late 20th century saw the battalion amalgamated and disbanded as part of broader force restructures influenced by doctrines developed after the Korean War and the Vietnam War, with lineage retained in contemporary reserve formations.