History

This Month In Australian Military History

August

Date	Year	Title	Event
1 August	1917	Third battle of Ypres begins	Known as the battle of Paschendaele, the third battle of Ypres was the collective name given to campaign that lasted until November 1917 aimed at capturing the Gheluvelt Plateau in southern Belgium. The actions in which Australians took part were Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle and Paschendaele.
2 August	1941	Last major action involving Australians at Tobruk.	After its capture Tobruk was garrisoned by the 9th Division , elements of the 7th Division and other Allied units. The town was surrounded on three sides by the German Afrika Korps in April and remained besieged, but able to be re-supplied by sea, until December. Most Australian, however, left Tobruk between August and October.
2 August	1990	Iraq invades Kuwait	The invasion began the series of events that led to the Gulf War of 1991.
3 August	1860	Second Maori War begins	British troops in Australia were sent to fight the Maoris and the campaign was controlled by the commander of imperial forces in Australia until the New Zealand Command was separated from Australia in 1861. The colony of Victoria sent its ship Victoria and about 2,500 Australians joined either the Waikato Militia Regiment or the Company of Forest Rangers in the fighting around Waikato.
3 August	1914	Australia offers assistance to Great Britain in the event of war.	Australian Government offers to place vessels of the Royal Australian Navy under control of the British Admiralty and to raise a force of 20,000 troops in the event of war in Europe.
3 August	1916	Battle of Romani	Australian Light Horse involved in the battle of Romani, Egypt. The battle signalled the end of the defence of the Suez canal and the beginning of a bolder offensive strategy against the Turks in the Middle East.
4 August	1900	Battle Elands River	Bushmen from 5 Australian colonies and other British Empire troops became involved in the defence of a staging post in Western Transvaal against a force of between 2-3,000 Boers. The siege lasted two weeks before the Boers withdrew in the face of overwhelming British reinforcements. .
4 August	1914	Great Britain declares war on Germany	Australia pledged a force of 20,000 to be placed at Britain's disposal but by the end of the war over 400,000 Australians were in uniform.
5 August	1944	Mass break out of Japanese prisoners at Cowra POW camp, NSW	This was the largest ever mass escape from a prisoner of war camp. 378 Japanese prisoner succeeded in escaping the camp and 231 were killed or died of wounds during the mass escape. Three Australian guards died in the fighting immediately following the escape and another was killed during attempts to round up escapees in the surrounding countryside.
6 August	1915	Battle for Lone Pine begins on Gallipoli.	The Lone Pine operation was planned as a diversion to draw Turkish reserves away from a major British attack to be launched at the northern end of the Australian and New Zealand position on Gallipoli. The Australians suffered more than 2,200 casualties at Lone Pine and the Turks over 5,000. Seven Australians were awarded the Victoria Cross.
6 August	1945	First atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.	Hiroshima was chosen as the target for the dropping of the first atomic bomb as it had been, to that point, untouched by United States air raids. It was believed that attacking a hitherto untouched city would demonstrate the awesome power of atomic weapons. The bomb was dropped by a United States B29 bomber nicknamed Enola Gay and was estimated to have killed some 140,000 people by August 1946.
7 August	1915	Australians charge at the Nek.	Charge of the Australian Light Horse Brigade against Turkish position at the Nek, Gallipoli, with horrific results.
8 August	1900	New South Wales and Victorian contingent sail for China to assist in quelling the Boxer Rebellion.	With many Australian soldiers fighting in South Africa, Australia's commitment to the Boxer Rebellion in China was a naval one.
8 August	1915	Lance Corporal L. Keysor, VC.	Lance Corporal L. Keysor, 1st Battalion, originally from London, wins the Victoria Cross at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.
8 August	1916	Battle for Moquet Farm.	Moquet Farm, near Pozieres, was the focus of nine separate attacks by Australian troops between 8 August and 3 September 1916. Some 11,000 Australians were killed or wounded in the fighting around Moquet Farm.
8 August	1918	Battle for Amiens begins.	The fighting that included the Battle for Amiens succeeded to the extent that the German high command referred to 8 August as the black day of the German Army. After 8 August the Germans believed that they would inevitably lose the war.
