The 5th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army which served during the First and Second World Wars. The division was formed in February 1916 as part of the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force infantry brigades. In addition to the existing 8th Brigade were added the new 14th and 15th Brigades, which had been raised from the battalions of the 1st and 2nd Brigades respectively. From Egypt the division was sent to France and then Belgium, where they served in the trenches along the Western Front until the end of the war in November 1918. After the war ended, the division was demobilised in 1919. The division was re-raised as a Militia formation during the Second World War, and was mobilised for the defence of North Queensland in 1942, when it was believed that the area was a prime site for an invasion by Japanese forces. Most of the division was concentrated in the Townsville area, although the 11th Brigade was detached for the defence of Cairns and Cape York. In 1943, the division took part in the final stages of the Salamaua–Lae campaign, in New Guinea, and then later in 1944 captured Madang during the Huon Peninsula campaign. In 1944–1945, the division was committed to the New Britain campaign, before being relieved in July 1945. The division was disbanded in September 1945 following the end of the war. First World War Formation in Egypt, 1916 In early 1916, following the unsuccessful Gallipoli campaign, the Australian government decided to expand the size of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). At the time there were two Australian divisions in Egypt: the 1st and 2nd. The 3rd Division was raised in Australia, while the 1st Division was split up to provide a cadre upon which to raise the 4th and 5th Divisions. The 14th and 15th Brigades were formed from the 1st and 2nd Brigades, while the division's third brigade, the 8th, comprised newly formed battalions that had recently arrived from Australia and were unattached at divisional level. On formation at Tel el Kebir in February 1916, the 5th Division joined II Anzac Corps, and its main element was its three infantry brigades: the 8th, 14th and 15th. Upon formation, each brigade consisted of around 4,000 personnel, organised into four infantry battalions. When the more experienced I Anzac Corps embarked for France at the end of the month, they took