- Campaigns
- Egypt:
- Western Front:
- Fromelles,
-
Retreat to the Hindenburg Line,
- Bullecourt,
- Polygon Wood,
- Villers
Bretonneux,
- Morlancourt,
- Amiens,
- Peronne,
- Hindenburg Line
Narrative
In January 1916, Major General A. J. Godley, then commanding
the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, put forward a proposal to use
Australian reinforcements then training in Egypt to form two new
divisions. The Australian government concurred and the Fifth Division
began forming in Egypt in February 1916. The new division included some
existing units: the 8th Infantry Brigade, 8th Field Company, 8th Field
Ambulance and 10th Army Service Corps Company, but only the 8th Field
Company had fought at Gallipoli. The 14th and 15th Infantry Brigades were
formed by taking half the personnel of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades.
Initially, the division was stationed on the Suez Canal. In June 1916
it moved to France, taking over part of the "nursery" sector
near Armentieres. There it became involved in the disastrous attack at
Fromelles in July. In October it joined the First, Second and Fourth
Divisions on the Somme around Flers.
In March 1917 a flying column of the Fifth Division pursued of the
Germans to the Hindenburg Line, capturing Bapaume. In May the Division
relieved the First Division in the Second Battle of Bullecourt, holding
the breach thus gained against furious counterattacks. In September it
managed to turn an allied defeat into a major victory at the Battle of
Polygon Wood.
In March 1918 the Fifth Division was rushed to the Somme region to help
stem the German Offensive. There it guarded the vital Somme River bridges.
In April it counterattacked at Villers Bretonneux, recovering the town.
The Fifth Division fought in the Battles of Hamel in July and Amiens in
August. In September it forced the Somme River at Peronne and fought on to
the Hindenburg Line.
Commanders
- Brigadier
General G.C.H. Irving 1 March 1916 to 22 March 1916
- Major
General James W. McCay 22 March 1916 to 10 January 1917
- Major
General J. J. Talbot Hobbs 10 January 1917 to past November 1918
Campaigns Egypt: Defence of Egypt, Western Front: Fromelles,
Retreat to the Hindenburg Line, Bullecourt, Polygon Wood, Villers
Bretonneux, Morlancourt, Amiens, Peronne, Hindenburg Line
Casualties
- killed in action:5,716
- died of wounds: 1,875
- other deaths: 684
- prisoners: 674
- wounded: 23,331
- total: 32,180
Memorial
Polygon Wood
Fifth
Division (Egypt, March 1916)
- 5th Division Artillery
- 13th Field Artillery Brigade [16 x 18 pounders]
- 49th,50th,51st,52nd Field Artillery Batteries
- 13th Brigade Ammunition Column
- 14th Field Artillery Brigade [16 x 18 pounders]
- 53rd,54th,55th,56th Field Artillery Batteries
- 14th Brigade Ammunition Column
- 15th Field Artillery Brigade [16 x 18 pounders]
- 57th,58th,59th,60th Field Artillery Batteries
- 15th Brigade Ammunition Column
- 25th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade [12 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 113th,114th,115th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Batteries
- 25th Brigade Ammunition Column
- 5th Division Ammunition Column
- 5th Division Engineers
- 8th ,14th,15th Field Companies
- 5th Signals Company
- 8th Infantry Brigade
- 29th, 30th, 31st,32nd Infantry Battalions (Victoria; New South
Wales; Queensland and Victoria; Western Australia and South
Australia)
- 8th Machinegun Company [Vickers machineguns]
- 14th Infantry Brigade
- 53rd,54th,55th,56th Infantry Battalions (New South Wales)
- 14th Machinegun Company [Vickers machineguns]
- 15th Infantry Brigade
- 57th,58th,59th,60th Infantry Battalions (Victoria)
- 15th Machinegun Company [Vickers machineguns]
- 5th Pioneer Battalion
