RADAR SITE BILLBOUROUGH'S LOOKOUT
SPRINGBROOK MOUNTAIN, QLD
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

The 5th Reporting Platoon, 2 Reporting Company, 565th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion had a Radar Site at Billbourough's Lookout, Springbrook Mountain at the top of Purlingbrook Falls in south east Queensland during WWII. They operated an SCR-270-B mobile radar unit could locate and track an aircraft at an altitude of 8,000 feet and a range of about 120 miles.

The US Army, Counter Intelligence Corps also had a listening station somewhere at Springbrook during WWII. It may have been a shared location but then again it may not have been. The track that the US Army used is known as the Cream Track.

Sergeant Roger Crawford Van Keuren was a Radar Operator with the 5th Reporting Platoon on Springbrook Mountain during WWII. Roger married local Australian girl Elfrieda "Elfie" Gertrude Agnes Mackenzie at Southport on 1 April 1943. They honeymooned at Burleigh Heads.

A typical SCR-270 Mobile Radar Unit. The Antennae
appears to be slightly different to the one at Springbrook.

Photo:- NARA via Roger Marks

Antennae of the SCR-270-B Radar operating
at Mount Springbrook on 24 October 1942

Photo:- NARA via Roger Marks

270-SCR-B Radar on Springbrook Mountain on 24 October 1942

Photo:- NARA via Roger Marks

Power Unit and Operating Unit on 24 October 1942

Photo:- NARA via Roger Marks

Private Wallace W. Williams operating the Power
Unit of the SCR-270-B Radar on 24 October 1942

Photo:- NARA via Roger Marks

A camouflaged machine gun emplacement
at Mount Springbrook on 24 October 1942

Photo:- NARA via Roger Marks

Motor Pool and petrol supply area at Springbrook on 24 October 1942

REFERENCE BOOKS

The Cream Track

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Mark Hanrahan and Roger Marks for their assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 23 July 2017

This page last updated 19 January 2020