Formation in Egypt, 1916 In early 1916, following the unsuccessful
Gallipoli campaign, the Australian government decided to expand the size of the
Australian Imperial Force (AIF). At the time there were two Australian divisions in
Egypt: the
1st and
2nd. The
3rd Division was raised in Australia, while the 1st Division was split up to provide a
cadre upon which to raise the
4th and 5th Divisions. The 14th and 15th Brigades were formed from the
1st and
2nd Brigades, while the division's third brigade, the 8th, comprised newly formed battalions that had recently arrived from Australia and were unattached at divisional level. On formation at
Tel el Kebir in February 1916, the 5th Division joined
II Anzac Corps, and its main element was its three infantry brigades: the
8th,
14th and
15th. Upon formation, each brigade consisted of around 4,000 personnel, organised into four infantry
battalions. When the more experienced
I Anzac Corps embarked for France at the end of the month, they took most of the available
artillery pieces and trained artillery personnel, leaving the II Anzac divisions to train new artillery batteries from scratch, a process that would take three months.
Major-General James McCay, formerly commander of the Australian 2nd Infantry Brigade, assumed command of the division on 21 March 1916, after returning from Australia, having been wounded during the Gallipoli campaign. After the dispatch of the 1st and 2nd Divisions to France, responsibility for the defence of the
Suez Canal against an expected
Turkish attack passed to the remaining two Australian divisions. The 5th Division was allocated to the defence of the canal around Ferry Post. Moving by train to
Moascar, and then by foot to Ferry Post, the 8th Brigade moved in to position by 27 March. Meanwhile, the remainder of the division's infantry – the 14th and 15th Brigades – were to complete the move on foot, a march of from the Anzac camp at Tel el Kebir. McCay voiced some concerns about the march to his superiors, but followed the order and his actions during the march, and words afterwards, later soured relations between the divisional commander and the soldiers. Taking three days over soft sand and in extreme heat (with temperatures up to ) the men in the two brigades suffered severely and the march was completed in disarray with many suffering heat illness; many were helped in from the desert by a neighbouring New Zealand unit who volunteered to provide assistance upon learning of the situation. Throughout late March to the end of May, concurrently with completing the process of training and equipping, the division's brigades rotated through the positions forward of Ferry Post. Finally, at the end of the month, the British
160th Brigade arrived, relieving the Australians. Throughout June, the division returned to Moascar, where reinforcements were received to bring units up to their authorised strengths in preparation for their transfer to Europe, to join the fighting on the
Western Front. In the middle of the month, they moved by train to Alexandria and embarked on a number of troopships.
Fromelles, 1916 The 5th Division began arriving in
France in late June 1916, landing in
Marseille, the last of the four Australian divisions from Egypt to do so (although the 3rd Division, which sailed from Australia, arrived last in February 1917). At this time the
Battle of the Somme was underway and going badly for the
British. The divisions of I Anzac Corps, which had been acclimatising in the quiet sector near
Armentières since April 1916, had been dispatched to the Somme as reinforcements, and so the 4th and 5th Divisions, which formed part of II Anzac Corps under Lieutenant General
Alexander Godley, took their place at Armentières. The 4th Division subsequently occupied the front, while the 5th Division remained in reserve, completing training around
Blaringhem, until 8 July, when it was called to take over from the 4th Division around
Bois-Grenier, which also began preparations to move south. The 8th and 15th Brigades arrived on the night of 10/11 July, while the 14th moved into position on 12 July. The result of this move was that the 5th Division, the most inexperienced of the Australian divisions in France, would be the first to see major action, doing so in the
Battle of Fromelles, a week after going into the trenches. As the Germans had been reinforcing their Somme front with troops from the north, the British planned a demonstration, or feint, to try to pin these troops to the front. The attack was planned by
Lieutenant-General Richard Haking, commander of the
British XI Corps, which adjoined II Anzac Corps to the south. The aim was to reduce the slight German
salient known as the "Sugar Loaf", north-west of the German-held town of Fromelles, and was primarily intended, according to historian Chris Coulthard-Clark, "to assist the main offensive which British forces had launched along the Somme River 80 kilometres to the south on 1 July". Planning for the attack had been hasty and, as a result, the objectives were poorly defined. By the time the attack was ready to be launched, its purpose as a preliminary diversion to the main action at the Somme had passed, yet Haking and his army commander, General
Sir Charles Monro, were keen to go ahead. Due to the pre-registration of supporting artillery, the Germans were warned about the attack. Nevertheless, at 6 pm on 19 July 1916, after seven hours of preliminary bombardment, the 5th Division and
