40th Battalion ( Australia ) The 40th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army . Raised in 1916 as part of the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War , the battalion was recruited completely from Tasmania as part of the 10th Brigade , 3rd Division . During the war the battalion served in the trenches along the Western Front and had the distinction of having two of its members awarded the Victoria Cross . The battalion was disbanded in 1919 , however was re - raised in 1921 as part of the Citizens Force , serving as a part - time unit in Tasmania throughout the inter - war years . During the Second World War , the 40th remained in Australia until it was amalgamated with the 12th Battalion . It was disbanded in 1946 , but was later re - raised in the 1950s before being subsumed into the Royal Tasmania Regiment in 1960 . In 1987 , it was merged into the 12th / 40th Battalion , Royal Tasmania Regiment . History . First World War . The 40th Battalion was formed in Tasmania in early 1916 as part of an expansion of the Australian Imperial Force ( AIF ) that took place after the Gallipoli campaign . Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Lord , the battalion was assigned to the 10th Brigade along with the 37th , 38th and 39th Battalions , and formed part of the 3rd Division , which was formed in Australia before being dispatched to Europe to join the other four divisions that had been transferred from Egypt . Initially it had been planned to only raise two companies in Tasmania , and two in Victoria , but it was later determined that all four companies would be provided by Tasmania due to the public relations value it would have . After a period of training at Claremont , Tasmania , the battalion embarked aboard HMAT " Berrima " on 1 July 1916 from Hobart , arriving in England on the 22 August , where it encamped at Lark Hill for training . Upon arrival on Salisbury Plain , about 200 men were transferred from the 40th Battalion as reinforcements for Australian units that were already in France ; these losses were subsequently made up by a batch of reinforcements from South Australia . A period of intense training followed as the battalion was prepared for trench warfare on the Western Front . Finally , in November 1916 the 3rd Division , including the 40th Battalion , was transferred to France . With an authorised strength of 1 , 023 men , the 40th Battalion arrived at the front in December , but its first major battle did not come until June 1917 when it fought in the Battle of Messines . The introduction to war proved costly , with the battalion losing over 350 men killed or wounded . Its next major effort came four months later during the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge on 4 October , where one of the battalion ' s soldiers , Sergeant Lewis McGee of ' B ' Company , performed the deeds for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross . As McGee ' s platoon advanced , it began taking heavy machine gun fire from a German pillbox . Alone , McGee ran over open ground and , with only his service revolver , he killed the machine - gun ' s crew and captured the remainder of the pillbox ' s garrison . Later , he returned to his platoon and gathered a group of men to take another machine gun post ; the battalion was subsequently able to take its objective . A week later , the battalion took part in a follow - up attack as the Battle of Passchendaele continued . Advancing across muddy ground , the battalion came under machine gun fire from their front and flanks , and the attack ultimately failed due to the weather . Combined with their losses at Broodseinde Ridge , the 40th Battalion suffered 248 casualties during the fighting around Passchendaele , including McGee who was killed in action trying to silence a machine - gun post during the failed follow - up attack . In early 1918 , the Germans launched a major offensive on the Western Front after the collapse of Tsarist Russia allowed them to concentrate their forces in the west . In late March , as the Allies were pushed back towards the vital Amiens railhead and the situation became desperate , the 40th Battalion was hurried into a defensive position between the Ancre river and the Somme . The battalion subsequently fought during the Battle of the Somme , where they helped hold back the German offensive at Morlancourt . During a three - day battle , the battalion took heavy casualties , losing 225 men , but it struck a significant blow , advancing over and securing a vital position overlooking Amiens . A series of minor actions – dubbed " peaceful penetrations " – followed as the German advance was blunted . In August and September , after the Allies launched their own offensive , which ultimately ended the war , the battalion helped to drive the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line . Sergeant Percy Statton was awarded the Victoria Cross for actions near Proyart in mid - August , leading a small group of men forward to destroy four German positions that were holding up the Australians ' advance , before carrying out two wounded men , while under fire . The 40th Battalion ' s final action came on 29 September . The Australian Corps had suffered heavy casualties during 1918 , which they had been unable to replace as enlistments had fallen , and it was subsequently withdrawn from the line for reorganisation and rest in October at the insistence of Prime Minister Billy Hughes . It remained out of the line until the armistice in November . With the end of hostilities , the battalion was slowly demobilised and was disbanded in 1919 ; its last soldier returned to Australia in September that year . During the war , the battalion had suffered 475 killed and 1 , 714 wounded ( including gassed ) . Inter war years and subsequent service . In 1921 , after a review of Australia ' s military requirements , the decision was made to perpetuate the battle honour s and traditions of the AIF battalions that had served during World War I by reorganising the Citizens Force along AIF lines , with previously existing part - time units adopting the numerical designations of the AIF units that had been drawn from their traditional recruitment territories . In May 1921 , the battalion was reformed in Tasmania from the 2nd Battalion , 40th Infantry Regiment , which drew its lineage from the 93rd Infantry Regiment . Upon formation it was assigned to the 12th Brigade , within the 6th Military District . In 1927 , when territorial designations were introduced , the battalion adopted the title of the " Derwent Regiment " and the motto of " Pro Aris Et Focis " . In 1930 , the 40th Battalion was allied to the Prince of Wales ' Volunteers ( South Lancashire ) . Initially , the Citizen Forces was maintained through a mixture of voluntary and compulsory service ; however , in 1930 , the Universal Training Scheme was abolished by the Scullin Labor government and was replaced by a volunteer - only Militia . Despite the austerity of the 1930s that led to the disbandment or amalgamation of many units , the battalion remained in existence throughout the inter war years , undertaking weekend parades , training courses and annual camps , although opportunities remained limited due to a lack of funding and volunteers . During the Second World War , the 40th Battalion , with an authorised strength of between 800 and 900 , was mobilised for full time service in 1943 , but was not sent overseas to fight due to the provisions of the " Defence Act " . Nevertheless , under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bartley , it remained on the order of battle , as part of the 12th Brigade , variously assigned to the 4th and 12th Divisions , and undertook defensive duties until 2 May 1945 when it was amalgamated with the 12th Battalion to become the 12th / 40th Battalion , which was subsequently disbanded on 29 May 1946 . In 1953 , the 40th Battalion was reformed , adopting " Invercargil " as its regimental march , but in 1960 it was subsumed into the Royal Tasmania Regiment , forming ' B ' in the pentropically organised 1st Battalion , Royal Tasmania Regiment . In 1972 , the battalion was re - raised as the 40th Battalion , Royal Tasmania Regiment , but three years later it was reduced to an independent company . It was amalgamated once again with the 12th , itself an independent rifle company , in 1987 to form the 12th / 40th Battalion , Royal Tasmania Regiment , a battalion of the Australian Army Reserve . Alliances . The 40th Battalion held the following alliances : Battle honours . The 40th Battalion received the following battle honour s :