2/2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station

29 Jun 1943 Koitaki, New Guinea the 2/2nd CCS showing wards AWM photo 053396

31 Jul 1945 Government House building Balikpapan - hosting 2/2nd CCS

Brief History

The 2/2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station was raised at Redbank, Queensland in May 1940, to be attached to the 7th Infantry Division. In September they moved to the Exhibition Grounds before leaving for the Middle East in November. In December they arrived at Dimra in Palestine, before moving to Amiriya in Egypt in January 1941, and then Tobruk in Libya. In March they advanced to Barce with the 9th Infantry Division, but in April retreated in front of stronger German forces to Tobruk, losing much of their equipment. Withdrawn for re-equipping, they moved to Kilo 89 in Palestine in July/August, and then Beit Jirja in September.

With the entry of Japan into the war, they left the Middle East from Port Tewfik on 31 January 1942 aboard SS Orcades for Singapore. Diverted to Batavia in February they became part of Blackforce and after a short fight, they were captured and spent the rest of the war as POWs. Sixty two members were either captured or were missing in action, while another 12 died, six due to illness as POWs, one at sea while a POW being shipped to Japan, one accidental death, and 4 due to war injuries.

However, the rear party and transport elements reached Adelaide in March 1942, and the unit was rebuilt before moving to Tenterfield in New South Wales in June. In August the 7th Division moved to New Guinea, and in October the 2/2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station moved there to service them. Initially located at Koitaki, they moved to Morobe in July 1943. In September the Heavy Section moved to Buna, and the complete unit moved to Heldsbach Plantation in November 1943. In March 1944 they were relieved and moved to Ravenshoe in Queensland, and after leave relocated to Mapee during May. With the 7th Division moving to the Atherton Tablelands in August, the 2/2nd Casualty Clearing Station joined them at Kairi in October. In May 1945 they absorbed the 20th Hospital Laundry Unit and moved to the staging area at Morotai in June. The Light Section landed in the first waves ashore at Balikpapan in July and the rest of the unit followed soon after. They remained at Balikpapan for the rest of the war.

Unit Personnel

• Joseph James Treeby
• Ernest Arnold Fallon 2 Sep 1941 - 12 Dec 1945
• Leonard Wilfred Powell

Patients

Koitaki, New Guinea

• Clarence Malarkey 11 - 16 Oct 1942
• Edwin Reed Marshall 13 - 17 Oct 1942

Buna, New Guinea

• James Henry Clarke 27 - 28 Dec 1943
• Richard Barrett 11 - 18 Jan 1944
• Stephen Charles Southern 16 - 19 Jan 1944

Individual Honours

• 1 x Officer of the Order of the British Empire
• 2 x Member of the Order of the British Empire
• 10 x Mentioned in Despatches