House in Church Street, West End, Townsville, used by 11th Brigade Headquarters during WW2

HOUSE IN CHURCH STREET
WEST END, TOWNSVILLE,
USED BY 11TH BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS
DURING WW2

visits since 17 February 2002

The 11th Infantry Brigade Headquarters may have initially been located at Kissing Point.

The 11th Brigade established an advanced Headquarters in a house in Church Street, West End.

Loftus Dun reported that the 11th Brigade Headquarters "moved from Denham St. to the house mentioned by Loftus Dun, in Church St, up against Castle Hill. The signallers had built a bunker into the Hill, with quite big logs - at least 18" in diameter. I doubt that a direct hit would have done much damage, because the logs on the roof were huge and covered with dirt. While we were in the HQ at Church St, at West End, the signallers operated there all the time".

The Headquarters was in this house in Church Street during the period of the Battle of the Coral Sea and at the time of the Negro Servicemen's riot at the Upper Ross.

After a short period at Church Street, the 11th Brigade Headquarters then moved to a position along a dry creek bed about one mile south west of the then Nome railway station on the western side of the railway line.

Could this presence at West End be the connection with the stone buildings at West End and the communications cable?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Loftus Dun for his assistance with this home page.