19th Battalion (Australia)

19th Battalion 19th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment
A patrol from the 19th Battalion around the Waitavalo Plantation, on New Britain, March 1945
Active	1860–1930 1941–1945 1966–1971
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~800–1,000 men[Note 1]
Part of	5th Brigade 9th Brigade 6th Brigade
Motto(s)	Fortiter et Fideliter (Boldly and Faithfully)
Colours	Brown over green
Engagements	World War I Gallipoli campaign Western Front World War II New Guinea campaign New Britain campaign
Insignia
Unit colour patch

The 19th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Although the unit's numerical designation was bestowed upon it during World War I, the unit can trace its origins back to 1860 when a Volunteer Rifle corps was raised in South Sydney. During World War I, the 19th Battalion was raised as a unit of the Australian Imperial Force, attached to the 5th Brigade, of the 2nd Division. The unit was formed in 1915 and was first sent to Gallipoli where it fought against the Turks, before being withdrawn from the peninsula and being sent to France in early 1916, where it served in the trenches along the Western Front. Over the next two years the battalion fought in many major battles and won numerous battle honours. In April 1918, it took part in defending against the German Spring Offensive, before the Allies launched their own last-ditch effort as part of the Hundred Days Offensive. The battalion was disbanded in October 1918 due to manpower shortages in the AIF and most of its men were sent to reinforce the other three battalions of the 5th Brigade.

In 1921, the 19th Battalion was reformed as part of the Citizens Forces (later the "Militia"), becoming known as the 19th Battalion (The South Sydney Regiment). From 1930 the battalion was linked with the 1st Battalion to form the 1st/19th Battalion (City of Sydney's Own Regiment), before being linked with the 20th Battalion. During World War II the battalion initially served in the defence of Darwin before being delinked from the 20th Battalion in 1941 and deployed in New Guinea and New Britain. In 1945, the battalion was disbanded and was not reformed until 1966 when it was re-raised as part of the Citizens Military Force, serving as a special conditions battalion known as the 19th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment. The battalion would maintain a similar role until 1995, although in 1971 it would be amalgamated with the 1st Battalion once more to form the 1st/19th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment.

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