British 61st Division (on the right of the Australians) attacked. The Australian 8th and 14th Brigades, attacking north of the salient, occupied the German trenches, capturing around , but became isolated as the 15th Brigade's effort was checked, and began taking fire to its flank from Sugar Loaf. The 15th Brigade and the
British 184th Brigade had taken heavy casualties while attempting to cross
no man's land, as the supporting artillery had failed to suppress the German machine guns. The 8th and 14th Brigades were forced to withdraw, through German
enfilade fire, the following morning. The failure was compounded when the British 61st Division asked the Australian 15th Brigade to join in a renewed attempt at 9 pm, but cancelled without informing the Australians with enough time to allow them to cancel their own attack. Consequently, half of the
Australian 58th Battalion made another futile, solo effort to capture the salient, which resulted in further casualties. The battle resulted in the greatest loss of Australian lives in a single 24-hour period. The 5,533 Australian casualties, including 400 prisoners, were equivalent to the total Australian losses in the
Boer,
Korean and
Vietnam Wars combined. The 5th Division was effectively incapacitated for many months afterwards. Two battalions, the
60th and the
32nd, each suffered more than 700 casualties, or more than 90 per cent of their fighting strength and had to be rebuilt: out of 887 personnel from the 60th Battalion, only one officer and 106 other ranks survived; the 32nd Battalion sustained 718 casualties. The attack had completely failed as a diversion when its limited nature became obvious to the German defenders, while McCay's orders for the troops to push forward from the captured German trenches unnecessarily exposed them to German counter-attacks. The perceived failure of the British 61st Division later impacted relations between the AIF divisions and the British. Despite the heavy casualties, in its communiqués, the British GHQ described the Battle of Fromelles as "some important raids". " by the side of the Montauban road, near
Mametz, on the
Somme, December 1916. |alt=Australian soldiers at the front during World War I. Some are wearing
slouch hats, steel helmets, sheepskin jackets and woollen gloves, demonstrating both the variety of official battledress, and how it was modified and augmented, for local conditions. Following the battle, the division remained in the line around Armentieres for several months. As a result of its losses the 5th Division's effectiveness was greatly reduced and it was not considered "fit for offensive action for many months". Despite this, according to historian
Jeffrey Grey, Haking is reputed to have felt that "the attack did the division a great deal of good".
Hindenburg Line, 1917 After reinforcements had arrived, the division began trench raids again in the summer of 1916. In October, it deployed to the front again around
Flers, leading the rest of the Australian divisions to that sector. The division remained on the Somme during the winter. In December 1916, Major General
Talbot Hobbs assumed command of the 5th Division, replacing McCay who took over a depot command in England. In the early part of 1917, the division took part in the
operations on the Ancre, before the Germans sought to reduce the length of their line, withdrawing to prepared positions along the
Hindenburg Line. Beginning on 24 February 1917, having endured a bitter winter on the Somme, the division joined the pursuit, skirmishing with the German screen covering the withdrawal. On 17 March 1917, the
30th Battalion attacked towards
Bapaume, the objective of the previous year's Somme offensive, and found the town abandoned, a smoking ruin. The 15th Brigade, being employed as an advanced guard (or
flying column), pushed south of Bapaume until, having lost touch with the
British Fourth Army units on its flank, was ordered to halt. By 24 March 1917 the headlong advance had ended and a period of cautious approach to the Hindenburg defences began as the Allies began approaching the German outposts and resistance began to grow. On 2 April 1917, the 14th Brigade, which had taken over the advance from the 15th, captured the villages of Doignies and
Louverval, suffering 484 casualties and taking 12 prisoners in the process, before the 5th Division was relieved by the Australian 1st Division on 6 April. When General
Edmund Allenby's
British Third Army launched the
Battle of Arras on 9 April 1917, the Australian divisions—part of General
Hubert Gough's
British Fifth Army since the Somme fighting—were called on to participate in an attempt to break the German flank on the Hindenburg Line at
Bullecourt. The 5th Division at this time was part of I Anzac under Lieutenant General
William Birdwood. It avoided the first of the fighting but was thrown into the closing stages of the
Second Battle of Bullecourt, having taken over from the 1st Division. The division arrived on 8 May 1917, and was tasked with holding the line to the east of Bullecourt and to consolidate the initial gains. On 12 May, the division helped advance the line on the flank of the
British VII Corps, after which a strong German counterattack was repulsed on 15 May. After the Bullecourt fighting subsided, the 5th Division was relieved by the British 20th Division, and was withdrawn from the line around 25 May and placed in corps reserve, in order so that it could rest and carry out further training. During this time, the division moved between
Bancourt,
Rubempre and finally to Blaringhem.
