History
On 2 February 1916, after the AIF had withdrawn from Gallipoli and was being reorganised in Egypt, the Australian Government agreed to form a third Division. Assembly began in March 1916 and the Division began to arrive in England in July 1916. After intensive training it crossed to France in December 1916 and thereafter fought in many of the major actions of the war. The 3rd Australian Division was initially under the command of then Major General John Monash, who went on to command the Australian Corps and who is generally regarded as amongst the finest military commanders of the war. He was succeeded on 31 May 1918 by Major General John Gellibrand:
1917
- The Battle of Messines (7-10 June)
- The Third Battles of Ypres
– The Battle of Broodseinde (4 Oct)
– The First Battle of Passchendaele (12 Oct)
1918
Australian Divisions were not affected by the restructuring that took place in the British Divisions in February 1918 (in which the infantry brigades were reduced from four battalions down to three).
- The First Battles of the Somme, 1918
– The Battle of the Avre (4 April) (9th Australian Brigade)
– The capture of Hamel (4 July) (11th Australian Brigade) - The Battle of Amiens (8-11 Aug)
- The Second Battles of the Somme 1918
– The Battle of Albert (21-23 Aug)
– The Second Battle of Bapaume (31 Aug – 3 Sept) - The Battles of the Hindenburg Line
– The Battle of the St Quentin Canal (29 Sep – 2 Oct)
The Division was not selected to advance into Germany.
Demobilisation commenced in early 1919 and by May 1919 the last troops of the Division had departed for home.
Order of battle
Divisional headquarters
Headquarters, under whose command came the Infantry Brigades and the other divisional troops listed below
9th Australian Brigade
33rd Australian Infantry
34th Australian Infantry
35th Australian Infantry
36th Australian Infantry
9th Australian Machine Gun Company. Left to move into 3rd Australian MG Battalion February 1918
9th Australian Trench Mortar Battery
10th Australian Brigade
37th Australian Infantry
38th Australian Infantry
39th Australian Infantry
40th Australian Infantry
10th Australian Machine Gun Company. Left to move into 3rd Australian MG Battalion February 1918
10th Australian Trench Mortar Battery
11th Australian Brigade
41st Australian Infantry
42nd Australian Infantry
43rd Australian Infantry
44th Australian Infantry
11th Australian Machine Gun Company. Left to move into 3rd Australian MG Battalion February 1918
11th Australian Trench Mortar Battery
Divisional Troops
3rd Australian Pioneer Battalion
207th Machine Gun Company. A British unit. Joined October 1916, left October 1917.
23rd Australian Machine Gun Company. Joined February 1917. Merged into 3rd Australian MG Battalion February 1918
3rd Australian Machine Gun Battalion. Formed in February 1918 by merging the 9th, 10th, 11th and 23rd Australian Machine Gun Companies
3rd Australian Divisional Train. A unit of the Army Service Corps made up of 867, 868, 869 and 870 Companies ASC
3rd Australian Mobile Veterinary Section
3rd Australian Divisional Employment Company. Joined January 1917
Divisional Mounted Troops
3rd Australian Cyclist Company. Left July 1916
Divisional Royal Artillery
7th Australian Brigade RFA
8th Australian Brigade RFA
9th Australian Brigade RFA. Broken up in January 1917
23rd Australian (Howitzer) Brigade RFA. Absorbed into other units in January 1917
3rd Australian Divisional Ammunition Column RFA
V.3.A Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA. Formed in August 1916, left February 1918
X.3.A, Y.3.A and Z.3.A Medium Mortar Batteries RFA. Formed in August 1916; in February 1918, Z was broken up and the other batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each
Divisional Royal Engineers
9th Australian Field Company RE
10th Australian Field Company RE
11th Australian Field Company RE
3rd Australian Divisional Signal Company RE
Divisional Royal Army Medical Corps
9th Australian Field Ambulance RAMC
10th Australian Field Ambulance RAMC
11th Australian Field Ambulance RAMC
Divisional memorial

Links
National Archives of Australia
Australians on the Western Front