6th Division ( Australia ) The 6th Division was a unit of the Australian Army . It was raised briefly in 1917 during World War I , but was broken up to provide reinforcements before seeing action . It was not re - raised until the outbreak of World War II , when it was formed as a unit of the Second Australian Imperial Force ( 2nd AIF ) . Throughout 1940 – 41 it served in the North African campaign , the Greek campaign , on Crete and in Syria . In 1942 , the division left the Middle East and returned to Australia to meet the threat of Japan ' s entry into the war . Part of the division garrisoned Ceylon for a short period of time , before the division was committed to the New Guinea campaign . In New Guinea , its component brigades saw action along the Kokoda Track , at Buna – Gona and around Salamaua – Lae in 1942 – 43 . Throughout late 1943 – 44 , the division was re - organised in Australia before being committed as a complete formation to one of the last Australian operations of the war around Aitape – Wewak in 1944 – 45 . Formation . The 6th Division was first formed in 1917 in Britain during World War I as part of an effort to expand the First Australian Imperial Force . Its existence was short - lived , though , and as a result of manpower shortages that occurred because of a failure to make good the heavy losses that the AIF had suffered on the Western Front in 1917 , it was decided to disband the division and its subordinate units in September 1917 and use their personnel to reinforce other units . As a result , the division was broken - up as replacements several months later , before it saw action . The division was not re - raised during the interwar years and subsequently remained off the Australian Army ' s order of battle until World War II broke out . Due to the provisions of the " Defence Act " , which precluded the five existing Militia divisions from serving overseas , the government decided to raise an all - volunteer force known as the 2nd AIF . The 6th Division was the first division formed within the 2nd AIF being raised on 28 September 1939 . Initially under the command of Lieutenant General Thomas Blamey , upon formation the division consisted of the 16th , 17th and 18th Brigades , each established with four infantry battalions . Later , though , it was reorganised as a result of the 18th Brigade being sent to the United Kingdom in June 1940 and the decision to adopt the British establishment of three infantry battalions to a brigade . The 19th Brigade was subsequently raised as the division ' s third infantry brigade , being formed by taking one battalion from each of the other three brigades when they were reduced from four to three . Of the division ' s infantry battalions , all except one – the 2 / 11th – were raised in either New South Wales or Victoria . In early 1940 , the majority of the 6th Division was sent to Palestine , to complete their training before joining the British Expeditionary Force ( BEF ) in France . Together with the 7th Division they formed the Australian I Corps . However , France fell to German forces in July 1940 , before I Corps arrived . While the rest of the division was training in the Middle East , the division ' s third artillery regiment , the 2 / 3rd Field Regiment and the 2 / 1st Anti - tank Regiment were sent to the United Kingdom to help bolster the garrison there in light of an expected invasion following the Fall of France . After being partially broken up to provide personnel to serve as infantry in the 25th Brigade , once the threat of invasion was over these two regiments were sent to the Middle East to rejoin the division , arriving there in December 1940 . North Africa . The 6th Division first saw action in early 1941 , against Italian forces in North Africa , in the advance to Benghazi as part of Operation Compass . By this time , Major General Iven Mackay had taken over command of the division . In June 1940 , Italy had declared war on the Allies and began to build up forces in Libya . In September 1940 , the Italian Tenth Army invaded Egypt , a British colony , threatening Allied control of the Middle East and most particularly , the Suez Canal and international supply routes . British forces under General Sir Archibald Wavell expelled the Italians from Sidi Barrani and pursued them back towards the Libyan border . In December 1940 , the 6th Division was moved forward from training camps around Alexandria to relieve British troops around Bardia and at the end of December they were ordered to prepare to attack . On 3 January 1941 , at Bardia , a small coastal town just inside the Libyan border , the first major Australian action of World War II took place . Amidst a heavy artillery barrage and supported by British Matilda tanks and Bren carrier s of the divisional cavalry , the 6th Division penetrated the defences of the Italian stronghold . Despite some heavy resistance the town fell to the Australians just two days later . The Australians captured a large amount of Italian war material as well as thousands of Italian prisoners of war ( POWs ) , many of whom were shipped to prison camps in Australia . The fighting continued until 5 January when the Italian position had been cut almost into two . The Allies took nearly 40 , 000 Italian prisoners and considerable amounts of enemy weapons , supplies and