14th Battalion

14th Battalion

Shoulder Patch

14th Battalion signaller in trench 1917. AWM photo P00308.001

Brief History

Originally raised in Melbourne in September 1914 as part of the Australian Imperial Force for service in World War I. It embarked for Egypt in December 1914 and was part of the 4th Brigade, assigned to the New Zealand and Australian Division. The battalion landed at Gallipoli on the afternoon of 25 Apr 1915. For the next three months they undertook defensive operations as the beachhead was established before being committed to the August Offensive during which they were involved in attacks upon Hill 971 and Hill 60. Following the exploits of Albert Jakka in winning the VC, it became known as 'Jacka's Mob"

Returning to Egypt after the withdrawal from Gallipoli the battalion contributed experienced soldiers to the newly formed 46th Battalion, before being reassigned to the 4th Division.

Following their arrival in France in July, the 14th Battalion's first major engagement came in August 1916 when they were committed to the fighting around at Pozières. Over the course of next two and a half years, it was involved in a number of other battles. During April 1917, it took part in the fighting around Bullecourt. In early 1918, they undertook a defensive role, helping to turn back the German Spring Offensive before taking part in the Allied Hundred Days Offensive, which was launched around Amiens on 8 August 1918.

At Amiens, the battalion advanced in the centre of the brigade along the Hamel–Cerisy road amid a blanket of fog, and seized the village of Morcourt in the second phase of the attack along the Australian front. Its final engagement came in late September and early the following month, the units of the Australian Corps were withdrawn from the line and were subsequently in the rear when the Armistice occurred on 11 November 1918.

Following the Armistice in November 1918, the battalion began to return to Australia for demobilisation. Total casualties suffered by the battalion during the war included 915 killed and 2,229 wounded.

Battalion Personnel

• Thomas Carberry MM MID 15 May 1917 - 31 Jan 1918

Battle Honours

• Landing at ANZAC
• Defence at ANZAC
• Suvla
• Somme 1916-18
• Poziéres
• Bullecourt
• Messines 1917
• Ypres 1917
• Menin Road
• Polygon Wood
• Passchendaele
• Arras 1918
• Ancre 1918
• Hamel
• Amiens
• Albert 1918
• Hindenburg Line
• Epehy.

Individual Honours

• 1 Victoria Cross (Captain Albert Jacka)
• 1 Companion of the Order of the Bath
• 6 Distinguished Service Orders
• 2 Officer of the Order of the British Empire
• 25 Distinguished Conduct Medals
• 35 Military Crosses
• 143 Military Medals - (Thomas Carberry MM MID)
• 1 British Empire Medal
• 7 Meritorious Service Medals
• 47 Mentions in Despatches, and -(Thomas Carberry MM MID)
• 7 foreign awards

Notes

Content for the history and honours sections has come from a combination of Wikipedia and the Australian War Memorial websites.

For further detail on this battalion's role during the war , see:

• The History of the Forteenth Battalion AIF by Newton Walsh - IWM facsimilie
• Jacka's Mob - a narrative of the Great War by Edgar John Rule