351:
early 1942, the 44th
Battalion was detached from the 13th Brigade and assigned to the Special Mobile Force that was formed to respond in the event of a Japanese raid against installations in Western Australia. In June 1944, the battalion was disbanded, though, as the Japanese threat had passed and the Australian military sought to redress an manpower shortage in other areas. After the war, the battalion was not re-raised in its own right, although it was formed as an amalgamated unit known as the "11th/44th Battalion (The City of Perth Regiment)". This unit remained in existence until 1960, when a reorganisation of the Citizens Military Force led to the creation of six multi-battalion state-based regiments, and the 11th/44th became subsumed into the
28:
54:
153:
323:. Despite the widespread Defence cutbacks that occurred in the 1920s and 1930s, the battalion remained in existence throughout the Great Depression, even when other units were amalgamated as manpower became scarce. In 1927, when territorial titles were introduced, the battalion adopted the title of the "West Australian Rifles"; it also formed an alliance with the
298:. By the time it was withdrawn for rest, it was down to just 80 men and it did not return to the line before the war came to an end in November 1918; total casualties during the war amounted to 437 killed and 1,346 wounded. A total of nine drafts of reinforcements were sent to the battalion between June 1916 and July 1917. The 44th Battalion received 15
241:
before crossing the
English Channel to France in November 1916, where they joined the other four infantry divisions of the AIF. The following month, the battalion entered the front line for the first time. Throughout the winter of 1916–17, the battalion rotated between manning the front line,
350:
initially precluded
Militia units from being sent overseas to fight. As a result, the 44th Battalion remained in Australia to undertake garrison duty, and even though it was later gazetted as an AIF unit after the majority of its personnel volunteered to do so, it was never deployed overseas. In
310:
Following the end of the war, the 44th
Battalion was eventually disbanded as part of the demobilisation of the AIF. In 1921, Australia's part-time military force was reorganised to perpetuate the numerical designations and divisional structure of the AIF, and as a result the 44th Battalion was
311:
re-raised at this time, based in
Western Australia, drawing personnel from the 16th, 28th and 51st Infantry Regiments. Through its link with these units, the battalion inherited the theatre honour "South Africa 1899–1902". During the inter-war years, the battalion formed part of the
254:
in early June 1917. The battalion received in a new commanding officer in August, when
Lieutenant Colonel James Clark took over from Mansbridge; he would subsequently command the battalion until the end of the war. In late October 1917, the battalion fought around
245:
Their first taste of combat on the
Western Front came on 13 March 1917, when half the battalion was committed to a major raid, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. For the next two years, the 44th Battalion fought in the trenches along the
259:, where it suffered heavily – out of 992 men committed, only 158 finished the battle uninjured. After wintering in Belgium, in early 1918, the 44th was moved south to the Somme Valley after the Germans launched their
233:. Its first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel William Mansbridge. After a period of training in Australia, in June 1916 the 44th, with an authorised strength of 1,023 men, embarked on the transport
1547:
1542:
802:
192:. During World War II, it undertook garrison duties in Australia but was not deployed overseas to fight. In the post-World War II period the 44th was amalgamated with the
184:
in France and
Belgium between late 1916 and 1918, before disbanding at the conclusion of hostilities. During the inter-war years, the 44th became part of the part-time
1537:
274:
After the German offensive was blunted, a lull period followed during which the Allies slowly sought to gain the initiative, undertaking several "
1468:
1463:
1458:
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906:
887:
320:
530:
27:
352:
197:
1518:
226:
433:
295:
214:
437:
331:
was adopted as the battalion's motto. The majority of the battalion was based in Perth during this time, but a single
268:
256:
247:
181:
132:
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1425:
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251:
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1348:
1316:
1289:
1254:
1222:
1195:
1160:
1066:
972:
707:
316:
312:
237:, and was transported to the United Kingdom where the 3rd Division underwent a further period of training on
222:
218:
99:
95:
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332:
260:
185:
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32:
Troops from the 44th rest near Bonnay, after fighting there during the German Spring
Offensive, April 1918
393:
385:
924:(4 (December)). Garran, Australian Capital Territory: Military Historical Society of Australia: 5–12.
275:
152:
805:. Vol. III (12th ed.). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial.
682:
230:
916:
Shaw, Peter (2010). "The
Evolution of the Infantry State Regiment System in the Army Reserve".
