699th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion in Australia during WW2

The 699th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion (a radar unit) was activated in Fort Dix, NJ with Moore Greenwood as its Commanding Officer. Their early designation was 699th Sig Reptg Co (AWS) or 699th Signal Reporting Company (AWS).

They left San Francisco by the SS Maui, but after a generator failure they were put ashore on Angel Island until the ship was repaired and the hold was painted. They re-boarded the ship on 12 February 1942 and crossed the Pacific Ocean with a convoy of 7 ships and the light cruiser USS New Orleans.

USS New Orleans launched one of its aircraft as a anti submarine patrol at 0752 hours on 5 March 1942. The convoy then rendezvoused with Australian patrol vessels off Cape Moreton light at 1230 hours on 5 March and then proceeded into Brisbane. USS New Orleans moored alongside Newstead Wharf at 1804 hours on 5 March 1942 and completed refuelling at 2144 hours.

The men of the 699th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion disembarked from the SS Maui in Brisbane on 6 March 1942 and marched to Camp Ascot.

The 1st Platoon left for Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, then known as the North Coast, on 8 March 1942. The rest of the outfit had departed earlier for Perth in Western Australia onboard the SS Monterey on 6 March 1942. They docked in Melbourne when Corregidor fell to the Japanese. They were stationed in Perth until October 1942 when they travelled by train back across the Nullabor Plains headed for Brisbane in south east Queensland. After a short stay at Camp Ascot they moved to a boy's school at Nundah. They left Brisbane for New Guinea on board the SS Jansen on 18 January 1943. Once in New Guinea, they transferred to the 565th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion and became Company "A" of that Battalion on 11 March 1943 at Oro Bay.

In June 2021, I was contacted by 88 year old Althea Goobanko, who has lived in Caloundra since 1936. Althea's parents, Mr and Mrs Andrew Cobb, had a block of flats, a billiard room and a bowling green called Dunrossie Bowling Green with 3 rinks located in Bulcock Street. Dunrossie Bowling Green was situated approximately 4 allottments east of Ortranto Avenue, in front of 27-31 Leeding Terrace, where their house and flats were situated. The bowling green was later converted into a rubber dust bowling green, so it could be played on after rain. Andrew Cobb sold the 4 allotments in Bulcock Street in 1955. It was bought by the Caloundra Ambulance and was used by them to hold carnivals. They used the bowling green for dodgem cars.

When the 699th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion arrived in Caloundra on 8 March 1942, Althea's father went over to both the Australian and American camps and invited 3 soldiers from both camps on R & R to use their facilities. The 699th Radar unit of 45 soldiers, was based there for 6 months. They built their radar station, which was situated in Queen Street, approximately where Caloundra town water tank is situated today nearly opposite the intersection with Furlong Drive. They also trained RAAF personnel to operate the radar station. 24 Radar Station RAAF took over the site when the Americans moved out. Althea Goobanko is still in touch with the son of Walt Davis, a member of the 699th SAWB Detachment based at Caloundra.

Walter Davis thought so much of Caloundra, that in his Will, he requested that half of his ashes, be brought back and be distributed at Caloundra Headland formerly Wickham Point. Althea Goobanko and her family gathered a lot of Walt's friends from WWII, including the current Mayor at the time, Desmond Dwyer, who was there in 1942. The family then had a plaque put in the Memorial Walk at Caloundra.

The Prentis stucco home on the corner of Arthur Street and Maltman Street was commandeered by Defence Forces and was used by the US Forces until July 1943 and was then taken over by the Australian Army Coastal Artillery. The American camp area was bounded by Edith Street to the west, Arthur Street to the south, Edmund Street to the east and Queen Street to the north.

An article in the "Sunshine Coast Daily" dated Saturday 21 October 1989 stated as follows:-

Caloundra Primary School was Headquarters for the Australian 9th Battalion and later the 61st Battalion from 1942 through until December 1943. The Australian Coast Artillery HQ also used the school before they moved to "The Camp" in Burgess St., Caloundra in 1943.

"Caloundra Yanks" left to right:- Jim Frank, Ted Galipeau, John Carroll,
Bud Collins, the 699th mascot "Kangi", Walt Davis and Sam Calgain.

Message from the men of Company A, 1st Platoon
of the 699th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion

The men of Company A, 1st Platoon of the 699th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion at Caloundra were as follows:-

The following diary entry for USS New Orleans shows Naval Observer Lt. (jg) Hubbard, U.S.N.R., providing intelligence to USS New Orleans after its arrival in Brisbane escorting SS Maui and other ships. This Naval Observer was L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology:-

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