'J' Australian Heavy Battery (Coast)

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Brief History

This unit was formed as 'J' Australian Heavy Battery at North Head, New South Wales in October 1942, equipped with two 155mm guns intended for the defence of Garden island in Western Australia until more permanent batteries could be constructed. In December they moved to Fremantle, and in January 1943 to Garden Island to establish Challenger Battery on the northern tip of Garden island. Their role was to control access through Challenger Passage into Cockburn Sound, and with Peron Battery they were to deny enemy ships the ability to stand off Garden Island and bombard Cockburn Sound.

The battery was operational in temporary sites in April 1943, with the permanent sites operational in October. They were renamed 'J' Australian Heavy Battery (Coast) in January 1944. They were withdrawn in December 1944 and the fixed facilities put on a care and maintenance basis, while the unit was disbanded at Fremantle in January 1945 with men transferring to Anti-Aircraft (Coast) units.

Unit Personnel

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 3 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, pages 3.106 & 3.107 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018