21st Brigade (Australia)

The 21st Brigade briefly existed as Militia brigade that was partially formed in 1912, following the introduction of the compulsory training scheme. At this time, it was assigned to the 5th Military District. The brigade's constituent units were spread across various locations in Western Australia including Kalgoorlie, Leonora, Boulder, Coolgardie, Albany, Wagin and Northam. The brigade consisted of only three infantry battalions, instead of the four that was usual at the time. These were consecutively designated as the 83rd, 84th and 85th Infantry Battalions.Australian Military Forces 1912, p. 26. The formation was short lived, and was not raised as part of the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during the First World War. It remained on the order of battle as a Militia formation during the war,Kuring 2004, p. 108. but was not re-raised in the interwar years when the Militia was reorganised to replicate the numerical designations of the AIF in 1921.Palazzo 2001, pp. 68 & 91.Grey 2008, p. 125.

File:AWM_004612_2-27_Bn_bayonet_practice_in_Palestine.jpg

The brigade was re-formed on 4 April 1940 as part of the 7th Division of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF).{{cite web|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_13070.asp|title=21st Brigade|publisher=Australian War Memorial|access-date=3 January 2010}} Upon establishment, the brigade opened its headquarters in May 1940, in Melbourne, Victoria.McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2095. Consisting of three infantry battalions—the 2/14th, 2/16th and 2/27th—the brigade was raised from personnel drawn from Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.Johnston 2005, p. xii. Following a brief period of rudimentary training in home locations in Australia,Johnston 2005, p. 8. under the command of Brigadier Jack Stevens, the brigade embarked for the Middle East in October 1940 aboard the Aquitania.Johnston 2005, pp. 8–9 and 13.

Sailing via India, after a brief stay at Deolali, near Bombay, where the brigade's three infantry battalions concentrated for the first time,Burns 1960, p. 23. the brigade continued on to the Middle East. Following their arrival in Egypt, the brigade moved to Dimra in the Hebron Hills in Palestine,Johnston 2005, pp. 1 and 15. where they undertook further training as the 7th Division underwent a period of re-organisation as a number of brigades were transferred to and from it.Johnston 2005, pp. 2–3. In April 1941, the brigade went to Egypt, stationed at Ikingi Maryut where the 7th Division began preparations to deploy to Greece where they were to reinforce the 6th Division. These plans were changed shortly afterwards, though, and the brigade was moved to Mersa Matruh on the Libyan border to defend against an expected German attack. After being relieved at Mersa Matruh, the brigade returned to Palestine in May, in order to prepare for operations elsewhere in the theatre.{{cite web|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11265.asp |title=2/14th Battalion |publisher=Australian War Memorial |access-date=18 April 2011}}

In June and July 1941, the brigade was allocated to form the backbone of the Allied invasion of Lebanon and Syria, which saw British, Indian and Free French forces defeat Vichy French land forces in the Middle East.Johnston 2005, p. 46.James, 2017 On 8 June, the 21st Brigade began its advance along the coast from Tyre,Johnston 2005, p. 48. over the Litani towards Sidon, which was captured on 15 June.Johnston 2005, p. 55. Following this, the Vichy French launched a counterattack which stalled the Australians' advance until 30 June when they were able to seize the initiative again. The 21st Brigade then drove towards Damour.Johnston 2005, p. 66. On 6 July, the 2/16th Battalion attacked the main Vichy defensive position on El Atiqa Ridge,Johnston 2005, p. 67. launching a frontal assault on a force of French Foreign Legion troops. Meanwhile, the 2/27th Battalion began opening a gap in the front, while the 2/14th approached Damour from its eastern approaches.Johnston 2005, p. 70. On 7 July, the 2/27th Battalion was subjected to a strong French counterattack on Hill 560 which resulted in heavy casualties for the Australians before the French were ejected from the hill early in the morning the following day. On 9 July Damour fell and subsequently the 2/14th and 2/27th Battalions advanced through the mountains beyond.Johnston 2005, pp. 70–71.

By mid-July an armistice came into effect and the 21st Brigade subsequently undertook garrison duties along the coast.Johnston 2005, p. 75. In December 1941 Imperial Japanese forces advanced rapidly in South East Asia following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the invasion of Malaya. As a result, in January 1942, the British government requested that the 7th Division be brought back from the Middle East to conduct operations in the Netherlands East Indies. From 30 January, the division, including the 21st Brigade, began disembarking from Suez.Johnston 2005, p. 77. In February 1942, however, as the situation in the Pacific worsened, the Australian government decided that the division should be brought back to Australia rather than be committed to the fighting in Java, or in Burma.Johnston 2005, p. 79.

