5th Australian Employment Company
From Our Contribution
Brief History
The 5th Labour Company was formed in early 1942 at Claremont, and brought to its war time strength at Karrakatta in April. In November it was renamed as the 5th Australian Employment Company working in the Perth area until July 1943 when it left for Queensland, and then in August to Port Moresby, New Guinea. They left New Guinea in January 1944 to allow the men to take leave, reassembling at the Sydney Showgrounds from where they worked in the Sydney area. Scheduled to go to Lae, New Guinea in January 1945, they were held back and sent to Torokina on Bougainville in July to relieve the 38th Australian Works Company.
Battalion Personnel
- Thomas John Geary 29 May 1944 - 24 Oct 1945
- Hector Charles Wood 11 Jan 1942 - 11 Mar 1946
Notes
Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 6 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 6.134 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018