Camp Rockhampton
- Type
-
Training facility
- Region
Fitzroy-Mackay
Current suburbs of Norman Gardens, Kawana, Parkhurst, Ironpot and Sandringham, Rockhampton 4700
Camp Rockhampton was home to the US 41st Infantry Division, part of the US I Corps, between July 1942 and early 1944. The camp stretched from Moores Creek northwards along the Bruce Highway almost to Parkhurst; either side of the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road before the intersection with Artillery Road; and south of Artillery Road between the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road and Sandringham. Additional Areas of Camp Rockhampton were located at the Botanical Gardens near the golf course (Area ‘U’) and at the Showgrounds (Area ‘V’).
Another I Corps Division, the 24th Infantry Division, arrived at Rockhampton in September 1943 and was accommodated at Camp Caves, north of Rockhampton between Etna Creek Road and Alligator Creek. Other camps in the vicinity of Rockhampton included Camp Nerimbera, Camp Thompson’s Point, Camp Keppel Sands, Camp Yeppoon and Camp Wallaroo.
The main combat units of the 41st Division included the 162nd, 163rd and 186th Infantry Regiments, the 116th Engineer Battalion and the 146th, 167th, 205th and 218th Field Artillery (FA) Battalions. Units of the 41st fought in New Guinea during 1943, and in early 1944 the whole division departed Rockhampton to engage in simultaneous amphibious assaults on Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea (Operation Reckless) and Aitape in New Guinea (Operation Persecution).
History
Between mid 1942 and early 1944 Rockhampton was home to two of the four full US Army Divisions (the 24th, 32nd and 41st Infantry divisions, and the 1st Cavalry Division) which trained in Queensland During World War II. The 41st Division, a National Guard unit, was the first US division dispatched to Australia, with contingents arriving at Melbourne and Sydney during April and May 1942. After training at Puckapunyal in Victoria, the division, initially called the “Sunset Division” and later the “Jungleers", was sent to Rockhampton in July 1942, where it was accommodated in Camp Rockhampton.
The US I (1st) Corps Headquarters, under Major General Robert L. Eichelberger, arrived in Rockhampton in August. At this time I Corps included the 41st Division and the 32nd “Red Arrow” Division (also a National Guard unit), which had arrived in Adelaide in May 1942. However, the 32nd did not go to Rockhampton, instead camping south of Brisbane at Camp Cable (from July 1942 before heading to New Guinea from September 1942). The 32nd had been offered to Australia in return for Australia leaving its experienced 9th Division, 2nd Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) in the Middle East.
The third division to join I Corps, and the second US division sent to Rockhampton, was the 24th Infantry Division, which arrived in Rockhampton in September 1943. The 24th was originally the Hawaiian Division, and it retained the latter’s shoulder sleeve insignia of a taro leaf. The main units of the 24th Division were accommodated at Camp Caves.
After arriving at Rockhampton the 41st Division commenced training in jungle warfare, and each battalion in turn was sent down to the Toorbul Point Combined Training Centre near Brisbane, for training in amphibious warfare. Units of the 41st Division fought in New Guinea during 1943 and in April 1944 the Division landed simultaneously at Hollandia (Dutch New Guinea) and Aitape (New Guinea) in Operation Reckless and Operation Persecution, in an attempt to isolate the Japanese 18th Army at Wewak. The 24th Division also landed at Hollandia as part of Operation Reckless, having prepared at Goodenough Island (New Guinea) from January 1944.
When not deployed outside Australia, the main units of the 41st Division were accommodated in Camp Rockhampton, north of the city, although numerous buildings within the city were also requisitioned for US use. Camp Rockhampton stretched from Moores Creek northwards along the Bruce Highway, with Areas ‘A’ (5th Station Hospital) and ‘B’ (92nd Evacuation Hospital) astride Richardson Road. The 33rd Surgical Hospital was also located on Richardson Road. Areas ‘C’ (116th Medical Battalion), ‘D’ (69th Topo Coy, I Corps HQ battery, I Corps 36th MP Coy, I Corps 56th and 58th Signals Companies, 17th Replacement Battalion), ‘E’ (41st Division Reconnaissance Coy) and ‘F’ (741st Ordnance) were located either side of the Bruce Highway before the turnoff for the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road. Area ‘G’ (808th Ordnance, with 7 igloo warehouses and “401” siding) was on the east side of the North Coast Railway Line, to the southwest of the turn off, and areas ‘H’ (41st Division HQ, Army Exchange Service) and ‘I’ (808th Ordnance; Ordnance, I Corps; Ordnance, Base Section 3) were further north, along the west side of the Bruce Highway and the North Coast Railway Line respectively, before Parkhurst.
