6th infantry division australian_army raised briefly world war broken provide reinforcements seeing action raised outbreak world war formed unit 2nd served greek campaign crete syria fighting germans italians division left middle_east returned australia meet threat japan entry war division garrisoned ceylon short period time division committed new_guinea campaign new_guinea component brigades major role successful counter offensive track late division organised australia committed complete formation australian operations war formation 6th division formed britain world war effort expand existence short lived result manpower shortages occurred failure good heavy losses suffered western decided division subordinate units september use personnel reinforce units result division broken replacements months later saw action division raised interwar years subsequently remained australian army order battle world war broke provisions defence act existing militia divisions serving overseas government decided raise volunteer force known 2nd division formed 2nd raised september initially command lieutenant general formation division consisted 16th 17th 18th brigades established infantry battalions later reorganised result 18th brigade sent united_kingdom june decision adopt british establishment infantry battalions brigade 19th brigade subsequently raised division infantry brigade formed taking battalion brigades reduced division infantry battalions 11th raised new_south_wales victoria early majority sent palestine complete training joining france 7th division formed australian corps france fell german forces july corps arrived rest division training middle_east division artillery regiment 3rd field regiment 1st anti tank regiment sent united_kingdom help bolster garrison light expected invasion following partially broken provide personnel serve infantry 25th brigade threat invasion regiments sent middle_east rejoin division arriving december north_africa 6th division saw action early italian forces north_africa advance time major general taken command division june italy declared war allies began build forces libya september italian invaded egypt british colony threatening allied control middle_east particularly suez_canal international supply routes british forces general sir expelled italians pursued border december 6th division moved forward training camps alexandria relieve british troops end december ordered prepare attack january small coastal town inside border major australian action world war took place amidst heavy artillery barrage supported tanks carriers divisional cavalry penetrated defences italian stronghold despite heavy resistance town fell australians days later australians captured large italian war material thousands italian prisoners war shipped prison camps australia fighting continued january italian position cut allies took nearly italian prisoners considerable amounts enemy weapons supplies equipment battle cost australian lives men wounded january italian held port fell italians prisoners january february 6th division british units pushed italian army libya including actions destroyed initially planned leave 6th division defence 7th division trained equipped early april 6th division withdrawn north_africa defend greece replaced took epic siege april november italian german forces campaign division lost killed wounded captured greece crete syria hitler concerned greece october fighting italians albania british ally romania germany relied fuel open air attack greece germans planning invasion russia june allow threat essential oil supplies began planning invasion greece march prime minister australia cabinet agreed sending australian troops greece defend german attack corps commander felt operation risky end disaster stated greece supported german aggression defence greece great risk good cause arrived greece late march early april joined new_zealand british force april germans began invasion greece sending total divisions arriving greece australians transported north yugoslav border took defensive positions fighting followed troops 4th 8th 3rd field regiment brigadier fought brigade despite efforts allied force greek units unable halt rapid german advance central greece athens allies germans april driven greek mainland final act defiance division casualties greece amounted killed wounded captured withdrawal greece elements division evacuated alexandria majority sent crete form hasty garrison 19th brigade landed intact infantry battalions elements 16th 17th brigades landed combined form composite battalions addition infantry division field artillery units 2nd 3rd field regiments landed lost equipment greece result 2nd thrown line infantry 3rd hastily equipped captured french italian artillery pieces germans launched airborne assault island course week half heavy fighting ensued airfield heavy casualties inflicted germans having exhausted ammunition lacking air support garrison evacuated egypt close end month greece large number men unable evacuated result 6th division personnel including majority 1st 7th 11th battalions taken prisoner great deal equipment lost fighting 7th infantry battalion fighting alongside new_zealand 28th undertook bayonet charge position known 42nd street later described war resulted germans killed fighting crete added killed wounded captured division casualty list majority division crete 6th sent greece detached british 7th armoured brigade subsequently took operation following evacuation crete 6th division began rebuilding palestine cavalry allocated bloody successful attack french forces syria lebanon campaign depleted infantry battalions 17th brigade 3rd 5th committed subsequently took drive damascus mid june later joined 2nd fought campaign french mid july process suffered casualties total 6th division casualties syrian campaign amounted killed wounded conclusion fighting syria rest 6th division joined 17th brigade undertook garrison duties december division received news japanese attacked pearl harbor invaded malaya division remained syria christmas time endured cold winter saw heavy snow falls finally january decision withdraw australia meet threat posed japanese advances pacific 19th brigade departed subsequently arrived march 16th 17th brigades diverted defend ceylon sri_lanka japanese remained mid march