14th Brigade ( Australia ) The 14th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army . Originally raised for service during World War I , the brigade was assigned to the 5th Division and served on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918 before being disbanded . It was later re - raised as part of the Australia ' s part - time military forces during the inter war years . During World War II it was a Militia formation and it took part briefly in the New Guinea campaign before being disbanded in mid - 1943 . History . Raised in mid - 1916 in Egypt as part of the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force ( AIF ) after the Gallipoli Campaign , the brigade was formed from a cadre of experienced personnel drawn from the 1st Brigade , reinforced by new recruits from Australia . With a strength of around 4 , 000 men organised into four infantry battalion s – the 53rd , 54th , 55th and 56th Battalions – the brigade was assigned to the 5th Division . The brigade also later raised the 14th Australian Machine Gun Company and the 14th Australian Trench Mortar Battery , although the machine - gunners were later removed from the brigade and formed into the Australian 5th Machine Gun Battalion in February 1918 . After a short period of training in the desert , the brigade was transferred to Europe along with the rest of the 5th Division , which had the distinction of being the first Australian division committed to the fighting on the Western Front when it took part in the Battle of Fromelles in July . Conceived as a diversion to the Somme , the battle proved disastrous for the Australians and due to the heavy casualties the division suffered , it was later described as " the worst 24 hours in Australia ' s entire history " . For the next two years , the brigade took part in several major operations including the advance to the Hindenburg Line in 1917 , the Battle of Bullecourt , the Third Battle of Ypres , the Battle of Hamel , the Battle of Amiens , and the Battle of St . Quentin Canal . For most of its duration on the Western Front , the brigade was commanded by Brigadier General Clarence John Hobkirk , a British officer originally from the Essex Regiment . After the cessation of hostilities , the brigade was disbanded in 1919 . It was re - raised again in 1921 as Australia ' s part - time military , the Citizens Force ( later renamed the Militia ) was reorganised to perpetuate the designations of the AIF units . At this time , the 14th Brigade consisted of four battalions – the 3rd , 53rd , 55th , and 56th – and was headquartered at Marrickville , New South Wales . From 1933 , Colonel Arthur Allan commanded the brigade , remaining in command until after the outbreak of World War II . In September 1939 the brigade had a strength of around 3 , 500 men and consisted of the 3rd , 34th and 55th / 53rd Battalions and was assigned to the 2nd Division . Only one of the these units saw active service while under its command . This was the 55th Battalion , which was briefly delinked from the 53rd in October 1941 ( with the 53rd being assigned to the 30th Brigade ) and subsequently served in New Guinea from May to October 1942 , undertaking garrison duties around Port Moresby and Milne Bay before carrying out patrols along the Goldie River Valley throughout September . In October 1942 they were amalgamated once again with the 53rd and together they were assigned to first the 30th Brigade for the remainder of their early service in New Guinea . In early 1943 this battalion was returned to Australia and from January to April 1943 they were reassigned to the 14th Brigade , however , in April 1943 they were assigned to the 11th Brigade with whom they remained for the rest of the war . Other units that were assigned to the brigade around this time were the 36th Battalion ( 8 April 1941 – 14 December 1942 and then again 3 January 1943 – 24 April 1943 ) , which replaced the 34th ; the 49th Battalion ( 11 – 21 August 1942 ) , and the 39th Battalion ( 18 – 27 September 1942 ) . Its divisional assignments were changed a number of times after the outbreak of the war as it was moved from the 2nd Division to New Guinea Force in May 1942 , the 7th Division in September 1942 , the 11th Division in February 1943 and then finally to the 4th Division in March 1943 . The 14th Brigade was eventually disbanded on 24 April 1943 , as manpower shortages required the Australian Army to merge or disband a number of Militia formations to reallocate resources elsewhere . Upon disbandment , the brigade consisted of two battalions , the 55th / 53rd and the 36th . Its final commander was Brigadier Ian Fullarton .