37th Battalion (Australia)

37th Battalion
37th Battalion reinforcements in Melbourne, February 1917
Active	1916–19 1921–30 1939–42
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~800–1,000 officers and men
Part of	10th Brigade, 3rd Division (World War I) 4th Brigade, 5th Division (World War II)
Colours	Black over Red
Engagements	World War I Western Front World War II
Insignia
Unit Colour Patch

World War I

The 37th 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. In 1921, the battalion was re-raised as part of the part-time Citizens Forces, although it was later amalgamated with the 52nd Battalion in 1930 due to manpower shortages. In 1937, the battalion was briefly re-raised in its own right before being amalgamated with the 39th Battalion. It later returned to the order of battle in its own right as the Australian military was expanded due to concerns of a future war in Europe. Following the outbreak of World War II, the 37th Battalion served in a garrison role until 1942 when it was once again amalgamated with the 52nd Battalion.

The 37th Battalion was originally raised in Seymour, Victoria, in February 1916 as part of an expansion of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) which took place following the end of the Gallipoli campaign. The unit was made up from personnel drawn from men originating from Victoria who were recruited from a number of areas including Melbourne, Gippsland and the north-eastern parts of the state. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick George Woods, the battalion became part of the 10th Brigade attached to the 3rd Australian Division.

Initial training took place in Australia, however, once this was complete the battalion was sent to Britain where they concentrated on Salisbury Plain along with the rest of the 3rd Division to undertake more advanced training. The process took a considerable period of time and as such it was not until late in the year that the 3rd Division was declared ready to be deployed to the Western Front. After the battalion arrived in France on 23 November 1916, it was first sent to the Armentières sector which was considered a "quiet" area where the newly arrived troops could gain their first experiences of trench warfare. While there, they undertook patrols into No Man's Land and minor raids on the German trenches opposite them during the winter months.