5th Brigade is a brigade of the Australian Army. Originally raised as a militia formation in 1912, the 5th Brigade was re-raised for overseas service in 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War. The brigade then served during the Gallipoli Campaign and on the Western Front. During the inter-war years, it was re-raised as a part-time formation as part of Citizens Military Force. It undertook garrison duties in Australia during the Second World War, but was not deployed overseas before being disbanded in 1944. Following the war, the brigade was re-raised in 1948 once again and it is currently a Reserve combined arms formation based in New South Wales and forms part of the 2nd Division.
5th Brigade at Picardie, France, 8 August 1918
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the Australian Military Forces. In 1980, however, the current name—Australian Army Reserve—was officially adopted, and it now consists of a number of components based around the level of commitment and training obligation that its members are required to meet.
Members of the militia in Tasmania, c. 1913
A six-inch gun at Fort Nepean in August 1914. This gun fired Australia's first shot of the war when the German merchant ship SS Pfalz attempted to escape from Port Philip Bay on 5 August 1914.
Soldiers of the CMF 56th Battalion in 1937
Militia soldiers of the 39th Battalion following their relief at Kokoda in September 1942