The Australian 1st Armoured Division was raised from 1941 onwards as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Its formation was inspired by the success of mass tank tactics in the early stages of World War II. The division was never fully formed and later in the war was referred to as the 1st Armoured Brigade Group.

Three regiments from the division saw combat against the Imperial Japanese Army, in the South West Pacific theatre of the Pacific War. In September 1942, the 2/6th Armoured Regiment, equipped with M3 Stuart light tanks, was deployed to New Guinea. Elements of the 2/6th served at the Battle of Buna-Gona.

During 1944-45 the 2/4th Armoured Regiment saw action in the Bougainville campaign and then in the Aitape-Wewak campaign in New Guinea, equipped with Matilda tanks.

The 2/9th Armoured Regiment, also using Matildas, served in the Borneo campaign (1945) , including the Australian amphibious landings at Tarakan, Sarawak, Brunei, Labuan and British Borneo in 1945.

(Other armoured units, such as the 1st Armoured Regiment, which also took part in the Borneo campaign, were not part of the 1st Armoured Division.)