| 34th Battalion (Australian Imperial Force) | |
|---|---|
| Active | January 1916–May 1919 |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Part of | 9th Brigade, 3rd Division |
| Decorations | 1 VC, 2 DSOs, 1 OBE, 1 MBE, 20 MCs and 1 bar, 10 DCMs, 74 MMs with 3 Bars, 5 MSMs, 31 MIDs, and 7 foreign awards |
| Battle honours | Messines 1917, Ypres 1917, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Somme 1918, Ancre 1918, Amiens, Albert 1918, Mont St Quentin, Hindenburg Line, St Quentin Canal, France and Flanders 1916-1918 |
The 34th Battalion was a unit of 1st Australian Imperial Force, which was established in World War I. The battalion was formed in January 1916 as part of the 9th Brigade of the Australian 3rd Division.[1] The bulk of the battalion’s recruits were drawn from the Maitland area and thus it was dubbed “Maitland's Own”.[1] The first recruits for the 34th, however, hailed from the far north-west of the state and arrived at Maitland after joining a recruiting march that began at Walgett. These men were known as the “Wallabies”.
The Battalion arrived in France in 1916 and served on the Western Front until the end of the war, before being disbanded in May 1919.[1]
Contents |
(Source:AWM Unit Information).
| Award | Times awarded |
|---|---|
| Victoria Cross | 1 |
| Distinguished Service Order | 3 |
| Order of the British Empire | 1 |
| MBE | 2 |
| Distinguished Conduct Medal | 10 |
| Military Cross[2] | 21 |
| Military Medal[3] | 77 |
| Meritorious Service Medal | 5 |
| Mention in Dispatches | 31 |
(Source: AWM Unit Information).[4]