Forming part of the 4th Brigade which was commanded by Colonel John Monash, the battalion was assigned to the New Zealand and Australian Division.

[3] In Egypt further training was undertaken and then on 25 April 1915 the battalion took part in the landing and subsequent campaign at Gallipoli, where Albert Jacka, then a lance-corporal, earned the Victoria Cross for bravery during a Turkish counterattack in May.

[3] At Amiens, the battalion advanced in the centre of the brigade along the Hamel–Cerisy road amid a blanket of fog, and seized the village of Morcourt in the second phase of the attack along the Australian front.

Its final engagement came in late September and early the following month, the units of the Australian Corps were withdrawn from the line and were subsequently in the rear when the Armistice occurred on 11 November 1918.

[10] Based in the southeast Melbourne area in Victoria and drawing its manpower from three previously existing Citizen Forces units—the 2nd and 5th Battalions of the 14th Infantry Regiment, and 29th (Port Phillip) Light Horse[8][11]—to the preserve the honours and traditions of the AIF unit, the newly raised battalion adopted its unit colour patch and took custody of the battle honours that they had received during World War I.

[8] Upon formation, the 14th Battalion was once again placed under the command of the 4th Brigade, however, under the new structure, it was assigned at divisional level to the 3rd Division, which was part of the 3rd Military District (Victoria).

[8] The manpower issue became more critical in 1930, as a result of the combined effects of the suspension of the compulsory training scheme and the economic hardships the Great Depression.

In January 1940, the compulsory training scheme was re-established, and Militia units were progressively called up to undertake periods of continuous service throughout 1940 and 1941 to improve the nation's level of military preparedness.

[15][18] In late 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and invasion of Malaya, the battalion was called up for full-time war service.