This Month In Australian Military History

September

Date Year Title Event
1 September 1900 Trooper JH Bisdee, VC Trooper JH Bisdee, 1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen, originally from Hutton Park, Tasmania, wins the Victoria Cross at Warm Bad, South Africa.
1 September 1900 Lieutenant GG Wylly, VC Lieutenant GG Wylly, 1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen, originally from Hobart, Tasmania, wins the Victoria Cross at Warm Bad, South Africa.
1 September 1918 Temporary Corporal AH Buckley, VC Temporary Corporal A.H. Buckley, 54th Battalion, originally from Warren, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross at Péronne. It was a posthumous award.
1 September 1918 Private WM Currey, VC Private WM Currey, 53rd Battalion, originally from Wallsend, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross at Péronne.
1 September 1918 Sergeant AD Lowerson, VC Sergeant AD Lowerson, 21st battalion, originally from Myrtleford, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross at Mont St Quentin.
1 September 1918 Private R Mactier, VC Private R Mactier, 23rd Battalion, originally from Tatura, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross at Mont St Quentin.
1 September 1918 Lieutenant ET Towner, VC Lieutenant ET Towner, 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, Blackall, Queensland, wins the Victoria Cross at Mont St Quentin.
1 September 1939 Germany invades Poland The German invasion of Poland led to the declaration of war against Germany by the United Kingdom and France and began the Second World War.
1–2 September 1918 Corporal AC Hall, VC Corporal AC Hall, 54th Battalion, originally from Nyngan, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross at Péronne.
2 September 1918 Temporary Corporal LC Weathers, VC Temporary Corporal LC Weathers, 43rd Battalion, originally from Te Koparu, New Zealand, wins the Victoria Cross at Péronne.
3 September 1915 Temporary Lieutenant WT Dartnell, VC Temporary Lieutenant WT Dartnell, 25th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, originally from Melbourne, wins the Victoria Cross at Maktau, British East Africa. It was a posthumous award.
3 September 1939 Britain, France, Australia, and New Zealand declare war on Germany The German invasion of Poland led to the declaration of war against Germany by the United Kingdom and France and began the Second World War.
4 September 1942 Japanese evacuation of Milne Bay, New Guinea begins The fighting at Milne Bay resulted in the first defeat of a Japanese amphibious landing in the Second World War.
4 September 1942 Corporal JA French, VC Corporal JA French, 2/9th Battalion, originally from Toowoomba, Queensland, wins the Victoria Cross at Milne Bay, New Guinea. It was a posthumous award.
4 September 1943 9th Division land at Lae, New Guinea Lae was the focus of a major land, sea, and air operation by Australian and American forces. Fighting lasted until 16 September, when the encircled Japanese garrison were either killed, captured, or escaped.
5 September 1939 Formation of second Australian Imperial Force and call for volunteers Australia needed to raise a volunteer force for overseas service in the Second World War.
6 September 1951 HMAS ANZAC bombs targets near Haeju, Korea The HMAS ANZAC was detached from HMS Glory's screen to bombard targets near Haeju, Korea. The ANZAC was one of 11 Australian ships to serve in Korea.
7 September 1943 Liberator crash kills 59 Australians A liberator crashed on take-off at Port Moresby hitting five trucks carrying men of the 2/33rd Battalion; 15 were killed instantly, 44 died of their injuries, and 92 were injured but survived.
8 September 1943 Italy announces unconditional surrender to the Allies Prior to this the Italians had been fighting with the Germans. Despite the Italian surrender the Allies faced more than a year of difficult fighting against the Germans in Italy.
8 September 1951 Peace treaty (Second World War) signed with Japan The peace treaty signalled the formal end of hostilities with Japan, though the fighting had ended some six years before.
9 September 1950 Wing Commander L Spence killed Wing Commander L Spence, 77 Squadron, killed during a ground attack mission over Angang-ni, Korea.
10 September 1943 Italy signs armistice with the Allies Prior to this the Italians had been fighting with the Germans. Despite the Italian surrender the Allies faced more than a year of difficult fighting against the Germans in Italy.
11 September 1914 Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force lands at Rabaul The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force landed at Rabaul and went into action at Bitapaka. This was the only major New Guinea action of the First World War.
12 September 1955 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, advance party arrive in Penang, Malaya Australian forces served in Malaya as part of the Far East Strategic Reserve. Their primary role was to deter external communist aggression against south-east Asia and their secondary role was to assist in the suppression of the communist insurrection in Malaya.
13 September 1943 Private R Kelliher, VC Private R Kelliher, 2/25th Battalion, originally from County Kerry, Ireland, wins the Victoria Cross at Nadzab, New Guinea.
14 September 1914 HMA Submarine AE1 lost off New Guinea The AE1 and AE2 were the first submarines to serve with the Royal Australian Navy. The AE1 disappeared without trace during operations for the capture of German New Guinea.
15 September 1939 Australian Government announces mobilisation of the militia and the establishment of the second AIF for service abroad Australia needed to raise a volunteer force for overseas service in the Second World War while the militia were only allowed to serve in Australian territories.
16 September 1942 Japanese advance in Owen Stanley Ranges stopped at Ioribaiwa The Japanese were too ill-equipped and their supply lines too extended over forbidding terrain to enable them to reach their objective – Port Moresby.