- 5th Division Medical Services
- 8th,14th,15th Field Ambulances
- 5th Sanitary Section
- 12th Light Horse Regiment (New South Wales)
- 5th Cyclist Company
- 5th Division Train
- 10th,18th,28th,29th Army Service Corps Companies
- 5th Mobile Veterinary Section
Fifth
Division (France, September 1917)
- 5th Division Artillery
- 13th Field Artillery Brigade [18 x 18 pounders, 6 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 49th,50th,51st Field Artillery Batteries
- 113th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 14th Field Artillery Brigade [18 x 18 pounders, 6 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 53rd,54th,55th Field Artillery Batteries
- 114th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 5th Division Ammunition Column
- 5th Division Trench Mortars
- V5A Heavy Trench Mortar Battery [4 x 9.45 inch heavy trench
mortars]
- X5A,Y5A,Z5A Medium Trench Mortar Batteries [12 x 2 inch
medium trench mortars]
- 5th Division Engineers
- 8th,14th,15th Field Companies
- 5th Signals Company
- 8th Infantry Brigade
- 29th, 30th, 31st,32nd Infantry Battalions (Victoria; New South
Wales; Queensland and Victoria; Western Australia and South
Australia)
- 8th Light Trench Mortar Battery [8 x 3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 8th Machinegun Company [16 x Vickers machineguns]
- 14th Infantry Brigade
- 53rd,54th,55th,56th Infantry Battalions (New South Wales)
- 14th Light Trench Mortar Battery [8 x 3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 14th Machinegun Company [16 x Vickers machineguns]
- 15th Infantry Brigade
- 57th, 58th, 59th, 60th Infantry Battalions (Victoria)
- 15th Light Trench Mortar Battery [8 x 3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 15th Machinegun Company [16 x Vickers machineguns]
- 25th Machinegun Company [16 x Vickers machineguns]
- 5th Pioneer Battalion
- 5th Division Medical Services
- 8th,14th,15th Field Ambulances
- 5th Sanitary Section
- 5th Salvage Company
- 5th Division Train
- 10th,18th,28th,29th Army Service Corps Companies
- 5th Division Supply Column
- 5th Division Ammunition Sub Park
- 5th Mobile Veterinary Section
Fifth
Division (France, September 1918)
- 5th Division Artillery
- 13th Field Artillery Brigade [18 x 18 pounders, 6 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 49th,50th,51st Field Artillery Batteries
- 113th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 14th Field Artillery Brigade [18 x 18 pounders, 6 x 4.5 inch
howitzers]
- 53rd,54th,55th Field Artillery Batteries
- 114th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 5th Division Ammunition Column
- 5th Division Trench Mortars
- 9th,10th Medium Trench Mortar Batteries [12 x 6 inch Newton
mortars]
- 5th Division Engineers
- 8th,14th,15th Field Companies
- 5th Signals Company
- 8th Infantry Brigade
- 29th,30th,31st,32nd Infantry Battalions (New South Wales;
Queensland and Victoria; Western Australia and South Australia)
- 8th Light Trench Mortar Battery [8 x 3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 14th Infantry Brigade
- 53rd,54th,55th,56th Infantry Battalions (New South Wales)
- 14th Light Trench Mortar Battery [8 x 3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 15th Infantry Brigade
- 57th, 58th, 59th, 60th Infantry Battalions (Victoria)
- 15th Light Trench Mortar Battery [8 x 3 inch Stokes Mortars]
- 5th Machinegun Battalion [64 x Vickers machineguns]
- 8th,14th,15th,25th Machinegun Companies
- 5th Pioneer Battalion
- 5th Division Medical Services
- 8th,14th,15th Field Ambulances
- 5th Sanitary Section
- 5th Salvage Company
- 5th Division Train
- 10th,18th,28th,29th Army Service Corps Companies
- 5th Mobile Veterinary Section
by
Ross Mallett (ADFA)
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