equipment . The battle for Bardia cost 130 Australian lives with 326 men wounded . On 22 January 1941 , the Italian Tobruk fell to the AIF and 25 , 000 Italians became prisoners . During January and February 1941 , the 6th Division , together with British units , pushed the Italian army back across Libya . The Italian Tenth Army was destroyed . In early April 1941 , the 6th Division was withdrawn from North Africa to defend Greece and replaced by the 9th Division , which took part in the epic Siege of Tobruk between April and November 1941 against Italian and German forces . Greece , Crete and Syria . Hitler was concerned that if Greece became a British ally then oilfields in Romania , on which Germany relied for her fuel , might be open to air attack from Greece . As the Germans were planning an invasion of Russia for June 1941 , they could not allow such a threat to their essential oil supplies , and so they began planning an invasion of Greece . In March 1941 , Prime Minister Robert Menzies , of Australia , with the concurrence of his Cabinet , agreed to the sending of Australian troops to Greece to defend against a German attack . Both Menzies and the I Corps commander , Lieutenant General Thomas Blamey , felt that the operation was risky and might end in disaster . But Menzies felt that Greece should be supported against German aggression and that the defence of Greece was a " great risk in a good cause " . The 6th Division arrived in Greece in late March and early April 1941 , where they joined with a New Zealand and British force . On 6 April the Germans began their invasion of Greece , sending a total of 27 divisions . After arriving in Greece , the Australians were transported north towards the Yugoslav border , where they took up defensive positions around the Florina Valley . During the fighting around Vevi that followed , troops from the 2 / 4th and 2 / 8th Infantry Battalions and the 2 / 3rd Field Regiment , from Brigadier George Vasey ' s 19th Brigade , fought against the " Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler " brigade . Despite their efforts , the Allied force , together with Greek units , was unable to halt the rapid German advance down central Greece towards Athens . The Allies were outflanked by the Germans , and by 27 April they were driven off the Greek mainland , with a final act of defiance being made around Porto Rafti . A total of 1 , 500 men from the 6th Division were captured in Greece . After withdrawal from Greece , while some elements of the division were evacuated back to Alexandria , the majority of the 6th Division was sent to Crete where they were cobbled together to form a hasty garrison . The 19th Brigade had been landed intake with all of its infantry battalions , while only elements of the 16th and 17th Brigades had been landed . As a result , these units were combined together to form composite battalions . In addition to the infantry , two of the division ' s field artillery units , the 2 / 2nd and 2 / 3rd Field Regiments had also been landed . They had both lost all of their equipment in Greece and as a result the 2 / 2nd were thrown into the line as infantry , while the 2 / 3rd were hastily re - equipped with 14 captured French and Italian artillery pieces . On 20 May , the Germans launched an airborne assault on the island and over the course of a week and a half heavy fighting ensued around Maleme airfield , Heraklion , Canea , and Retimo during which heavy casualties were inflicted upon the Germans before , having exhausted their ammunition and lacking air support , the garrison was evacuated back to Egypt close to the end of the month . As in Greece , a large number of men were unable to be evacuated and as a result a large number of 6th Division personnel , including the majority of the 2 / 1st , 2 / 7th and 2 / 11th Battalions , were taken prisoner . A great deal of equipment was also lost . During the fighting , the 2 / 7th Infantry Battalion , fighting alongside the New Zealand 28th ( Maori ) Battalion , undertook a bayonet charge at a position known as 42nd Street that was later described as " one of the epics of the war " , which resulted in about 300 Germans being killed . While the majority of the division was in Crete , the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment , which had not be sent to Greece , was detached to the British 7th Armoured Brigade and subsequently took part in Operation Brevity in May . Following the evacuation of Crete , while the 6th Division began rebuilding in Palestine , the cavalry was allocated to take part in the bloody but successful attack on Vichy French forces in the Syria - Lebanon campaign . Two depleted infantry battalions from the 17th Brigade – the 2 / 3rd and 2 / 5th – were also committed and subsequently took part in the drive on Damascus in mid - June . They were later joined by the 2 / 2nd Pioneer Battalion and together they fought through the campaign until the French capitulated in mid - July . In the process they suffered 168 casualties . After the conclusion of the fighting in Syria , the rest of the 6th Division joined the 17th Brigade and undertook garrison duties there . In December 1941 , the division received news that the Japanese had attacked on Pearl Harbor and invaded Malaya . Nevertheless , the division remained in Syria over Christmas , during