44th Battalion (Australia)
| 44th Battalion | |
|---|---|
Troops from the 44th rest near Bonnay, after fighting there during the German Spring Offensive, April 1918
|
|
| Active | 1916–19 1921–44 |
| Country |
 Australia
|
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | ~900 – 1,000 men |
| Part of |
11th Brigade 13th Brigade |
| Nickname(s) | The West Australian Rifles |
| Motto(s) | In Hoc Signo Vinces |
| Engagements | |
| Insignia | |
| Unit Colour Patch |  |
The 44th Battalion was an infantry unit of the Australian Army. Originally formed in 1916 for overseas service during World War I, the battalion fought in the trenches along the Western Front in France and Belgium between late 1916 and 1918, before disbanding at the conclusion of hostilities. During the inter-war years, the 44th became part of the part-time Citizens Force, based in Western Australia. During World War II, it undertook garrison duties in Australia but was not deployed overseas to fight. In the post-World War II period the 44th was amalgamated with the 11th Battalion, before being subsumed into the Royal Western Australia Regiment in 1960.
Raised at Claremont, Western Australia, in February 1916, the battalion formed part of the 11th Brigade, which was part of the 3rd Division, which was formed as part of an expansion of the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force (AIF) that took place at the end of the failed Gallipoli Campaign. Its first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel William Mansbridge. After a period of training in Australia, in June 1916 the 44th, with an authorised strength of 1,023 men, embarked on the transport Suevic, and was transported to the United Kingdom where the 3rd Division underwent a further period of training on Salisbury Plain before crossing the English Channel to France in November 1916, where they joined the other four infantry divisions of the AIF. The following month, the battalion entered the front line for the first time. Throughout the winter of 1916–17, the battalion rotated between manning the front line, and conducting training or manual labour in the rear areas.
...
Wikipedia