page_title: 18th Brigade (Australia)
section_title: Middle East
hierarchical_section_title: 18th Brigade (Australia) / History / Middle East
caption_attribution_description: English: Australian soldiers from the 2/9th Infantry Battalion hoist a flag with their Unit Colour Patch over the recently captured Italian fort at Giarabub, 1941.
context_page_description: The 18th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army. The brigade briefly existed as a Militia formation prior to the First World War, but this was short lived. During the Second World War, the brigade was raised on 13 October 1939 and was one of the first three infantry brigades of the Second Australian Imperial Force to be formed. Initially commanded by Brigadier Leslie Morshead, it served in the United Kingdom in 1940–1941, where it helped bolster the British garrison in anticipation of a possible German invasion following the Fall of France. In early 1941, the brigade was transferred to the Middle East where it later took part in fighting against the Italians in Libya and then helped to defend the besieged port of Tobruk before fighting against the Vichy French in the Syria–Lebanon campaign. The 18th Brigade was withdrawn to Australia in early 1942, and it later took part in the fighting against the Japanese in Pacific fighting several campaigns in New Guinea between late 1942 and early 1944. Its final involvement of the war came in mid-1945 when it took part in re-taking Balikpapan. Following the end of hostilities, the 18th Brigade was disbanded on 3 January 1946.
context_section_description: Later, when the threat of invasion of the United Kingdom decreased, the decision was made to transfer the Australian forces there to the Middle East. The 18th Brigade arrived there in early January 1941. Around this time, the 2nd AIF was reorganised and each brigade was reduced from four battalions to three. As a result, the 2/11th Battalion was transferred to the 19th Brigade. At the same time also, the 18th Brigade was transferred to the 7th Division. Following this, on 21 March 1941, the brigade took part in an attack on an Italian stronghold at Giarabub, 230 kilometres (140 mi) south of Bardia. Although the fortress was held by about 1,500 Italians supported by artillery, the Australian force dispatched only consisted of a reinforced battalion due to supply difficulties. Setting out on 10 March from Siwa, the assault began early on the morning of 21 March from the south over marshy ground. Led by the 2/9th Battalion with machine-gun and mortar support from the 2/12th and 2/10th Battalions, the attack was put in from the south while the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment feigned an attack from the north at the strongest point of the fortress. A heavy sandstorm obscured visibility, which hindered the supporting artillery and resulted in a number of casualties when one company moved beyond the barrage. Nevertheless, heavy fighting followed and resistance continued until 2:00 pm in the afternoon when the Italians surrendered. About 250 Italians were killed and 1,300 captured for the loss of 17 Australians killed and 77 wounded. Following the attack, the 18th Brigade returned to Ikingi Maryut.
  Plans were made for the 18th Brigade to deploy to Greece, but a German offensive in Libya resulted in the 7th Division being retained in North Africa. In April, the brigade was sent to Tobruk where they took part in the defence of the port between May and August 1941, alongside elements of the 9th Division. In May, the Germans managed to break into the Allied perimeter, penetrating towards an area dubbed "The Salient". The 18th Brigade subsequently led the Australian counterattack in conjunction with the 26th Brigade. Once the perimeter was restored, the brigade rotated through the various defensive sectors around the perimeter until they were relieved by a Polish brigade in August, and withdrawn to Palestine. In September 1941, the brigade rejoined the rest of the 7th Division, which had been taking part in the fighting against Vichy French forces in the Syria–Lebanon campaign. Following the armistice the division was allocated the task of undertaking garrison duties and the 18th Brigade was  subsequently stationed at Aleppo, near the Turkish border to guard against a potential German attack through Turkey. Elements of the brigade were also deployed to Idlib, and patrols were mounted along the border.
caption: Soldiers from the 2/9th hoist a flag consisting of the battalion's Unit Colour Patch over the recently captured Italian fort at Giarabub.
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