-
Campaigns
- Egypt:
- Western Front:
- Pozieres,
- Retreat
to the Hindenburg Line,
- Bullecourt, Messines,
- Menin Road,
- Polygon Wood,
-
Passchendaele,
- Villers Bretonneux,
- Hamel,
- Amiens,
- Albert,
- Hindenburg Line
Narrative
In January 1916, Major General A. J. Godley, then commanding
the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and the AIF, put forward a
proposal to use Australian reinforcements then training in Egypt to form
two new divisions. The Australian government concurred and the Fourth
Division began forming in Egypt in February 1916. The new division
included the 4th Infantry Brigade, 4th Field Company, 4th Field Ambulance
and 7th Army Service Corps Company which had fought at Gallipoli. The 12th
and 13th Infantry Brigades were formed by taking half the personnel of the
4th and 3rd Infantry Brigades.
The division was initially stationed on the Suez Canal. In June 1916 it
moved to France, taking over part of the "nursery" sector near
Armentieres. Its stay there was brief and soon it was accompanying the
First and Second Divisions to the Somme sector. In August 1916 it relieved
the Second Division on the Pozieres Heights and repulsed a major German
counterattack. It then drove north to the outskirts of Mouquet Farm. A
second tour of the Somme at Mouquet Farm followed in September and a third
at Flers in October.
On 11 April 1917 the Fourth Division assaulted the Hindenburg Line in
the First Battle of Bullecourt. The battle was a disaster and 1170
Australian prisoners were taken by the Germans. In June it participated in
the Battle of Messines. In September it participated in the Battle of
Polygon Wood.
In March 1918 the Fourth Division was rushed to the Somme region to
stem the German Offensive. There it repulsed the advancing Germans in hard
fought battles at Hebuterne and Dernancourt. In April its 13th Infantry
Brigade was involved in the counterattack at Villers-Bretonneux.
The Fourth Division went on to fight in the Battles of Hamel, Amiens
and the Hindenburg Line, finally reaching the town of Bellenglise.
Commanders
- Major General H. V. Cox 2 February 1916 to 20 December 1916
- Major
General William Holmes 20 December 1916 to 2 July 1917 (Died of
Wounds)
- Brigadier
General Charles Rosenthal 2 July 1917 to 10 July 1917
- Major
General E. G. Sinclair-MacLagan 16 July 1917 to past November 1918
Campaigns
Egypt: Defence of Egypt, Western Front: Pozieres, Retreat
to the Hindenburg Line, Bullecourt, Messines, Menin Road, Polygon Wood,
Passchendaele, Villers Bretonneux, Hamel, Amiens, Albert, Hindenburg Line
Casualties
- killed in action: 8,360
- died of wounds: 2,613
- other deaths: 872
- prisoners: 2,076
- wounded: 27,127
- total: 41,048
Fourth
Division (Egypt, March 1916)
- 4th Division Artillery
- 10th Field Artillery Brigade [16 x 18 pounders]
- 37th,38th,39th,40th Field Artillery Batteries
- 10th Brigade Ammunition Column
- 11th Field Artillery Brigade [16 x 18 pounders]
- 41st,42nd,43rd,44th Field Artillery Batteries
- 11th Brigade Ammunition Column
- 12th Field Artillery Brigade [16 x 18 pounders]
- 45th,46th,47th,48th Field Artillery Batteries
- 12th Brigade Ammunition Column
- 24th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade [12 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 110th,111th,112th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Batteries
- 24th Brigade Ammunition Column
- 4th Division Ammunition Column
- 4th Division Engineers
- 4th ,12th,13th Field Companies
- 4th Division Signals Company
- 4th Infantry Brigade
- 13th,14th,15th,16th Infantry Battalions (New South Wales;
Victoria; Queensland and Tasmania; Western Australia and South
Australia)
- 4th Machinegun Company [Vickers machineguns]
- 12th Infantry Brigade
- 45th,46th,47th,48th Infantry Battalions (New South Wales;
Victoria; Queensland and Tasmania; Western Australia and South
Australia)
- 12th Machinegun Company [Vickers machineguns]
- 13th Infantry Brigade
- 49th, 50th, 51st, 52nd Infantry Battalions (Queensland; South
Australia; Western Australia; South Australia, Western Australia
and Tasmania)
- 13th Machinegun Company [Vickers machineguns]
- 4th Pioneer Battalion
- 4th Division Medical Services
- 4th,12th,13th Field Ambulances
- 4th Sanitary Section
