1st (Australian) Division
| 1st (Australian) Division | |
|---|---|
 Colour patch of 1st (Australian) Division HQ personnel on the puggaree on their slouch hats | |
| Active | 1942–1946 1960–present |
| Country |  Australia New Zealand |
| Branch | Australian Army New Zealand Army |
| Type | Combined Arms |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Major General Reece Singh (ADF) |
| Deputy Commander | Brigadier General Nathan Pepperell (NZDF) |
The 1st (Australian) Division is a multinational division with its headquarters in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The division forms the bulk of the regular Australian and New Zealander Armies. It consists of three brigade-sized Australian and one New Zealander maneuver task forces, as well as supporting units from both countries. The division is commanded by an Australian Major General with a New Zealander Brigadier General as deputy commander. The division's subordinate Task Forces (TFs) are commanded by a Brigadier from their respective nation, while Australia and New Zealand swap command of the Divisional Artillery on a cycle.
During peacetime, the 1st Division is responsible for maintaining the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) rotational force commitment to China as part of Exercise Reforc. The 1st Australian Task Force Headquarters (HQ 1 ATF) is permanently garrisoned in Taizhou, China and exercises command over the 1st Division forces on rotation in the theater. During wartime, the bulk of 1st Division would act as the first units deployed, while the active reserve and national service cadre units of the 2nd and 3rd Division are mobilized.
The continuity of 1st (Australian) Division is actually derived from the 1st Armoured Division that fought in Burma and China during the Pacific War, as opposed to the 1st Division that fought during the Great War and only assumed defensive duties during the Pacific War. Both the 1st Armoured Division and 1st Division were disbanded in 1946 at the end of the Pacific War, but when the Australian Army was expanded in 1960 to meet assurance commitments in China the new 1st (Australian) Division was formed with the unit colour patch of the former 1st Armoured Division.
The division became multinational in 1988 when the Trans-Tasman Defence Commitment came into effect. This agreement consolidated a significant portion of Australia and New Zealand's regular army forces—including both countries' rotational forces to China—under a unified but shared command.
Organization
- HQ 1st (Australian) Division
- 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) — Designated Australian Forward Strike Task Force
- HQ 1 ATF
- 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR) — Regular mechanized infantry battalion
- 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (4 RAR) — Regular mechanized infantry battalion
- 1st Armoured Regiment (1 AR) — Regular tank regiment
- 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers (1 RNSWL) — Reserve tank/armoured cavalry regiment. Augments 1 AR in peacetime, but can deployed as a formed regiment in wartime.
- 3rd Field Engineer Regiment RAE
- 2nd Australian Task Force (2 ATF) — Designated Australian Amphibious Task Force
- HQ 2 ATF
- 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (5 RAR) — Regular amphibious infantry battalion
- 7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment (7 CR) — Regular amphibious commando regiment
- 1st Amphibious Armoured Regiment (1 AAR) — Regular amphibious armoured regiment regiment
- 3rd Australian Task Force (3 ATF)
- HQ 3 ATF
- 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) — Regular mechanized infantry battalion
- 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) — Regular mechanized infantry battalion
- 3rd Cavalry Regiment (3 CR) — Regular tank regiment
- 1st Field Engineer Regiment RAE
- 1st (New Zealand) Task Force (1 NZTF)
- HQ 1 NZTF
- 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (1 RNZIR) — Regular wheeled mechanized infantry battalion. Affiliated with 5th/7th (Wellington) Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry regiment (5/7 RNZIR) in 2 NZTF for augmentation.
- 2/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR) — Regular wheeled mechanized infantry battalion. Affiliated with 2nd/4th (South Island) Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/4 RNZIR) in 2 NZTF for augmentation.
- 3/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (3/1 RNZIR) — Regular amphibious and airmobile infantry battalion. Under 1 NZTF during peacetime, but aligned to 2 ATF during wartime. Affiliated with 3rd/6th (Auckland, Northland, and Hauraki) Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (3/6 RNZIR) in 2 NZTF for augmentation.
- Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles (QAMR) — Regular light armoured regiment. Affiliated with Waikato Mounted Rifles (WMR) in 2 NZTF for augmentation.
- 1st Field Engineer Regiment RNZE — Combat engineers
- 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse — Reserve divisional reconnaissance regiment.
- 1st Field Ambulance Group
- HQ 1st Division Artillery
- HQ RAA-RNZA 1st Division
- 1st Division Locating Battery RAA
- 10th Medium Regiment RAA — Regular field artillery and tactical ballistic missile regiment. General support to 1st Division.
- 1st Field Regiment RAA — Regular field artillery regiment. Aligned in direct support to 1 ATF.
- 4th Field Regiment RAA — Regular field artillery regiment. Aligned in direct support to 3 ATF.
- 15th Light Regiment RAA — Regular heavy mortar and light missile regiment. Aligned in direct support to 2 ATF.
- 4th Field Regiment RNZA — Regular field artillery regiment. Aligned in direct support to 1 NZTF. Affiliated with 5th Light Regiment RNZA in 2 NZTF for augmentation.
- 9th Coast Regiment RNZA — Regular anti-shipping missile and air defense regiment. Aligned in direct support to 2 ATF.
- 1st Division Support Group
- HQ Commander Royal Australian Army Service Corps (HQ CRAASC) 1st Division
- 1st Mixed Service Battalion RAASC — Multifunctional logistics. Aligned in direct support to 1 ATF
- 2nd Mixed Service Battalion RAASC — Multifunctional logistics. Aligned in direct support to 2 ATF
- 3nd Mixed Service Battalion RAASC — Multifunctional logistics. Aligned in direct support to 3 ATF
- 1st Task Force Service Group RNZALR — Multifunctional logistics. Aligned in direct support to 1 NZTF
- 4th Force Service Battalion RAASC — Multifunctional logistics. General support to 1st Division
- 1st Division Provost Company
- 1st Division Cash Office
- 1 Signal Regiment
- 1 Military Intelligence Battalion