This page is being upgraded to a PDF booklet and will be available here again very soon.
The 9th Battalion can trace it’s history back to 1860 with the formation of the No 1 Company comprising 50 volunteer riflemen to serve as infantry within the Queensland Defence Force. During the 1860s and into the 1870s, the company grew in in numbers and eventually in 1879 four companies of infantry were amalgamated in Brisbane as The First Regiment of Queensland Infantry under the command of Major W H Snelling. The new regiment comprised seven companies, designated ‘A’ through to ‘H’.

In 1885, the regiment was now a partially paid corps and became designated as The First Queenslanders (The Moreton Regiment) and comprised 520 paid volunteer militia officers and soldiers and 660 volunteers who did not receive any pay from the Queensland Government.

The regiment called for volunteers for active service in 1891, when the Queensland Government proclaimed a state of emergency caused by the Shearers Strike. The soldiers were badly prepared and under provisioned that upon arriving in Gympie (on the way to Barcaldine to confront the renegade shearers) that socks and other provisions had to be purchased before they could continue on their way. They remained in Barcaldine for several months before finally sailing back to Brisbane.

During the 1890s, several officers were posted to the regiment and who would later distinguish themselves as generals during the First World War. Captain Henry Chauvel was posted as the Adjutant in 1896 whilst Lieutenant Cyril Brudenel White (later Chief of Staff to Monash and Chief of the Imperial General Staff) joined in 1897. The regimental also adopted the motto “For Queen and Country” in 1898 and in 1899 saw volunteers join the Queensland contingent for service in South Africa fighting the Boers.

In 1900, the regiment lost it’s ‘F’ Company (Ipswich), ‘H’ Company (Blackstone), ‘I’ Company (Boonah) and ‘K’ Company (Lowood) to the newly formed Darling Downs Regiment. This left the regiment with six companies.

The new year (1901) brought in one of the most famous events in Australia’s history – Federation. The various state defence forces

were absorbed into the Commonwealth Military Forces and this saw the regiment become the 9th Australian Infantry Regiment (The Moreton Regiment). As more than 10 percent of the regiment had seen service in South Africa, the Battle Honour ‘South Africa 1900- 02’ was granted to the regiment by His Majesty King Edward VII with the banner being presented in Centennial Park in Sydney.

The year 1911 saw the introduction of compulsory military service in Australia which led to further re-numbering and much change within the fledgling Australian Defence Force. The regiment lost its Moreton Regiment designation in 1913 to the 7th Battalion and became known as the 9th Battalion (Logan and Albert Regiment) under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel G A Ferguson.
Pre-war studio portrait of 2143A Sergeant (Sgt) John Thomas (Blakie) Blake, 9th Battalion, of Brisbane, Queensland in the uniform of the Moreton Regiment, Citizens Military Forces (CMF) - circa 1914. (Australian War Memorial)
In August, 1914, Great Britain declared war on Germany and Australia’s Prime Minister at the time, Andrew Fisher, pledged support to the mother country ‘to the last man and the last shilling’. The Australian Imperial Force was raised in August, 1914 for overseas service with the Queensland battalion being the 9th Battalion AIF. Many members of the militia 9th Battalion joined the Australian Imperial Force and were allocated to the 9th Battalion AIF. The advance party of the battalion departed on 22nd September, 1914 en route to Egypt.

The remainder of the battalion arrived in Egypt in January, 1915 and commenced further training (as part of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Australian Division) in preparation for action against Turkey. Colour patches were also issued for the first time to the battalion in April, 1915 and were worn with pride for the remainder of the war.
[right] 9th Battalion AIF colour patch - adopted in April, 1915

The battalion embarked for Gallipoli on the destroyers HMS Queen, Beagle and Colne and famously were the first shore at Gallipoli at 4:28am, 25th April, 1915. It is believed that the battalion’s 2IC (2nd in Command) MAJOR J C Robertson was the first person ashore having been in the leading boat yet other histories mention Lieutenant Duncan Chapman as the first man ashore. The battalion was the vanguard of the 3rd Brigade and went on to be involved in all the major campaigns on the Gallipoli peninsular.
In August, 1914, Great Britain declared war on Germany and Australia’s Prime Minister at the time, Andrew Fisher, pledged support to the mother country ‘to the last man and the last shilling’. The Australian Imperial Force was raised in August, 1914 for overseas service with the Queensland battalion being the 9th Battalion AIF. Many members of the militia 9th Battalion joined the Australian Imperial Force and were allocated to the 9th Battalion AIF. The advance party of the battalion departed on 22nd September, 1914 en route to Egypt.

