121st Australian General Hospital

24 Nov 1942 121 Australian General Hospital in Katherine, Northern Territory. AWM photo 027852

Interior of Ward 1 (Surgical) at 121st Australian General Hospital Katherine AWM photo 027839

Brief History

With the troop build up in the Northern Territory, 1 Camp Hospital, 7th Military District with 210 beds was formed at Katherine in January 1941. It was also known as Camp Hospital Katherine. In March 1941 its capacity was expanded to 600 beds, and it was then renamed 121st Australian General Hospital. In August 1943 they had been relieved and moved to Northfield in South Australia where they operated until the end of the war

Three of this units personnel (including a Sister) died while posted to the unit, all due to illness. The unit employed Aboriginal orderlies and provided health services to the local Aboriginal population.

Patients

Katherine, Northern Territory

• Alexander James Harris 12 May - 3 Jun 1943
• John Milton Hand 24 Jul - 22 Aug 1943

Northfield, South Australia

• John Davidson 6 Jan 1944
• James Sydney Truscott 6 - 18 Jun 1944
• Thomas Malarkey 4 - 10 Mar 1945