949:
925:
902:
883:
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842:
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405:
189:
146:
429:
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371:
291:
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173:
127:
69:
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302:
for its involvement in the fighting on the Western Front; these were bestowed in 1927.
1531:
364:
299:
294:
in the final months of the war. Its final battle came in early October 1918, at the
282:, assigned the task of flanking the village to the north and south in support of the
856:
792:
772:
343:
263:, during which it undertook defensive operations in front of the vital railhead of
796:
591:
250:, taking part in a number of significant battles, the first of which came around
177:
953:
929:
810:
784:
477:
59:
169:
901:. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military Historical Publications.
882:. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military History Publications.
264:
946:
Eggs-a-Cook! The Story of the Forty-Fourth: War As the Digger Saw It
711:
820:
Where Australians Fought: The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles
863:(3rd ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press.
225:, which was formed as part of an expansion of the all-volunteer
964:
822:(1st ed.). St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen and Unwin.
710:. Royal Western Australia Regiment Association. Archived from
899:
Defenders of Australia: The 3rd Australian Division 1916–1991
880:
Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001
242:
and conducting training or manual labour in the rear areas.
966:
Infantry formations of the First Australian Imperial Force
645:
643:
641:
639:
637:
176:. Originally formed in 1916 for overseas service during
290:
after which it took part in several attacks against the
803:
Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918
217:, in February 1916, the battalion formed part of the
1548:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1944
1513:
1477:
1441:
1347:
1253:
1159:
1065:
971:
675:"Australian Infantry Unit Colour Patches 1921–1949"
145:
140:
123:
113:
105:
91:
83:
75:
65:
47:
37:
20:
775:; Jordan, B.G. (1991). "Hamel: Winning A Battle".
1543:Military units and formations established in 1916
278:" operations. In July, the 44th took part in the
180:, the battalion fought in the trenches along the
616:
229:(AIF) that took place at the end of the failed
702:
700:
948:. Perth, Western Australia: Colortype Press.
798:The Australian Imperial Force in France, 1916
628:
363:The 44th Battalion was awarded the following
8:
961:
841:. Melbourne, Victoria: Allara Publishing.
286:. In August, the 44th joined the Allied
756:
732:
649:
525:
523:
554:
454:
777:Journal of the Australian War Memorial
514:
482:First World War, 1914–1918 units
17:
472:
470:
468:
466:
464:
462:
460:
458:
7:
744:
661:
578:
566:
502:
374:(inherited from predecessor units);
839:The Lineage of the Australian Army
438:France and Flanders, 1916–18
14:
1538:Australian World War I battalions
196:, before being subsumed into the
353:Royal Western Australia Regiment
306:Inter-war years and World War II
198:Royal Western Australia Regiment
151:
52:
26:
1519:1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion
861:A Military History of Australia
818:Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1998).
267:, including repelling a German
296:Battle of the St Quentin Canal
1:
592:"Colonel James Purcell Clark"
315:, which was headquartered in
372:South Africa 1899–1902
215:Claremont, Western Australia
1564:
109:The West Australian Rifles
837:Festberg, Alfred (1972).
629:Andrews & Jordan 1991
598:. Australian War Memorial
484:. Australian War Memorial
269:attack around Morlancourt
227:Australian Imperial Force
25:
944:Longmore, Cyril (1921).
897:Palazzo, Albert (2002).
346:, the provisions of the
221:, which was part of the
1442:Machine Gun Battalions
319:, and was part of the
288:Hundred Days Offensive
708:"WA Infantry History"
321:5th Military District
878:Kuring, Ian (2004).
617:Coulthard-Clark 1998
276:Peaceful Penetration
714:on 26 February 2014
685:on 15 November 2010
342:At the outbreak of
329:In Hoc Signo Vinces
118:In Hoc Signo Vinces
1478:Pioneer Battalions
1469:5th Machine Gun Bn
1464:4th Machine Gun Bn
1459:3rd Machine Gun Bn
1454:2nd Machine Gun Bn
1449:1st Machine Gun Bn
505:, pp. 99–100.
231:Gallipoli Campaign
1525:
1524:
870:978-0-521-69791-0
848:978-0-85887-024-6
829:978-1-86448-611-7
434:St. Quentin Canal
257:Broodseinde Ridge
190:Western Australia
159:
158:
147:Unit colour patch
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748:
742:
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694:
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690:
681:. Archived from
671:
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608:
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588:
582:
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531:"44th Battalion"
527:
518:
512:
506:
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493:
491:
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478:"44th Battalion"
474:
426:Mont St. Quentin
261:Spring Offensive
155:
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30:
18:
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938:Further reading
915:
909:
896:
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877:
871:
855:
849:
836:
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791:
779:. April: 5–12.
