September
Date | Year | Title | Event |
---|---|---|---|
1 September | 1900 | Trooper J H Bisdee, VC | Trooper J H Bisdee, 1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen, originally from Hutton Park, Tasmania, wins the Victoria Cross at Warm Bad, South Africa. |
1 September | 1900 | Lieutenant G G Wylly, VC | Lieutenant G G Wylly, 1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen, originally from Hobart, Tasmania, wins the Victoria Cross at Warm Bad, South Africa. |
1 September | 1918 | Temporary Corporal A H 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 W M Currey, VC | Private W M Currey, 53rd Battalion, originally from Wallsend, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross at Péronne. |
1 September | 1918 | Sergeant A D Lowerson, VC | Sergeant A D 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 E T Towner, VC | Lieutenant E T 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 A C Hall, VC | Corporal AC Hall, 54th Battalion, originally from Nyngan, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross at Péronne. |
2 September | 1918 | Temporary Corporal L C Weathers, VC | Temporary Corporal L C Weathers, 43rd Battalion, originally from Te Koparu, New Zealand, wins the Victoria Cross at Péronne. |
3 September | 1915 | Temporary Lieutenant W T Dartnell, VC | Temporary Lieutenant W T 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 J A French, VC | Corporal J A 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. |
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 | 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 | 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. |
18 September | 1918 | Sergeant M V Buckley, VC | Sergeant M V Buckley, 13th Battalion, originally from Hawthorn, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross at Le Verguier. |
18 September | 1918 | Private J P Woods, VC | Private J P 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 Glencorse Woods, near Ypres. It was a posthumous award. |
20–21 September | 1917 | Private RR Inwood, VC | Private R R 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 attack retreating Turkish troops in the Wadi Fara, Palestine. |
21 September | 1971 | Battle of Nui Le, South Vietnam | Soldiers of B Company and D Company, 4RAR/NZ, fought an intense battle against a large enemy force from 33 North Vietnamese Army Regiment in the north of Phuoc Tuy province. The enemy defended their well constructed bunker systems and then attacked D Company for several hours. Five Australians were killed in action, and 24 were wounded in this battle, which was part of Operation Ivanhoe. This was the last battle fought by Australians in South Vietnam, before the final withdrawal of the task force in early December 1971. |
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 and 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 J J Dwyer, VC | Sergeant J J 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. Seven ships were sank or badly damaged. |
26–28 September 1917 | 1917 | Private P J Bugden, VC | Private P J 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 G H Wilkins awarded bar to Military Cross | Captain G H 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 B A Wark, VC | Major B A 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 E A 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 E J Ryan, VC | Private E J Ryan, 55th Battalion, originally of Tumut, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross at Bellicourt, France. |