In 1957, the battalion was re-raised as part of the Citizens Military Force, perpetuating the battle honours of the previously existing units that had fought during the First and Second World Wars.

[1] After only two months training the battalion was among the first Australian units to be deployed overseas, arriving in Egypt on 2 December 1914.

In August, the battalion took part in the attack on Lone Pine after which they were involved in the defensive stalemate that ensued until they were evacuated from the peninsula along with the rest of the force in December 1915.

[1] After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, the battalion returned to Egypt where the AIF underwent a period of expansion and reorganisation.

From 14–26 March Alick Bryant, who is believed to have been the youngest Australian soldier to serve during the war, was posted to the battalion while it fought in the Somme Valley.

The battalion subsequently participated in the final Allied offensive of the war—the Hundred Days Offensive—which was launched near Amiens on 8 August 1918.

The battalion continued operations to late September 1918, when the Australian Corps was withdrawn from the line for rest and reorganisation.

[1] During the war while the units of the AIF had been deployed overseas, the militia had remained in Australia on home service, during which they were called up to provide service at installations considered vital to the war effort such as ports, military bases and ammunition factories, as well as manning coastal defences.

[7] Over the course of the war, although there was some attempt to limit the numbers of militiamen joining the AIF, especially in the trades considered vital to national defence such as garrison artillery and engineers,[8] large numbers of the militia volunteered for service with the AIF during the war, to the extent that many militia units ceased to exist in as effective units.

[3][11] In 1929, following the election of the Scullin Labor government, the compulsory training scheme was suspended once again and it was decided that the militia would be maintained on a voluntary, part-time basis only.

From the outset it was decided to raise this force with little impact upon the militia, as it was felt that there was a need to build up the defences in Australia due to concerns that Britain might not be able to fulfill its pledge to defend Singapore if the Japanese were to attack.

[2] A month later the brigade was moved to Western Australia where they remained for the next two years, carrying out various garrison duties such as training, building and manning defensive positions and providing a labour force.

[2] At the end of 1943 the 8th Brigade was moved to North Queensland and in January 1944, it was reallocated to the 5th Division and deployed to New Guinea.

[2] As the campaign progressed the 8th Brigade was tasked with clearing the Madang–Bagadjim area and the 4th Battalion carried out patrols between the Maclay River and Bostrem Bay.

[2] In May, the brigade went on the offensive against the Japanese forces located to the north of Alexishafen in order to support the 6th Division's campaign in the Aitape–Wewak region.

At the same the Australian Army was reorganised with the introduction of the Pentropic divisional structure and the old regional militia units subsumed into six State-based regiments.

[18] As a result, the CMF was greatly reduced in size and many infantry units were absorbed into the new battalions that were organised according to the Pentropic establishment.