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[VETERAN NINTH I DIVISION| Long Service in I Desert] By Our Defence Correspondent( The 9th Australian Division.1 which has been congratulated ;at a formal review by the C.-lr.-C. In the Middle Fast, G*n«ra! i Sir Harold Alexander, for i* s \ break-through at Alameln is | the division which held mas of the Tobruk perimeter during the j greater pprt of the siegeThe division had its uric n In th-i hotch-pot-h coliedi '-n of Australian units which were cn their way : Egypt when France fell in 1940, ar,1 were diverted lo England to lend * hand in repelling the cxj.cs* »d Orman Invasion In it were three fentry battalions. 9th. - lOrh jr.a2 12th. which were originally ir.Lnd«,1 to be part of thr 6!h Division b-fo:.* the 6'V. Division was rtreendln* d orf reduced Irvin i2 lwl'-aliotu to rm . These formed the 18th Brigade unc*r Brigadier MorsheadThere were also a collect Inn -'f nrtlllrry ault;1 technical units ar.ri rl*--2 ' 1 ?t Muchlnc'-Run Battalion S me of the unit* were without equipm-::•. General Wynier. who war. elt; rn tnm-mar.rl of this force- Aiiet'aiforcr !:* named It- formed a second wfaniry brigade. the ‘’.'th. by con vert in;: t. rlv-v.lcal tr ».v, into Infantry, and :rr-i;riv’l.*'vl a staff by eolle-Mirit: som*' i fllcera from Australia Hos e ;n London others from utr np thr ’i.....This was the be-.inriljt-: •«' the ht‘-itory ot the most rcr.ucem’v re *rg?.n-J ne1 formation ir this Alb oi i -, lac I| After itfcc months In England e!th-r Ion Salisbury Plain or at c*'i!eh.vlt;'**r. \ Australfovce sailed to the MiriCb I' » to lem the m-t of the A 1 K By t!u* , time It not there th- «:h Divisor. r mine Into action in Lib* a and *;:«. * til had liuit arrive 1 finm A . f-a! But moit of the tmtw of t‘* • :|scml-couipped Austmiforre. cppcciahy lih*’ Iflih Brigade. had '. id '.nnijiT I training than the 7th Division, and I the plan was rancc'v i of ext! ••.v.-v: (most of the battalions and regiment* of ihe Aitralforce \ ith on c-im.l number -.f battalions and r'jirr.'nte f the relnir'ely raw 7th Division WORST EQITPPEDTbua. when the Dtp Divt-ion r, v so named «M r. :w comma: 1 - v General M-'rchead. was tent to B- --aharl In March, 1911 to garr.i newly conquered Cyrer.au ?. |r - .• ror.'ldered the least trained and w s certainly the worst equhved Infan: y d.v!:.ion in the Middle I.i.Boture It had even completed j*-aaaambly In the Benghaai area u ha t i... meet he first att.ock Germs n tro 'ever mad' on Australians; in h.s w.lt;-—for at this time 'he tried Clii Division was stiiJ awaiting tnr r.;r. t offensive in Greece. When th« C.i?:-man-I'sllan force attacked in Mart. 1941 flfh Division had oniv fo ;r r-nead of nine batfaUon*. round Bet chaTt: It htd no field nrtlHerv e i nf it* own. and was la: kmc iu •-tiort.The **n h Brigade which Inch dcd the two New South Wales ba.»atli• of the mviaion. namely tie ? !3‘U and l* 171-'. were ilt;ic only tufanrv who weie forward of the E.r Rclt;?im i To. ia cs'jrpmeiit overlrxikirix i.e fl:. cr intry nor.h nf Ber.ji'.*.. Plans had been m.ide for brigade to take up e. poaitton vn v e *1 Asneila Uowlcnecic *iie T?«rv-' made a aland this month, bu: : • Germans moved flist.By the end of the !0 dav, be.'dnmn* on April 4 the ra* ln'utnpir^. u equipped diviai .n bad foryhr :• jfusrd acii..n ajpiln a p*«n.icr i-. ■* n: E!r Fr^imt near Ben?bs •; had to» • withdrawn 3lt;W mllea to Tob-u «■ * had held Tobruk agatnst « dr crrn e clack: bv a lt;5erm*n unX far -General i-nvaratk was at Tobruk r, • wxa in (Uinintid in flvrcn. lt;a wiiro the stand ot rmtuk wart orlt;iere«t | On April 14. General M ■ hc;nl ’ ■ over command ai lobrua. cun Mu? his own civ l»: vn. j-i ;n« 25 m Brigade, frj.-n th- 7th Di-.tsi*»n « •* oine 16.''A Bn tub troo'n w:.o »«'•' there. There w.-r.- few r s. ,v Sou'tt Walr; unit- in the 9th Dr.'.on -tn a v of the oi!«-r 'hree Avr-'1 -dlvL’l «iw. Colonel Burrows • ' !'« i Battalion which ha I fouttnt .:‘.e • -Buara acUon a' F.r Kc^inia was t rv New S' t» W.vtcs. an*1 *’v Crawford'a ? !7ih wh-h N thr c G-rni-n tank at:irk at TobrK rl -0 ii«r att:»!lf-:'i were ft u ' ' r tl; A tr Queer. TV.Western AustraliaACTION RECORDIn a tr .nth ot two. in*- n pro’- -1 till mcompleir 91 h Di'b .i • IfI-cl to claim that It 1* ■ 2 i - n ! n-.r in ad is than r . ’ seni.u uivi i1 be* proud, itinerant h-1- anti i r Mv»n nny Infantri dl1 is'-'ii h:Brill; h Emplr- r.'-dsv i rm - - -V*t;jv still mtK* lb» tt «'fl'Oi ?h there ar« F.ittsh .I’tn - cJ Ir»:riha* In* e t- • 1 i * ' ’■Wb.cn other flthfuiy form-'ion f •he A I F r-lurr.- ;■ 1 Au. :..h.‘ .7fh Divmion renvilrtf'' f 1 lt;*::•••* md wiu there n he’p in .v r.-»h* Oern:an drive which w . i at 'he Nl’c Delt - i* *'! »n ••-ml men • ho sT'-ed ot 1 ... ifnew m the f n'»h-» * P r ’CKnc-al Mor-liend nm n - • -th-'** fi' t I'la y«n ..... hr -rome '.Bl'vra and m* n i 0 I.•|. i huvc returnc M ot “Raui of Tobruk. how “r Mr*- •’•n the Middle Ew •*•.•!c’.ncrni Morshcad wh « lt;fh*.- c r • nt'nocr dijrintj fh- ll’il *'Cie?«-ra! P'tcb'e*. dr ■■tu *: w ntl Plv n P K*' n th A - ’ Ir.'nt sue*fhc* '.vb'T. '.... . rfr.lt;;. - mi* five-ba :*.- •ank a an •htevcwent hf -| • ■he Ofh IWviimn will |.mk ' ••no pr Udb. then ujv n the •«if Trbnik. For fi*e *'in ?’»• cpun'-r-1‘tc-jc'1 in-* r^'' '*\ enemy Infantry end rn'-.j - hole of :i:e enemy's pan's* * I »n*e thr n.eUi mv.r- of his h-,i •. medltini orUllery waa concenir ' -i« iin.f this dividon The ........through we - only made possible c * ; Homeric fi.eht over your dlvlst -rector wrote General Rltrhle w the hatf’e we* a in
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Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney, New South Wales, AU

Mon, Dec 28, 1942

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