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The 33rd Battalion was formed in January 1916 at a camp established at the Armidale Showground in New South Wales. The bulk of the battalion's recruits were drawn from the New England region and thus dubbed "New England's Own". The battalion's first, and only commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Morshead, who became famous as the commanding officer of the 9th Australian Division during the Second World War.
The composition of the 33rd Infantry Battalion was on a district basis. "A Company" was from Armidale and Tamworth, "B Company" was from Walcha, Uralla, Barrabra, Bingara and Manilla. "C Company" was from Narrabri, Moree and Inverell. and "D Company was from Glen Innes, Guyra and Tenterfield.
The 33rd Battalion became a part of the 9th Brigade of the 3rd Australian Division. The Battalion left Sydney on the 4th May 1916 bound for the United Kingdom aboard the H.M.A.T. A47 "Marathon". Arriving in England in early July, the Battalion spent the next four months in training. It crossed into France in late November, and moved into the trenches of the Western Front for the first time on the 27th of November, just in time for the onset of the terrible winter of 1916-17.
The Battalion had to wait until the emphasis of British and Dominion operations switched to the Ypres Section of Belgium in mid-1917 to take part in its first major battle; this was the battle of Messines, launched on the 7th June. The battalion held the ground captured during the battle for several days afterwards and was subjected to intense artillery bombardment. One soldier wrote that holding the lone at Messines was far worse than taking it. The battalion's next major battle was around Passchendale on the 12th October. The battlefield, though, had been deluged with rain, and mud tugged the advancing troops and fouled their weapons. The battle ended in a disastrous defeat.
For the next five months the 33rd alternated between periods of rest, training, labouring, and service in the line. When the German Army launched its last great offensive in the spring of 1918 , the battalion was part of the force deployed to defend the approaches to Amiens around Villers-Brentonneux. It took part in a counter-attack at Hangard Wood on the 30th March, and helped to defeat a major drive on Villers-Bretonneux on the 4th April. Later in 1918, the 33rd also played a role in the Allies own offensive. It took part in the battle of Amiens on the 8th August, the rapid advance that followed, and in the operation that breached the Hindenburg Line at the end of September, thus sealing Germany's defeat. The 33rd Battalion disbanded in March 1919.
(Extracts from the Australian War Memorial. The Kurrajongs; 2007. Ian Small)
33rd Battalion departed Sydney 4th May 1916-HMAT A74 Marathon.
1st Reinforcements departed Sydney 4th May 1916-HMAT A74 Marathon.
2nd Reinforcements departed Sydney 4th September 1916-HMAT A15 Port Sydney.
3rd Reinforcements departed Sydney 24th August 1916-HMAT A68 Anchises.
4th Reinforcements departed Sydney 17th October 1916-HMAT A30 Borda.
5th Reinforcements departed Sydney 17th November 1916-SS Port Napier.
6th Reinforcements departed Sydney 25th November 1916-HMAT A72 Beltana.
7th Reinforcements departed Sydney 24th January 1917-HMAT A68 Anchises.
8th Reinforcements departed Sydney 16th July 1917-HMAT A16 Port Melbourne.
Messiness 1917-Ypres 1917-Polygon Wood-Broodseinde-Poelcappelle-Passchendaele-Somme 1918
Ancre 1918-Amiens-Albert 1918-Mont St Quentin-Hindenburg Line-St Quentin Canal-France and Flanders 1916-1918
Casualties.451 killed, 2052 wounded(including gassed)
Lieutenant Colonel: William Huggett DOUGLAS.VD
Lieutenant Colonel: Leslie James MORSHEAD. CMG,DSO. 04/06/1916-30/04/1918. WW2 Lieutenant Gerneral Sir Leslie Morshead.
Lieutenant Colonel: Harold Fletcher WHITE. CMG, DSO. 30/04/1918-16/06/1918
Lance Corporal. 1804 John CARROL ,V.C.
Private 726 George CARTWRIGHT V.C.
Lieutenant Colonel: Robert John Allwright MASSIE. DSO.
Lieutenant Colonel. Leslie James MORSHEAD. CMG,DSO. WW2 Lieutenant Gerneral Sir Leslie Morshead.
Lieutenant Colonel. Harold Fletcher WHITE. CMG, DSO.
Major: Cedric Errol Meyer BRODZIAK. D.S.O.
Major William John Clare DUNCAN. DSO & Bar MC & Bar
Lieutenant: 716 Francis Joseph BURKE. D.S.O.
Major William John Clare DUNCAN. DSO & Bar MC & Bar
Major: Melrose Holtam MAILER. M.C.