early july pacific war return australia 16th 17th brigades ceylon 19th brigade proceeded mid march remained april short period leave granted men reported brigade split 11th infantry battalion sent western_australia undertake garrison duty brigade infantry battalions divisional cavalry regiment sent bolster defences wake japanese successes 19th brigade subsequently combat half years 11th place 19th brigade taken militia unit 23rd 21st battalion time division experienced officers non commissioned officers transferred militia units order prepare operations japanese 6th division headquarters subsequently form april appear officially reformed right august september june division artillery regiments 3rd transferred having spent nearly months ceylon 16th 17th brigades arrived australia august subsequently returned states origin brief period leave welcome home held sydney 16th melbourne 17th week later 6th division received orders deploy overseas time meet japanese southward thrust new_guinea division spend remainder war fighting elements new_guinea final year war individual brigade level components unified command mid september 16th brigade command brigadier elements division sent new_guinea reinforce relieve militia 30th brigade 7th division units fighting desperate holding action july campaign point consisted series battles fought track japanese landed pushed south port checked divisional headquarters opened port september 16th brigade arrived days later 17th brigade sent relieve 18th brigade following successful defensive action fought earlier month japanese having reached extent supply lines began withdraw australians went offensive pursuing north october detached 7th division command moved track subsequently took advance exhausted troops 25th brigade days later japanese established strong positions high ground north week half brigade fought desperately terrain driving rain cold conditions positions making heavy work strong resistance australians slowly japanese remained possession citadel finally october 3rd infantry battalion took japanese right flank killing forcing remaining defenders retreat securing crossing brigade suffered casualties suffering disease rations running low brigade continued eastern fork track amidst opposition took passed setting november heavy resistance encountered day 2nd infantry battalion advanced high ground held number days moves 1st infantry battalion temporarily detached 25th brigade pushed japanese enabled brigade continue advance taken mid november brigade having suffered battle casualties committed fighting finally reached swollen crossing 16th brigade ordered support joint australian effort attack japanese area situation grown worse time progress slow march proved difficult soldiers weakened physical states november 2nd infantry battalion led brigade 3rd moved vanguard days experienced opposition november japanese artillery began target 1st launching quick attack companies 1st japanese gun pit companies provided support fire rout followed japanese killed nightfall 1st dug subsequently fought number japanese relieved forward position kilometres coast brigade severely depleted reaching position point fit men ordered hold position provide cover troops slowly moving cape track junction november 16th brigade finally received artillery support battery 1st field regiment flown hastily established airfield began firing inexperienced american regiment slow progress result 16th brigade held position december progressively relieved troops 30th brigade having suffered cent casualties withdrawn night december small element division remained action fell late january 1st field regiment detachment expanded troop guns troop sent support forces force sent addition artillery assets october small group carriers 17th brigade carrier platoon sent bay support general 32nd division crews drawn mainly 7th infantry battalion 5th thrown action december support major assault despite making heavily entrenched japanese wiped heavy casualties 6th division involvement campaign lost killed wounded 16th brigade involvement new_guinea campaign fought successful conclusion 17th brigade preparing encounter japanese shortly japanese landings march small band known force established commenced seven month campaign area early january japanese heavily reinforced area moving troops suffered setbacks hope destroying capturing lay strategically important offered allies serve potential large concentrations troops attack japanese bases fighting 17th brigade command brigadier kept bay australian commanders intention keeping fresh reinforce garrison bay brigade significantly reduced sickness specifically malaria response arrival japanese reinforcements 17th brigade relieved bay 29th brigade shipped january company 6th infantry battalion representing brigade advanced elements flown arrival company company began moving link establish defend amidst difficult flying conditions limited resources arrival rest battalion took place following days rest brigade delayed january japanese began moving small groups intention taking response 5th dispatched january arriving course days morning january main japanese thrust fell man strong company 6th infantry battalion day company fought desperately hold japanese reinforcements 5th brought mid afternoon looked like overrun desperate bayonet charge temporarily bought australians relief eventually withdrew mile south west formed night defensive position having successfully delayed japanese advance inflicted killed following day poor weather hampered efforts fly 7th infantry battalion large group japanese bypassed company position continued response companies 5th moved reaching early january japanese mortars began firing mid morning weather cleared allied aircraft soon began arriving airfield men 7th quickly thrown line night fought following day section guns 1st field regiment arrived 17th brigade went offensive company machine guns 7th machine gun battalion flown february japanese began withdrawing area significant fighting occurred february course weeks clashes took place australians followed retreating japanese actions came february withdrawal complete japanese establishing following 17th brigade advanced supply problems ground halt march april series patrols sent late april brigade detached primarily militia formation took