16 September 1943 Japanese abandon Lae after heavy fighting Lae was the focus of a major land, sea, and air operation by Australian and American forces. Fighting lasted until 16 September when the encircled Japanese garrison were either killed, captured, or escaped.
17 September 1918 Australian attack on Hindenburg Line The 1st and 4th Australian divisions were successful in breaching the forward edge of the main German defensive line across the Picardy region of France.
17 September 1944 Damien Parer killed Academy award-winning, Australian cameraman Damien Parer killed while filming American troops on Peleliu in the Pacific. Parer's documentary, Front line Kokoda, won an Oscar for best documentary in 1943. Having filmed Australians in action during the early years of the war, Parer accepted a job with the American film company, Paramount, to film Americans in action in the Pacific.
18 September 1918 Sergeant MV Buckley, VC Sergeant MV Buckley, 13th Battalion, originally from Hawthorn, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross at Le Verguier.
18 September 1918 Private JP Woods, VC Private JP Woods, 48th Battalion, originally from Gawler, South Australia, wins the Victoria Cross at Le Viguier.
19 September 1918 5th Light Horse Brigade capture Nablus Nablus fell to the Australians during the final period of the war against Turkey. British Empire troops also made impressive advances and destroyed several Turkish armies between the Mediterranean coast and the Jordan River.
19 September 1943 2/6th Independent Company capture Kaiapit, New Guinea Kaiapit was needed for the airstrip that was to be constructed there once the Japanese had been driven from the area. Kaiapit became a base for the 7th Division's advance up the Markham Valley.
20 September 1912 Official approval given for the establishment of a military Central Flying School. Official formation of the Australian Flying Corps The Australian Flying Corps went on to serve in Mesopotamia, the Middle East, and the Western Front and was the forerunner of the RAAF.
20 September 1917 2nd Lieutenant F Birks, VC 2nd Lieutenant F Birks, 6th Battalion, originally from Flintshire, United Kingdom, wins the Victoria Cross at Glencourse Woods, near Ypres. It was a posthumous award.
20–21 September 1917 Private RR Inwood, VC Private RR Inwood, 10th Battalion, originally from North Adelaide, South Australia, wins the Victoria Cross at Polygon Wood, near Ypres.
21 September 1914 German New Guinea surrenders The former German New Guinea was placed under a military government until 1921, when Australia received a mandate from the League of Nations to govern the country.
21 September 1918 Australian Flying Corps at Wadi Fara Australian and British airmen of the Australian Flying Corps and Royal Flying Corps massacre retreating Turkish troops in the Wadi Fara, Palestine.
22 September 1952 ANZUS meeting at Pearl Harbor ANZUS military representatives begin three day meeting at Pearl Harbor.
23 September 1940 HMAS Australia action at Dakar HMAS Australia begins action against Vichy French at Dakar, West Africa.
23 September 1942 General Blamey appointed Commander in Chief of Allied land forces in New Guinea Blamey came into conflict with his commander, the American General MacArthur, who had become Prime Minister Curtin's principle military advisor. The United States forces were kept out of the Australian land commanders hands throughout the war in the Pacific. However, one historian wrote that Blamey's career was marked by "year upon year of wise decisions, stubborn determination to further the interests of Australia, and a deep concern for the well-being of his soldiers".
25 September 1918 ANZAC Mounted Division capture Amman The capture of Amman came during the final days of the fighting in Palestine, as British Empire troops routed the Turkish armies and won a series of decisive victories.
25 September 1942 HMAS Voyager grounded at destroyed at Betano Bay, Timor The HMAS Voyager brought the 2/4th Independent Company to Timor to reinforce Australian troops already on the island. The ship came close in shore to land the troops but ran aground. The Australians were left with no option but to destroy it.
26 September 1917 Sergeant JJ Dwyer, VC Sergeant JJ Dwyer, 4th Machine Gun Company, originally from Lovett, Tasmania, wins the Victoria Cross at Zonnebeke, Belgium.
26–27 September 1943 Operation Jaywick destroys Japanese shipping An Australian Special Operations Australia Unit operating from the former fishing vessel, Krait, mines Japanese ships in Singapore Harbour. Three ships were sunk and five others damaged.
26–28 September 1917 1917 Private PJ Bugden, VC Private PJ Bugden, 31st Battalion, originally from South Gundurimba, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross at Polygon Wood, near Ypres. It was a posthumous award.
28 September 1950 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment arrives in Korea The Battalion was immediately committed to the United Nation forces' northward advance against the retreating North Koreans.
29 September 1918 Captain GH Wilkins awarded bar to Military Cross Captain GH Wilkins, official AIF photographer, rallies United States troops at the battle of the Hindenburg Line, while taking photographs. For this action he was awarded a bar to his Military Cross, becoming the only Australian official photographer to be decorated for bravery in the field.

29 September–1 October

1918 Major BA Wark, VC Major BA Wark, 32nd Battalion, originally from Bathurst, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross during action from Bellicourt to Joncourt, France.
29 September 1918 Battle of St Quentin canal Battle of St Quentin canal.
30 September 1918 Lance Corporal EA Corey, wins third bar to Military Medal Lance-Corporal E.A. Corey, a stretcher bearer with the 55th Battalion, wins a third bar to his Military Medal, first won on 5 May 1917. The winning of four Military Medals is a unique feat.
30 September 1918 Private EJ Ryan, VC Private EJ Ryan, 55th Battalion, originally of Tumut, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross at Bellicourt, France.

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