Editing 3rd Division (Australia) (section)

===Inter-war years===
{{command structure
|name= Order of Battle, 3rd Division
|date=c. 1921
|parent=
|subordinate=
* [[4th Brigade (Australia)|4th Infantry Brigade]]<ref name=Palazzo63>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=63}}</ref>
** [[14th Battalion (Australia)|14th Battalion]]
** [[22nd Battalion (Australia)|22nd Battalion]]
** [[29th Battalion (Australia)|29th Battalion]]
** [[46th Battalion (Australia)|46th Battalion]]
* [[10th Brigade (Australia)|10th Infantry Brigade]]<ref name=Palazzo63/>
** [[24th Battalion (Australia)|24th Battalion]]
** [[37th Battalion (Australia)|37th Battalion]]
** [[39th Battalion (Australia)|39th Battalion]]
** [[48th Battalion (Australia)|48th Battalion]]
* [[15th Brigade (Australia)|15th Infantry Brigade]]<ref name=Palazzo63/>
** [[57th Battalion (Australia)|57th Battalion]]
** [[58th Battalion (Australia)|58th Battalion]]
** [[59th Battalion (Australia)|59th Battalion]]
** [[60th Battalion (Australia)|60th Battalion]]
* 3rd Divisional Australian Army Service Corps<ref name=Palazzo63/>
* 3rd Divisional Field Ambulance
** 4th Field Ambulance
** 10th Field Ambulance
** 15th Field Ambulance
** 3rd Field Hygiene Section
* 3rd Divisional Artillery<ref name=Palazzo63/>
** 2nd Field Brigade
** 4th Field Brigade
** 8th Field Brigade
* 3rd Division Engineers<ref name=Palazzo63/>
** 3rd Field Park Company
** 4th Field Company
** 10th Field Company
** 15th Field Company
* 3rd Division Signals
* 3rd Mobile Veterinary Section<ref name=Palazzo63/>
}}
Following the end of the war, the AIF was disbanded and the focus of Australia's military forces was the units of the [[Australian Army Reserve|Citizens Force]]. Between 1918 and 1921, as the demobilisation process was completed, this force existed in a state of flux, however, in 1921 planning for the post war Army was finally completed.<ref>{{harvnb|Kuring|2004|p=94}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Grey|2008|p=125}}</ref> On 1 May 1921 the 3rd Division was re-raised in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] as part of the 3rd Military District. Upon formation it consisted of three four-battalion brigades—the [[4th Brigade (Australia)|4th Brigade]], 10th Brigade and [[15th Brigade (Australia)|15th Brigade]]—and various supporting units including artillery, engineers, signals, transport and medical.<ref name=Palazzo63/><ref>
{{cite web | title = 3rd Australian Infantry Division (ACMF) | publisher = Digger History | url = http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-conflicts-periods/ww2/pages-2aif-cmf/03_div_acmf.htm| access-date= 30 October 2010}}</ref>

At this time, the existing infantry battalions of the Citizens Force were redesignated to perpetuate the numerical designations of the AIF, and although an attempt was made to allocate these designations based on regional considerations, ultimately this was not always possible and ultimately when the 3rd Division was re-established, only two of its component battalions—the 37th and [[39th Battalion (Australia)|39th Battalions]]—had previously been assigned to the division.<ref name=p64>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=64}}</ref>

With a peacetime establishment of about 16,000 personnel (18,400 upon mobilisation), the division was brought up to strength through the [[Conscription in Australia|compulsory training scheme]].<ref name=p64/> Initially the system worked well and a number of the division's subunits reported being above establishment, however, this did not last long. In 1922, the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] was signed and theoretically alleviated Australia's security concerns about Japanese expansion in the Pacific. As a result, the Army's budget was halved and as the scope of the compulsory training scheme was scaled back, the authorised strength of each infantry battalion was reduced to just 409 men of all ranks.<ref>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|pp=65–67}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Horner|1995|pp=191–192}}</ref> The division's artillery was also reduced, with one field battery in each artillery brigade being disbanded at this time.<ref>{{harvnb|Horner|1995|p=192}}</ref> As a result of the subsequent reorganisation, the 3rd Division's artillery consisted of three artillery brigades, the 2nd, 4th and 8th.<ref>{{harvnb|Horner|1995|p=194}}</ref>

In 1929 the compulsory training scheme was suspended following the election of the [[James Scullin|Scullin]] [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] government. In its place a new system was introduced whereby the Citizens Force would be maintained on a part-time, voluntary basis only.<ref name=Grey138>{{harvnb|Grey|2008|p=138}}</ref> It was also renamed the "Militia" at this time.<ref>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2001|p=110}}</ref> The decision to suspend compulsory training, coupled with the economic downturn of the [[Great Depression]] meant that the manpower of many Militia units dropped considerably and as a result a number of units were amalgamated.<ref>{{harvnb|Keogh|1965|p=44}}</ref> As a part of this process, the division was reduced from 12 infantry battalions to nine as six battalions were merged to form new amalgamated units—[[29th/22nd Battalion (Australia)|29th/22nd]], [[37th/52nd Battalion (Australia)|37th/52nd]] and [[57th/60th Battalion (Australia)|57th/60th Battalions]].<ref name=p69/> To a large extent, however, these were hollow structures and by 1931 the 3rd Division's overall establishment was just 4,505 men all ranks.<ref name=p69>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=69}}</ref>

Throughout the 1930s the number of active personnel remained low and out of necessity training opportunities were limited.<ref>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=76}}</ref> After 1936, however, the Army attempted to improve the conditions of service for its members and to reinvigorate the training program, while individual units began to undertake their own recruiting campaigns.<ref>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=82}}</ref> Nevertheless, it was not until 1938, as tensions grew in Europe and the prospect of war became more likely, that an attempt was made to expand the establishment of the Militia. At this time an effort was made to determine the readiness of the Militia to expand if mobilised. During the continuous training camps undertaken throughout 1938, each component unit was assessed with mixed results.<ref>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=72}}</ref> The following year, 1939, saw further expansion and by the end of April of that year, the division's posted strength had grown to 9,589 personnel.<ref>{{harvnb|Palazzo|2002|p=86}}</ref> As a part of this expansion, the divisional artillery was expanded by the re-raising of the batteries that had been disbanded in 1922.<ref>{{harvnb|Horner|1995|p=208}}</ref>