 Complete the following phrase:  The brigade was raised as a Militia formation in December 1941 in response to Japans entry into the war. The brigades headquarters was opened in Sydney, New South Wales, although its constituent units were formed from a number of Australian states. Upon establishment the brigade was raised as an independent unit, and consisted of three infantry battalions  the newly re-formed Victorian-based 39th, the Queensland 49th and the 53rd from New South Wales  which were supported by the 23rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery and the South Australian-based 13th Field Artillery Regiment, which was equipped with First World War vintage 18-pound field guns. The 7th Field Company was also allocated. From the outset, it was formed to garrison Port Moresby, and indeed one of its battalions, the 49th, had been deployed to New Guinea as early as March 1941. Following the attacks on Pearl Harbor and 