4th Australian Division in the Great War - The Wartime Memories Project -

4th Australian Division

   4th Australian Division began to form in Egypt in February 1916, after a decision to essentially duplicate the original Australian Imperial Force which had now withdrawn from Gallipoli. Delays in assembling the artillery meant that the Division could not depart for France before June 1916. It entered the front line near Armentieres late that month and then took part in the following battles and engagements:
1916
The Battle of Pozieres including the fighting for Mouquet Farm (Somme)
1917

Operations on the Ancre
The advance to the Hindenburg Line
The Arras Offensive including the Battle of Bullecourt
The Battle of Messines
The Battle of Polygon Wood - Third Battle of Ypres
The Battle of Broodseinde - Third Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Passchendaele - Third Battle of Ypres

1918 The Australian Divisions were not affected by the restructuring of the army to having three brigades per Division, that took place in the British Divisions in February 1918.

The First Battle of Arras - Somme
The Battle of the Ancre - Somme
The actions of Villers-Bretonneux - Somme
The Capture of Hamel
The Battle of Amiens
The Battle of Albert - Somme The Battle of Epehy (Battles of the Hindenburg Line)

The Division was not selected to advance into Germany. Demobilisation commenced in late 1918 and in March 1919 the Division merged with 1st Australian Division.
The Divisional Order of Battle of the 4th Australian Division
4th Australian Brigade - joined in Egypt

13th Battalion, Australian Infantry
14th Battalion, Australian Infantry
15th Battalion, Australian Infantry
16th Battalion, Australian Infantry
4th Australian Machine Gun Company left to move into 4th Australian MG Battalion February 1918
4th Australian Trench Mortar Battery formed in July 1916

12th Australian Brigade

45th Battalion, Australian Infantry
46th Battalion, Australian Infantry
47th Battalion, Australian Infantry
48th Battalion, Australian Infantry
12th Australian Machine Gun Company left to move into 4th Australian MG Battalion February 1918
12th Australian Trench Mortar Battery formed July 1916

13th Australian Brigade

49th Battalion, Australian Infantry
50th Battalion, Australian Infantry
51st Battalion, Australian Infantry
52nd Battalion, Australian Infantry
13th Australian Machine Gun Company left to move into 4th Australian MG Battalion February 1918
13th Australian Trench Mortar Battery formed July 1916

Divisional Troops - under direct command of Divisional HQ

4th Australian Pioneer Battalion formed in Egypt in March 1916
23rd Australian Machine Gun Company joined June 1917, left to move into 4th Australian MG Battalion February 1918
4th Australian Machine Gun Battalion formed February 1918
4th Australian Divisional Train ASC later titled 753, 754, 755 and 756 Companies
4th Australian Mobile Veterinary Section AVC
4th Australian Divisional Employment Company joined January 1917

Divisional Mounted Troops - under direct command of Divisional HQ

B Squadron, 13th Australian Light Horse joined March 1916, left July 1916
4th Australian Cyclist Company left June 1916

Divisional Artillery

10th Australian Brigade, RFA
11th Australian Brigade, RFA
12th Australian Brigade, RFA left January 1917
24th Australian (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA absorbed in January 1917
4th Australian Divisional Ammunition Column
V.4.A Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA formed July 1916, left February 1918
X.4.A, Y.3.A and Z.4.A Medium Mortar Batteries RFA formed July 1916; in February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each

Royal Engineers

4th Australian Field Company
12th Australian Field Company
13th Australian Field Company
4th Australian Divisional Signals Company

Royal Army Medical Corps

4th Australian Field Ambulance
12th Australian Field Ambulance
13th Australian Field Ambulance

12th August 1916 Division to attack

6th Oct 1916 Mines Exploded

9th of January 1917

10th of January 1917

10th January 1918 Reliefs

21st of March 1918 Intense Barrage

26th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal

18th Sep 1918 Machine Gun Barrage

19th of September 1918 Enemy Guns Quiet

29th Sep 1918 A Complicated Position

30th Sep 1918 Bitter Fighting

Sep 1918 Hard Fighting

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Those known to have served with
4th Australian Division
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Wyly Edward John. Gnr. 4th Divisional Ammunition Column (d.16th Aug 1918)

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Gnr. Edward John Wyly 4th Divisional Ammunition Column Australian Field Artillery (d.16th Aug 1918)

Edward Wyly was not a close relation of mine, in fact he is a very distant relative, but they all have stories and they should not be forgotten. He was born in 1883 to Alexander and Elizabeth Wyly at their home The Walnuts, Crafers West, Adelaide, South Australia. He lived a suburban life marrying Grace Henrietta MacFarlane (who was rather beautiful) in 1909. A year later they had a daughter, Edith Laura. In peacetime he joined the militia, serving 4 years with C Co, 1st Battalio, Adelaide Rifles. His occupation was as a salesman for a furniture company.
He signed his attestation papers in Adelaide on 8th of September 1916 and joined the South Australian Field Artillery, 28th Reinforcements, 4th Divisional Ammunition Column. To some degree he had a rather uneventful start to his war but by Nov 1917 the cloud was gathering. On the 11 Nov he was on a hospital ship, discharged on 14th, he travelled to England via Suez, Alexandria and Taranto arriving in Southampton on 4th of January 1918.
On 24th of April 1918 he was in the field. The next entry on his service record just makes that dread statement, K.I.A 16th of August 1918. He was buried at Bayonvillers British Cemetery Near Corbie. He was just short of his 33rd birthday when he died.
His wife received a quite beautiful letter from his pals. Dated France 23rd of August 1918. (I summarise).'Poor old Ted, who was endeared to all who knew him as we did, was killed in action at Guillecourt on 16th inst, a piece of 'Hun'shell which burst within a few yards of him, penetrated his left breast, causing instantaneous death. He was buried by our Padre on the 17th inst at Bayonville and a cross bearing the Masonic sign cut from a brass shell casing, and inscription has been erected by the men of his section'. I quote now directly from the letter: 'By reason of his genial disposition Ted was a favourite among his fellows in the section, it can honestly be said of him that he carried out his duties thoroughly and conscientiously his name may justly be included among the fallen who have laid down their lives for their God, King and Country' The letter was then signed by numerous members of Ted's company.
Was this a comfort to Grace? Maybe, but I know she lived to be 100 years old dying in 1987. She never remarried and in every photo looking rather lost and sad, every dream and hope for the future died 70 years before, with him. A few years after the war ended, in March 1920 she received a letter to say they had exhumed Ted's body and moved it to Heath Cemetery, Harbonniers, no mention of why.
I hope in the 7 years they had together they loved for a lifetime, because that's all Grace had.
Diane Jones