Third Battle of Ypres, 1917 The division's next major action came during the
Third Battle of Ypres. On 20 September, the 5th Division took over from the 1st Division following the
Battle of Menin Road, which was the start of a phase of "bite-and-hold" limited-objective attacks. The next step was taken on 26 September in the
Battle of Polygon Wood with two Australian divisions (4th and 5th) attacking in the centre, between
V Corps on the left and attacking towards Zonnebeke, and
British X Corps on their right astride the Menin Road. The previous day (25 September) a German counter-attack had driven in the neighbouring brigade of X Corps; however, the attack was ordered to proceed despite the Australian 15th Brigade's flank being exposed. Assigned a frontage of , two brigades were chosen for the assault: the 14th and 15th, while the 8th assumed the role of divisional reserve. On the right, attacking with an open flank, the 15th Brigade, supported by two battalions of the 8th Brigade, reached its objectives, and captured some of X Corps' objectives as well. The 14th Brigade, attacking on the left, captured the Butte, in Polygon Wood. In keeping with policy, the attacking divisions were immediately relieved by the
New Zealand Division and the Australian 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions, which attacked alongside each other during the
Battle of Broodseinde as the British line edged towards Passchendaele. In November 1917, the division became part of the
Australian Corps, initially under Birdwood and then later under Lieutenant General
John Monash. The division wintered around Messines, occupying the front twice: in November – December 1917, and then again in February – March 1918.
German Spring Offensive, 1918 The 5th Division, along with the 3rd and 4th Divisions, returned to action in late March as the
German spring offensive, launched on 21 March, began to threaten the vital rail hub of
Amiens. Having been out of the line at the start of the offensive, the Australians were hurriedly brought south to help restore the British line in the Somme. On 4 April, during the
Battle of the Avre (part of the
First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux), the 15th Brigade, which had been guarding crossings of the River
Somme, moved to hold Hill 104 north of the town of
Villers-Bretonneux, hastily filling a hole in the line that halted the German advance west of
Hamel. By mid-April, a renewed German push for Amiens was evident and the rest of the 5th Division, which had been held back at Vauchelles, as well as the 2nd Division, was put into the line astride the Somme. On 24 April, elements of the division played a key role in the
Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. The day before, they endured a heavy gas attack. When the attack came, the 14th Brigade was holding the line around Hill 104, and the 15th Brigade was back in reserve west of the town, which was defended by the
British III Corps. The German assault, for the first time spearheaded by
tanks, succeeded in capturing the town and neighbouring woods from the British
8th Division. The Australian 14th Brigade mounted a strong defence in its sector, and managed to hold the high ground around Hill 104, setting the conditions for a counter-attack later that night. Meanwhile, a diversionary infantry assault was put in by the Germans against the 8th Brigade's positions north of the Somme, with the
29th Battalion suffering heavy losses. In response to the loss of Villers-Bretonneux, the Australian 15th Brigade, along with the
13th Brigade (from the 4th Division), were ordered to mount a counter-attack in support of III Corps. Attacking after 10 pm that night, the two brigades encircled the town, the 15th from the north and the 13th from the south, and after dawn on
Anzac Day, the town itself was recaptured, with Australians and British troops advancing from three sides. This victory marked the end of the German advance towards Amiens, restoring the Allied line in the area. During the battle, the 14th Brigade had also filled a supporting role, securing flanking positions to the north of the town. At the end of May, the 5th Division was relieved by the 4th Division and withdrawn for a period of rest, returning to the front in the middle of June, taking up positions between
Dernancourt and
Sailly-Laurette. During the
Battle of Hamel on 4 July, the division provided one brigade – the 15th – to launch a diversionary attack around Ville-sur-Ancre, while elements of the 14th Brigade also provided support with the
55th Battalion carrying out a faint around Sailly-Laurette. In the period leading up to the final Allied offensive, Australian divisions used
Peaceful Penetration to continually harass their German opposition. Throughout June and July, numerous raids were launched, including one on the night of 29 July, around
Morlancourt, by troops from the 8th Brigade, which killed around 200 Germans and captured 92 prisoners, 23 machine guns, and two mortars.
