The 25th Battalion was an infantry unit of the Australian Army. Raised in early 1915 as part of the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, the battalion fought at Gallipoli and in the trenches along the Western Front, before being disbanded in early 1919. In mid-1921, it was re-formed as a part-time unit based in the state of Queensland. Throughout the 1930s, the battalion was merged briefly with the 49th Battalion as a result of manpower shortages, but was later re-raised in its own right. During the Second World War, the 25th deployed to New Guinea where they fought the Battle of Milne Bay in August and September 1942. Later in the war, the 25th took part in the Bougainville Campaign. During the post-war period, the 25th Battalion became part of the Royal Queensland Regiment, variously forming battalion or company-sized elements, before being merged with the 49th Battalion to form the 25th/49th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment. History First World War Formed as part of the Australian Imperial Force for overseas service during the First World War, the 25th Battalion was formed at Enoggera in March 1915 from volunteers from the state of Queensland, and was assigned to the 7th Brigade. It had an authorised strength of 1,023 men. After undertaking a brief period of rudimentary training, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Paton, it departed Australia in July. After arriving in Egypt it was assigned to the newly formed Australian 2nd Division, but it was later detached to the New Zealand and Australian Division with whom the 25th Battalion briefly served as reinforcements at Gallipoli in the latter part of the campaign. Arriving in September, the battalion's involvement was limited to mainly defensive operations, and it remained on the peninsula for only a couple of months before the Allied evacuation in December. In mid-1916, after returning to Egypt the AIF was reorganised and expanded, and the 25th Battalion was returned to the 2nd Division, with which it subsequently served on the Western Front after being transferred to Europe. Its first significant battle there came at Pozières on 28 July 1916 where the battalion suffered heavily during a night-time attack on the heights, losing 12 officers and 350 other ranks killed or wounded, many of whom were caught in thick wire obstacles that had been left intact by the pre-attack artillery bombardment. A follow up attack on 4