CHEMICAL WARFARE IN
AUSTRALIA
DURING WWII
The Chemical Warfare Plan
Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA)
Military Units
| 1 Chemical Co Detachment, 22nd Bomb Group | 1st Australian Chemical Warfare Company RAE (Australian Army) | 1st Australian Field Trials Company RAE |
| 2 Chemical Coy, 3rd Bomb Group | 2/1 Australian Chemical Warfare
Laboratory (Australian Army) at Broadmeadows, VIC and St John's Wood, Brisbane, QLD |
10th Chemical
Maintenance Co. In Sep 42 leased Palmerosa, then Crosby Park, Brisbane |
| 28th Chemical Company |
42nd Chemical
Laboratory Co. Ingarfield Private Hospital, 90 Bonney Ave, Clayfield, Brisbane |
62nd Chemical Depot Co.
Det. Initially at 59 Bonney Ave, Clayfield then 32 Gregory Rd, Clayfield in about April 42 and then Crosby Park, Brisbane |
|
105th Chemical Impreg.
Co. Crosby Park, Brisbane |
760th Chemical Dept. Co | Australian Chemical Warfare Research and Experimental Section |
| Bowen Chemical Research Unit (RAAF) | Chemical Warfare Physiology School Townsville (Australian Army) | Chemical Warfare Section, No 1 Central Reserve, Marrangaroo, NSW (RAAF) |
| Chemical Warfare Physiology School Melbourne | RAAF Chemical Research Unit | US Chemical Warfare Service (US Army) |
Non-Military Bodies
| Chemical Warfare Board - later the Chemical Defence Board | Munitions Laboratory (Chemical Defence Laboratories), Chemical Defence Section, Maribyrnong, VIC |
Stations/Offices
| Australian Chemical Warfare Research and Experimental Station Innisfail, QLD (Australian Army) | Australian Field Experimental Stations (AFES) Gunyarra, Proserpine (Australian Army) |
Chemical Warfare
School Annexe (60 Riverview Terrace, Hamilton, Brisbane) |
|
Chemical Warfare
School (107 Windermere Rd., Hamilton, Brisbane) |
Chemical
Warfare Depot (Crosby Park, Brisbane) |
Chemical Office (Perry House, Brisbane) |
| Chemical Warfare Physiology School Townsville (Australian Army) | L.H.Q. Gas School, Bonegilla | Chemical Warfare Training Area Broadmount, (Central QLD) Base Area Command No. 2, USASOS, Base Section 3 APO 926 |
Storage Facilities
| 1 Base Ammunition Depot (1BAD) Albury (Australian Army) | 88 Mile Chemical Weapon Storage Site, NT (RAAF) | Advance Chemical Depot, Aviation, Charters Towers, QLD (US Army) |
| Calvert Ordnance Depot, US Army (not sure if this stored Chemical Weapons) | Charters Towers Ordnance Depot, US Army for storage of Chemical Weapons | Chemical Research Unit Bowen (RAAF) |
|
Columboola Ammunition Dump, US Army for storage of Chemical Weapons |
Darra Ordnance Ammunition Depot (US Army) | Geelong Ordnance Depot for storage of Chemical Weapons (US Army) |
|
Kangaroo Ordnance Depot for USASOS at Kurukan, north of Townsville - stored Chemical Weapons (US Army) |
Kingswood Ordnance Depot, US Army for storage of Chemical Weapons (US Army) | Geelong Ordnance Depot, US Army for storage of Chemical Weapons |
| Newington Naval Armament Depot, NSW (RAN) | No. 1 Central Reserve, No. 2 Sub Depot, Glenbrook Tunnel Chemical Weapons Storage site | No. 1 Central Reserve, No. 1 Sub Depot, Marrangaroo Tunnel Chemical Weapons Storage Site (RAAF) |
| No. 1 Central Reserve, No. 3 Sub Depot, Picton Tunnel Chemical Weapons Storage Site (RAAF) | No. 1 Central Reserve, No. 4 Sub Depot, Clarence, NSW (RAAF) | No. 19 Replenishing Centre, Talmoi Chemical Weapon Storage RAAF, near Maxwellton |
Incidents/Events
Disposal
| Chemical Weapons burnt at Australian Field Experimental Station, Proserpine | Chemical Weapons burnt at 1 Base Ammunition Depot, Albury, NSW | Chemical Weapons burnt at No. 19 Replenishing Centre Talmoi, QLD |
| Chemical Weapons burnt at Fenton Airfield near 88 Mile, NT | Chemical Weapons (2,000 tons) burnt at Newnes State Forest, Blue Mountains, NSW | Chemical weapons sunk in SS Bantam off Sydney on 24 Sep 1946 |
| Sea Dumpings of Chemical Weapons off Bowen, QLD about 21 September 1945 | Sea Dumpings of Chemical Weapons off Bowen, QLD from Tug Keera on 12 October 1945 | Sea Dumpings of Chemical Weapons off Bowen, QLD from Tug Keera on 14 October 1945 |
| Sea Dumping of Chemical Weapons contaminated soil from Darra Ordnance Depot, Brisbane in 1957 off Brisbane in 600 feet of water | Sea Dumping of 1/2 ton of Mustard Gas east of Cape Moreton, QLD on 23 January 1970 | Various Sea Dumpings of Chemical Weapons off Cape Moreton, near Brisbane, QLD in late 1945 |
| Various Sea Dumpings of Chemical Weapons from Darra Ordnance Depot, Brisbane for months either side of 17 November 1945 | Sea Dumpings of Chemical Weapons off Sydney 1 July 1946 to 1 September 1946 (number of trainloads) | Sea Dumpings of Chemical Weapons off Sydney around 2 December 1946 |
| Chemical Weapons sunk in ex Manly ferry SS Binngarra off Sydney on 11 December 1946 | Sea Dumping of Chemical Weapons from LST 3017 on 17 August 1948 west of King Island off Victoria | Sea Dumping of Chemical Weapons from LST 3017 on 25 August 1948 west of King Island off Victoria |
| Sea Dumping of Chemical Weapons from LST 3017 on 2/3 September 1948 west of King Island off Victoria | Sea Dumping of Chemical Weapons from LST 3017 on 8 September 1948 west of King Island off Victoria | Sea Dumping of Chemical Weapons from LST 3017 on 10 September 1948 west of King Island off Victoria |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank Geoff Plunkett and Russell Miller for their assistance with these web pages.
REFERENCE BOOKS
"Chemical Warfare in Australia"
"Australia's Involvement if Chemical Warfare 1914-1945"
by Geoff Plunkett
Can anyone help me with more information?
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
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© Peter Dunn 2015 |
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e-mail me |
This page first produced 4 October 2009
This page last updated 20 April 2024
