6th Battalion (Australia)

For other uses, see 2/6th Battalion (Australia) and 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

6th Battalion
Soldiers wearing helmets and carrying weapons sit in a trench
Members of the 6th Battalion in August 1918 near Lihons during the Battle of Amiens
Active1914–1919
1921–1944
1948–1960
1965–1975
CountryAustralia
BranchAustralian Army
TypeInfantry
RoleLine infantry
Size~700–1,000 personnel[a]
Part ofAustralian 2nd Brigade
Motto(s)Semper Paratus (Always Ready)
ColoursPurple over red
MarchWaltzing Matilda
EngagementsFirst World War
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Gordon Bennett (1915–1916)[3]
Thomas White (1926–1931)[4]
Insignia
Unit colour patchA two toned rectangular image

The 6th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally formed in 1914 for service during the First World War, the battalion fought at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. The battalion was disbanded in 1919 but was re-raised in 1921 as part of the Citizens Force, and adopted the title of "Royal Melbourne Regiment" in 1935. The battalion did not serve overseas during the Second World War and was eventually disbanded in 1944. It was re-raised in 1948 and remained in existence until 1960 when it was absorbed into the Royal Victoria Regiment. Today its honours and traditions are maintained by the 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment.

  1. ^ Kuring 2004, p. 47.
  2. ^ Austin 1993, p. 213.
  3. ^ "NX70343 (N76069) Lieutenant General Henry Gordon Bennett, CB, CMG, DSO, VD". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  4. ^ Rickard, John (2002). "White, Sir Thomas Walter (1888–1957)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 8 June 2019.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).