2/2nd Australian Field Park Company

148' (45.1m) Truss Suspension Bridge AWM 055427

Brief History

The 2/2nd Field Park Company was formed during June 1940 at the Northam Camp as an Engineering unit to support the 7th Australian Infantry Division, but transferred toteh 6th Division, leaving soon after for the Middle East. Their first base was Qastina in Palestine before moving to Aniriya in November. In December they moved to Maaten Bagush and from there supported attacks on Bardia and Tobruk. They remained in Tobruk for a short time only before moving to Tecnis from where they repair infastructre. In March 1941 they were withdrawn to Egypt to prepare for a move to Greece.

On 10 Apr 1941 they embarked on SS Pennland for Greece, arriving several days later to find the German invasion well advanced and their role became to demolish key infrastrucure to slow the German advance and to deny them ready use. At the end of the month they were evacuated to Crete where they given an infantry role Kalives as part of Cremor Force. They also supplied large parties of men to work on the docks at Suba Bay until the German invasin forced a withdrawl from the island. However, during the evacuation significant numbers of men were left behind to enter captivity. Those that survived returned to Egypt and moved to Hill 69 Camp in Palestine for retraining and re-equiping. In June 1941 the unit was renamed 2/22nd Australian Field Park Company.

With Australian troops heavily engaged in the Syrian Campaign, this unit moved to Rayak from where they supported first the Briish 6th Division, and then the unit that replaced them, the Australian 6th Division. While there they were renamed in June 1942 to '2/22nd Australian Field Park Company. While the majority of Australian troops were recalled to Australia following Japan's entry into the war, the 6th Infnatry Divivision was diverted to Ceylo (Sri Lanka) in March 1942, with this unit located on the south west coast at Matugama. Relieved by British troops in July they returned to Australia, disembarking in Melbourne. Following leave the unit gathered at Seymour in Victoria. In September they moved to Greta in New South Wales before moving to Ricky Creek in Queensland in early 1943 to undertka e a range of construction projects on the Atherton Tablelands to cater for forces gathering there before moving to New Guinea, etc. In May they returned to their normal role in the 6th Infantry Division at Wondecla.

The 6th Infnatry Division were to relieve US troops fwho were containing Japanese forces near Aitape. However, the Australians sought o push forward rather than sit ou the rest of the war in a containment role. The 2/22nd Aust Field Park Company moved to Aitape in October 1944 and with their Field Park Companies they rotated in support of the infantry brigades as they pushed towards Wewak. While not involved in the advance they constructyed roads, store dumps, a sawmill and workshop. With the capture of Wewak, all Engineering units moved there to work on constructing a base to suppor the infantry untis that continued to fight in the surrounding hills.

Unit Personnel

• † Francis James Marchant 10 Jun 1940 - 19 Apr 1941
• Alexander William Turner MID 10 Oct 1945 - 1 Dec 1945