The 43rd Battalion was an Australian Army infantry unit that was originally formed during the First World War as part of the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force. Raised in early 1916, the battalion subsequently fought in the trenches of the Western Front from late 1916 until the end of the war in November 1918. After the war, the 43rd was re-raised as a part-time unit in South Australia, serving until 1930 when it was merged with the 48th Battalion. During the Second World War, the 43rd was briefly re-raised between 1942 and 1944, but did not see action before it was disbanded. After the war, the 43rd and 48th were once again merged, existing until 1960 when they became part of the Royal South Australia Regiment. History First World War The 43rd Battalion was raised on 7 March 1916, in Australia during the expansion of Australian Imperial Force (AIF), which took place at the end of the Gallipoli Campaign. Assigned to the 11th Brigade, it formed part of the 3rd Division, and was raised from volunteers drawn mainly from the state of South Australia. With an authorised strength of 1,023 men, after a period of rudimentary training in Australia, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Gordon, the 43rd Battalion departed Australia in June 1916 aboard the transport Afric, bound for the United Kingdom. Sailing via Egypt, they undertook further training on Salisbury Plain, before the 3rd Division was sent to France in late 1916, where they joined the other four infantry divisions of the AIF. For the next two years, the battalion fought in the trenches along the Western Front in France and Belgium, taking part in several major battles. Its first significant action came during the Battle of Messines in June 1917, as part of the successful, but costly, effort to capture the Wytschaete–Messines Ridge near the salient that had developed in the frontline around Ypres. Later, in October 1917, the 43rd took part the Third Battle of Ypres, attacking around Broodseinde at the start of the month and then around Passchendaele a week later. During the fighting around Broodseinde, the 43rd formed part of the 3rd Division's spearhead and was successful in helping them advance over , while during the attack on Passchendaele the battalion formed part of the divisional reserve along with the rest of the 11th Brigade and was committed to the front line late after