17th Brigade (Australia)

17th Brigade
Active	1917 1939–1946
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	6th Division
Engagements	World War I World War II

The 17th Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Australian Army. First formed in 1917 during World War I, it did not see any action. Reformed during World War II, it took part in fighting in Libya, Greece and New Guinea before being disbanded in 1946. Today, its name is perpetuated by the 17th Combat Service Support Brigade, which was raised as a logistics formation in May 2006.

The 17th Brigade was formed in England, on the Salisbury Plain, as part of the 6th Division on 25 April 1917. The formation did not see any action and was disbanded on 26 September 1917. On 14 May 1917 Captain Nelson Frederick Wellington (later Colonel DSO MC) of the 21st Battalion AIF, was detatched from General Staff Officer 3 (GSO3) 2nd Australian Division to be Brigade Major 17th Infantry Brigade. His service record shows he returned to 2nd Division on 28 December 1917.

The 17th Brigade was reformed on 13 October 1939, again as part of the 6th Division, recruited from Victoria. The 17th Brigade fought in the Western Desert Campaign in Libya, the Battle of Greece, the Battle of Wau, the Salamaua-Lae campaign in Papua, and in the Aitape-Wewak campaign in New Guinea.

...
Wikipedia