1st Australian Corps Reception Camp

[[File:]]

Brief History

This unit was raised in Palestine in March 1941, and for a brief time moved to Greece before being evacuated in April to Beit Jirja in Palestine where they settled in May. In July they moved to Baalbek in Syria and then to Beirut. Their role was to receive, feed an dispatch troops returning from hospitals and courses. With the recall to Australia, the unit moved first to Kilo 89 in Palestine during January and they embarked in February for Adelaide where they arrived in March 1942. In April they moved to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens to establish a transit camp for AIF units returning from the Middle East.

In May 1942 the unit moved to Warwick in southern Queensland, and then in July to Ascot Racecourse. With early Japanese success in New Guinea, the unit moved to Port Moresby in August 1942 to service the 7th Division, and then in August 1943 sent a detachment sent to Buna to service units of the 9th Division preparing for the landings at Lae. Te detachment returned to Port Moresby in October, and the unit to Wongabel in Queensland in April 1944. In May 1945 the unit moved to Moratai to operate a transit camp for 1 Australian Corps until the end of the war.

Passing Through

Port Moresby

• Clarence Malarkey 12 Nov - 6 Dec 1942