was used to re-form a new brigade. Three Militia battalions were assigned, the 7th, 8th and 27th Battalions. Reassigned to the 12th Division, after garrison duty in Darwin and training in northern Queensland, the 23rd Brigade saw action in 1944–1945 against the Japanese on Bougainville. Ostensibly the 8th Division ceased to exist in 1942; however, one of its artillery regiments, the 2/14th, which had remained in Darwin when the 23rd Brigade deployed, continued to serve until 1946, albeit attached to the 9th and 5th Divisions during their campaigns in New Guinea. During the fighting in Malaya, Singapore, Ambon, Timor and Rabaul the 8th Division lost over 10,000 men, including 2,500 killed in action, with this figure representing two-thirds of all deaths sustained by the Australian Army in the Pacific. One of the division's infantry battalions, the 2/19th, lost more men killed in action than any other 2nd AIF unit. Additionally, of those captured, one in three died in captivity. Commanders The following officers commanded the 8th Division: Major General Vernon Sturdee (1940) Major General Gordon Bennett (1940–1942) Structure The following units were assigned to the 8th Division: Infantry units (with state of origin, where applicable) 22nd Brigade, New South Wales, (NSW) 2/18th Battalion 2/19th Battalion 2/20th Battalion 23rd Brigade 2/21st Battalion, Victoria, (Vic.) 2/22nd Battalion, Vic. 2/40th Battalion, Tasmania, (Tas.) 24th Brigade – to 9th Division, 1940 27th Brigade – from 9th Division, 1941 2/26th Battalion, Queensland (Qld) 2/29th Battalion, Vic. 2/30th Battalion, NSW Artillery regiments 2/9th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (RAA) – to 7th Division, 1940–1941 2/10th Field Regiment, RAA 2/11th Field Regiment, RAA – to 7th Division, 1940 2/14th Field Regiment, RAA 2/15th Field Regiment, RAA 2/3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, RAA – to 9th Division, 1940 2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment, RAA Other units 2/4th Machine-Gun Battalion, Western Australia (WA) 2/4th Pioneer Battalion 8th Divisional Cavalry – to 9th Division, as 9th Divisional Cavalry, May 1941. Engineer companies 2/10th Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers (RAE), Vic. 2/11th Field Company, RAE, Qld 2/12th Field Company, RAE, NSW 2/6th Field Park Company, RAE 2/4th Field Park Company, RAE, WA – to 9th Division, 1940–1941 Medical 2/10th Australian General Hospital 2/13th Australian General Hospital 2/9th Australian Field Ambulance 2/10th Australian Field Ambulance including Australian Army Service Corps transport elements 2/4th Australian Casualty Clearing Station 2/2nd Australian Mobile Bacteriological Laboratory See also American-British-Dutch-Australian Command British Far East Command Notes References Further reading External links