1st Australian Field Bakery (AIF)

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Brief History

In the Middle East the Australian forces were initially able to tap into the British supply system, and thus this unit was not raised other than for 1 Company that was sent to Malaya with the 8th Infantry Division in early 1941. During the withdrawal of Australian troops form the Middle East it was acknowledged that there was now a need to the unit, and this occurred in Barbara in Palestine in January 1942. Following a very brief stint in Kantara, they sailed for Adelaide, arriving in March 1942. By June they were in Selheim in Queensland as the 2/2nd Australian Field Bakery, and they moved to Charters Towers in July, with a detachment at Portland Roads to supply a developing airbase.

In August a section was sent to Milne Bay in Papua, and one to Jacky Jacky airfield on Cape York. They steadily increased in size, with another section sent to Milne Bay, and one o port Moresby in September 1942. A section of the Militia unit 1 Field Bakery arrived in Charters Towers to assist them, and another section from the militia unit relieved the detachment then at Jacky Jacky. The detachment in Port Moresby joined the forces developing the base at Buna in January 1943 and then moved to Oro Bay in March.

A re-organisation of baking units in March 1944 saw the unit renamed as the 'HQ 2/2nd Field Baking Company with platoons spread out over New Guinea, neighbouring islands and northern Queensland. In early 1945, the planning began for the invasion of Borneo, with Morotai providing a suitable staging post. In March 1945 the 2/1st Field Baking Platoon began baking on Morotai, and continued to do so for the rest of the war. The 2/3rd Field Baking Platoon initially joined them on Morotai before landing on Tarakan Island in June. The 13th Field baking Platoon and the 15th Field baking Platoon landed with the 9th Australian Infantry Division at Labuan on British North Borneo , and the 46th Field Baking Platoon landed with the 7th Australian Infantry Division at Balikpapan in July. The HQ unit did not leave Queensland as the platoons were acting independently, instead moving to Petrie in May 1945 and Chermside in July where they saw out the war.

Unit Personnel

2/2nd Australian Field Baking Company

• George Charles Owens 23 Jan - 31 Mar 1942

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 5 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, pages 5.257 & 5.258 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018