9th Battalion Lines - Mena Camp, Egypt, December, 1914 Source: Australian War Memorial

Identified back row, left to right: Lieutenant (Lt) (later Captain) Arthur Cowan Hinton; Lt JosephWilliam Costin, killed in action, aged 23, at Gallipoli on 25-28 April 1915; unidentified; Lt (later Captain) George Thomas. Third row: Lt Henry Cavendish Harvey, Captain (Capt) Alexander Clifford Vernon Melbourne; Lt P J Boase, Capt Isaac Jackson; Capt (later Major, 50th Battalion) Alfred George Salisbury DSC; Capt (later Lieutenant Colonel) John Alexander Milne, killed in action, aged 46, in France on 12 April 1918; Lt H G Ker; Capt (later Major) John Leaper Fisher, Anzac Provost Corps; Lt (later Major) William McKenzie Young; Major (Maj) Sydney Beresford Robertson, killed in action, aged 29, at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915; one unidentified; Lt William John Rigby, killed in action, aged 23, at Gallipoli on 25-28 April 1915. Second row: Lt (later Maj, 45th Battalion) Duncan Chapman, killed in action at Pozieres on 6 June 1916; Maj William Cavendish Harvey VD; Maj J C Robertson; Lt Col Harry William Lee VD; Capt (later Maj) Thomas Victor Brown, Anzac Provost Corps; Capt A G Butler; Capt (later Maj) John Mitchell Dougall. Front row: Lt Frank Granville Haymen, killed in action at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915; Lt (later Capt) Lancelot Alban Jones; Lt (later Maj) Charles Fortescue MC DSO; Lt Rogers. William Costin, killed in action, aged 23, at Gallipoli on 25-28 April 1915; unidentified; Lt (later Captain) George Thomas. Third row: Lt Henry Cavendish Harvey, Captain (Capt) Alexander Clifford Vernon Melbourne; Lt P J Boase, Capt Isaac Jackson; Capt (later Major, 50th Battalion) Alfred George Salisbury DSC; Capt (later Lieutenant Colonel) John Alexander Milne, killed in action, aged 46, in France on 12 April 1918; Lt H G Ker; Capt (later Major) John Leaper Fisher, Anzac Provost Corps; Lt (later Major) William McKenzie Young; Major (Maj) Sydney Beresford Robertson, killed in action, aged 29, at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915; one unidentified; Lt William John Rigby, killed in action, aged 23, at Gallipoli on 25-28 April 1915. Second row: Lt (later Maj, 45th Battalion) Duncan Chapman, killed in action at Pozieres on 6 June 1916; Maj William Cavendish Harvey VD; Maj J C Robertson; Lt Col Harry William Lee VD; Capt (later Maj) Thomas Victor Brown, Anzac Provost Corps; Capt A G Butler; Capt (later Maj) John Mitchell Dougall. Front row: Lt Frank Granville Haymen, killed in action at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915; Lt (later Capt) Lancelot Alban Jones; Lt (later Maj) Charles Fortescue MC DSO; Lt Rogers - October, 1914
Source: Australian War Memorial
The battalion embarked for Gallipoli on the destroyers HMS Queen, Beagle and Colne and famously were the first shore at Gallipoli at 4:28am, 25th April, 1915. It is believed that the battalion’s 2IC (2nd in Command) MAJOR J C Robertson was the first person ashore having been in the leading boat yet other histories (and noted historian C E W Bean) mention Lieutenant Duncan Chapman as the first man ashore. Another soldier, Lance Sergeant Joseph Stratford (1179) was also reported in newspaper at the time as being the first man ashore. A labourer with three years service in the New South Wales Lancers before enlisting in October 1914, Lance Sergeant Stratford left Australia for Egypt with the 1st Reinforcements in December 1914. He landed on Gallipoli on 25th April 1915 and, according to his Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau file, was killed attacking a Turkish machine-gun position after landing.
Newpaper reports attributed LSgt Stratford as the first man ashore on Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, however the claim was later questioned by the official historian Charles Bean, who wrote that Lieutenant Duncan Chapman, later killed at Pozieres in 1916, was most probably the first man ashore. Aged 34 when he was killed, Lance Sergeant Stratford has no known grave.
1179 Lance Sergeant Joseph Stratford Source: Australian War Memorial
The Battalion took heavy casualities in the first few days of the landing at Gallipoli, including many officers including the Commanding Officer, Second in Command as well as the senior company commander. One of the notable officers in the leading boat during the landing was the battalion’s medical officer, Dr A G Butler DSO (and much later the author of the Australian Army Medical Services Official History books), who, after seeing some of his stretcher bearers lost in heavy fire, with pistol in hand, ably led men up the cliff and followed the leading ranks towards the Turkish lines. The Butler Medal, issued to 9th Battalion soldiers who served at Gallipoli between April 25th and October 25th was named after him. The Battalion was involved in the Turkish counter-attack on the 19th May, 1915 when it grimly held onto the ANZAC positions losing 16 dead and 25 wounded – 200 turkish dead were counted in front of the battalion’s position.
The Butler Medal - issued to wounded 9th Battalion soldiers Source: Queensland Military Memorial Museum
The next few months of the campaign saw the battalion involved in further heavy fighting and it took heavy casualties.

