7th Australian Field Company

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Brief History

This unit was mobilised in December 1941 in Brisbane, and was quickly dispatched to Port Moresby, New Guinea in January 1942 to operate with the 30th Infantry Brigade Group. After other engineers arrived, they were able to concentrate on road works and defensive positions. With the Japanese advance, the Field Company was tasked with improving the road to Owens Corner and beyond. In September they moved back to 17 mile to work with others improving the base area. Asa the Australians gained the upper hand, the 7th Field Company moved across the Owen Stanley Range to Emboga in December before moving back to Port Moresby when the Papuan Beachheads were cleared of the enemy.

They were relieved in March 1943 and returned to Australia for leave before gathering at the RAE Training Centre at Kapooka in southern New South Wales. In September they moved north to Dinmore in Queensland for bridging training and then left for Torres Strait in October, where they undertook a range of engineering tasks on the Torres Strait Islands including Thursday Island which was their base. In March 1944 they moved to Skull Creek on Cape York. With the need for a strong force in the area removed, they moved to Mapee before some leave in Brisbane. They reassembled at Kapooka in January 1945, and were tasked with relieving 10th Field Company at Torokina on Bougainville. Leaving Kapooka in April 1945. they arrived in June and remained there for the remainder of the war.

Unit Personnel

• Frank Lindsay Cornish 11 Oct - 22 Oct 1945
• Angus Sherwood James 11 Oct - 22 Oct 1945

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 3 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 3.447 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018