Warwick – Major WWII Defence Centre

The history behind Warwick – Major WWII Defence Centre.

In 1942, after the loss to the Japanese of the large British naval base in Singapore nicknamed the “Gibraltar of the East”, Australians began to live in fear of a Japanese invasion. Up to this point in time, Australia had placed its trust in Britain to keep Australia safe from invasion.

Unfortunately, while the Singapore base was a key factor in the British military strategy for the region, their erroneous belief that the jungle terrain of Singapore was impassable, lead to disastrous results for the allies. British Lieutenant-General, Arthur Percival, was in command of 85,000 Allied troops in Singapore, but many of these units were under-strength and mostly lacked combat experience. Japanese forces struck on the 8 February 1942 and by the 15 February Singapore had fallen into their hands.

While our soldiers were off fighting in Papua New Guinea and the Middle East, a number of strategically placed towns in Queensland were turned into defensive sites for the Army and the Air Force. Relations with America were strengthened and a number of initiatives were jointly conducted on Australian soil in an effort to prepare for the inevitable Japanese advance.

One of the towns selected as a major site for a significant homeland base was Warwick.

Foreseeing the possible threat of invasion, it was determined the Queensland Echelon and Records Office, which partially occupied the Rich Building in Brisbane, and the Kelvin Grove Army Base both needed to be relocated as soon as possible. The Office was responsible for maintaining a complete history of service personnel’s military life, including their medical records and the office was further responsible for reporting all casualties to the next of kin.

All records and personnel were transported over the Great Diving Range to Warwick. By March 1942, the new Records Office with Major P.D. Jones as their Commanding Officer and approximately 250 personnel were set up in the Barnes Building in Palmerin Street. At its peak, there were 1,500 personnel working at the office. Four of the local hotels were requisitioned for accommodation and converted into The Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) barracks.

The Government had established the AWAS on 13 August 1941 in order to “release men from certain military duties for employment in fighting units”.

Many women from the local region between the ages of 18 and 45 served in the AWAS in Warwick for four years. While some undertook roles in traditional fields such as clerks, typists and cooks, others were employed in a range of different roles. These ranged from working as provosts in areas such as intelligence, transport drivers, chemical trials, electrical and chemical engineering and ordnance.

Warwick was a hive of activity during this time and the Australian Army established three Australian Detention Barracks for holding military prisoners on the southern side of the town. The barracks were used for a variety of reasons including the holding of some German and Italian immigrant civilians as well as detention of military personnel charged with offensives ranging from breaches of discipline, being AWOL, insubordination, drunkenness and rioting.

Another interesting piece of local military history relates to SCOTS PGC College. In 1942, the Australian Army approached the school with a view to taking over the school grounds as a military hospital. Council members approached the owners of ‘Toolburra’ and ‘Kingswood” properties near Warwick to ensure that the students at SCOTS could continue their education on these properties during the war. The buildings, which were built by the Army for the hospital, were gifted to the school at the end of the war and are still used by the school as classrooms to this day.

It was not until June 1945, that Lieutenant Colonel P.D. Jones announced the Queensland Echelon and Records Office and its staff of 900 personnel were to leave Warwick and move to Victoria Park in Brisbane at the end of September 1945. At one point in time, there were over 5,000 servicemen and women working for the army and living in Warwick, some families even moving up from Brisbane.

Other establishments set up by the Army in Warwick during this period were:

3rd Australian Detention Barracks – Warwick Detention Camp – Internment / POW facility
8th Australian Camp Hospital, Australian Army, Warwick
67th Australian Camp Hospital, Australian Army, Warwick
2/11th Australian General Hospital, Australian Army, Warwick
2/12th Australian General Hospital Scots College, Warwick
102nd Convalescent Depot Warwick
AAMC Training Depot Warwick – Rosenthal Camp
Field Battle Practice Range Warwick
Small Arms Range Warwick
Training Camp No. 1 Warwick
Training Camp No. 4 Warwick
Training Camp No. 5 Warwick

Many local men, who could not enlist for whatever reason, became involved with one of two voluntary military streams.

The Voluntary Defence Corps (VDC) was an Australian part-time volunteer military unit established in July 1940 by the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL). It was initially composed of ex-servicemen who had served in the First World War.

The militia or Citizen Military Force (CMF) was 173,000 strong by the end of August 1941. They were organised into four infantry divisions (with the nucleus of a fifth) and two cavalry divisions.

 

Read about Southern Downs Military History here.