2/2nd Australian Forestry Company

John Henry (Jack) O'Meagher driving bulldozer in Bougainville. AWM photo

Australian forestry workers at Northumberland, 1940. State Library of Victoria photo

Brief History

the 2/2nd Australian Forestry Company was formed in Melbourne during March 1940 from experienced forest hands from Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia. The unit sailed with the third convoy in May 1940, diverted to the UK following Italy's entry into the war. Arriving in Liverpool during July, they moved first to Alton in Hampshire to assist in repelling the anticipated German invasion. In September 1940 they moved to Hexham in Durham to operate a sawmill, and in October to Thornhill in Dumfriesshire. In June 1943 they moved again, this time to Haywards Heath in Sussex during June 1943, before leaving for Australia via the US in September, and arriving at Kapooka in November 1943.

In march 1944 the unit moved to Wallgrove in Queensland, and then to Lae in New Guinea in May to operate sawmills at Busu and Butibum. 3 Platoon moved to Wau in June, and 2 Platoon moved first to Madang in July, and then to Aitape using a former US sawmill. 3 Platoon moved to Torokina to take over another sawmill and in November Company HQ and 1 Platoon to Jacquinot Bay to establish a sawmill to supply the 5th Australian Infantry Division. All sawmills remained in production until the end of the war.

Unit Personnel

• John Henry (Jack) O'Meagher 15 May 1940 - 1 Aug 1945
• William Albert Nicholls 23 - 29 Dec 1945

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 3 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 3.573 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018