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| Category:WW1 |
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Makeup &
organisation of the first AIF |
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At one time the AIF was part of 1
Anzac Corps and II Anzac Corps with the New Zealand Expeditionary
Force (NZEF) and some British Units.
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Eventually it became the Australian
Corps
under the command of Monash.
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When you
consider the AIF you must remember that it was never designed
to be, and never became, a completely self sufficient Army.
From the word "go" it was designed to provide combat
troops with some limited support that would become part of a
larger (British) army that would provide the essential support
services. Figures below show about 95% were
"fighting" troops.
416,809
Personnel enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (including
the Australian Flying Corps). 331,781 (79.6%) served overseas.
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| Description of service |
Total Strength |
Percentage |
| Infantry |
210,981 |
62.3% |
| Machine Guns |
4,476 |
1.3% |
| Tunnellers |
3,970 |
1.1% |
| Artillery |
23,387 |
7.0% |
| Australian Army Medical Corps |
12,945 |
3.9% |
| Australian Army Service Corps |
9,735 |
2.9% |
| Engineers |
9,950 |
2.9% |
| Light Horse |
30,365 |
9.1% |
| Veterinary |
378 |
0.1% |
| Australian Flying Corps |
2,275 |
0.7% |
| Wireless |
434 |
0.1% |
| Cyclists |
570 |
0.2% |
| Trench Mortars |
1,218 |
3.7% |
| Chaplains |
386 |
0.1% |
| Transport Officers |
531 |
0.2% |
| Australian Army Nursing
Service |
2,054 |
0.6% |
| General Reinforcements |
15,071 |
4.5% |
| Miscellaneous |
2,555 |
0.8% |
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Therefore "fighting"
troops equalled about
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95.0% |
| Total Forces Overseas
all theatres |
331,781 |
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Infantry Divisions (numbered 1 through 5) |
3rd Division was made up in this fashion:
(the others would have been similar)
- 3rd Division Artillery
- 7th Field Artillery Brigade [12 x
18 pounders, 4 x 4.5 inch howitzers]
- 25th,26th,27th Field Artillery Batteries
- 107th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 8th Field Artillery Brigade [12 x
18 pounders, 4 x 4.5 inch howitzers]
- 29th,30th,31st Field Artillery Batteries
- 108th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 9th Field Artillery Brigade [12 x
18 pounders, 4 x 4.5 inch howitzers]
- 33rd,34th,35th Field Artillery Batteries
- 118th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 23rd Field Artillery Brigade [12
x 18 pounders, 4 x 4.5 inch howitzers]
- 28th,32nd,36th Field Artillery Batteries
- 109th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 3rd Division Ammunition Column
- 3rd Division Trench Mortars
- X3A,Y3A,Z3A Medium Trench Mortar Batteries
[12 x 2 inch medium trench mortars]
- Z3A Heavy Trench Mortar Battery [4 x 9.45
inch heavy trench mortars]
- 3rd Division Engineers
- 9th,10th,11th Field Companies
(New South Wales; Victoria; Outer States)
- 3rd Signals Company
- 9th Infantry Brigade
- 33rd, 34th, 35th,36th Infantry
Battalions (New South Wales)
- 9th Light Trench Mortar Battery
[8 x 3 inch Stokes mortars]
- 9th Machinegun Company [16 x
Vickers machineguns]
- 10th Infantry Brigade
- 37th,38th,39th,40th Infantry
Battalions (Victoria; Victoria; Victoria; Tasmania)
- 10th Light Trench Mortar Battery
[8 x 3 inch Stokes mortars]
- 10th Machinegun Company [16 x
Vickers machineguns]
- 11th Infantry Brigade
- 41st,42nd,43rd,44th Infantry
Battalions (Queensland; Queensland; South Australia; Western
Australia)
- 11th Light Trench Mortar Battery
[8 x 3 inch Stokes mortars]
- 11th Machinegun Company [16 x
Vickers machineguns]
- 3rd Pioneer Battalion
- British 207th Machinegun
Company [16 x Vickers machineguns]
- 3rd Division Medical Services
- 9th,10th,11th Field Ambulances
- 3rd Sanitary Section
- 3rd Salvage Company
- 3rd Division Train
- 22nd,23rd,24th,25th Australian
Army Service Corps Companies
- 3rd Division Supply Column
- 3rd Division Ammunition Sub Park
- 3rd Mobile Veterinary Section
- It was the Infantry Battalions that
formed the backbone of the Division and the reason for it's existence.