Areas ‘J’ (186th Infantry Regiment with 3 battalions), ‘K’ (162nd Infantry Regiment with 3 battalions), ‘L’ (Quartermaster Coy) and ‘M’ (163rd Infantry Regiment with 3 battalions) were either side of the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road, before the intersection with Artillery Road. Areas ‘N’ (41st Division Artillery HQ), ‘O’ (167th Field Artillery [FA] battalion), ‘P’ (205th FA Battalion), ‘Q’ (218th FA Battalion), ‘R’ (146th FA Battalion), ‘S’ (116th Engineer Battalion) and ‘T’ (3 landing strips with 5 hangars) were to the south of Artillery Road, before Sandringham. Two masonry pillars of a gate to Area Q survive on Artillery Road, just east of a modern entrance. These once supported a timber arch with the setting sun insignia of the 41st Division. Concrete tent floors are also still visible on Google Earth, in the paddock south of the road. After these areas, but still before Sandringham, was a Corps Artillery Camp, labelled as Areas ‘M’ to ‘Q’ of Camp Caves, located either side of Artillery Road.
Area ‘U’ (I Corps HQ) was at the Botanical Gardens located south of Penlington Street and west of Wentworth Terrace, near the golf course. Area ‘V’ (PX, Laundry, and Salvage Depot) was at the Showground north of Exhibition Road. Small latrine buildings were also built for allied troops in the centre of town, with two in the middle of William Street, two in Denham Street and two in Fitzroy Street.
There were also two rifle ranges marked as part of Camp Rockhampton: the Frenchville small arms range, east of Norman Road, north of Farm Street; and the Lovandee small arms range, west of the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road on the south side of Ironpot Creek. Other small arms range areas were located either side of the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road and south of Artillery Road. Ranges for the artillery units at Rockhampton included the Cawarral, Cobberra, Josekeleigh, Salt Flat, and Sugarloaf artillery ranges.
Land hiring dates for Camp Rockhampton commenced in June 1942, through October 1943, and the main construction agency was the Public Works Department, along with work by RL Schofield, R Cousins & Co, R Coward, TF Wollam, the City Council and troop labour. Tozer & Sons constructed the target buts at the Lovandee small arms range. Detailed maps of the locations of individual buildings within each area can be accessed in digitised form from the National Archives of Australia website, control symbols MAP 22 to MAP 39. Lists of buildings and contractors can be found at MAP 118 to MAP 128; and units in occupation are listed in the schedules of garbage collection, MAP 147 to MAP 149. All areas of Camp Rockhampton had been vacated by March 1944, except for Area ‘A’ (July 1944).
Source/comments
McCarthy, D. 1959. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 - Army. “Volume V - South-West Pacific Area - First Year: Kokoda to Wau".
Dexter, D. 1961. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 - Army. “Volume VI - The New Guinea Offensives."
Charlton, P. 1991. South Queensland WWII 1941–45, Boolarong, Brisbane.
National Archives of Australia. various items, control symbols: INDEX; MAP 16 to MAP 18; MAP 20 to MAP 57; MAP 59; MAP 60; MAP 62: MAP 63; MAP 77; MAP 79; MAP 81; MAP 83; MAP 118 to MAP 133; MAP 146 to MAP 150.
Dunn, P. Camp Rockhampton Base Area Command No. 2 USASOS Base Section 3, APO 926, Rockhampton, Qld during WW2
Dunn, P. 41st Infantry Division, I Corps, US Army in Australia during WW2
Operations Reckless and Persecution
41st Infantry Division (United States), Wikipedia
Division History, 41st Infantry Division
24th Infantry Division (United States), Wikipedia
Division history, 24th Infantry Division
32nd Infantry Division (United States), Wikipedia
Image of 41st Division shoulder patch.
St Christopher’s Chapel, Queensland Heritage Register 600660
McCarthy, D. 1959. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 - Army. “Volume V – South-West Pacific Area - First Year: Kokoda to Wau."
Dexter, D. 1961. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 - Army. “Volume VI - The New Guinea Offensives."
Charlton, P. 1991. South Queensland WWII 1941–45, Boolarong, Brisbane.
National Archives of Australia. MAP 17. Rockhampton District Camp Areas - Engineer Office Base Area Command No. 2 [USASOS]
Base Section 3 A.P.O. 926 - “A” Area Camp Nerimbera. 1944
National Archives of Australia, MAP 146. Rockhampton District Camp Areas - Engineer Office Base Area Command No. 2 [USASOS] Base Section 3 A.P.O. 926 - Camp Nerimbera Garbage Collection, 1944.