In March 1942, the 21st Brigade arrived back in Australia, landing in Adelaide. After a period of leave, the brigade was reconstituted and moved to northern New South Wales and then Queensland where they undertook a defensive role around Caloundra in case of a Japanese invasion. As the situation in New Guinea worsened, the brigade was hastily deployed there in August 1942.Johnston 2005, p. 83. Under the command of Brigadier Arnold Potts, who had taken over from Stevens in April,{{cite web|url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=1376&Tab=App|title=21 Australian Infantry Brigade: Appointments|publisher=Orders of Battle.com|access-date=3 January 2010|archive-date=6 July 2007|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070706171348/http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=1376&Tab=App|url-status=dead}} they were sent to Port Moresby from where they reinforced the militiamen of the 39th Battalion, fighting a rearguard action on the Kokoda Track. Throughout late August and into September the brigade fought a number of delaying actions along the track, initially around Isurava, but as the Japanese advance towards Port Moresby continued they were pushed back to Ioribaiwa.Keogh 1965, p. 213. In mid-September, as the brigade prepared to make its final stand on Imita Ridge, they were relieved by the 25th BrigadeBrune 2004, p. 249.Keogh 1965, p. 215. and subsequently withdrawn back to Sogeri, near Port Moresby, in early October.Johnston 2005, p. 111. During this time, a force of about 400 men from the brigade's three infantry battalions were grouped together into an ad hoc force known as "Chaforce" to conduct raids on Japanese lines of communication and to carry out various tasks such as battlefield clearance.Johnston 2005, p. 112. Throughout their involvement around Kokoda, the brigade suffered 233 men killed, and although at the time there were questions raised in the upper echelons of the Australian Army about the brigade's performance, particularly from General Thomas Blamey, later this assessment was re-evaluated and the 21st Brigade's effort has since been described as "one of the greatest in Australian military history".

File:9 platoon 2-14Bn 16Aug42.jpg

In late November, the brigade, under the command of Brigadier Ivan Dougherty who had replaced Potts in controversial circumstances following the withdrawal from Kokoda,Brune 2004, p. 437. was committed to the fighting around Gona.Brune 2004, p. 435. The 2/14th Battalion, consisting of only 350 men, arrived at Popondetta in the evening of 25 November and began the advance towards Gona at dawn the following day.Keogh 1965, p. 257. They were followed shortly afterwards by the 2/27th, while the 2/16th arrived a little while later, after the two battalions had launched an attack around Basabua on 29 November.Keogh 1965, pp. 257–258. Further engagements followed on 30 November when clearing operations were undertaken between Basabua and Gona and on 1 December the brigade, operating as a composite battalion due to heavy casualties, attacked Gona itself. They were able to enter the village and remained for a short period of time before being forced out by a Japanese counterattack. Another unsuccessful attack was launched on 6 December. On 8 December, however, supported by a heavy artillery barrage, the 21st Brigade attacked the village from the west while the 39th Battalion attacked from the south-east. This time the attack was successful and Gona was captured with the last Japanese resistance being overcome the following afternoon amidst fierce hand-to-hand fighting.Keogh 1965, pp. 258–259. The brigade had suffered heavily over the previous 11 days, with 750 Australians being killed or wounded.Keogh 1965, p. 259. Following this, the 21st Brigade headquarters moved to the Huggins Road Block area while its three infantry battalions, which had all been reduced to below company-strength due to losses, began the process of "mopping up" around the coast to the west of Gona.Keogh 1965, p. 272.

In mid-January 1943, the brigade was withdrawn back to Australia,Johnston 2005, p. 162. where they were subsequently re-organised under the "jungle" divisional establishment, which saw a reduction in the brigade's personnel.Johnston 2005, p. 165. By that time the brigade was down to about 44 per cent of its authorised "jungle" establishment of 119 officers and 2,415 other ranks,Dexter 1961, p. 268. and subsequently it underwent a period of rebuilding around Ravenshoe, in Queensland in preparation for further operations.Johnston 2005, p. 163. In August the 21st Brigade embarked for Port Moresby,Dexter 1961, p. 269. and on 15–16 September the brigade headquarters, along with the 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions, was flown into Nadzab,Dexter 1961, p. 385. west of Lae to relieve the US Army's 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. After the fall of Lae, the brigade advanced up the Markham and Ramu Valleys, before moving against the Japanese strongholds in the Finisterre Range. The 21st Brigade remained in the Ramu Valley for about three and a half months, before being withdrawn in January 1944, by which time they had lost 57 men killed or missing and 142 men wounded. On top of this they suffered 2,436 non battle casualties, although most of these men returned to active service later on.Bradley 2004, p. 174.

After returning to Australia in 1944, the brigade retrained in north Queensland and practised amphibious assault operations. In July 1945, the brigade participated in the amphibious assault on Balikpapan, Sarawak.Johnston 2007, p. 46. Coming ashore on 1 July, the brigade was committed to the first wave of the assault, landing unopposed.Keogh 1965, p. 462. Supported by 'B' Company, 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion,{{cite web|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_15105.asp |title=2/1st Machine Gun Battalion |publisher=Australian War Memorial |access-date=13 April 2011}} the 21st Brigade quickly reached their initial objectives and the following day began to advance towards the east, arriving at the airfield at Sepinggang before noon on 2 July. On the third day of the fighting, the 21st Brigade came up against determined Japanese resistance after crossing the Batakan Ketjil river but this was overcome in the afternoon following a naval barrage.Keogh 1965, pp. 462–463.