Everyone else was there to support the Infantry.
A full strength AIF Infantry Battalion
was made up of 29 Officers and 1007 Other Ranks (OR's) broken up in to
these sub-units;
- Battalion HQ ( 5 Officers and 75
OR's) and
- 4 Rifle Companies
- a Rifle Company was made up of
6 Officers and 233 OR's broken into these sub-units
- Company HQ (2 Officers and 57
OR's) plus
- 4 Platoons
- A Platoon was made up of 1
Officer and 44 OR's broken into these sub-units
- Platoon HQ (1 Officer and 4
OR's) and
- 3 Rifle Sections (each of
10 OR's) and
- 1 Lewis Gun Section of 10
OR's
Battalion Headquarters
The Battalion was usually commanded by
an officer with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. A Major was
Second-in-Command. Battalion HQ also had three other officers : a Captain
or Lieutenant filled the role of Adjutant (in charge of Battalion
administration); similarly a Captain or Lieutenant was the Quartermaster
(responsible for stores and transport); an officer of the Royal Army
Medical Corps was also attached.
Battalion HQ also included the
Regimental Sergeant-Major (RSM, the most senior Non-Commissioned Officer)
plus a number of specialist roles filled by NCO's with the rank of
Sergeant : Quartermaster, Drummer (Bugler), Cook, Pioneer, Shoemaker,
Transport, Signaller, Armourer and Orderly Room Clerk.
A Corporal and 4 privates of the Army
Medical Corps were attached for water duties; a Corporal and 15 Privates
were employed as Signallers; 10 Privates were employed as Pioneers (on
construction, repair and general engineering duties); 11 Privates acted as
Drivers for the horse-drawn transport; 16 acted as Stretcher-bearers
(these often being the musicians of the Battalion Band); 6 Privates acted
as Officers Batmen (personal servants), and 2 as Orderlies for the Medical
Officer. A Battalion was broken into 4 Companies
Companies
Usually lettered A through D. Each was commanded by a Major or Captain,
with a Captain as Second-in-Command. Company HQ included a Company
Sergeant-Major (CSM), a Company Quartermaster Sergeant (CQMS), 2 Privates
acting as Batmen, and 3 as Drivers. The body of the Company was divided
into 4 Platoons.
Platoons
consisted of a subaltern (a Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant). 2 Sergeants
(often 1 was a Lance-Sergeant), 1 Batmen. Each Platoon was subdivided into
4 sections.
Sections
were made up each of a Corporal, a Lance Corporal and 8 Privates. The
Section was considered the "building block" of the army. It was
the smallest fighting unit.  |
Australian Mounted Division
(Palestine, August 1917)
- Australian Mounted Division
Artillery
- British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade [18
x 18 pounders]
- British 1/1 Nottingham Battery
- British A and B Batteries, Honourable
Artillery Company
- British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade
Ammunition Column
- Australian Mounted Division
Engineers
- 2nd Field Squadron
- 2nd Signal Squadron
- Australian Mounted Division Medical
Services
- 3rd,4th Light Horse Field
Ambulances
- British 1/1 South Midlands Mounted Brigade
Field Ambulance
- 8th Sanitary Section
- 3rd Light Horse Brigade
- 8th,9th,10th Light Horse
Regiments (Victoria; Victoria and South Australia; Western
Australia)
- 3rd Machine Gun Squadron [12 x
Vickers machine guns]
- 3rd Signal Troop
- 4th Light Horse Brigade
- 4th,11th,12th Light Horse
Regiments (Victoria; Queensland and South Australia; New South
Wales)
- 4th Machine Gun Squadron [12 x
Vickers machine guns]
- 4th Signal Troop
- British 5th Mounted Brigade
- British 1/1 Warwickshire Yeomanry,1/1
Gloucester Hussars, 1/1 Worcestershire Yeomanry
- British 19th Machinegun Squadron [12 x
Vickers machine guns]
- British 6th Signal Troop
- Australian Mounted Division Train
- 35th,36th,37th,38th Australian
Army Service Corps Companies
- 27th Depot Unit of Supply
- Australian Mounted Division
Veterinary Services
- 8th,9th Mobile Veterinary
Sections
- British 3/1 South Midlands Mobile Veterinary
Section
This information by Ross
Mallett
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Division
Headquarters |
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A World War One division
was a large and complex formation of over 18,000 men. To administer it
required a dedicated, well trained and highly skilled staff.