During June and July, the battalion suffered enemy attacks on their trenches and conducted raids on Turkish trenches in return. Late June was a reasonably quiet period for the battalion as it found itself as the brigade reserve, allowing the troops replenish rations and to take on 150 reinforcements, which brought the battalion's strength to 569. At the end of June, the battalion lost 37 killed and 62 wounded during a two company attack on Knife Edge and Sniper's Ridge. Parties were sent out over the next two nights to recovery the dead and wounded but many were not recovered on account of intense rifle fire from the Turkish trenches. At this same time, Major Robertson was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

The beginning of August saw the English attempt to land at Suvla Bay. As a diversion, a large scale Australian attack was to commence on the Turkish positions at Lone Pine. The role of the 9th Battalion was to open heavy rifle fire on the opposing trenches while Long Pine was being assaulted by the 1st Infantry Brigade. The men of the 9th Battalion, after supporting the attack, sat on the parapets (as well as the Turks opposite them) and watched the attack.

After the Lone Pine fighting died off, the battalion returned to working on saps and tunnels. Sickness among the officers and men at this time lead to a change of command as Lieutenant Colonel Robertson was evacuated due to illness. Rampant diseases and illness saw the battalion spend more time in the line during August and September as it's strength and that of other battalions was reduced by dysentery and other diseases caused by the shocking conditions of Gallipoli. October and November brought storms and later snow to the peninsula and saw the battalion soldiers trying to improve their shelters and make them suitable for cold weather living.

The battalion was the vanguard of the 3rd Brigade and went on to be involved in all the major campaigns on the Gallipoli peninsular and received the following battle honours after the war: ANZAC Landing at ANZAC Defence of ANZAC Suvla Sari Bair.

The battalion suffered 633 battle casualties during the campaign: 236 killed or died of wounds, 390 wounded and 7 soldiers taken prisoner. It was evacuated in December 1915 and arrived back in Alexandria, Egypt on 3rd January, 1915 where it commenced training for operations against Germany.

After the successful withdrawal of forces from Gallipoli, the battalion returned to Egypt to rest and get up to strength with reinforcements from Australia. During this period, it was split to help form the 49th Battalion and lost a considerable amount of its Gallipoli veterans to them and was subsequently brought up to strength with reinforcements. Most of these and subsequent reinforcements came from Queensland.

In March 1916 the battalion sailed for France and the Western Front. It arrived in the French city of Marseilles on the 2nd April and then proceeded to a quiet part of the front (Ypres sector) to acclimitise to the Western Front and train for combat against German armies, who were according to the some British generals, a tougher opponent then Johnny Turk!

It suffered its first taste of heaving shelling when on April 20th, 50 to 60 german shells landed among its billets killing 26 soldiers and wounding 47 others.
The battalion’s first major action in France was at Pozières in the Somme valley. As part of the 1st Australian Division’s thrust towards the Old German Line on 22nd July, 1916, the 9th Battalion suffered considerable casualties. It attacked on the extreme right of the line and it was during this action that Private John Leak won, with the bayonet, the battalion’s only Victoria Cross.
His citation reads:
"For most conspicuous bravery. He was one of a party which finally captured an enemy strong point. At one assault, when the enemy's bombs were outranging ours, Private Leak jumped out of the trench, ran forward under heavy machine-gun fire at close range, and threw three bombs into the enemy's bombing post. He then jumped into the post and bayoneted three unwounded enemy bombers. Later, when the enemy in overwhelming numbers was driving his party back, he was always the last to withdraw at each stage, and kept on throwing bombs. His courage and energy had such an effect on the enemy that, on the arrival of reinforcements, the whole trench was recaptured."

