3rd Battalion (Australia)
| 3rd Battalion, AIF 3rd Battalion (The Werriwa Regiment) 3rd Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment |
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|---|---|
3rd Battalion on parade in Egypt, December 1914
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| Active | 1914–1919 1921–1943 1948–1960 1965–1987 |
| Country |
 Australia
|
| Allegiance | British Empire |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Line Infantry |
| Part of |
1st Brigade (World War I) 14th Brigade (World War II) 30th Brigade (World War II) |
| Colours | Brown over Green |
| Engagements | |
| Insignia | |
| Unit Colour Patch |  |
| Abbreviation | 3 RNSWR |
The 3rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised as part of the First Australian Imperial Force for service during World War I, the battalion formed part of the 1st Brigade, attached to the 1st Division. It was formed shortly after the war broke out and was among the first Australian units to be sent overseas, arriving in Egypt in December 1914. In April 1915 the battalion participated in the Landing at Anzac Cove, coming ashore in the second and third waves. In December 1915 the 3rd Battalion was evacuated from the Gallipoli peninsula and withdrawn to Egypt again, where it took part in the defence of the Suez Canal before being sent to France to fight on the Western Front in March 1916. For the next two and a half years the unit would serve in the trenches in France and Belgium and would take part in many of the major battles fought during that time. In May 1919, following the end of the war, the battalion was disbanded and its personnel repatriated back to Australia.
In 1921, the AIF was officially disbanded and the previously-existing militia units of the Australian Military Forces were reorganised in order to perpetuate the designations and battle honours of their associated AIF units. As a result, the 3rd Battalion (The Werriwa Regiment), was raised around the area to the west of Sydney. Between 1921 and 1939 the battalion underwent a number of reorganisations and merges due to the economic pressures brought about by the Great Depression and subsequently in 1930 the battalion was merged with the 4th Battalion (Australian Rifles), before being delinked in 1937, when it was amalgamated with the 53rd Battalion (West Sydney Regiment).
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