Fifth Division
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
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, July 1916)
- 5th Division Artillery
- 13th Field Artillery Brigade [12 x 18 pounders, 4 x 4.5 inch howitzers]
- 49th,50th,51st Field Artillery Batteries
- 113th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 14th Field Artillery Brigade [12 x 18 pounders, 4 x 4.5 inch howitzers]
- 53rd,54th,55th Field Artillery Batteries
- 114th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 15th Field Artillery Brigade [12 x 18 pounders]
- 57th,58th,59th Field Artillery Batteries
- 25th Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade [12 x 18 pounders, 4 x 4.5 inch howitzers]
- 52nd,56th,60th Field Artillery Batteries
- 115th (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]
- 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
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
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