[right] 2053 Private John Leak, VC was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Pozieres in July, 1916
(Source: Australian War Memorial)

The losses for the battalion at Pozieres were as follows:
  • 57 - Killed in Action
  • 271 - Wounded in Action
  • 65 - Missing in Action
  • Lieutenant Norman Weynand, 9th Battalion. Killed in Action 23rd July, 1916 [picture - right]
(Source: Australian War Memorial)
The 9th then took part in the Battle of Mouquet Farm on August 20th where it suffered 164 casualties; 64 of them killed.
In September, the battalion moved back to the Ypres area to the Hill 60 sector where they relieved the Canadians. The advent of winter (November) saw the battalion back in the line, this time at Flers, where they took over from the 2nd Battalion. A cold Christmas was spent in the line with the soldiers suffering through one of the coldest winters there in many years.

The new year saw the battalion again move back into the line and it was involved in February in the battle of the Maze in preparation for the advance to the Hindenburg Line. Heavy fighting in April and May 1917 saw the battalion heavily involved in battles at Lagnicourt, and at the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt where it lost 26 killed and 135 wounded.
[right] Lieutenant-Colonel Leslie Mullen CMG, DSO, CD - Commanded the 9th Battalion in 1916 and 1917 (Source: Australian War Memorial)

It was relieved on the morning of the 8th. On July 26th it entrained for Steenbecque where it arrived next day ; it then went into training for the forthcoming battle of the Menin Road. (The 2nd stage of the great offensive known as the 3rd Battle of Ypres). The 9th was allocated to the Polygon Wood-Nonne Bosschen sector, and was committed on the 20th. It was relieved on the night of the 21st after having suffered 35 killed, 149 wounded, and 56 missing. In this battle the Australians lost 5,000 in two Divisions, and the British casualties were between 20,000 and 25,000.

On the 30th September the 9th relieved the 47th Battalion at Anzac Ridge, and on the second day were heavily shelled. It then relieved the 8th Battalion in the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge, and itself was relieved on the night of the 9th-10th. Broodseinde casualties were 34 killed, 6 died of wounds, 108 wounded and 2 missing. On the 30th October the 9th went into support on Anzac and Westhoek Ridges and two days later relieved a Canadian Battalion on Passchendaele Ridge, being relieved by the 2nd Battalion on November 5th. It had lost 109 in this action.

On December troops took part in the voting on the Conscription issue and although the move was defeated in the overall vote, the sailors and soldiers of Australia had voted 103,789 for and 93,910 against. Christmas found the Battalion just relieved and back in dugouts and huts at Gable Farm, near Wulverghem.

1918 - This was to be the most momentous year of all. The 9th was now a highly battle trained unit sure and confident it could well look forward to a successful conclusion of the war.

On the 1st January, 1918, 1 Anzac Corps became the Australian Corps, II Anzac the British XXII Corps. On February 15th, in lieu of Christmas Day the Battalion held a sports meeting, and on the last day of February relieved the 16th Battalion at Crater Dugouts near Hill 60. It was here that they suffered a severe gas attack on March 6th when the CO., 11 officers and 105 other ranks were evacuated. They remained here until March the 8th. Back to Hollebeke on the 23rd March until relieved on the 3rd April by the Royal Scots and Cameron Highlanders, they entrained for the Somme on April 6th. They had no sooner reached their destination than news was received that the enemy had broken through in the North, and it was ordered North to stop the breakthrough. It arrived at Hondeghem on the 14th April and moved to Hazebrouck. On the 17th the enemy shelled Borre from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the result that four were killed and 11 wounded.
[right] The shelling of No. 7 Platoon, B Company, 9th Battalion billets on 4th April, 1918, in the reserve line at Borre, when the men were forced by the Germans to leave their billets and take up a position at a safe distance in the open fields. Lieutenant Chester was in command. Two men, Private (Pte) A. Reeves and Pte Ferguson were killed whilst leaving the billets for the above position. Identified: 7016 Pte R. G. Markham, killed 10 August 1918 (right, left arm resting on knee); 7329 Pte H. Townsend (left, back); 6567 Pte R. King (right, back to camera). (On the right, in front of the shell smoke, are some of the stakes of a newly erected wire entanglement).
(Source: Australian War Memorial)
The Battalion was to remain in the Hazebrouck area until the 1st August, taking part in many patrol actions before Merris, the capture of the Meteren Baths, and the attack on Le Waton. In preparation for the attack by the entire Australian Corps against the enemy launched on the 8th August (described by General Ludendorf as the Black Day for the German Army), the Battalion entrained at St. Omer on the 6th August and moved south to hit the enemy in front of Lihons at 8 a.m. on the morning of the 10th August. It remained in close contact until the night of the 12th/13th, its casualties for the two days amounting to 12 officers and 166 other ranks. The fighting in this action had been particularly severe. Its next action was commenced on the 23rd August in front of Froissy Beacon and the village of Cappy, losing 4 officers and 76 other ranks, until relieved on the 26th.
Two Lewis guns of the 9th Battalion traversing the enemy lines, with incessant fire, immediately before No. 5 Platoon, B Company, set out on a daylight patrol, which led to the capture of the village of Cappy - 25th August, 1918
(Source: Australian War Memorial)
The last action of the Battalion was at Villeret on the 19th September, casualties being 10 officers and 43 other ranks.