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430:Hindenburg Line
378:First World War
361:
308:
292:Hindenburg Line
280:Battle of Hamel
239:Salisbury Plain
211:
206:
174:Australian Army
162:
128:First World War
98:
70:Australian Army
53:
51:
42:
33:
12:
11:
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1505:5th Pioneer Bn
1502:
1500:4th Pioneer Bn
1497:
1495:3rd Pioneer Bn
1492:
1490:2nd Pioneer Bn
1487:
1485:1st Pioneer Bn
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696:
679:Digger History
666:
664:, p. 125.
654:
652:, p. 102.
633:
621:
619:, p. 139.
609:
583:
581:, p. 950.
571:
569:, p. 105.
559:
547:
535:Digger History
519:
507:
495:
453:
452:
451:
446:
443:
442:
441:
382:Messines, 1917
375:
365:battle honours
360:
359:Battle honours
357:
335:was raised at
325:Essex Regiment
307:
304:
300:battle honours
284:43rd Battalion
210:
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194:11th Battalion
186:Citizens Force
166:44th Battalion
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87:~900–1,000 men
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21:44th Battalion
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908:1-876439-03-3
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891:
889:1-876439-99-8
885:
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876:
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866:
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858:
857:Grey, Jeffrey
854:
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844:
840:
835:
831:
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821:
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808:
804:
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799:
794:
793:Bean, Charles
790:
786:
782:
778:
774:
773:Andrews, E.M.
770:
769:
765:
764:
759:, p. 32.
758:
757:Festberg 1972
753:
750:
747:, p. 10.
746:
741:
738:
735:, p. 71.
734:
733:Festberg 1972
729:
726:
713:
709:
703:
701:
697:
684:
680:
676:
670:
667:
663:
658:
655:
651:
650:Festberg 1972
646:
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622:
618:
613:
610:
597:
593:
587:
584:
580:
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572:
568:
563:
560:
557:, p. 21.
556:
551:
548:
536:
532:
526:
524:
520:
517:, p. 47.
516:
511:
508:
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471:
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403:
402:Passchendaele
399:
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248:Western Front
243:
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208:
203:
201:
199:
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191:
187:
183:
182:Western Front
179:
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171:
167:
161:Military unit
154:
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139:
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133:Western Front
131:
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68:
64:
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50:
46:
40:
36:
29:
24:
19:
16:
1349:5th Division
1255:4th Division
1242:
1161:3rd Division
1067:2nd Division
973:1st Division
945:
921:
917:
898:
879:
860:
838:
819:
797:
776:
766:Bibliography
752:
740:
728:
716:. Retrieved
712:the original
687:. Retrieved
683:the original
678:
669:
657:
631:, p. 8.
624:
612:
600:. Retrieved
595:
586:
574:
562:
555:Palazzo 2002
550:
538:. Retrieved
534:
510:
498:
486:. Retrieved
481:
422:Albert, 1918
398:Poelcappelle
390:Polygon Wood
377:
362:
347:
344:World War II
341:
328:
313:13th Brigade
309:
273:
244:
234:
223:3rd Division
219:11th Brigade
212:
172:unit of the
165:
163:
117:
100:13th Brigade
96:11th Brigade
92:Part of
15:
1514:Other units
718:21 February
515:Kuring 2004
410:Ancre, 1918
406:Somme, 1918
394:Broodseinde
386:Ypres, 1917
348:Defence Act
209:World War I
188:, based in
178:World War I
124:Engagements
106:Nickname(s)
1532:Categories
918:Sabretache
445:References
213:Raised at
954:220179181
930:0048-8933
811:220623454
785:1327-0141
745:Shaw 2010
662:Grey 2008
579:Bean 1941
567:Grey 2008
503:Grey 2008
450:Citations
200:in 1960.
60:Australia
43:1921–1944
41:1916–1919
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859:(2008).
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252:Messines
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418:Amiens
265:Amiens
235:Suevic
66:Branch
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38:Active
414:Hamel
317:Perth
950:OCLC
926:ISSN
903:ISBN
884:ISBN
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843:ISBN
824:ISBN
807:OCLC
781:ISSN
720:2014
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