Order of Battle of the Australian Imperial Forces in France, "Last 100 Days"
Explanatory Notes
This order of battle shows the structure of the AIF during the final stages of the war on the Western Front.
By this time, a British infantry division comprised 10 battalions of infantry - 3 in each of three brigades, with an additional battalion serving as "pioneers". Australian divisions, however, had retained the original 4 battalion brigade structure, giving it a total strength of 13 battalions. Whilst every battalion had a theoretical strength of 1,000 men, by this time, many were operating at well below this figure. It was not uncommon for battalions to be reduced to less than 500 effectives and often it was considerably less than that, whilst some battalions were broken up to provide reinforcements, leaving some brigades one battalion short of the proper complement.
A "Field Artillery Brigade" comprised 3 batteries of six 18 pounder field guns and one battery of six 4.5 inch howitzers.
At full strength a "Light Trench Mortar Battery" included eight three inch "Stokes mortars"; there were twelve 6 inch "Newton mortars" in a "Medium Trench Mortar Battery".
There were 64 Vickers machine guns in each "Machine Gun Battalion", 16 in each of the four constituent "Machine Gun Companies".
Each division included support arms such as engineers, signals and medical personnel.
Division |
Brigades
|
Battalions & attached Units
|
First
|
1st |
1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Infantry Battalions ( |
|
|
2nd |
5th, 6th,7th & 8th Infantry Battalions (Victoria), 2nd Light Trench Mortar |
|
|
3rd |
9th,10th,11th,12th Infantry Battalions ( |
|
|
1st Field Artillery Brigade |
1st, 2nd, 3rd Batteries, 101st (Howitzer) |
|
|
2nd Field Artillery Brigade |
4th, 5th, 6th Batteries, 102nd (Howitzer) |
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|
|
1st Division Ammunition Column |
|
|
1st Division Trench Mortars |
1st & 2nd Medium Trench Mortar Batteries |
|
|
1st Division Engineers |
1st ( |
|
|
|
1st Signal Company |
|
|
1st Machine Gun Battalion |
1st, 2nd, 3rd & 21st Machine Gun Companies |
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|
|
1st Pioneer Battalion |
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|
1st Division Medical Services |
1st ( |
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|
|
2nd Sanitary Section |
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|
1st Salvage Section |
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|
1st Division Train |
1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Australian Army Service Corps Companies |
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|
1st |
*******
|
***********
|
*********************************************
|
Second
|
5th |
17th, 18th, 19th & 20th Infantry Battalions ( |
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|
6th |
21st, 22nd, 23rd & 24th Infantry Battalions (Victoria), 6th Light Trench Mortar |
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|
7th |
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|
|
|
25th, 26th, 27th & 28th Infantry Battalions ( |
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|
4th Field Artillery Brigade |
10th, 11th & 12th Field Artillery Batteries, 104th Field Artillery (Howitzer) |
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|
5th Field Artillery Brigade |
13th, 14th & 15th Field Artillery Batteries, 105th (Howitzer) Field Artillery |
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|
|
2nd Division Ammunition Column |
|
|
2nd Division Trench Mortar |
3rd & 4th Medium Trench Mortar Batteries |
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|
2nd Division Engineers |
5th, 6th & 7th Field Companies (Victoria; Outer States; |
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|
|
2nd Signal Company |
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|
2nd Machine Gun Battalion |
5th, 6th, 7th & 22nd Machine Gun Companies |
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|
2nd Pioneer Battalion |
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2nd Division Medical Services |
5th, 6th & 7th Field Ambulances |
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|
|
1st Sanitary Section |
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|
2nd Salvage Company |
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2nd Divisional Train |
15th, 16th, 17th & 20th Australian Army Service Corps Companies |
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|
|
2nd |
*******
|
***********
|
*********************************************
|
Third
|
9th |
33rd, 34th, 35th & 36th Infantry Battalions ( |
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|
10th |
37th, 38th, 39th & 40th Infantry Battalions (Victoria; Victoria; Victoria; |
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11th |
41st, 42nd & 43rd Infantry Battalions ( |
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|
7th Field Artillery Brigade |
25th, 26th & 27th Field Artillery Batteries, 107th Field Artillery (Howitzer) |
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|
8th Field Artillery Brigade |
29th, 30th & 31st Field Artillery Batteries, 108th (Howitzer) Field Artillery |
