2/1st Northern Australia Observer Unit

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Brief History

This unit was formed at Ingleburn, NSW during June 1942 from volunteers from Light Horse units. It moved to Katherine in the Northern Territory to relieve the 2/4th Independent Company which then moved to Timor. A Company patrolled the Roper River area of the Northern Territory from their base at Roper Bar, B Company the Kimberley region of Western Australia from their base at Wyndham and C Company the Channel Country in Queensland from their base at Burketown. During the 'wet' seasons they manned coastwatch posts close to Darwin at Lee Point, Micket Creek, Howard Springs and Bynoe Bay.

In July 1943 the threat assessment changed to reduce the risk of attacks to the flanks, increasing the importance of areas closer to Darwin. A and C Companies were withdrawn and the nit concentrated at Manton Dam in October 1943, patrolling likely landing spots closer to Darwin, while a reduced size B Companyremained at Wyndham. The unit was disbanded in April 1944.

Unit Personnel

• Arthur Henry Thompson 8 Dec 1942 - 15 Apr 1943

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 2 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 2.484 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018