Unfortunately, such men
were in extremely short supply in 1914. There were no divisional staffs
in Australia before the war, and hence no chance to practice except when
on exchange with the British Army. Specialised training was available at
the British staff colleges at Camberley and Quetta, where a place in
each course was set aside for an Australian officer from 1911 but by the
outbreak of war in 1914, only six Australian officers had graduated:
Majors C.
H. Foott, E. F. Harrison, E. H. Reynolds and C.
B. B. White and Captains T.
A. Blamey and J. D. Lavarack. Four of the British Army's 447
graduates were on secondment in Australia in 1914, plus John
Gellibrand, who had attended Camberley with White
in 1906-7 while with the British Army and had since returned to his
native Tasmania to grow apples. With only eleven staff college graduates
available, it was impossible to fill all staff appointments with them.
Inevitably, terrible mistakes were made through inexperience.
The division staff was divided into
two parts, a General Staff Branch and an Adjutant and Quartermaster
General's Branch. Each member of the headquarters staff had a role but
titles were cumbersome and archaic, and for this reason are explained
here.
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GOC.
General Officer Commanding.
This was the division commander, who was graded as a major general. He
was responsible for all aspects of the division's performance. The
staff's job was to reduce this to the point where it could be done by
one man, by carrying out all the routine and administrative functions on
his behalf.
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ADC.
Aide de Camp.
Graded a captain. The GOC
had two aides, who acted as assistants, performing such duties as the GOC
designated.
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GSO1.
General Staff Officer (1st Class).
The chief of staff, graded a lieutenant colonel or colonel. He was in
charge of the General Staff Branch, responsible for training,
intelligence, planning operations and directing the battle as it
progressed. Most orders from the GOC were actually written up and signed
by the GSO1.
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GSO2.
General Staff Officer (2nd Class).
The deputy chief of staff, graded a major. He assisted the GSO1.
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GSO3.
General Staff Officer (3rd Class).
Graded a captain. Usually responsible for intelligence.
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AA
& QMG. Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster
General.
Graded a lieutenant colonel or colonel. He was in charge of the Adjutant
and Quartermaster General's Branch, responsible for supply, transport,
accommodation and personnel management.
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DAA & QMG. Deputy Assistant Adjutant and
Quartermaster General.
Graded a lieutenant colonel or colonel. He assisted the AA & QMG.
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DAQMG.
Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General.
Graded a major. He was responsible for supply, transport and
accommodation.
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DAAG. Deputy Assistant Adjutant
General.
Graded a major. He was responsible for personnel administration, which
included pay, establishments and promotions.
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DADOS.
Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnance Services.
Graded a major. Responsible for weapons, equipment and maintenance.
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ADMS.
Assistant Director Medical Services.
Graded a lieutenant colonel. The chief medical officer of the division.
Controlled the three field ambulances and such other medical troops as
might be attached to the division. Pre war doctrine had him subordinate
to the AA & QMG but the debacle at Gallipoli demonstrated that he
needed to have direct access to the GOC.
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CRA.
Commander, Royal Artillery.
Graded a colonel in 1914, he became a brigadier general in July 1915,
and the title changed to BGRA. Controlled the
division artillery and such other artillery as might be attached to the
division.
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BMRA.
Brigade Major Royal Artillery.
Graded a major, was a staff officer assigned to the CRA.
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CRE.
Commander, Royal Engineers
Graded a lieutenant colonel. Controlled the division's three field
companies and such other engineers or work details as might be attached
to the division.
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APM. Assistant Provost Marshal.
Graded a captain. Controlled the division's provost (military police).
In addition to the staff
officers, division headquarters, of course, included many clerks who
handled the actual paperwork on their behalf.
This information by Ross
Mallett
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