FORT LYTTON,
BRISBANE, QLD
DURING WW2

visits since 1 August 2000

Fort Lytton located on the southern bank, near the mouth of the Brisbane River, was built in the the 1800's as a defence against the perceived Russian threat. It was mostly completed by 1881.

It was used during World War 2 as Brisbane's second line of defence behind the forts on Moreton Island (Fort Cowan and Fort Rous) and Bribie Island. The old "disappearing guns" at Fort Lytton were replaced by a six pounder twin quick-firing gun and a 4.7 QF gun.

Late in 1943 Ray Roberts of the 112th Transport Company helped to deliver a whole battery of American brand new 155mm "Long Tom" six (6) inch guns from the railway at Clapham Junction to Fort Lytton. Ray said that these guns could "lob a shell on a soup plate at twenty-eight (28) miles."

RAAF No. 23 Radar Station was established at Fort Lytton during WW2. Their barracks were located in the nearby Margaret Marr Memorial Home for Boys.

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Fort Lytton is now a declared National Park and is cared for by the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service. A willing band of volunteers, run guided tours at Fort Lytton. Many of these volunteers are ex-servicemen who served at Fort Lytton during WW2.

Japanese Submarine plotted off Moreton Island
by RAAF Radar Station No. 23 at Fort Lytton
on 13 May 1943, the day before the "Centaur" was sunk

Japanese mother Submarines plotted off Brisbane
by RAAF Station No. 23 at Fort Lytton
before the midget submarine attack
on Sydney Harbour on 31 May 1942

Can you tell me more about Fort Lytton?

Do you have any photographs during WW2 at Fort Lytton?

Was American Submarine USS Triton
accidentally sunk in Moreton Bay by friendly fire?

Fort Lytton Historical Association
Special Signals Display

REFERENCES

"Fortress Brisbane"
By D.W. Spethman and R.G. Miller

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

This page first produced 1 August 2000

This page last updated 16 March 2013