The battalion suffered a total of 1094 killed, 2422 wounded during the war.

In November 1918 members of the AIF began to return to Australia for demobilisation and discharge. On 5th February 1919, the 9th and 10th Battalions were amalgamated.

The battalion received the following battle honours for the Western Front after the war:
  • Somme 1916
  • Somme 1918
  • Pozieres
  • Bullecourt
  • Ypres 1917
  • Menin Road
  • Polygon Wood Broodseinde Poelcappelle Passchendaele
  • Lys
  • Hazebrouck
  • Kemmel
  • Amiens
  • Albert 1918 Hindenburg Line
  • Epehy
  • France and Flanders 1916-1918

Following the end of World War I the 9th Infantry Regiment (Moreton Regiment) was formed, of which the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment was formed from the 9th Battalion, AIF, while the 2nd Battalion was formed from the previously existing militia unit known as the 7th Infantry (The Moreton Regiment).
[right] 9th Battalion (Moreton Regiment) brass hat badge - worn during the 1920s to 1945. The same pattern was worn up to 1960 though the version worn after World War 2 had a slightly different crown.

In 1919 the Army Council Instruction Number 444 ordered that all Australian Military Forces would in future carry AIF Battle Honours. That same year the Battalion provided a Royal Guard to King George V.

In 1921 the 9th Infantry Regiment became the 9th Battalion (Moreton Regiment), following an amalagamation of the 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment and the 5th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment.

In 1930, the Battalion linked with the 15th Battalion (Oxley Regiment), becoming the 9th/15th Battalion until 1934 and then linking with the 49th Battalion, becoming the 9th/49th Battalion until the outbreak of the Second World War.
A brief lineage of the battalion is as follows:
  • 1867–1879: The Spring Hill and Fortitude Valley Rifle Corps
  • 1879–1885: 1st Queensland (Moreton) Regiment
  • 1885–1903: 1st Queenslanders (The Moreton Regiment)
  • 1903–1912: 9th Australian Infantry Regiment (Moreton Regiment)
  • 1912–1918: 7th Infantry (Moreton Regiment)
  • 1918–1921: 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (The Moreton Regiment)
  • 1921–1930: 9th Battalion (The Moreton Regiment)
  • 1930–1934: 9th/15th Battalion (Moreton and Oxley Regiment)
  • 1934–1940: 9th/49th Battalion (Moreton and Stanley Regiment)
  • 1940–1945: 9th Battalion (The Moreton Regiment)
  • 1948–1960: 9th Battalion (The Moreton Regiment)
  • 1960–1965: 'A' Coy, 1st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment
  • 1965–Present: 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment.

The 9th Battalion today is made up of the following companies:
  • A Company, at Caboolture and Yandina
  • B Company, at Enoggera
  • C Company, at Loganlea
  • D Company, at Bundaberg, Maryborough and Gympie
  • Administration Company, at Enoggera

Battalion Headquarters is located at Enoggera. 9 RQR no longer has a Support Company, which was disbanded in 2002.

For those interested in the 9th Battalion, there are two books available on the battalion: Campaigning with the fighting 9th (in and out of the line with the 9th A.I.F.) by Clarrie Wrench MC
and
From Anzac to the Hindenburg Line : the history of the 9th Battalion, A.I.F. by Norman K. Harvey

A Brief history of the Militia 9th Battalion ...from 1860 to 1930