Hundred Days, 1918 On 8 August 1918, the Allies launched the
Hundred Days Offensive around
Amiens, which ultimately broke the deadlock on the Western Front. The Australian Corps attacked the German line between Villers-Bretonneux and Hamel, with the
Canadian Corps on their right south of Villers-Bretonneux, and the British III Corps on their left north of the Somme. Attacking with two brigades – the 8th and 15th – with the 14th as divisional reserve, the 5th Division followed up the initial attack of the 2nd Division, passing through their lines to take
Harbonnieres, an advance of two miles, with assistance from British tanks. The following day, the 5th Division, which was to have been relieved by the 1st Division, continued the advance with the 15th Brigade as the 1st Division was delayed, supporting the neighbouring advance made by the Canadian Corps towards
Rosieres, while the 8th Brigade took
Vauvillers. Withdrawn from the front on 9 August, the division rested around Villers-Bretonneux before being recommitted to the fighting. In late August 1918, the 5th Division followed the German retreat to the Somme near
Péronne. On 31 August, while the 2nd Division attacked
Mont St Quentin, the 5th Division stood ready to exploit any opportunity to cross the Somme and take Péronne. On 1 September 1918, the 14th Brigade – the only 5th Division brigade that had been able to find a way across the Somme in late August – captured the woods north and followed up by taking the main part of the town, suffering heavy casualties. The 15th Brigade, following up the 14th, assisted with mopping up, capturing the rest of the town, before pushing the line towards Bretagne and St Denis. By 5 September, they had reached Flamicourt and Doingt, while the 8th Brigade advanced through the woods around Bussu. A British general,
Henry Rawlinson, later described the Australian advances of 31 August – 4 September through Peronne and Mont St Quentin as the greatest military achievement of the war. By the time the Australian Corps reached the Hindenburg Line on 19 September 1918, the 5th Division was one of only two Australian divisions fit for action the other being the 3rd, while the 2nd could be called upon if absolutely necessary. Even in the 5th Division, though, manpower was stretched, due to heavy casualties during the earlier battles and decreased reinforcements arriving from Australia. As a result, the 15th Brigade's 60th Battalion was disbanded to keep other battalions up to strength; the 29th and 54th were also selected to disband, but this ultimately did not occur until the end of October (after the division's final battle) as the men of the 29th and 54th refused to follow the order to disband. For the attack on the Hindenburg Line to be made on 29 September 1918, the Australian Corps was reinforced by the US
27th and
30th Divisions, (both part of
US II Corps). During the
Battle of the St Quentin Canal, the 5th Division followed up the initial attack made by the American 30th Division. Several pockets of resistance and machine gun positions had been missed by the US troops, and these had to be overcome before the advance could continue. Once dealt with, the division captured Bellicourt and continued towards Nauroy. After this, the division struck towards the Beaurevoir Line, capturing Joncourt, on its edge by 1 October 1918, and began sending patrols to
Le Catelet. Having breached the main part of the Hindenburg Line, the 5th Division was relieved by the 2nd Division. On 5 October 1918, the Australian Corps was withdrawn from the line to the coast west of Amiens, handing over its line to US troops, and the 5th Division was withdrawn to
Oisemont, for a rest. The division remained out of the line until the end of the war, after which its personnel were returned to Australia in drafts, and its constituent units were gradually amalgamated, and then disbanded. On 29 March 1919, the staff of the 2nd and 5th Divisions combined to form 'B' Divisional Group, effectively disbanding the formation, while the individual brigades ceased exist by the end of April 1919. The division's casualties during the war amounted to 32,180 in total, of which 5,716 were killed in action, 1,875 died of wounds and 684 died from other causes, 674 were captured and 23,331 were wounded. Seven members of the division received the Victoria Cross for their actions during the war: Corporal
Alexander Buckley, Private
Patrick Bugden, Private
William Currey, Corporal
Arthur Hall, Lieutenant
Rupert Moon, Private
John Ryan, and Major
Blair Wark. == Second World War==