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|
3rd Division Ammunition Column |
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|
3rd Division Trench Mortars |
5th & 6th Medium Trench Mortar Batteries |
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|
3rd Division Engineers |
9th, 10th & 11th Field Companies ( |
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|
|
3rd Signal Company |
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|
3rd Machine Gun Battalion |
9th, 10th, 11th & 23rd Machine Gun Companies |
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|
3rd Pioneer Battalion |
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|
3rd Division Medical Services |
9th, 10th & 11th Field Ambulances |
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|
|
3rd Sanitary Section |
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|
|
3rd Salvage Company |
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|
3rd Divisional Train |
22nd, 23rd, 24th & 25th Australian Army Service Corps Companies |
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|
|
3rd |
*******
|
***********
|
*********************************************
|
Fourth
|
4th |
13th, 14th,15th & 16th Infantry Battalions ( |
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|
12th |
45th, 46th & 48th Infantry Battalions ( |
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13th |
49th, 50th & 51st Infantry Battalions (Queensland; South Australia; Western Australia; South Australia), 13th Light Trench Mortar Battery |
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|
10th Field Artillery Brigade |
37th, 38th & 39th Field Artillery Batteries, 110th Field Artillery (Howitzer) |
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|
11th Field Artillery Brigade |
41st, 42nd & 43rd Field Artillery Batteries, 111th Field Artillery (Howitzer) |
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|
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4th Division Ammunition Column |
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4th Division Trench Mortars |
7th & 8th Medium Trench Mortar Batteries |
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|
4th Division Engineers |
4th,12th & 13th Field Companies |
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4th Signal Company |
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|
4th Machine Gun Battalion |
4th, 12th, 13th & 24th Machine Gun Companies |
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4th Pioneer Battalion |
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4th Division Medical Services |
4th, 12th & 13th Field Ambulances |
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|
4th Sanitary Section |
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|
4th Salvage Company |
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|
4th Divisional Train: |
7th, 14th, 26th & 27th Australian Army Service Corps Companies |
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|
4th |
*******
|
***********
|
*********************************************
|
Fifth
|
8th |
29th, 30th, 31st & 32nd Infantry Battalions ( |
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|
14th |
53rd, 54th, 55th & 56th Infantry Battalions ( |
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|
15th |
57th, 58th, 59th & 60th Infantry Battalions (Victoria), 15th Light Trench Mortar |
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|
13th Field Artillery Brigade |
49th, 50th & 51st Field Artillery Batteries, 113th Field Artillery (Howitzer) |
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|
14th Field Artillery Brigade |
53rd, 54th & 55th Field Artillery Batteries, 114th Field Artillery (Howitzer) |
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5th Division Ammunition Column |
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|
5th Division Trench Mortars |
9th & 10th Medium Trench Mortar Batteries |
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|
5th Division Engineers |
8th, 14th & 15th Field Companies |
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|
5th Signals Company |
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5th Machine Gun Battalion |
8th,14th,15th & 25th Machine Gun Companies |
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|
5th Pioneer Battalion |
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|
5th Division Medical Services |
8th, 14th & 15th Field Ambulances |
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|
|
5th Sanitary Section |
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|
|
5th Salvage Company |
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|
5th Division Train |
10th, 18th, 28th & 29th Australian Army Service Corps Companies |
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|
5th |
|
|
|
5th Pioneer Battalion |
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|
5th Division Medical Services |
8th, 14th & 15th Field Ambulances |
Although greatly reduced in numbers, the Australian infantry proved themselves again and again to be formidable soldiers, amongst the best on any side. Their achievements during the "Last 100 Days", especially their role in the breakthrough at Amiens, added to that reputation.
