An estimated 300 US soldiers returned to their sweethearts in Australia. 10-12,000 Australian girls married Americans and emigrated to the US – 7000 of them from Queensland. In the USA, the number of war brides was enormous: “During World War II, an estimated one million American soldiers married women from over fifty different countries. In […]
To meet the perceived threat from Japan, the Brisbane City Council began construction of at least 200 surface shelters. These concrete and sandbagged boxes changed the face of the city. Office buildings had taped windows and sandbagged entrances, water mains filled with salty bay water for fighting fires ran from North Quay along Ann and
Brisbane City Council in WWII Read More »
During the war, Gailes, like all other clubs, had its difficulties. Machinery failures caused the closure of the second nine for months and clubhouse supplies were so scarce that the club introduced its own ration tickets The course was far from congested but there was activity around the clubhouse. The American Army established its officer
Gailes Golf Club opened its doors for the soldiers Read More »
Due to years of neglect much of the network was m poor shape. The railways however were unprepared for the role which they were to be called on as at the end of 1941 war broke out with Japan in the Pacific. Until this stage the war had not seriously affected the workings of the
Queensland Rail History – World War II Read More »
The Australian 3 March 2003 “it 15 amazing what a coalition of the willing can achieve even on the home front. “ For almost two decades, Queensland pensioner Roy Thompson, 73, tried in vain for compensation, or at least an apology from Washington for a tragic accident in which one child was killed and seven
US to investigate 1943 blast Goodna schoolyard Read More »
On 15 August 1944, a deputation of 3 residents from Darra met with the State Minister for Health and Home Affairs and the Police Commissioner’for Brisbane. They were introduced b` MLA Mr TIC Kerr The notes of the meeting include claims that: ..several attacks have been made by American Negroes on the residents at Darra
Darra Deputation – complaint about US soldiers Read More »
In the crisis year of 1942, Brisbane people surrendered many of the customary freedoms of daily life. All civilians were required to register for the war effort and were issued with:personal identity cards. Children were issued with identity disks. Travel out of Brisbane was restricted, and censorship of publications and private correspondence was enforced. The
Civic Restrictions in Brisbane during WWII Read More »
On 29 Dec 1943-the Inspector of Police, South Coast District sent a Confidential reply to Police Commissioner – regarding a letter (by one of 3 Darra men in a later deputation)- complaining of the conduct of American Negro troops in de Dara area. “The locality in question is a military area and, therefore, I am
Complains about conduct of Negro Troops Read More »
InternmentIn the fearful months of 1 942, Australians of both German and Italian heritage were interned. 15% of Australia’s Italians were interned as “enemy aliens. ” But in Queensland, where the fear was greatest, the number was far higher! ‘Forty-three percent of the state’s resident male ‘enemy aliens were interned compared to only three percent
Internment and Civil Alien Corps Read More »
Volunteer. Defence Corps (VDC) was raised and maintained its early years by the Returned Sailors Soldiers and Airmens Imperial League of Australia (RSSAILA): Boer War and Gallipoli veteran General Sir Harry Chauvel was appointed Inspector General. The VDC comprised men from every part o Australia and every walk of civilian life-volunteers under or over the
The Volunteers Defence Corps Read More »
The 1942 Japanese air raids on Townsville alarmed the whole eastern coast of Queensland. Schools were closed down or a time, and for some it meant a very wonderful time. “We ran wild” say some. Thousands of students from many State Schools as well as exclusive private secondary school were moved to scattered dormitories and
WWII – Queensland Schools Closed Read More »
My family moved into a Housing Commission house in the new Inala in the early 1950s. We boys soon found that there was lots of small arms ammo round the area, remnants of the US Ammunition Dump. Finding it and extracting the cordite was a favourite pastime for the local boys, who spent hours combing
UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) Blast Witness-Inala 1954 Read More »
I was born in 1944 and grew up in a house of women in Richlands and Darra. Mum (Alma Bohan) was a strong woman of Irish descent, and she had two grown daughters. Then there was me-and Nita was born three years after me. I remember when I was about eight, Nita and I would
Joan Realia (nee Phillips/ Harrison) daughter of a US soldier Read More »
During WWII, my father was in a Transport battalion and was based out near Darra-Wacol somewhere. He was on the road every day, driving down to the wharves to pick up incoming goods, and bringing them out this way to be stored-in igloos I was told, though I’m not sure where. My father was a
Dennis Hughes’ father – a private in the US Army, Read More »
I was born at the start of WWII, but I do remember a few things about those years. I remember the air-raid sirens, and the blacked-out windows. I remember taking the tram with my grandmother to get coupons at Ashgrove, then Red Hill (we lived in Red Hill then). We needed coupons to buy food
Merv Bryant – a civilian employed by the US Army Read More »
I have lived in Forest Lake for years. But during World War 11,-I was in Java. When the Japanese invaded, the Dutch East Indies government escaped to Australia and ended up at Wacol. My family came later, in 1945. Dutch East Indies My grandfather was Polish, and he met and married my grandmother, who was
Eugenie Blackney (nee Shand) survived the Japanese Camps in Java Read More »
I lived in Inala for almost forty years, and my kids went to school there. But I first came to the area during WWII, when I was in the RAAF. I was born in McLean, Northern Rivers on 10/5/1926. By 1944, I was working in Grafton, and a month before I turned eighteen, I received
Kelvin Lang- Armoury Driver for RAAF Read More »
I came to Brisbane with General MacArthur – his whole office moved from Melbourne to Brisbane in July ’42. I was a Staff Sergeant in Supply and Logistics – moving troops, ships and supplies. We moved into the AMP building in Queen Street, now MacArthur Chambers. I still visit there often, as I am involved
Bill Bentson – studied at the US Officers School Read More »
Bryan was in the US Army, 32nd infantry division-“The Red Arrows.” The departure of their fleet of 43 ships for New Guinea was headlined in the US newspapers – and then they set off from San Francisco with just one light carrier escort! There were 40,000 men-and they had three sleeping shifts to share the
Before the War My Dad’s great-grandparents were local pioneers. They homesteaded The Blunder – when the first selections were opened up there in 1865. King Avenue in Durack (then Oxley) bears their name. Dad’s parents came out from England as children, the Weekes from Devon, Prices from Oxfordshire. They met in Oxley and married in
Lona Grantham (nee Price) – WWII and Oxley Read More »
