7th Division (Australia)
| 7th Division | |
|---|---|
Hammana, Lebanon. 2 September 1941. Maj. Gen. A. S. "Tubby" Allen (centre), commander of the 7th Division, with Lt Col. Murray Moten (centre right), commander of the 2/27th Infantry Battalion and his men. (Photographer: Frank Hurley.)
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| Active | 1940–46 |
| Country |
 Australia
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| Branch | Australian Military Forces |
| Type | Division |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | ~17,000 men |
| Part of | I Corps |
| Nickname(s) | "The Silent Seventh" |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Arthur "Tubby" Allen George Alan Vasey |
The 7th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. It was formed in February 1940 to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF). The division was raised on the British establishment of nine infantry battalions per division and consisted of two new brigades and three of the original 12 battalions of the 6th Division forming the third brigade. The division is sometimes known by the nickname "The Silent Seventh", due to a perception that its achievements were unrecognised, in comparison to the other Australian divisions. The origin of this belief appears to be censorship of the part played by the 7th Division in the fierce fighting in the 1941 Syria-Lebanon campaign. The 7th Division along with the 6th and 9th Australian Divisions were the only divisions to serve in both the Middle East and the South West Pacific Area. It was disbanded in 1946, following the end of the war.
The 7th Division was the second division raised as part of the 2nd AIF following the outbreak of World War II. Approval for the formation of the new division was granted on 28 February 1940 and on 4 April its first commanding officer, Major General John Lavarack, was appointed. Upon formation the division consisted of three infantry brigades: the 19th, 20th and 21st. Of these, the 19th was formed in Palestine and the other two were formed in Australia. In June 1940, however, the 19th Brigade was replaced in the division by the 18th Brigade, which was then based in the United Kingdom where they were undertaking garrison duties to defend against a possible invasion of that country by the Germans following the Fall of France as part of the 6th Division. This was short lived, however, for the following month the division lost the 18th Brigade and gained the 26th Brigade which was still forming in Australia. This enabled the division to undertake training together prior to embarking for the Middle East in October 1940. In February 1941 further changes in the division's composition occurred. The 20th and 26th Brigades were transferred to the 9th Division and in exchange the division received the 18th and 25th Brigades.
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