19th Brigade (Australia)

19th Brigade
Troops from the 2/4th Battalion in Syria, October 1941
Active	1940–1945
Country	Australia
Allegiance	Australian Crown
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~3,500 personnel
Part of	6th Division
Commanders
Notable commanders	Horace Robertson George Vasey
Insignia
Headquarters unit colour patch

The 19th Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army that was raised as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force for service during World War II. It was briefly raised in 1912 as a Militia formation providing training as part of the compulsory training scheme. Later, during World War II, the brigade was established in April 1940 in Palestine as a triangular formation, the brigade was created by transferring one infantry battalion from three other brigades. It was subsequently assigned to the 6th Division. Throughout 1941, the brigade fought in North Africa, Greece and on Crete, before undertaking garrison duties in Syria, remaining there until January 1942. Following the Japanese entry into the war, the 19th Brigade was withdrawn to Australia and subsequently undertook garrison duties in Darwin. It did not see combat again until late in the war, when it was committed to the Aitape–Wewak campaign in 1944–1945. The brigade was disbanded in December 1945 in Puckapunyal.