Major: Robert Austin GOLDRICK. M.C.
Captain: 1376 William James GORDON. M.C.
Captain: Leslie Charles Burrett SMITH. M.C.
Captain: William Johnstone BINNS. M.C. (Regimental Medical Officer)
Lieutenant: 1470 Leslie Roy BELL. M.C.
Lieutenant: Richard Henry BLOMFIELD. M.C.
Lieutenant: 13036 Kenneth John CAMPBELL. M.C.
Lieutenant: William Thomas EWING. M.C.
Lieutenant: 417 Leslie George FAINT. MC
Lieutenant. Alfred Gordon FARLEIGH. M.C.
Lieutenant: 2559 Robert Horner FLETCHER. M.C.
Lieutenant: 3072 Frank Albert HUTCHINS. MC
Lieutenant: 800 Rupert Charles JONES. M.C.
Lieutenant: 916 "Bert" Robert Cecil KING. M.C.
Lieutenant: 806 Henry KITCHENER. M.C.
Lieutenant: 918 William Douglas McKENZIE. M.C.
Lieutenant. 1205 William Alexander McLEAN. M.C.
Regimental Sergeant Major: 2111 Francis McGRAW. M.C.
Lieutenant: George Edgar BARR. DCM.
Lieutenant: 389 Clive Stanley CROWLEY. DCM (B coy. DOW. DOB 02/08/1890
Lieutenant. 967 Louis John MATHIAS. D.C.M. & Bar. M.M.
Company Sergeant Major: 1510 George Andrew WERNER. + D.C.M.
Scout Sergeant: 867 Harry SHATWELL. D.C.M.
Sargeant: 1791A Frederick Clarence AYLING. D.C.M. 10.01.1920
Sergeant: 1193 Archibald McLEAN. D.C.M. MM 10/01/1920
Sergeant: 853 Joseph Harold PAYTEN. D.C.M.
Sergeant: 536 Thomas William ROURKE. D.C.M.
Sergeant: 2384 Eric George SHELDON @ SCHMUTTER. D.C.M.
Corporal: 1254 Godfrey Edward SEE. DCM
Temporary Corporal: 1244 James SPENCE. D.C.M.
Lance Corporal: 1803 Thomas COX. D.C.M.
Lance Corporal: 219 Theodore SMITH. D.C.M.
Private: 1803 Thomas COX. DCM 2/33
Private: 792 William Allan IRWIN. D.C.M.
Private: 3082 John JENSEN. D.C.M. M.M.
Private: 866 George Frederick SEAGROTT. D.C.M.
Lieutenant: 1405 George Moffatt CARSON. M.M.
Lieutenant. 967 Louis John MATHIAS. D.C.M. & Bar. 21/10/1918, 05/12/1918. M.M.
2nd Lieutenant: W.D. GIBBS. M.M.
Company Sergeant Major: 484a Ernest Shadrack KEY. M.M
Staff Sergeant: 1880 John Kershaw McLAUGHTON. M.M.
Sergeant: 1425 Cyril Russell EATON. M.M.
Sergeant: 457 Sydney Wakefield GREGG. M.M.
Sergeant: 99 George JARRETT. M.M
Sergeant: 811 Clarence James LLOYD. M.M.
Sergeant: 1193 Archibald McLEAN. D.C.M. M.M
Sergeant: 517 Horace Smith MACLEAN. M.M.
Sergeant: 1417 John McDONALD. M.M.
Sergeant: 1885 Harold George McLENNAN. M.M.
Sergeant: 133 David Herbert MOORE. M.M.
Sergeant: 985 Clement Fairfax MORRISBY. + M.M.
Sergeant: 521 Walter Vivian PARTRIDGE. M.M.
Sergeant: 1264 George Leslie TARR. M.M.
Sergeant: 1285 Augustus Frabcis WHITE. M.M.
Sergeant: 216 Archibald YOUNG. M.M.
Lance Sergeant: 1835 David GUNN. M.M.
Lance Sergeant: 2000 Richard Charles MAY. M.M.
Corporal: 1620 Allan W BRECHT. M.M
Corporal: 752 William Charles DELANEY. + M.M.
Corporal: 1432 William John FINNEY. M.M.
Corporal: 5011A Christopher Edward FOWLER. M.M.
Corporal: 1121 Norman Lawrence FRAUNFELDER. M.M.
Corporal: 479 William Robert JAMEISON. M.M. Bar (shot down plane, Gressaire)
Corporal: 1235 R.L. SWADLING. M.M.