which time they endured a bitterly cold winter that saw heavy snow falls . Finally , in January 1942 , the decision was made to withdraw them back to Australia to meet threat posed by Japanese advances in the Pacific . The 19th Brigade departed first and subsequently arrived at Fremantle on 10 March . Meanwhile , the 16th and 17th Brigades were diverted to defend Ceylon ( now Sri Lanka ) from the Japanese . They remained there from mid - March through to early July 1942 . The Pacific War . While the 16th and 17th Brigades were in Ceylon , the 19th Brigade , which had proceeded from Fremantle to Adelaide in mid - March . They remained there until April when a short period of leave was granted . Once the men had reported back , the brigade was split up , with the 2 / 11th Infantry Battalion being sent to Western Australia to undertake garrison duty while the brigade ' s other infantry battalions and the divisional cavalry regiment were sent to the Northern Territory to bolster its defences in the wake of Japanese successes ; the 19th Brigade would subsequently not see any combat for another three - and - a - half years . While there , the 2 / 11th ' s place within the 19th Brigade was taken by a Militia unit , the 23rd / 21st Battalion . At the same time , many of the division ' s experienced officers and non commissioned officers were transferred out to Militia units in order to prepare them for operations against the Japanese . In June , one the division ' s artillery regiments , the 2 / 3rd was transferred to the 5th Division . Having spent nearly six months in Ceylon , the 16th and 17th Brigades arrived back in Australia in August and they subsequently returned to their states of origin . After a brief period of leave , welcome home parades were held in Sydney for the 16th and in Melbourne for the 17th . Less than a week later , the 6th Division received orders to deploy overseas again , this time to meet the Japanese southward thrust through New Guinea . After this , the division would spend the remainder of the war fighting elements of the Japanese XVII Army in New Guinea and until the final year of the war , it would do so in individual brigade - level components , rather than as a unified command . Kokoda to Buna – Gona . In mid - September 1942 the 16th Brigade , under the command of Brigadier John Lloyd , and other elements of the division were sent to New Guinea to reinforce and relieve the Militia 30th Brigade and the 7th Division units that had been fighting a desperate holding action on the Kokoda Track since July . The campaign to that point had consisted of a series of battles fought along the track after the Japanese had landed around Buna and pushed south towards Port Moresby , but were checked at Ioribaiwa . The divisional headquarters opened at Port Moresby on 19 September and the 16th Brigade arrived three days later ; the 17th Brigade was sent to Milne Bay , to relieve the 18th Brigade following the successful defensive action they had fought earlier in the month . As the Japanese , having reached the extent of their supply lines , began to withdraw from Ioribaiwa , the Australians went on the offensive , pursuing them back north towards Buna . On 17 October , the 16th Brigade was detached to the 7th Division ' s command and moved up the track . It subsequently took over the advance from the exhausted troops of the 25th Brigade three days later . The Japanese had established themselves in strong positions in the high ground north of Eora Creek . For the next week and a half , the brigade fought desperately against the terrain , driving rain , and cold , inhospitable conditions to outflank these positions . Making heavy work of it against strong resistance , the Australians slowly made headway , but the Japanese remained in possession of the citadel . Finally , on 28 October when the 2 / 3rd Infantry Battalion took the Japanese right flank , killing 50 and forcing the remaining defenders into a headlong retreat . In securing the crossing , the brigade had suffered almost 300 casualties . Suffering from disease and with rations running low , the brigade continued along the eastern fork of the track . Amidst almost no opposition , they took Missima and passed through Kobara before setting out for Wairopi by 4 November . Heavy resistance was encountered that day as the 2 / 2nd Infantry Battalion advanced towards the high ground around Oivi . They were held up for a number of days until outflanking moves by the 2 / 1st Infantry Battalion , temporarily detached to the 25th Brigade , pushed the Japanese back and enabled the brigade to continue its advance . Gorari was taken and by mid - November the brigade , having suffered 471 battle casualties since the being committed to the fighting around Kokoda , finally reached Wairopi , where the swollen Kumusi River was forded . After crossing the Kumusi , the 16th Brigade was ordered to move towards Sanananda Point to support the joint Australian – US effort to attack the Japanese beachheads around the Buna – Gona area . The ration situation had grown worse by this time , and progress was slow as the march proved too difficult for many of the soldiers in their weakened physical states . Nevertheless , by 18 November , the 2 / 2nd Infantry Battalion had led the brigade into Popondetta , after which the 2 / 3rd moved