42nd Battalion
The 42nd Battalion was raised at
Enoggera, on the outskirts of Brisbane, in December 1915 and became part
of the 11th Brigade of the 3rd Australian Division. Due to sharing its
numeric title with the famous Scottish regiment the Black Watch, the
battalion became known as the “Australian Black Watch”. This
association was recognised with a bagpipe band.
After training in Australia and
Britain, the 42nd deployed to France on 26 November 1916 and entered the
frontline for the first time on 23 December. The winter of 1916–17 was
horrendous, and the 42nd spent much of it in the front line, the
remainder being spent alternating between training and labouring in the
rear areas.
In 1917, the operations of the 3rd
Division were focussed on the Ypres sector of Belgium. The 42nd
participated in major battles at Messines on 7 June, Warneton on 31
July, Broodseinde on 4 October, and Passchendaele on 12 October. Even
though the battalion was in a reserve role, the battle of Passchendaele
proved particularly costly. It lost over a third of its strength,
principally from German gas attacks, and trench foot caused by the
sodden condition of the battlefield.
Belgium remained the scene of the 42nd
Battalion’s activities for the next five months as it was rotated
between service in the rear areas and the front line. When the German
Army launched its last great offensive in March 1918, the battalion was
rushed south to France and played a role in blunting the drive towards
the vital railway junction of Amiens.
On 4 July 1918, the 42nd took part in
the battle of Hamel and captured all of its objectives with only three
fatal casualties – demonstrating what a well-planned and supported
attack could achieve. The Allies launched their own offensive on 8
August 1918, and the 42nd played an active role both in the initial
attack and the long advance that followed.
This advance, though, sapped the
strength of the AIF. On 20 September 1918 the 42nd was ordered to
disband to provide reinforcements for other battalions. Its men mutinied
winning the Battalion a temporary reprieve. It fought its last battle
– St Quentin Canal – between 29 September and 2 October. On 2
October the order to disband was once again issued. The men still
disobeyed, but pressure from the AIF hierarchy eventually forced
compliance. The 42nd Battalion was disbanded on 22 October 1918. Text by
AWM
- 544 killed, 1450 wounded (including
gassed)
-
Decorations
- 4 DSO
- 19 MC
- 12 DCM
- 91 MM, 4 bars
- 4 MSM
- 15 MID
- 5 foreign awards
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