554th Australian Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (Static)

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Brief History

During the November 1942 reorganisation of the Armoured units, 102 Anti-Tank Battery was disbanded and the 5th Anti-Tank Battery was re-organised at Kempsey in New South Wales to form the new 231st Light Anti-Aircraft Battery as part of the 2nd Armoured Brigade Group. In December they moved to Gympie and then to the Lowood Airfield in May 1943, before moving to Goomeri in July. With the disbanding of the 3rd Armoured Division in September 1943 the 231st Light Anti-Aircraft Battery was re-organised as the 554th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (Static) and the 555th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (Static) to takeover anti-aircraft duties around Port Moresby.

554th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (Static) took over the guns defending the Port Moresby airfield with Battery HQs located at Laloki River, A Troop at Durand airfield and B Troop at Schwimmer airfield. In January 1944 B Troop moved to Wards airfield, while A Troop moved to Jacksons in March. In April 554th Anti-Aircraft Battery (Static) moved to Saidor to relieve US troops, but with Australian infantry capturing Madang the unit moved there to establish anti-aircraft coverage. In September 1944 the unit moved to Torokina on Bougainville to protect the Piva airfield and he docks area. With the Australian troops pushing the Japanese back towards Rabaul, in May a section of 554th Australian Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (Static) was sent to the Tol Plantation on Wide Bay to cover the continuing advance of the 13th Australian Infantry Division and the unit was still at Tol Plantation and Torokina when the war ended.

Unit Personnel

• Percy John Powell

Individual Honours

• 4 x Mentioned in Despatches

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 3 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 3.308 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018