8 August	1918	Lieutenant A.E. Gaby, VC.	Lieutenant A.E. Gaby, 28th Battalion, originally from Springfield, Tasmania, wins the Victoria Cross at Villers Bretonneux. (Posthumous Award)
8-9 August	1915	Lieutenant W.J. Symons, VC.	Lieutenant W.J. Symons, 7th Battalion, originally from Bendigo, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.
9 August	1915	Corporal A.S. Burton, VC.	Corporal A.S. Burton, 7th Battalion AIF, originally from Kyneton, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.
9 August	1915	Corporal W. Dunstan, VC.	Corporal W. Dunstan, 7th Battalion, originally from Ballarat, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.
9 August	1915	Private J. Hamilton, VC	Private J. Hamilton, 3rd Battalion, originally from Orange, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.
9 August	1915	Captain A.J. Shout, VC.	Captain A.J. Shout, 1st Battalion, originally from New Zealand, wins the Victoria Cross at Lone Pine, Gallipoli. (Posthumous award).
9 August	1915	Captain F.H. Tubb, VC.	Captain F.H. Tubb, 7th Battalion, originally from Longwood, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.
9 August	1918	Private R.M. Beatham, VC.	Private R.M. Beatham, 8th Battalion, originally from Cumberland, United Kingdom, wins the Victoria Cross at Rosiéres, east of Amiens. (Posthumous award).
9 August	1942	HMAS Canberra sunk	HMAS Canberra sunk in Battle of Savo Island. The Canberra was among a fleet of United States and Australian warships supporting the United States Marines' landings on Guadalcanal.
9 August	1945	Nagasaki bombed	Nagasaki was the second Japanese city to suffer a nuclear attack. Japan surrendered shortly afterwards.
9-12 August	1916	Private M. O'Meara, VC.	Private M. O'Meara, 16th Battalion, originally from County Tipperary, Ireland, wins the Victoria Cross at Pozieres.
10 August	1914	Voluntary recruitment for the 1st AIF begins.	Despite two conscription referenda in 1916 and 1917 Australia's army remained a volunteer force throughout the war.
10 August	1919	Corporal A. Sullivan, VC.	Corporal A. Sullivan, 45th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (ex AIF), originally from Crystal Brook, South Australia, wins the Victoria Cross at Dvina River, North Russia.
11 August	1900	Protector leaves Sydney for China.	The Protector was the flagship of South Australia's naval force. She played a limited role in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion but went on to become the longest-serving ship in Australia.
12 August	1918	Sergeant P.C. Statton, VC.	Sergeant P.C. Statton, 40th Battalion, originally from Beaconsfield, Tasmania, wins the Victoria Cross at Proyart, France.
13 August	1914	Establishment of the Australian Red Cross	Establishment of the Australian Red Cross to raise funds to purchase comfort supplies for Australian service personnel overseas. The Australian Red Cross was established by Lady Helen Munro-Ferguson.
13 August	1940	Air Crash in Canberra	The crash killed three United Australia Party ministers and the Chief of General Staff.
13 August	1941	Australian Women's Army Service formed.	The Australian Women's Army Service was established to release men from certain military duties for service with fighting units. Members of the Australian Women's Army Service served in a variety of roles including clerks, typists, cooks and drivers. In 1945 a contingent was sent to Lae and another group was sent to Holland.
14 August	1900	Boxer rebellion in China ends	Some 460 Australians served in China and six were killed.
15 August	1945	VP (Victory in the Pacific) Day.	Emperor Hirohito announces Japan's unconditional surrender.
16-17 August	1900	Imperial Bushmen in action at Buffels Hoek, South Africa.	Five Australians were killed and 11 wounded in this action during a British advance from Mafeking to Zeerust.
18 August	1966	Battle of Long Tan.	Battle of Long Tan. D Company, 6RAR, supported by artillery beats off attacks by a combined enemy main force regiment and provincial battalion.
