Townsville War Cemetery

United States (US) Military Cemetery

Type
Cemetery
Region
Townsville

Evans Street, Belgian Gardens 4810

The Townsville Cemetery at Belgian Gardens existed prior to WW2 and was used to inter Australian personnel from 1939.

At the commencement of the Pacific War US, British and other Allied personnel were also buried at this Cemetery.

History

In July 1943, the US Chaplains’ Office noted that improvements were needed during the firing 'salute':

The firing detail shot into the hill [Jimmy’s Lookout] west of our section. The men that we have for this detail are a different group each burial. Some of the men even with a regular detail are a little nervous on this type of duty, therefore, the possibilities of an inexperienced detail shooting high and the bullet ricocheting into the 4th Air Depot [Garbutt] area is very great. It is also dangerous shooting into the bay. For the Memorial Day service we secured blank ammunition from the parachute troops…

It was also mentioned that the maximum number of US personnel permitted to be interred on site was 1000 and that there were currently 300 graves (July 1943).

Plans were made in 1945 for 454 deceased US personnel at the Townsville Cemetery to be transferred to APO 923 (Brisbane area).

This was possibly the US section of the Ipswich Cemetery which contained many US war graves.

These were eventually exhumed and returned to the United States with the majority relocated to Arlington National Cemetery.

The flagpole erected to carry the American flag was removed post war and still exists within the Jezzine Barracks precinct.

Source/comments

Base Two, The Bayonet of Australia, Volume One, Notes from American War Records of World War Two, Vol 2. [Typescript held in North Queensland Collection, James Cook University].

Base Two, The Bayonet of Australia, Volume One, Notes from American War Records of World War Two, Vol 3 Chaplains’ Office. [Typescript held in North Queensland Collection, James Cook University].

International News Photo (Cemetery, Townsville, Australia, 11 March 1942) (Ray Holyoak collection).

1942 US burial at Townsville Cemetery at Belgian Gardens.

Associated Press Wire Photograph FES 21300 Pool

(Ray Holyoak collection).