17TH REPLACEMENT BATTALION, US ARMY
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

Rene Aresu arrived in Australia in November 1943 with Company M of the 17th Replacement Battalion. One source indicated that the 17th Replacement Battalion and the 18th Replacement Battalion ended a 28 day voyage from San Diego to Melbourne aboard the USS Rochambeau.

T/4 Rene Aresu

Company M, 17th Replacement Battalion, was stationed at Camp Ascot in Brisbane. Rene Aresu frequented the "Non-Commissioned Officer's Club" in Oxley on the south side of Brisbane. Rene Aresu received the New Guinea Campaign Star. He would have had to have been in New Guinea between January 1944 and December 1944. A newspaper article suggests that Rene Aresu worked as a Warehouse Foreman in a Post Exchange Warehouse for 12 months and later worked in General MacArthur's Headquarters as a clerk in the radio and  cable section.

On 3 October 1943, Private Willie W. Sanders of Company K, 17th Replacement Battalion was placed in confinement. On 15 November 1943, Private Sanders escaped from his confinement and stole a wallet from 1st Lt. James E. Calwell, of the 52nd Signal Battalion, APO 923. On the same day he also stole a pair of pink trousers, a pink shirt, a pen and pencil set, a manicure set, a sun-tan skirt. a raincoat and a pair of shoes from 2nd Lt Richard A. Correll, 52nd Signal Battalion, APO 923. He also stole on the same day a herringbone suit, one pair of shoes, a seven jewel Elgin gold case pocket watch and money from Joseph Damrow of Dixon Street, Pinkenba. He was acquitted of all the charges as the court found that he was not mentally responsible at the time of the offences.

At about 9:45 pm on 26 November 1943, Private Earl G. Jones of Company M, of the 17th Replacement Battalion based at Camp Ascot attacked trained nurse Sheila Maureen McGahan of Ipswich Road, Oxley as she walked from Oxley Railway Station towards her home which was about a mile away. He had earlier been at the Non-commissioned Officer's Club in Oxley.

Private Earl G. Jones was charged on two accounts at a trial convened at Base Section Three, APO 923 on 9 February 1944:-

• that he "forcibly and feloniously against her will, have carnal knowledge of Sheila McGahan, a female person".

• that he committed "the crime of sodomy by feloniously and against the order of nature having carnal connection per anum with Sheila McGahan, a female person."

Private Jones was dishonorably discharged, with total forfeitures and was confined to hard labour for life in the United States Penitentiary at McNeil Island, Washington.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Rene Macioce, the grandson of Rene Aresu for his assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 15 November 2020

This page last updated 15 November 2020