18 August	1971	Australian Government announces withdrawal from Vietnam.	Australian Government announces that 1ATF will be withdrawn before Christmas 1971 and logisitc support force shortly thereafter.
19 August	1914	Expeditionary force sails from Australia to capture German possessions in the Pacific.	Expeditionary force sails from Australia to capture German possessions in the Pacific.
20 August	1943	Brock's Creek bombed by Japanese aircraft.	Brock's Creek was bombed by 8 times by Japanese aircraft during 1943..
21 August	1915	Last major fighting on Gallipoli takes place at Hill 60.	The fighting at Hill 60 on 21 and 27 August was the last major action of the Gallipoli campaign. The operations at Hill 60 were intended to widen and strengthen the corridor that connected the newly landed British force at Suvla Bay with the beach-head at ANZAC.
21 August	1950	K Force recruiting campaign begins in Australia.	The raising of K Force was the last time that a volunteer force was raised in Australia to serve in a particular conflict.
22 August	1942	18th Australian Brigade land at Milne Bay, New Guinea.	With the arrival of the 18th Brigade Allied troops in the Milne Bay area now numbered more than 8,800. The fighting at Milne Bay resulted in the first defeat of a Japanese land force in the Second World War.
23 August	1918	Lieutenant W.D. Joynt, VC.	Lieutenant W.D. Joynt, 8th Battalion, originally from Elsternwick, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross at Herleville Wood, France.
23 August	1918	Lieutenant L.D. McCarthy	Lieutenant L.D. McCarthy, 16th Battalion, originally from York, Western Australia, wins the Victoria Cross at Madame Wood, France.
24 August	1916	Official inauguration of the Australian Comforts Fund (ACF).	The ACF coordinated the activities of the various state 'patriotic funds' set up in 1914 to collect money to send comforts parcels to service personnel overseas.
25 August	1942	Battle of Milne Bay begins.	The fighting at Milne Bay resulted in the first defeat of the Japanese on land in the Second World War.
26 August	1916	6th Australian Brigade attacks Moquet Farm on the Somme.	Moquet Farm, near Pozieres, was the focus of nine separate attacks by Australian troops between 8 August and 3 September 1916. Some 11,000 Australians were killed or wounded in the fighting around Moquet Farm.
27 August	1918	Lance Corporal B.S. Gordon	Lance Corporal B.S. Gordon, 41st Battalion, originally from Launceston, Tasmania, wins the Victoria Cross near Bray, France.
28 August	1945	Australian destroyers enter Tokyo Bay.	Ships of the Royal Australian Navy joined Royal Navy and United States Navy ships in Tokyo Bay to receive the main Japanese surrender on 2 September.
29 August	1919	Sergeant S.G. Pearse	Sergeant S.G. Pearse, 45th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (ex-AIF), originally from Glamorganshire, United Kingdom, wins the Victoria Cross at north of Emsta, North Russia. (Posthumous award).
29 August	1942	Private B. Kingsbury, VC	Private B. Kingsbury, 2/14th Battalion, originally from Melbourne, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross at Isurava, New Guinea. (Posthumous award).
29 - 30 August	1915	2nd Lieutenant H.V. Throssell, VC.	2nd Lieutenant H.V. Throssell, 10th Light Horse Regiment, originally from Northam, Western Australia, wins the Victoria Cross at Hill 60, Gallipoli.
30 August	1968	Death of C.E.W. Bean.	Bean did more than any other individual to establish the Australian War Memorial. He was also responsible for writing six volumes of the Official History of Australia in the war of 1914-1918 and editing the remaining volumes.
31 August	1918	Battle of Mont St. Quentin begins.	Mont St. Quentin, overlooking the town of Peronne was the scene of a famous Australian action under the leadership of Lieutenant General Sir John Monash. The depleted Australian divisions won an impressive victory against the German defenders, capturing some 2,600 prisoners. This battle was considered by many to have been the crowning achievement of the Australian Imperial Force in the First World War.
31 August	1918	Private G. Cartwright, VC.	Private G. Cartwright, 33rd Battalion, originally from London, wins the Victoria Cross at Rood Wood near Peronne.