Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

World War 1 , Middle East, CONGDON, 28 Battalion, 1917

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1917

Overview

Informal outdoor portrait of Private Bertie Congdon in desert camp

Historical information

4703 Private Bertie Congdon of Jolimont enlisted on 6 February 1916 and was assigned to the 12th Reinforcement of 28 Battalion. He embarked from Fremantle on HMAT Aeneas on 17 April 1916 and returned to Australia on 15 September 1919.

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3275938
https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=59622

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-P1900.1122

Item type

Photographs

Themes

War and Conflict
War and Conflict > World War 1

Contextual Information

The 28th Battalion, formed on 16 April 1915 in Western Australia, was initially composed of recruits designated for the 24th Battalion. Departing Australia in June 1915, the battalion trained in Egypt for two months before landing at Gallipoli on 10 September as part of the 7th Brigade. At Gallipoli, they bolstered the exhausted New Zealand and Australian Division, experiencing a relatively quiet deployment before withdrawing in December with minimal casualties.

Following Gallipoli, the battalion returned to Egypt before moving to the Western Front in France as part of the 2nd Australian Division. Their first major engagement was at Pozieres, from late July to early August 1916. After a quieter period in Belgium, the battalion faced tough fighting near Flers, in the Somme Valley, in October. Throughout 1917, the 28th Battalion primarily served in supporting roles but participated actively in the second battle of Bullecourt, and notably, captured its objectives within seven minutes during the third phase of the battle of Menin Road. They were also engaged in the muddy battle of Poelcappelle.

In 1918, the 28th played a key role in countering the German spring offensive and later joined the Allied counteroffensive starting on 8 August, which led to the German retreat. They were instrumental in securing crossings over the Somme River and advancing beyond Mont St Quentin. The battalion's final actions involved breaking through the Beaurevoir Line in early October. The unit began demobilizing in January 1919, and was formally disbanded in March 1919.

Year

1917

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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