The 13th Brigade traces its origins to 1912, when it was formed as a Militia brigade as part of the introduction of the
compulsory training scheme, assigned to the
3rd Military District. At this time, the brigade's constituent units were located around
Victoria including
South Yarra,
Prahan,
St Kilda,
South Melbourne,
Albert Park, and
Port Melbourne.
World War I Following the evacuation of
Gallipoli in December 1915, the Australian government decided to expand the
Australian Imperial Force by creating three additional divisions on top of the two that already existed. This was achieved by splitting the battalions of the first four brigades that had fought at Gallipoli to provide an experienced
cadre for the new battalions that were being formed from reinforcements that had arrived from Australia. Through this process, the
3rd Brigade was divided to form the 13th Infantry Brigade. Assigned to the
4th Australian Division, on formation the brigade consisted of four infantry battalions: the
49th,
50th,
51st and
52nd Battalions. , who received the Victoria Cross for his actions around Villers-Bretonneux in April 1918, while serving with the 51st Battalion. After undertaking a period of training in Egypt where it had been formed, the 13th Brigade sailed from
Alexandria for
France on 5 June 1916 upon three transports:
Arcadian,
Ivernia and
Japanese Prince. Upon landing in Marseilles on 11 June, the brigade was transported north by rail. In mid-June, the brigade entered the front line for the first time, moving into a sector near
Petillon, in France, relieving the 3rd Brigade. The brigade remained along the front for several weeks. Although it was relatively quiet, the tour, which lasted until the night of 10/11 July, cost the brigade 41 casualties. After being relieved by the
15th Brigade, the 13th moved to Halloy-les-Pernois, to the west of
Pozieres to undertake further training. This included route marches and attacks in concert with artillery to prepare them for entry into the
Somme offensive, which had begun on 1 July. For the next two-and-a-half years, the 13th Brigade took part in the fighting in the trenches along the
Western Front in France and Belgium and was engaged in a number of significant actions. Its first major action came at
Mouquet Farm in August 1916. This was followed by further actions at
Messines and
Passchendaele during 1917. The brigade fought at
Dernancourt, on the
River Ancre, where they fought a defensive action in early 1918. After the German offensive was blunted, the remaining three battalions of the brigade undertook further actions as the Allies went on the offensive, launching their
Hundred Days Offensive around
Amiens in August. They continued operations into late September, attacking the
Hindenburg Line. Early the following month, the majority of the
Australian Corps brigade was withdrawn from the line for rest. Following the end of the war, the battalions of the 13th Brigade were returned home and disbanded. The brigade's first commanding officer was Brigadier
Thomas Glasgow, who had previously served at Gallipoli with the
1st Light Horse Brigade. When Glasgow was promoted to take over command of the
1st Division in June 1918, he was replaced by
Sydney Herring, who commanded the brigade throughout the remainder of the war.
Inter-war years and World War II In 1921, following the conclusion of the demobilisation process, Australia's part-time military force, the Citizens Force, was reorganised to perpetuate the numerical designations of the AIF. As a result, the 13th Brigade was re-raised as part of the
5th Military District, headquartered in
Perth, Western Australia, and consisted of the
11th,
16th,
28th, and
44th Infantry Battalions. As a mixed brigade, it also included a single light horse regiment: the
10th Light Horse Regiment. Initially, the Citizens Forces units were maintained through a mixture of voluntary and compulsory service. Throughout the 1920s the compulsory service scheme was adjusted to focus mainly on the populated centres, which meant that the strength of some of the brigade's regional units, such as the 16th Battalion, which was based on the goldfields, was minimal. In late 1929, the scheme was suspended completely by the
Scullin Labor government, and replaced by an all-volunteer "Militia" scheme. As a result, the 11th and 16th Battalions were amalgamated in 1930. They remained linked until 1936 when they were both re-raised in their own right again, They then embarked overseas to take part in the
New Britain campaign against the Japanese, remaining on the island until the end of the war. Combat was limited during the campaign, as the Australians sought mainly to isolate the Japanese garrison, rather than destroy it. After arriving at Jacquinot Bay in November 1944, the brigade moved to Wunung Plantation and then moved to Palmalal Plantation in January 1945. They took part in the limited advance from the Tol Plantation and conducted patrol operations as the Australians advanced slowly towards Rabaul. At the conclusion of hostilities, the brigade carried out occupation duties. After returning to Australia, the brigade was disbanded in 1946. Between 1940 and mid-1945, the brigade was commanded by Brigadier Eric McKenzie, who, according to the Australian War Memorial, held the longest brigade command of any Australian officer of the war. McKenzie was replaced by Brigadier
Robert Winning in May 1945 who led the brigade through the New Britain campaign.
Post war After the Second World War, Australia's wartime military was demobilised. In 1948 the part-time force was re-raised under the guise of the Citizens Military Force. The 13th Brigade was re-raised at this time, once again headquartered in Western Australia, and assigned to
Western Command. Upon formation, it consisted of two infantry battalions: the 11th/44th and the 16th/28th. In 1960, when the Citizens Military Force was reorganised following the adoption of the
Pentropic divisional establishment, the brigade was disbanded. It was re-raised again in 1988, and is currently responsible for the bulk of Army Reserve formations in Western Australia. Under
Plan Beersheba, the brigade is tasked with forming a battlegroup along with the
11th Brigade, to support the Regular Army
3rd Brigade when it is the ready brigade. == Organisation ==