| 52nd Battalion (Australia) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1916–1919 1930–1937 (37th/52nd Battalion) 1937–1942 1942–1946 (37th/52nd Battalion) |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | ~800–1,000 officers and men |
| Part of | 13th Brigade, 4th Division (WWI) 4th Brigade, 5th Division (WWII) |
| Engagements | World War I |
The 52nd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 for service during the World War I and took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium and was disbanded in 1918. The battalion served in World War II as the 37th/52nd Battalion.
Contents |
The 52nd Battalion was originally raised in Egypt on 1 March 1916 as part of the reorganisation and expansion of the AIF following the Gallipoli campaign.[1] This was achieved by transfering cadres of experienced personnel predominately from the 1st Division to the newly formed battalions and combining them with recently recruited personnel who had been dispatched as reinforcements from Australia.[2] The unit's first intake of personnel were drawn from men originating from South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, many of whom had already served with the 12th Battalion. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Miles Fitzroy Beevor, the battalion became part of the 13th Brigade attached to the 4th Australian Division.[3]
After arriving in France in June 1916, the battalion was committed to the fighting, taking part in the battle of Mouquet Farm during September, suffering heavy casualties.[3] Following this, it saw service on the Hindenburg Line in early 1917, at Noreuil, Messines and in September during the battle of Polygon Wood.[3] In early 1918, it assisted in the repulse of the major German offensive on the Western Front following the collapse of Russia.[3] On the morning of 24/25 April 1918—Anzac Day—the battalion took part in an Allied counter-attack at Villers-Bretonneux, in Belgium. The battalion was disbanded on 16 May 1918.[3]
During the fighting, it suffered lost 650 killed in action or died on active service and 1,438 wounded. Members of the battalion received the following decorations: two Distinguished Service Orders (DSO), 17 Military Crosses (MCs) with one Bar, 8 Distinguished Conduct Medals (DCMs), 88 Military Medals (MMs) with one Bar, one Meritorious Service Medal (MSMs), 20 Mention in Despatches (MIDs) and five foreign awards.[3]
The battalion appears to have been reformed in 1921 and was known as The Gippsland Regiment. The battalion was amalgamated with the 37th Battalion, known as the 37th/52nd Battalion, The Henty Regiment, was formed in the state of Victoria in 1930 as part of a rationalisation of the Australia's part time military forces that came about as a result of the combined effects of the suspension of compulsory service by the newly elected Scullin Labor government and the Great Depression.[4] The battalion remained in existence until 1937 when, as part of an expansion of the Australian military due to concerns about the threat of war in Europe,[5] the battalion was split to reform its predecessor units.[6]