- 11th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland and South Australia)
- 4th Cyclist Company
- 4th Division Train
- 7th,14th,26th,27th Australian Army Service Corps Companies
- 4th Mobile Veterinary Section
Fourth
Division (France, July 1916)
- 4th Division Artillery
- 10th Field Artillery Brigade [12 x 18 pounders, 4 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 37th,38th,39th Field Artillery Batteries
- 110th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 11th Field Artillery Brigade [12 x 18 pounders, 4 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 41st,42nd,43rd Field Artillery Batteries
- 111th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 12th Field Artillery Brigade [12 x 18 pounders]
- 45th,46th,47th Field Artillery Batteries
- 24th Field Artillery Brigade [12 x 18 pounders, 4 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 40th,44th,48th Field Artillery Batteries
- 112th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 4th Division Ammunition Column
- 4th Division Trench Mortars
- V4A Heavy Trench Mortar Battery [4 x 9.45 inch heavy trench
mortars]
- X4A,Y4A,Z4A Medium Trench Mortar Batteries [12 x 2 inch
medium trench mortars]
- 4th Division Engineers
- 4th,12th,13th Field Companies
- 4th Division Signals Company
- 4th Infantry Brigade
- 13th,14th,15th,16th Infantry Battalions (New South Wales;
Victoria; Queensland and Tasmania; Western Australia and South
Australia)
- 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery [3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 4th Machinegun Company [Vickers machineguns]
- 12th Infantry Brigade
- 45th,46th,47th,48th Infantry Battalions (New South Wales;
Victoria; Queensland and Tasmania; Western Australia and South
Australia)
- 12th Light Trench Mortar Battery [3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 12th Machinegun Company [Vickers machineguns]
- 13th Infantry Brigade
- 49th, 50th, 51st, 52nd Battalions (Queensland; South Australia;
Western Australia; South Australia, Western Australia and
Tasmania)
- 13th Light Trench Mortar Battery [3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 13th Machinegun Company [Vickers machineguns]
- 4th Pioneer Battalion
- 4th Division Medical Services
- 4th,12th,13th Field Ambulances
- 4th Sanitary Section
- 4th Salvage Company
- 4th Division Train
- 7th,14th,26th,27th Australian Army Service Corps Companies
- 4th Division Ammunition Sub Park
- 4th Division Supply Column
- 4th Mobile Veterinary Section
Fourth
Division (France, September 1918)
- 4th Division Artillery
- 10th Field Artillery Brigade [18 x 18 pounders, 6 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 37th,38th,39th Field Artillery Batteries
- 110th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 11th Field Artillery Brigade [18 x 18 pounders, 6 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 41st,42nd,43rd Field Artillery Batteries
- 111th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 4th Division Ammunition Column
- 4th Division Trench Mortars
- 7th,8th Medium Trench Mortar Batteries [12 x 6 inch Newton
mortars]
- 4th Division Engineers
- 4th,12th,13th Field Companies
- 4th Division Signals Company
- 4th Infantry Brigade
- 13th,14th,15th,16th Infantry Battalions (New South Wales;
Victoria; Queensland and Tasmania; Western Australia and South
Australia)
- 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery [3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 12th Infantry Brigade
- 45th,46th,48th Infantry Battalions (New South Wales; Victoria;
Western Australia and South Australia)
- 12th Light Trench Mortar Battery [3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 13th Infantry Brigade
- 49th, 50th, 51st Infantry Battalions (Queensland; South
Australia; Western Australia; South Australia)
- 13th Light Trench Mortar Battery [3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 4th Machinegun Battalion [64 x Vickers machineguns]
- 4th,12th,13th,24th Machinegun Companies
- 4th Pioneer Battalion
- 4th Division Medical Services
- 4th,12th,13th Field Ambulances
- 4th Sanitary Section
- 4th Salvage Company
- 4th Division Train
- 7th,14th,26th,27th Australian Army Service Corps Companies
- 4th Mobile Veterinary Section
by
Ross Mallett (ADFA)
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