The next day they resumed their advance to the east but were subsequently engaged and held up by Japanese coastal defence artillery near the Manggar Besar river. Following this, as armoured support was brought up and naval and aerial bombardment was used to reduce the Japanese position, one of the guns was captured on 6 July. Over the course of the following three days the brigade turned back a number of Japanese counterattacks.Keogh 1965, p. 463. By 9 July, following further bombardment, the Japanese resistance around the position was overcome and the brigade subsequently captured Sambodja, {{convert|18|mi|km}} from Manggar, before sending out patrols in support of the 25th Brigade which was beginning the advance up the Milford Highway. By the night of 21/22 July main combat operations around Balikpapan came to an end as organised Japanese resistance ceased. Patrol operations continued, however, and minor engagements were fought until the war ended in August. After the Japanese surrender, the 21st Brigade carried out occupation duties in the southern Celebes as "Macassar Force", until civilian administration was restored.McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 2097. The brigade was disbanded during 1946.

The following infantry battalions were assigned to the 21st Brigade:

• 2/14th Battalion;
• 2/16th Battalion;
• 2/27th Battalion.{{cite web|url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=1376&Tab=Sub|title=21 Australian Infantry Brigade: Unit Subordinates|publisher=Orders of Battle.com|access-date=3 January 2010}}

The following officers served as commanding officer of the 21st Brigade:

• Brigadier Jack Stevens (1940–1942);
• Brigadier Arnold Potts (1942);
• Brigadier Ivan Dougherty (1942–1945).

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book |author=Australian Military Forces |year=1912 |title=The Military Forces List of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1 January 1912|publisher=Government Printer |location=Melbourne, Victoria |oclc=221429471}}
• {{Cite book|last=Bradley|first=Phillip|author-link=Phillip Bradley|title=On Shaggy Ridge—The Australian Seventh Division in the Ramu Valley: From Kaiapit to the Finisterres|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=South Melbourne, Victoria |isbn=0-19-555100-1}}
• {{Cite book|last=Brune|first=Peter|title=A Bastard of a Place: The Australians in Papua|orig-year=2003 |year=2004|publisher=Allen & Unwin|location=Crows Nest, New South Wales |isbn=978-1-74114-403-1}}
• {{Cite book|last=Burns|first=John|title=The Brown and Blue Diamond at War: The Story of the 2/27th Battalion A.I.F|year=1960|publisher=2/27th Battalion Ex-servicemen's Association|location=Adelaide, South Australia|oclc=2104460}}
• {{cite book|last=Dexter|first=David|title=The New Guinea Offensives| series=Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Series 1—Army. Volume VII|year=1961|edition=1st|publisher=Australian War Memorial|location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070205/|oclc=2028994}}
• {{cite book|last=Grey |first=Jeffrey|author-link=Jeffrey Grey|title=A Military History of Australia |edition=3rd |publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Melbourne|year=2008|isbn=978-0-521-69791-0}}
• {{Cite book|last=James|first=Richard|title=Australia's War With France: The Campaign in Syria and Lebanon, 1941|year=2017|publisher=Big Sky Publishing|location=Newport, New South Wales|isbn=978-1-925520-92-7}}
• {{Cite book|last=Johnston|first=Mark|author-link=Mark Johnston (historian)|title=The Australian Army in World War II|year=2007|publisher=Osprey Publishing|location=Botley, Oxford|isbn=978-1-84603-123-6}}
• {{Cite book|last=Johnston|first=Mark|title=The Silent 7th: An Illustrated History of the 7th Australian Division 1940–46|year=2005|publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Crows Nest, New South Wales |isbn=1-74114-191-5}}
• {{Cite book|last=Keogh|first=Eustace|author-link = Eustace Graham Keogh|title=South West Pacific 1941–45|year=1965|publisher=Grayflower Publications|location=Melbourne, Victoria|oclc=7185705}}
• {{cite book|last=Kuring |first=Ian|year=2004 |title=Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001 |publisher=Australian Military Historical Publications |location=Loftus, New South Wales |isbn=1-876439-99-8}}
• {{cite book |last=McKenzie-Smith |first=Graham |author-link=Graham McKenzie-Smith |year= 2018|title=The Unit Guide: The Australian Army 1939–1945, Volume 2 |publisher=Big Sky Publishing |location=Warriewood, New South Wales |isbn=978-1-925675-146}}
• {{cite book|last=Palazzo|first=Albert|title=The Australian Army: A History of its Organisation 1901–2001|year=2001|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Melbourne, Victoria|isbn=0195515072}}

{{Refend}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

• [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1360843 21st Brigade war diary, Australian War Memorial]

{{Infantry formations of the Second Australian Imperial Force |state=collapsed}}

Category:Brigades of Australia

Category:Military units and formations established in 1940

Category:1940 establishments in Australia

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1946

Category:1946 disestablishments in Australia

Category:Kokoda