into the vanguard . For the next two days they experienced almost no opposition until 21 November when Japanese artillery began to target the 2 / 1st . Launching a quick attack with three companies , the 2 / 1st outflanked the Japanese gun pit with two companies while the third provided support - by - fire . In the rout that followed over 80 Japanese were killed . By nightfall , the 2 / 1st , which had dug - in and subsequently fought off a number of Japanese counterattacks , was relieved from the forward position just a few kilometres from the coast . The brigade had been severely depleted in reaching the position and at that point had only 1 , 040 fit men , so they were ordered to hold their position along the front to provide cover to troops of the US 126th Infantry Regiment , which was slowly moving towards the Soputa – Sanananda – Cape Killerton track junction . On 23 November , the 16th Brigade finally received artillery support , after a battery from the 2 / 1st Field Regiment was flown into the hastily established airfield at Popondetta and began firing upon Sananada . The inexperienced American regiment made very slow progress and as a result , the 16th Brigade held their position until 6 December , when they were progressively relieved by troops from the 30th Brigade , having suffered over 85 per cent casualties . The 2 / 3rd Infantry Battalion was the last out , being withdrawn on the night of 19 / 20 December . Meanwhile , a small element of the division remained in action until Sanananda fell in late January 1943 . The 2 / 1st Field Regiment ' s battery at Popondetta was expanded to a full troop of four guns , while another troop was sent to support the US forces around Buna and a third force was sent to Oro Bay . In addition to these artillery assets , in October a small group of five Bren carriers from the 17th Brigade ' s carrier platoon had been sent from Milne Bay to support the General Robert Eichelberger ' s 32nd Division . With crews drawn mainly from the 2 / 7th Infantry Battalion and one from the 2 / 5th , they were thrown into action around Buna on 5 December to support a major assault and , despite making some headway against the heavily entrenched Japanese , were wiped out with heavy casualties . Wau – Salamaua . As the 16th Brigade ’ s involvement in its first New Guinea campaign was being fought to a successful conclusion around the beachheads between Buna and Gona , the 17th Brigade was preparing for its first encounter with the Japanese . Shortly after the Japanese landings around Salamaua and Lae in March 1942 a small band of commandos known as " Kanga Force " had established themselves around Wau and in May commenced a seven - month guerilla campaign in the area . In early January 1943 , the Japanese heavily reinforced the Salamaua – Lae area , moving 4 , 000 troops from both Guadalcanal and Papua where they had suffered setbacks , in the hope of destroying Kanga Force , capturing the Wau , which lay in the strategically important Bulolo Valley , which offered the Allies an airstrip that could serve as a " potential springboard " that could be used to move large concentrations of troops over the Owen Stanley Range to attack the Japanese bases at Salamaua and Lae . Throughout the fighting around Kokoda and Buna – Gona , the 17th Brigade , under the command of Brigadier Murray Moten , had been kept back at Milne Bay by Australian commanders with the intention of keeping them fresh to reinforce the garrison at Wau . While at Milne Bay , the brigade had been significantly reduced by sickness , specifically malaria ; however , in response to the arrival of Japanese reinforcements at Lae , the 17th Brigade was relieved at Milne Bay by the 29th Brigade and , after being shipped to Port Moresby , on 14 January , one company of the 2 / 6th Infantry Battalion , representing the brigade ' s advanced elements , was flown into Wau on six US C - 47 Dakota s . Upon arrival , the company – ' B ' Company – began moving towards Mubo , where they were to link up with the commandos there establish themselves to defend the Bulolo Valley . Amidst difficult flying conditions and limited resources , the arrival of the rest of the battalion took place over the following four days , while the rest of the brigade was also delayed . On 20 January the Japanese began moving small groups towards Mubo with the intention of taking Wau , and in response the 2 / 5th Infantry Battalion was dispatched on 24 January , arriving over the course of the next three days . On the morning of 28 January , at Wandumi , the main Japanese thrust fell upon the 70 - man strong ' A ' Company , 2 / 6th Infantry Battalion . Throughout the day the company fought desperately to hold the Japanese while reinforcements from the 2 / 5th were brought up from Wau ; in the mid - afternoon , as it looked like they would be overrun , a desperate bayonet charge temporarily bought the Australians some relief and they eventually withdrew about a mile to the south - west , back towards the Bulolo Rivier where they formed a night defensive position , having successfully delayed the Japanese advance and inflicted over 75 killed upon them . Throughout the following day , as poor weather hampered efforts to fly in the 2 / 7th Infantry Battalion , a large group of about 500 Japanese bypassed ' A ' Company ' s position and