Corporal: 2140 Frederick Arthur THURSTON. M.M and 2 BAR.
Lance Corporal: 365 William Douglas BOOTH. M.M.
Lance Corporal: 3286 Ernest Charles COWELL. M.M.
Lance Corporal: 5011A Christopher Edward FOWLER. M.M.
Lance Corporal: 2073 Claude Henry HOWARD. M.M.
Lance Corporal: 1410 Lindsay IRVING M.M. 1 of 19 through the war.
Lance Corporal: 1953 Thomas RICHARDSON. M.M.
Lance Corporal: 879 George SUTHERLAND. M.M.
Lance Corporal: 896 Malcolm John WALLIS. M.M.
Private: 1343 Archibald walter ADDISON. M.M.
Private: 2067a Parcival Charles AVERY. M.M.
Private: 718 Arthur BYRNE. M.M.
Private: 1100 Arthur CARPENTER. M.M.
Private: 2823 Robert CASEY. M.M.
Private: 396 Lawrence Joseph CLIFTON. M.M.
Private: 2296 Henry CLARKE. M.M.
Private: 94 Alfred Ernest HOGNO. M.M.
Private: 3082 John JENSEN. D.C.M. M.M.
Private: 2210 Joseph Richard KELLY. M.M.
Private: 111 William John LOBSEY. M.M.
Private: 1671 Thomas LOWREY. M.M.
Private: 970 Donald Cranston MURRAY. M.M.
Private: 546 Edward James REILLY. M.M.
Private: 2638 George Henry SEDDON. M.M.
Private: 2133 John Edward SNAPE. M.M.
Private: 548 William Clifford SPENCER. M.M.
Company Quartermaster Sergeant: 792 Thomas Wiseman HIGGINS. M.S.M.
Sergeant: 1404 William Athol BLAIR. M.S.M.
Acting Lance Sergeant: 220 Alexander William KEITH. M.S.M.
Corporal: 1070 Sidney John BUTT. M.S.M.
Corporal: 1181 Walter Maurice LYONS. M.S.M.
Corporal: 1629 Horace Bowen MORRIS. M.S.M.
Corporal: 155 Ernest Eric RALSTON. M.S.M.
Lance Corporal: 544 Lionel Eric RANDALL. M.S.M.
Private: 1433 William Edward HOBDAY. M.S.M.
Private: 810 Ernest Parkes LLOYD. M.S.M.
Lieutenant Colonel: Robert John Allwright MASSIE. D.S.O.
Lieutenant Colonel. Leslie James MORSHEAD. C.M.G. D.S.O.
Lieutenant Colonel. Harold Fletcher WHITE. C.M.G. D.S.O.
Major: Cedric Errol Meyer BRODZIAK. D.S.O.
Major: Walter John Clare DUNCAN. D.S.O. M.C.
Captain: William James GORDON. M.C.
Lieutenant: 716 Francis Joseph BOURKE. D.S.O.
Lieutenant: 981 Irving Cadell DIGHT.
Lieutenant. Alfred Gordon FARLEIGH. M.C.
Lieutenant: 1408 John GARRETT.
Lieutenant: 8418 Ernest John HARMAN.
Lieutenant: 916 Robert Cecil KING. M.C.
Lieutenant: 129 Walter Gilligan MASON.
2nd Lieutenant: 1482 George LIND-TAYLOR.
Company Quarter Master Sergeant: 352 Robert BROWNLIE.
Company Quarter Master Sergeant: 1125 Robert FAKES.
Company Quarter Master Sergeant: 504 Herbert George McCROSSIN.
Sergeant: 2047 Thomas Edward DAVIS.
Acting Lance Sergeant: 220 Alexander William KEITH. M.S.M.
Private: Norman Stanley Lloyd.
Private. 968 Claude Edward MOORE.
Lieutenant Colonel. Leslie James MORSHEAD. C.M.G .-D.S.O.
Corporal: 238 David FAIR
Driver: 63 James Francis ELLIS
Lieutenant Colonel. Harold Fletcher WHITE. CMG, DSO.
114 Men known as the Kurrajong's lined up against the Drill Hall in Inverell prior to marching to the railway station on the 12th of January 1916. The men all wore a white panama hat and were issued a pair of hand knitted sox and the Inverell Recruitment Medal.
Note: 33rd Battalion Colour Patch on Corporal in foreground. (Eggs-a-Cook)
(Photos: Never a Backward Step. History of the 33rd Battalion AIF.)
Dinner Menu. Private: 3379 Henry Burleigh SAYWELL.
Updated 09/07/2011.