task defending time engineers 6th division including 1st field company improve supply lines area cutting road 2nd field ambulance provided support brigade operations establishing medical services close australian forward areas april 7th infantry battalion end long supply line unsuccessfully attacked southern japanese lines area features known allies north early course days 7th repelled strong japanese relieved time allies began planning wider operations capture taken initially secure 17th brigade capture push north secure moving steep muddy ridges amidst dense jungle terrain 7th found going tough late 6th took drive feeling way located path jungle coast june company came heavy attack japanese battalions regiment amounting men days intense fighting followed japanese successfully beaten australians relied established linked defensive positions featuring extensive cleared free fire zones battle later described australian_army classic engagements world war end month 6th reached secured landing beaches amphibious landing troops established 6th led way west ranging ahead americans allies began early july 7th attacked observation hill japanese began withdraw 5th sent north act support newly arrived moving mid july amidst heavy close quarters fighting captured southern parts late july situation stalemate developed held australian advance result decided bypass early august sending 6th battalion north west path eventually found securing australians began working northern end 7th heavily involved 15th brigade time fighting position known finally japanese abandoned august 17th brigade advance continued days brigade reached final ridge 29th brigade arrived 7th infantry battalion detached 15th brigade continued result remained thick end fell september rest 17th brigade way australia mid september arrived queensland placed 6th division command campaign cost 6th division killed wounded long period waiting training followed division organised jungle divisional establishment saw reduction division artillery vehicles equipment manning divisional strength falling men division lost experienced personnel time promoted moved formations received reinforcements disbanded division deployment come november committed campaign unified division units previously detached including 3rd field regiment 19th brigade rejoining division campaign japanese occupied area northern new_guinea held april americans undertaken amphibious landing later year responsibility clearing remaining japanese troops area passed australians sought troops philippines early october began troops unit arrive 6th cavalry commando regiment formed early division cavalry regiment converted headquarters formation commando squadrons 7th 9th 10th assigned corps unit campaign result shortages available shipping rest division arrived slowly course couple months starting december division commenced limited offensive advancing main japanese base coast japanese having established number gardens 19th brigade 7th commando squadron leading coast route december 17th brigade 10th moving series small scale actions followed mid january 19th brigade relieved 16th 9th commando squadron continued drive coast 17th brigade infantry battalions took turns leading way closed terrain hindered movement supplies rear areas consequently australians slow progress dense jungle limited size forces deployed largest formations sent division limited company size time isolated pockets japanese offered significant resistance places overcome artillery air tank support daily patrols ambush attacks elements posed significant threat australians men drowning attempted cross flood swollen rivers taken april fell operations area continued end war australians exploited south east taking coastal route expanded east patrols ranged inland campaign members division performed actions later awarded victoria_cross commonwealth highest gallantry decoration awarded posthumously lieutenant 2nd infantry battalion courage leadership commanding platoon march second went private 4th infantry battalion destroying japanese holding company advance campaign significant distance division travelled landing traversed kilometres inland kilometres coast 6th division captured square kilometres japanese killed captured division suffered highest casualties war losing killed wounded men hospitalised sickness disbandment september division took formal surrender commander lieutenant general division remained new_guinea constituent units slowly transport shortages delayed process division employed garrison duties aiding war crimes investigations finally november 6th division units returned australia division formally disbanded majority division infantry battalions disbanded shortly early months year existence total men served division ranks killed action died wounded total men prisoners war structure 6th division structure changed considerably existence units detached attached meet operational needs particularly early late divisional order battle indicative generic addition listed 14th 21st 25th 30th brigades attached albeit temporarily varying periods infantry units state origin 16th new south wales 1st australian infantry battalion 2nd 3rd australian infantry battalion 4th australian infantry battalion 19th brigade 17th victoria 6th australian infantry battalion 7th 8th australian infantry battalion 19th brigade 18th 7th division 19th formed 6th division brigades new south wales 8th australian infantry battalion victoria 11th australian infantry battalion western australia armoured australian divisional cavalry later 6th cavalry commando regiment artillery new south wales 2nd field regiment victoria 3rd field regiment new_south_wales south_australia western_australia 5th field regiment queensland tasmania 1st engineer new_south_wales victoria 3rd field company south_australia 8th field company victoria 1st field park company queensland 1st australian machine gun regiment 1st 1st field ambulance 2nd field ambulance 7th field ambulance 6th division signals 6th 1st division company 6th division postal unit 6th division salvage unit 6th commanders following officers served divisional commander lieutenant general october april major general april august major general august april september major general september march major general march july july november
6th Division (Australia)