Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

57/60 (amalgamated) Infantry Battalion AMF

Units which began the war as Militia Battalions have the numeric superscript dropped from their titles on the VWMA in order to distinguish between numerous units in the Army with similar designations across the Militia, the 2nd AIF and the Volunteer Defence Corps.

In mid-1942, as a result of serious manpower shortages in the Australian economy that occurred because of an over mobilisation of its military forces, the Australian government decided to wind back the number of service personnel to free up manpower to return to the civilian workforce.  The Army was 'over-recruited, particlarly the Home Defence / CMF / Militia into which men of eligible age had been drafted.  It needed to be 'thinned out'.

In order to achieve this outcome, a number of Militia (CMF) infantry battalions were disbanded while others were merged. 

After the First World War the defence of the Australian mainland lay with the part time soldiers of the Citizens Military Force, otherwise known as the Militia. The Militia was organized to maintain the structure of the First AIF and kept the same numerical designations. These Militia units were also distributed in the same areas that had raised the original AIF units, although this began to break down over time.

Consequently, some inter-war Militia units were also known by the name of their shire. Thus Victoria's 57 Infantry Battalion was the "Merri Regiment", with its headquarters in Preston, while the 60 Infantry Battalion was the "Heidelberg Regiment", with its headquarters at Westgarth. However, during the 1930s little was spent on defence and the Militia had few volunteers. In 1930 the 57 merged first with the 60 to form the 57/60 Infantry Battalion. Along with the 58 and 59 Battalions, the 57/60 was part of the 3rd Division's 15th Brigade.

With the outbreak of the Second World War and the call up of the Militia, the 57/60 spent most of 1940 and 1941 in training camps at Mt Martha. At the start of 1942 the 57/60 moved to Seymour, in Central Victoria, where it joined the rest of the 15th brigade. At the end of March 1942 the brigade moved to Albury and then, in the third week of May, to Casino and South Grafton, in northern NSW, for their first operational role - the defence of the Tweed Valley and the adjacent coast line. On 27 August the 58 and the 59 Battalions merged, forming the 58/59 Infantry Battalion. About half the men from the 59 were sent to the 57/60. In September the 24th Infantry Battalion joined the brigade.

Meanwhile, the 15th Brigade was in the process of moving to Caboolture, north of Brisbane. In December the 58/59 moved to Cooroy, where it carried out further training. In 1943 the 3rd Division moved to New Guinea, with the 57/60 arriving in the Goon Valley, behind Port Moresby, in March. The division's ultimate destination was the Lae-Salamaua front. However, the 57/60 was to miss out on that battle. Instead, it was sent to protect the American airbase at Tsili Tsili. The Australians captured Salamaua on 11 September and Lae fell on 16 September.

After Salamaua, there was a brief respite and the 15th Brigade moved to Port Moresby and then the Donadabu Highlands, behind the city. In early 1944 the 15th Brigade returned to the front, this time to Dumpu in the Ramu Valley, where it was under the command of the 7th Division. The brigade supported the clearing of the Ramu Valley and the advance on Madang. A patrol from the 57/60 captured Madang on 24 April.

After almost 18 months in New Guinea, the 15th Brigade finally returned to Australia in August. The official war historian, Gavin Long, considered that with its extensive service the brigade had marched over more of New Guinea than any other Allied formation.

After receiving leave, the brigade regrouped in Queensland on the Atherton Tableland in October. Unlike may other units, theirs was only a brief stay. The 3rd Division had already moved to Bougainville and the brigade followed.

In Bougainville's Southern Sector the 15th Brigade took over from the 7th Brigade in mid-April 1945. In order to continue the Australian advance to Buin, the 15th Brigade advanced on a two-battalion front. One battalion followed the Commando Road, known as the North axis, while the other battalion followed the Buin Road, the South axis. Taking up a position at Kero Creek, the 24th was in the lead, with the 58/89 behind at Barara. On 17 April the 24th opened the brigade's attack by crossing Dawe's Creek and by 7 May it had reached the Hongoria River. The 57/60, moving along the Commando Road, had also reached the river.  24 battalion was then joined by the 58/59. During the "battle of the rivers" both battalions advanced along the Buin Road until they reached the Mivo River at the end of June. The 15th Brigade was relieved by the 29th Brigade on 1 July.

With the war over the ranks of the 58/59 thinned, as men were discharged or transferred. At the end of November the battalion boarded the transport Ormiston to return to Australia and arrived in Brisbane on 7 December. Later that day the battalion travelled by train to Chermside, where the Queenslanders were discharged, while the New South Welshmen went on to Sydney. On 13 December the Victorians and South Australians reached Seymour and Puckapunyal. The battalion was disbanded on 30 March 1946. - Australian War Memorial