About This Unit
11 Infantry Battalion AMF/AIF
After World War 1, Australia perpetuated the structure and numeric designations of the WW1 AIF, and attempted to maintain the regional affiliations that had developed, in a new organisation called the Citizen's Military Forces (CMF) more generally known as the Militia.
A 'pecking order' developed as the realities of Peacetime took hold on the size of the peacetime Militia. This 'order of precedence' was largely based on the order in which the original WW1 AIF Battalions had been raised in their home States.
At this point it is appropriate to describe the numbering convention adopted by the VWMA to avoid confusion between Force elements as they evolved over time. In describing Militia units in WW2, the VWMA drops the superscript suffix (eg 'th', 'rd', 'st' on the numeric designation, and adds the post script 'AMF' . Thus the designator for our subject unit becomes '11 Infantry Battalion AMF'.
11 Infantry Battalion AMF inherited its geographic affiliation as the 'City of Perth Regiment'. In the 1920's as the Army shrank along with Defence funding, amalgamations began to take place and in WA, 11 and 16 Infantry Battalions merged. In 1936 as concerns arose about another looming conflict, 11/16 Battalion split and 11 Infantry Battalion was re-established in its own right.
On the outbreak of War in 1939, Australia introduced Conscription for all 'eligible males'. When called up, they were assigned to Militia Battalions, and numbers grew rapidly. However Legislation prevented the deployment of conscripts overseas, so the Second AIF was formed of volunteers for overseas service.
11 Infantry Battalion were grouped together with the other WA CMF Infantry Battalions, 16 and 28, to form 13 Infantry Brigade. Their principal tasking was local defence of WA and it formed part of 4 Infantry Brigade and was the principal Infantry component of III Corps.
In 1943, 13 Brigade moved to the Northern Territory, where 11 Battalion was based at Adelaide River and then later in the Darwin area. Coincidentally the Battalion was gazetted as an AIF unit, meaning it could be deployed for service outside Australia.
13 Brigade was assigned to 5 Division and sailed to New Britain from the end of November 1944. 11 Battalion reached Jacquinot Bay on 3 December. 13 Brigade remained at Jacquinot Bay until the middle of April 1945, when it relocated to Wide Bay to relieve 6 Brigade.
The Australian's strategy was to contain the Japanese to Rabaul and the Gazelle Peninsula by active patrolling. 6 Brigade had established the line across the Gazelle Peninsula, by patrolling between Open and Wide Bay. 13 Brigade held and patrolled the line. From 14 April to the end of the war the 11th Battalion was based at Tol Plantation scene of an infamous massacre of Australian PoW in 1942. It conducted daily patrols into the surrounding jungle but had little contact with the Japanese.
After hostilities ceased, 13 Brigade moved to Rabual, to assist supervising Japanese PoW. The brigade returned to Australia in January 1946. 11 Battalion disbanded at Puckapunyal in February.
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Compiled by Steve Larkins 2025