13th Battalion (Australia)

13th Battalion
Men of the 13th Battalion at Le Verguier, France, where Sergeant Buckley earned the Victoria Cross in 1918
Active	1914–1919 1921–1942 1948–1960
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~1,000 officers and men[Note 1]
Part of	4th Brigade, New Zealand and Australian Division (later 4th Australian Division)
Motto(s)	Vigor in Arduis (Energy amid hardship)[2]
Colours	Light blue over dark blue
Engagements	First World War Gallipoli campaign Western Front
Commanders
Notable commanders	James Murdoch Archer Durrant
Insignia
Unit colour patch

The 13th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised for the 1st Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, it was formed just six weeks after the start of the war. Along with the 14th, 15th and 16th Battalions which were recruited from New South Wales, it formed the 4th Brigade. The battalion saw service initially at Gallipoli before being transferred to France in 1916. For the next two years it fought in the trenches of the Western Front, earning numerous battle honours in the process.

Following the end of the war, the 13th Battalion was demobilised in early 1919. It was re-raised in 1921 as a unit of the part-time Citizens Force, based around Maitland, New South Wales. During the Second World War the battalion undertook garrison duties before being amalgamated with the 33rd Battalion in October 1942. It was re-raised for a third and final time sometime after 1948 and remained on the order of battle until 1960 when it was subsumed into the Royal New South Wales Regiment.

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