Fourth Division
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
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
Memorial
Bellenglise
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
Main 1st Division 2nd Division 3rd Division 4th Division 5th Division 6th Division NZ & Australian
Division Anzac Mounted Division Australian Mounted Division
Page created by Ross
Mallett
ross@metva.com.au
Last update 28 June 2010