SECRET INTELLIGENCE AUSTRALIA (SIA)
SECTION "B" OF ALLIED INTELLIGENCE BUREAU

Secret Intelligence Australia was a British political unit under the command of Captain Roy Kendall RNR. It was known as Section "B" of the Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB). Kendall reported directly to MI6 in London and had direct access to Prime Minister Churchill. He was not accountable in any way to the Australians or the Americans. This was acceptable as long as their operations were held outside of the South West Pacific area.

SIA was modelled on the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). SIA was charged with the "Collection of information of the enemy and his activities through certain special means and channels concerning which detailed secret instructions will be issued from time to time".

SIA's Headquarters was at "Craigroyston" at 160 Bowen Terrace, New Farm in Brisbane. Some resources state it was 164 Bowen Terrace. SIA's training headquarters was at Newman House at Caboolture, just north of Brisbane. Newman House was a grand old elegant building set in several acres of land. It had a courtyard and extensive gardens, complete with a bowling green, croquet green, tennis courts, billiard room, sundeck and a water tower. SIA operatives used the water tower to practice parachute jumping. It had a wireless station at Newman House and at the Mount Gravatt Showgrounds. Other training camps were located at Mount Gravatt and Southport. In 1942, SIA maintained a Station at Cairns in far north Queensland in a joint venture with Section "A of AIB and the Dutch forces.

The Netherlands Forces Intelligence Section, Division III worked closely with SIA.

The following are some of the personnel who worked in Secret Intelligence Australia:-

F. Anderson AIF
Sgt. Gerry or Gerrard W. Anscomb Canadian RCEME
Corporal Earle Edwin "Happy" Baxter RAAF 24404
Wing Commander L.J. Brittain RAF
Lt. Bunny Buck RANVR
Lt. Wilfred John Chater VX80683 AIF
LAC Jack Delaney
Lt. (SP) Francis Bernard Kington Drake, RANVR
Lt. Peter Evatt AIF
LAC Frederick Robert Henry Fowler RAAF 25685
Lt. David Graham Garland AIF QX17735
Lt. Kenneth Charles Gillett AIF VX90490
W Cdr Cecil Pitt Hardacre
Cpl Darcy Lloyd Harvey AIF SX15575
Lt. Harold Phillip Kirkpatrick Jacks
Captain Roy Kendall
Lt. King RANVR
LAC John Lee RAAF
Lt. P. Lynch AIF
Sqn Ldr Patrick Campbell MacArthur RAAF 256338
LAC Gordon James McCartney RAAF 130578
Lt. K. McKenzie NZ Army
Fl Lt Lionel McLaughlin RAAF
Lt. Francis Alan Moore RANVR
Lt. Leonard Kearney Morse AIF VX80684
Lt. Hirsch Munz RANVR
Lt. Francis Nankivell RANVR MBE
Lt (SP) Lachlan De Salis Nicolson RANVR MBE
Captain James Pearce AIF
Cpl John Riley
Col. Roscher Royal Corps of Signals
Lance Sergeant Bruce Frederick Ross SX28715
LAC Keith Ross RAAF
Lt. Cmdr Sears RANVR
Sqn Ldr Sheldon
Sub Lt. Trevor Walter James Vear RAN S6629
Eve Walker WRENS
LAC Matthew William "Bill" Charles White RAAF 422781
Lt. John Stewart Wink RAN
LAC Ira Berkley "Dick" Withers RAAF 423273
 

Natives

Abdulla Baraja
Abdulla Bugis
Abdulla Nor
Amin
Ahmad Bima
Ahmad Ambon
Carlos Pelmalay
Haji Abdul Shukur
Halam
Harmaeni Taha
Ibrahim
Joesoef
Lonel (or Lonii) Ga
Matis Pelmalay
Miranlaret
Mohammed Tohir
Mohammed Ambon
Narudin
Pete Tutkey
Romulus Ursea
Suleiman
Sirad
Tahir
Tuan Dik
Yusaf

 

Civilians

Mrs Winifred Haslam
Norma Wilson

Netherlands East Indies Regional Section

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Mary Paton for her assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 27 September 2001

This page last updated 24 September 2023