1st Royal Australian Engineers Training Centre

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Brief History

In August 1942, with the return of troops from the Middle East, 1st Royal Australian Engineers Training Centre was formed at Kapooka to centralised all engineer training, absorbing training units from Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, and RAE training staff from Tasmania and South Australia. The centre developed to include 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th RAE Training Battalions, and also served as a home for units either returning from overseas oron completion of their jobs in Australia.

Water Transport Training Depots were later raised in Clifton Gardens (NSW) and Victoria Point (Qld), before merging to become a separate Water Transport training Centre in April 1944. The RAE Centre was re-organised in March 1944 with two of the Training Battalions focused on specialist training and the other two recruit training. The centre continued to train sappers for the rest of the war.

Trainees

• Philbert John Charles Morel 24 Sep 1943 - 10 Mar 1944
• John Mangan 7 Apr - 9 Jul 1944

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 3 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 3.613 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018