A watan Janairun 1941, 'yan Australia sun shiga aiki a karo na farko a kusa da
Bardia. - Ta yaya? Duk da yake Brigade na 16 ya jagoranci hare-haren, an ba Brigade na 17 wani aiki na goyon baya. 2/7th Infantry Battalion ya ba da sashin ajiyar sashin, yayin da 2/6th ya ci gaba zuwa kudu na sansanin soja don karkatar da hankalin masu kare. Bayan da aka fara aiki, 2/5th da 2/7th sun tura ta hanyar rata ta 16th Brigade kuma sun ci gaba da kudu maso gabashin Italiya. Rundunar ta yi gwagwarmaya don samun ci gaba a wannan lokacin, duk da haka, kuma dole ne a karfafa ta da &lt;a href="2/11th%20Battalion%20%28Australia%29"&gt;2/11th Infantry Battalion&lt;/a&gt; daga Brigade na 19. Wannan ya biyo bayan kama Tobruk, wanda aka sake sanya Brigade na 17 a matsayin na biyu, yana ba da ƙarfafawa ga brigades masu kai hari. Bayan haka, Italiyanci sun fara komawa zuwa Tripoli. An tura Brigade na 17 a gaba, tare da 2/7th Infantry Battalion kama Barce sannan Marsa Brega kafin Brigade na 20 ya isa ya sauƙaƙe su, a matsayin wani ɓangare na shirye-shiryen sake turawa na 6 zuwa Girka don amsa alkawuran da za su kare kasar daga mamayewar Jamus. Daga nan sai brigade ya tattara a kusa da Amiriya, a Misira.