USA Archives - Page 2 of 4

Solemn ceremony to farewell fallen American soldiers

On December 22, 1947, Brisbane honored fallen American servicemen with a solemn ceremony. A coffin representing an unknown American soldier was paraded on a gun carriage through King George Square, halting in front of City Hall. Dignitaries, including officers from the Australian Commonwealth Government, Brisbane City Council, various patriotic organisations, and the American Consul, laid […]

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Brisbane critical role in submarine warfare

During World War II, Brisbane emerged as a pivotal hub for Allied submarine operations in the Pacific theater. The city’s strategic location facilitated the establishment of bases by the United States Navy, the Royal Netherlands Navy, and later the British Royal Navy. United States Navy Submarine Operations In April 1942, the U.S. Navy established a

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Radio Communication in Brisbane During World War II

Brisbane played a pivotal role as a strategic hub for Allied communication networks during World War II, hosting critical radio transmitting and receiving stations that facilitated the exchange of intelligence, operational orders, and coordination across the Pacific theatre. Managed by the United States Army Signal Corps, these facilities were complemented by independent networks operated by

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Brisbane’s role in Allied naval efforts.

Brisbane’s significance as a naval port was exemplified by its shipbuilding capacity and the deployment of vessels that shaped the war’s outcome. Evans Deakin & Co Ltd, located in the city, was a prominent shipyard that built numerous vessels for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), including the Bathurst-class corvettes. These versatile ships, designed for minesweeping,

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US Army Morning Reports Camp Columbia

Morning Reports in the U.S. Army were daily administrative documents used to track and report personnel and unit activities. These reports, maintained operational planning, and record-keeping. They are now considered valuable historical resources for research, including genealogy and military history. Key Features of Morning Reports: Accessing Historical Morning Reports Morning reports from the U.S. Army

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US Sixth Army established in Brisbane

The US Sixth Army was a field army of the United States Army that was established on January 20, 1943, during World War II. The Sixth Army was responsible for conducting military operations in the Pacific Theater of Operations, including the campaigns in New Guinea, the Philippines, and Okinawa. In July 1942, General Douglas MacArthur,

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Major WWII battles planned and executed from Brisbane

With his head office in the CBD of Brisbane and his headquarters in Camp Columbia, Wacol General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) and his military staff, orchestrated several pivotal WWII battles from here. Allied forces from Australia and the Netherlands also participated in these operations. Here’s a breakdown of

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War Brides

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

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Chemical Weapons at Darra Ordnance Depot

By November 1943, the Americans had the following Chemical Weapon (CW) inventory at the Darra Ordnance Ammunition Depot:- . By May 1944, Darra was also storing Chemical Weapons for the US Air Force and a small amount for the US Navy.. See: OzatWar World War II Stories from Brisbane’s South West

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Darra Deputation – complaint about US soldiers

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

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Complains about conduct of Negro Troops

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

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Joan Realia (nee Phillips/ Harrison) daughter of a US soldier

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

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Dennis Hughes’ father – a private in the US Army,

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

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Merv Bryant – a civilian employed by the US Army

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

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Bill Bentson – studied at the US Officers School

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

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Bryan “Tex” Grantham – US Army, 32nd infantry division-“The Red Arrows.” Brisbane 1942-45

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

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Allied Translator and Interpreter Section at Indooroopilly

ATIS was an integrated unit composed of Australian and American intelligence personnel and staff from the other Allied Forces (the Netherlands and China) Their primary responsibilities were the interrogation of Japanese POWs from Gaythorne POW Camp and the interpretation of captured Japanese documents. Given the low surrender rate of Japanese soldiers, ATIS placed greater emphasis

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Unique set of pictures of the hospital ship Maetsuyker after its handover from the Dutch to the Americans in Brisbane February 1944

The following is a set of unique pictures received from Peter Dunn, who took the photographs from the exhibits at NARA’s College Park library near Washington DC. They were taken in Brisbane after the US Army had taken over the hospital ship from the Dutch. The original text is published below the pictures. For more

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Mark Gehrke’s WWII artefacts from Brisbane

Lloyd Gehrke, received these artefacts. His uncle Archie Mann and his wife Grace (the sister of Lloyd’s mother)had a horse-riding business in Kalinga, Brisbane. This city was, after General Douglas MacArthur established his WWII head office here in 1942, an important military centre. The horse riding business mentioned above attracted lots of Australian and Allied

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Gailes Emergency Landing Ground – WWII

In May 1942, amidst the backdrop of World War II, the Gailes Emergency Landing Ground (ELG) was constructed for the American military. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) subsequently assumed control of the site, categorizing it as a B-1 type airfield, characterised by a single runway exceeding 800 yards. Intended primarily as a crash strip,

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