continued on towards Wau . In response two companies of the 2 / 5th were moved to the airstrip , reaching there early on 29 January just before Japanese mortars began firing on it . By mid - morning , however , the weather cleared and Allied aircraft soon began arriving at the airfield , disgorging men from the 2 / 7th who were quickly thrown into the line . That night several counterattacks were fought off and the following day , as a section of guns from the 2 / 1st Field Regiment arrived , the 17th Brigade went on the offensive and by 5 February the Japanese began withdrawing from the area . Significant fighting occurred on 9 February , and over the course of the next three weeks further clashes took place as the Australians followed up the retreating Japanese . The last actions came around Buibaining and Waipali and by 26 February the withdrawal was complete with the Japanese establishing themselves around Guadagasal and Mubo . Following this , the 17th Brigade advanced towards Guadagasal , but after supply problems ground this to a halt , throughout March and April a series of patrols were sent out towards Mubo . By late April the brigade was detached to the 3rd Division , a primarily Militia formation , which took up the task of defending Wau . Throughout this time , engineers from the 6th Division , including the 2 / 1st Field Company , would to improve supply lines throughout the area , cutting a road to Wau . The 2 / 2nd Field Ambulance also provided support to the brigade ' s operations , establishing medical services close to the Australian forward areas . Between 22 April and 29 May 1943 , the 2 / 7th Infantry Battalion , at the end of a long and tenuous supply line , unsuccessfully attacked the southern extremity of Japanese lines , the Mubo area , at features known to the Allies as " The Pimple " and " Green Hill " , north of Lababia Ridge . In early May , over the course of two days , the 2 / 7th repelled eight strong Japanese counterattacks , before being relieved . At the same time , the Allies began planning wider operations to capture Lae . As a part of this , Salamaua was also to be taken . Initially , the 3rd Division was to secure Nassau Bay and the 17th Brigade was to capture Mubo and push north towards Mount Tambu to secure Komiatum . Moving over steep , muddy ridges amidst dense , fetid jungle terrain the 2 / 7th found the going tough and by late May the 2 / 6th took over the drive towards Nassau Bay . Feeling their way from Lababia Ridge they located a traversable path through the jungle towards the coast but on 20 June , ' D ' Company came under heavy attack from two Japanese battalions from the 66th Regiment , amounting to 1 , 500 men , and for three days intense fighting followed before the Japanese were successfully beaten back . The Australians relied on well - established and linked defensive positions , featuring extensive , cleared free - fire zones . The battle was later described as one of the Australian Army ' s " classic engagements " of World War II . By the end of the month the 2 / 6th had reached Nassau Bay where it secured landing beaches for an amphibious landing by US troops from the 162nd Regimental Combat Team . Once established , the 2 / 6th then led the way back west towards Bitoi Ridge , ranging ahead of the Americans as the Allies began to encircle Mubo . In early July , the 2 / 7th attacked Observation Hill and as the Japanese began to withdraw from Mubo , the 2 / 5th was sent north to act in support of the newly arrived Militia 15th Brigade , which was moving on Bobdubi Ridge . In mid - July , amidst heavy close - quarters fighting , the 2 / 5th Infantry Battalion captured the southern parts of Mount Tambu . Throughout late July a situation of stalemate developed on Mount Tambu , which held up the Australian advance . As a result , Moten decided to bypass it in early August , sending the 2 / 6th Battalion north - west towards Komiatum . A path was eventually found and after securing Laver ' s Knoll , the Australians began working around behind Mount Tambu , towards the northern end of Bobdubi Ridge . The 2 / 7th was heavily involved with the 15th Brigade at this time , fighting to take a position known as " The Coconuts " . Finally , as the noose around Mount Tambu tightened , the Japanese abandoned it on 19 August . The 17th Brigade ' s advance continued for the next two days until , when the brigade had reached the final ridge before Salamaua , the 29th Brigade arrived to take over . The 2 / 7th Infantry Battalion , however , still detached to the 15th Brigade , continued on with them and as a result remained in the thick of it until the end when Salamaua fell on 20 September . Meanwhile , the rest of the 17th Brigade was on its way back to Australia and by mid - September , it arrived on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland where it was once again was placed under the 6th Division ' s command . A long period of waiting and training would follow . Throughout 1943 – 44 , the division was re - organised under the a jungle divisional establishment . This saw a reduction in the division ' s artillery , vehicles , equipment and manning , with divisional strength falling from around 18 , 000 men to about 16 , 000 . The division also lost many of its experienced personnel during this time as they were promoted