2/3rd Australian Docks Operating Company

30 Jun 1943 Milne Bay AWM 053262

Accom area for 2/3rd Australian Docks Operating Company at Milne Bay AWM 053243

Brief History

This unti was formed at Watsonia in Victoria during March 1942. In April it moved to the St Kilda showgrounds, and B Groups three Sections moved to Cairns in North Queensland in June, while the main body moved to Darwin. Shortly after the arrival in Darwin there was a need for teh Army to manage the Port of Townsville and the main body moved there from a base at Mundingburra. In January 1943 the unti moved to Cairns, with two sections then moving to Milne bay, and one to Thursday Island. The Milne Bay detachemtn was relieved in September and moved to Cairns until January 1944 when they moved to the RAE Training Centre at Kapooka, in NSW. Ther ethey split to form the 8th Docks Operating Company before moving to Meadobank in February and then Darwin in March where they joined he 5th Docks Operating Company in running the Darwin port. In November 1944 they moved to Cairns to assist the 2/10th Ports Operating Company there until they moved to Morotai in March 1945 to handle the transiting cargo beng supplied for the landings on Borneo. The 2/3 Docks Operating Company accompanied the 7th Infantry Division to Balikpapan in July and worked that port until the end of the war.

In August 1945 they were transferred tothe Transportation Corps and were renamed 2/3rd Australian Port Operating Company

Unit personnel

• Donald Roberts Scott 17 Aug 1942 - 19 Dec 1943
• Jack Cartwright 17 Mar 1944 - 21 Jan 1946

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 3 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, pages 3.535 & 3.536 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018