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.

[7] 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.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the division's infantry – the 14th and 15th Brigades – were to complete the move on foot, a march of 57 kilometres (35 mi) from the Anzac camp at Tel el Kebir.

[12][14] Throughout late March to the end of May, concurrently with completing the process of training and equipping,[15] the division's brigades rotated through the positions forward of Ferry Post.

[16] Throughout June, the division returned to Moascar, where reinforcements were received to bring units up to their authorised strengths in preparation for their transfer to Europe, to join the fighting on the Western Front.

The aim was to reduce the slight German salient known as the "Sugar Loaf", north-west of the German-held town of Fromelles, and was primarily intended, according to historian Chris Coulthard-Clark, "to assist the main offensive which British forces had launched along the Somme River 80 kilometres to the south on 1 July".

[28] By the time the attack was ready to be launched, its purpose as a preliminary diversion to the main action at the Somme had passed, yet Haking and his army commander, General Sir Charles Monro, were keen to go ahead.

[47] Beginning on 24 February 1917, having endured a bitter winter on the Somme,[48] the division joined the pursuit, skirmishing with the German screen covering the withdrawal.

On 17 March 1917, the 30th Battalion attacked towards Bapaume,[49] the objective of the previous year's Somme offensive, and found the town abandoned, a smoking ruin.

[50][51] The 15th Brigade, being employed as an advanced guard (or flying column),[52] pushed south of Bapaume until, having lost touch with the British Fourth Army units on its flank, was ordered to halt.

On 12 May, the division helped advance the line on the flank of the British VII Corps, after which a strong German counterattack was repulsed on 15 May.

The German assault, for the first time spearheaded by tanks, succeeded in capturing the town and neighbouring woods from the British 8th Division.

The Australian 14th Brigade mounted a strong defence in its sector, and managed to hold the high ground around Hill 104, setting the conditions for a counter-attack later that night.

[77] Meanwhile, a diversionary infantry assault was put in by the Germans against the 8th Brigade's positions north of the Somme, with the 29th Battalion suffering heavy losses.

[81][82] In the period leading up to the final Allied offensive, Australian divisions used Peaceful Penetration to continually harass their German opposition.

[84] On 8 August 1918, the Allies launched the Hundred Days offensive around Amiens, which ultimately broke the deadlock on the Western Front.

The 15th Brigade, following up the 14th, assisted with mopping up, capturing the rest of the town,[92] before pushing the line towards Bretagne and St Denis.

[94] A British general, Henry Rawlinson, later described the Australian advances of 31 August – 4 September through Peronne and Mont St Quentin as the greatest military achievement of the war.

[97] Even in the 5th Division, though, manpower was stretched, due to heavy casualties during the earlier battles and decreased reinforcements arriving from Australia.

[101][102] After this, the division struck towards the Beaurevoir Line, capturing Joncourt, on its edge by 1 October 1918, and began sending patrols to Le Catelet.

The division remained out of the line until the end of the war,[107] after which its personnel were returned to Australia in drafts,[108] and its constituent units were gradually amalgamated, and then disbanded.

On 29 March 1919, the staff of the 2nd and 5th Divisions combined to form 'B' Divisional Group, effectively disbanding the formation, while the individual brigades ceased exist by the end of April 1919.

Meanwhile, the northern Queensland-based infantry battalions remained un-brigaded, and were dispersed between Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Maryborough, assuming a mobile defensive role.

[117] After being established at Marist Brothers College, Ashgrove,[118] in Brisbane, several advanced parties were sent north to Aitkenvale during April and May, as the division assumed responsibility for the defence of Townsville.

Under the command of Major General Edward Milford, who took over from Durrant after just a couple of weeks,[117] the division was spread across a large area including Pudilliba, Rollingstone, Castle Hill, Vantassel Creek, Woodstock, Giru, Stuart and Muntalunga, where they established a series of defensive positions and localities.

[117] This plan was short-lived, and on 23 August 1943, the divisional headquarters, under Milford moved to the north coast of New Guinea, to take over the Salamaua campaign in its final stages.

Landing at Nassau Bay, the headquarters took over from the 3rd Division and assumed control of its subordinate troops:[124] the Australian 15th, 17th and 29th Brigades, and the US 162nd Infantry Regiment.

[126] After being re-designated once again as the 5th Division, the headquarters moved to Finschafen, assuming control of the 4th and 8th Brigades, and taking over the advance along the Rai coast towards Madang, which was secured in April 1944.

These troops had largely confined themselves to the western end of the island, while the Japanese had concentrated in the east around their strong hold at Rabaul.

A second brigade – the 13th – arrived in December, deploying from Darwin,[129] after which the Australians began a campaign to secure a defensive line across the island between Wide Bay and Open Bay, advancing along both the northern and southern coasts in an effort to restrict the Japanese to a narrow area on the Gazelle Peninsula, at the eastern end of the island.