and moved on to other formations . The division ' s next deployment would not come until November 1944 when they were committed to the Aitape – Wewak campaign . Once again they would be unified as a full division , with several units that had previously been detached , including the 2 / 3rd Field Regiment and the 19th Brigade , rejoining the division . Aitape – Wewak campaign . The Japanese had occupied the Aitape – Wewak area in northern New Guinea in 1942 and had held it until April 1944 when the Americans had undertaken an amphibious landing around Aitape . Later in the year , responsibility for clearing the remaining Japanese troops from the area was passed to the Australians as the US sought to reallocate its troops towards retaking the Philippines . From early October , the 6th Division began to take over from US troops , with the first unit to arrive being the 2 / 6th Cavalry Commando Regiment , which had been formed in early 1943 when the division ' s cavalry regiment had been converted into a headquarters formation for three commando squadrons : the 2 / 7th , 2 / 9th and 2 / 10th . As a result of shortages in available shipping , the rest of the division arrived slowly over the course of a couple of months . Starting in December , the division commenced a limited offensive , advancing towards the main Japanese base at Wewak along the coast and through the Torricelli Mountains to Maprik , which the Japanese had been using for sustainment , having established a number of gardens there . With the 19th Brigade and the 2 / 7th Commando Squadron leading off along the coast route in December and the 17th Brigade with the 2 / 10th moving into a Torricellis , a series of small - scale actions followed . In mid - January the 19th Brigade was relieved by the 16th and the 2 / 9th Commando Squadron , which continued the drive along the coast , while in the Torricellis , the 17th Brigade ' s infantry battalions took turns leading the way with the commandos . The closed terrain hindered the movement of supplies from the rear areas and consequently the Australians made slow progress . The dense jungle also limited the size of the forces that could be deployed , with the largest formations being sent out by the division being limited to company size at this time . Isolated pockets of Japanese offered significant resistance in places , which had to be overcome with artillery , air and tank support , while daily patrols risked ambush and attacks from snipers . The elements also posed a significant threat to the Australians , with many men drowning when they attempted to cross the flood - swollen rivers . Nevertheless , Maprik was taken on 23 April , as was Wewak , which fell on 10 May . Operations in the area continued through to the end of the war as the Australians exploited south from Maprik towards Nungagua , and east towards Kiarivu ; after taking Wewak , the coastal route was expanded east towards the Brandi Plantation , while patrols ranged inland towards Sauri and Mount Shiburangu . During the campaign , two members of the division performed actions for which they were later awarded the Victoria Cross , the Commonwealth ' s highest gallantry decoration . The first of these was awarded posthumously to Lieutenant Albert Chowne of the 2 / 2nd Infantry Battalion for his courage and leadership while commanding a platoon on 25 March around Dagua . The second went to Private Edward Kenna , of the 2 / 4th Infantry Battalion , for destroying several Japanese bunkers that were holding up his company ' s advance around the Wirui Mission . The campaign was also significant for the distance that the division travelled . After landing , they traversed over inland and along the coast . In doing so the 6th Division captured . Over 9 , 000 Japanese were killed and 264 captured . Against this the division suffered its highest casualties of the war , losing 442 killed , 1 , 141 wounded and over 16 , 000 men being hospitalised with sickness . Disbandment . On 13 September , the division took the formal surrender of the XVII Army ' s commander , Lieutenant General Hatazō Adachi , at Cape Wom airstrip . After this , the division remained in New Guinea as its constituent units were slowly demobilised . As transport shortages delayed the process , the division was employed on garrison duties and aiding war crimes investigations . Finally , by November 1945 , most of the 6th Division ' s units had returned to Australia and the division was formally disbanded ; the majority of the division ' s infantry battalions were disbanded shortly afterwards in the early months of 1946 . During its six year existence , a total of about 40 , 000 men served in the division ' s ranks . Of these , 1 , 763 were killed in action or died , a further 3 , 978 were wounded and a total of 5 , 153 men became prisoners of war . Structure . The 6th Division ' s structure changed considerably during its existence with units being detached or attached to meet operational needs . This was particularly so during early 1942 and late 1943 . Below is a divisional order of battle that is indicative of its generic make up . In addition to those listed , during 1942 – 43 , the 14th , 21st , 25th and 30th Brigades were also attached , albeit temporarily for varying periods . Commanders . The following officers served as divisional commander :