565th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion in Australia during WW2

565TH SIGNAL AIRCRAFT WARNING BATTALION
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

The 565th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion arrived in Brisbane on the USAT "Tasker Bliss" on 18 June 1942 under the command of Major Harley D. Hughes and initially they were housed at Camp Doomben. This newly activated unit was prepared to furnish 10 radar equipped Reporting Platoons to support the Allied warning systems in operation. On 27 June 1942, the 565th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion, less the Signal Plotting Company, left Camp Doomben and relocated to Camp Columbia at Wacol.

By late July 1942, these platoons were operational all along the Queensland coast. They operated in conjunction with 8 Fighter Sector Headquarters in Brisbane and 3 Fighter Sector Headquarters in Townsville. On 1 October 1942, Headquarters and Headquarters Company and the Medical Detachment (less Medical personnel) attached to units of the Battalion, left Camp Columbia and relocated to Camp Muckley near Archerfield Airfield. Also on 1 October 1942, the 1st Signal Reporting Company and the 2nd Signal Reporting Company (less respective Platoons on missions) relocated from Camp Columbia to Camp Muckley.

Signal Plotting Company

1st Detachment
Plotting Platoon "A"
Plotting Platoon "B"
Plotting Platoon "C"

1st Signal Reporting Company

Headquarters Platoon
1st Reporting Platoon - Cooktown
2nd Reporting Platoon - Cape York (Horn Island)
3rd Reporting Platoon - Innisfail (Double Island Point, Coen, Emu Park, Mt. Ayr, Mt Spec
4th Reporting Platoon - Rockhampton
5th Reporting Platoon - Toowoomba then Barakau Point, New Guinea
6th Reporting Platoon - Stradbroke Island - Point Lookout
7th Reporting Platoon - Iron Range, Portland Roads and a Plotting Company with 3 Platoons - Cairns

2 Signal Reporting Company

Headquarters Platoon
1st Reporting Platoon - Mackay
2nd Reporting Platoon - Bundaberg then Camp Muckley
3rd Reporting Platoon - Toowoomba, then Coolangatta
4th Reporting Platoon - Redland Bay, then Camp Columbia, then New Guinea
5th Reporting Platoon - Coolangatta?, Cape Byron?, and Billbourough's Lookout at Springbrook
6th Reporting Platoon - Port Moresby, New Guinea
7th Reporting Platoon - Coolangatta, then Camp Columbia, the Yule Island, New Guinea

NOTE:- I have come across a number of spelling variations for Billbourough's Lookout, including Bilbourough, Billbough, and Billbrough.

The Radar at Emu Park was on top of the hill just North of Emu Park which is on the coast near Rockhampton. The Grammar school now owns the area and has a camp/resort for outdoor education where the old Ritamada (Rita and Adam spelt backwards) was and are interested in the history of the property. Rumour has it that they practised firing at oil drums floated out to sea with some form of anti-aircraft weapons, probably 50 calibre machine guns.

When the 699th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion arrived in New Guinea they transferred to the 565th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion as Company "A" on 11 March 1943 at Oro Bay.

When the 694th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion relocated to New Guinea they became Company "E" of the 565th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion.

REFERENCE

Radar Returns Newsletter

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Mel Dundas Taylor for his assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products