MILITARY UNITS BASED
NEAR YANDINA, QLD
DURING WW2

The 2/14 Australian Infantry Battalion, 21st Brigade, 7th Division along with the 2/7 Independent Company, a Commando Unit, were based near the base Mount Ninderry near Yandina in southern Queensland during WW2. A memorial sign can be seen on the road between Yandina and Coolum.

Mount Ninderry near Yandina

Memorial Sign on road between Yandina and Coolum

Yvonne Szwedyc's father was with the 2/14th Battalion at Yandina, where he met and married Yvonne's mother who was known as Joan Henshall at the time. Joan lived with her parents in the Railway House at Yandina. Perhaps they met in one of the many dances held in the Yandina School of Arts building.

Yandina School of Arts building - 21 August 2005

Yandina School of Arts building - 21 August 2005

Other units who camped in the Yandina area during WW2 were:-

- 2/3 Independent Company (initially camped in the Yandina showgrounds)

- 2/8 Independent Company

- 61st Infantry Battalion

- 55th US Navy Construction Battalion who manned a sawmill in the Yandina area

Ben Findlay, a member of the local Bush Fire Brigade told me on 3 September 2002:-

Recently the bush fire brigade did a controlled burn of Mount Ninderry (the park in your photos is located on hill next to the mountain) When I was up at the park taking a squiz it became evident that there is remains of trenches all over the side of the mountain. Apparently the units were training for mountain warfare and they they ranged all over the area as far as the Blackall Range. Also not far away on Yandina Creek Road there is another "Australia Remembers" sign stating that the Armoured Recon. guys trained in the bushland that is now state forest. There was also a staging camp in North Arm where some UXO was dug up about ten years ago. What is now Nambour Golf course had a camp as well as the sporting fields in Yandina. Point Perry in Coolum was the location of a naval reserve observation post. 

In late 1942, the 2/8 Independent Company accidentally blew up telephone lines and thus deprived 5,000 local residents of that particular service whilst they were practising their bridge-blowing skills on an old bridge about 5 miles south of Yandina.

Yandina War Memorial - 21 August 2005

Yandina War Memorial - 21 August 2005

Men from Yandina area who died during WW2

Light Horse outside the Yandina Hotel - 21 August 2005
as part of the Yandina 27th Annual Street Fair

Light Horseman outside the Yandina Hotel - 21 August 2005
as part of the Yandina 27th Annual Street Fair

Light Horsemen in Yandina - 21 August 2005
as part of the Yandina 27th Annual Street Fair

Yandina Hotel - 21 August 2005. No doubt a favourite watering
hole for the troops camped in the area during WW2

The Yandina Drill Hall used to be located in North Street to the right hand side of the Masonic Hall. (Has anyone got a photo of the Drill Hall?)

Can you help me with more info on these units
based near Yandina during WW2?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Yvonne Szwedyc for her assistance with this web page. I'd also like to thank Ross Wilkinson, Secretary of the 2/14 Battalion Association for his assistance with this web page. I'd like to thank Ben Findlay for his assistance with this web page. I'd like to thank Leonie McGaw, Treasurer and Newsletter Editor of the Yandina RSL sub-branch for her assistance with this web page. I'd also like to thank Darren Robbins for his assistance with this home page.

REFERENCES

"The History of the 2/14th Battalion"
by WB Russell, 2/14 Battalion Assn., 1948, reprints 1949 1986
Does anyone have a copy of this book?

"Men of the 2/14 Battalion"
by JC McAllester, 2/14 Battalion Assn., 1990, reprint 2003.
Does anyone have a copy of this book?

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 6 February 2001

This page last updated 23 February 2020