2/1st Field Butchery Company

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Brief History

While units were in the Middle East they were supplied through the British supply chain. In preparing to return to Australia, the 1st Australian Field Butchery & Cold Storage Depot was formed during January 1942 at Barbara in Palestine. They left for Australia in February 1942 and arrived in Adelaide in March, remaining there until May when they moved to Charters Towers to take over an abattoir that from June was supplying beef to units in north Queensland. In September their1st Section left for Milne Bay. In November 1942, with there-organisation of army butchering units, they became known as 2/1st Australian Field Butchery with a company HQ and two platoons at Charters Towers in addition to their detached platoon in Milne Bay. The unit sent detachments to Thursday Island, Jacky Jacky, and Iron Range to kill local sock for isolated army and air force garrisons. In the March 1943 re-organisation thy became the 2/1st Australian Field butchery Company.

A purpose built abattoir was constructed at Cape Range near Pentland in north Queensland and the unit moved there in August 1943, leaving a detachment at Charters Towers until October. During the February/March re-organisation they again changed their name, this time to Headquarters 2/1st Australian Field Butchering Company responsible for out posted units across northern Queensland and in New Guinea. At the end of the war, the unit was still operating the Cape River Meatworks at full operational level.

Unit Personnel

• Philbert John Charles Morel ?? Apr 1944 - 1 Nov 1945

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 5 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, pages 5.280 & 5.281 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018