5th Australian Employment Company

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

• Hector Charles Wood 16 Jan 1942 - 11 Mar 1946
• Thomas John Geary 25 Mar 1942 - 16 Jan 1943 & 8 May 1943 - 10 Oct 1944
• Andrew Wilkinson 18 May 1942 - 15 Jan 1943
• John William Alexander 21 May - 19 Sep 1942
• Angus Sherwood James 10 Jun - 19 Jul 1942
• Ernest Arnold (Arnold) Barnes 24 Jun - 8 Jul 1942

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