2/105th Australian General Transport Company

Hill 69 Palestine

Brief History

The 2nd/105th Australian General Transport Company had its roots planted in the 1st Australian Corps Petrol Park which was formed at Puckapunyal, Victoria in early 1940 to provide transport for the 7th Division. The 1st Australian Corps Petrol Park (1 ACPP) contained a Headquarters Section and two Sub Parks called No. 1 and No. 2. Sub Park with each having their own workshops section attached. Sub Park No. 2 would be the forbearer of the 2/105th Australian General Transport Company.

The 1st Australian Corps Petrol Park embarked on the SS Mauretania in late December 1940 and sailed for Egypt on the 29th as part of Convoy US 8. The Mauretania, however, only delivered them to Colombo where they transshipped to the HMT Rohna. On arrival at Port Tewfik they moved to Hill 69 in Palestine in January 1941 before moving to Mersa Matruh in Egypt, and then Ikingi Maryut during March to support the desert campaign, carrying supplies to forward units. On their return trip they would often carry Italian POW's or wounded soldiers. When the Greece campaign started a detachment was involved, but in the defeat of Greece the unit lost, or had to leave behind, most of it's equipment. The remainder of the unit had remained in Egypt at Amiriya. No. 2 Sub Park was reformed back in Egypt and continued to operate there for a short time before being sent to aid the Syrian campaign, operating from Nahoriyah in Palestine and then Hadett in Lebanon.

In the final days of 1941 the 1st Australian Corps Petrol Park was disbanded and No. 1 and No. 2 Sub Parks were re-organised and renamed. No.1 Sub Park became the 2nd/106th Australian General Transport Company, while No. 2 Sub Park became the 2/105th Australian General Transport Company. The 2/105th AGT Coy (less their trucks and 155 troops travelling with the trucks) embarked on SS Orcades which departed on the 29th January 1942. However, a berth on the SS Orcades was problematic, as troops carried by it were subsequently sent, ill equipped, to defend the Island of Java after the fall of Singapore. Onboard was the 2/3rd Australian Machine Gun Battalion, the 2nd/2nd Pioneer Battalion, the 2/105th Australian General Transport Coy and several other small units. These were re-organised into three battalions which fell under the command of Blackforce commander Brigadier A S Blackburn.

With very little equipment and few supplies when the Japanese invaded Java, Blackforce was left with no choice but to eventually surrender. Thus, many of the original 2/105th Australian General Transport Company saw out the rest of the War in POW camps throughout Japanese controlled Asia. Back in Australia the troops that had travelled with the vehicles on the Stepsister convoy were sent to Redbank in Queensland to be reinforced and the 2nd/105th Australian General Transport Company then worked around southern Queensland. In March 1943 they left for Port Moresby where they remained for the next 12 months, with a detachment at Bena Bena in the Highlands from August, and a Platoon in Buna from December. In April 1944 the unit concentrated at Port Moresby before moving to Chermside in Queensland.

In July 1944 the 2/105th Australian General Transport Company was re-organised to form 2/27th Transport Platoon, 2/28th Transport Platoon, 2/29th Transport Platoon and 2/105th Workshops Platoon, responding to HQ 2/105th Australian General Transport Company. 49th Transport Platoon and 4th Amphibious Vehicle Increment also came under control of the HQ unit, joining them following training in use of the new amphibious trucks (DUKWs). In October 1944 the DUKW units left to join 2/106th Transport Company, with the other elements moving to Wondecla in November. In May and June 1945 the unit moved to the staging area at Morotai, with 2/25th Transport Platoon, which had joined the unit in March being tasked to land at Balikpapan. The rest of the unit continued working at Morotai until the end of the war. The 2/28th Transport Platoon was allocated to the 33rd Infantry Brigade in August 1945 and they moved to Ambon in September to take the Japanese surrender there.

Unit Personnel

• John Roy (Jack) Thorpe OAM 21 Oct 1941 - 7 Mar 1942 POW in Java.

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 5 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 5.179 & 5.180 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018