Was there a US Army Training area at Mon Repos, Queensland, during WW2

WAS THERE A US ARMY TRAINING AREA
AT MON REPOS, QLD
DURING WWII?

visits since 8 March 2009

In March 2009 Michael Latter told me that a Mon Repos turtle rookery ranger had told him that there was a US Army training base (most probably US although it could have been Australian) at Mon Repos near Bundaberg during WWII. She told Michael that at the southern end of the beach there was a large concrete slab there for bringing up amphibious vehicles from the beach. Mon Repos Beach is just north of Bargara.

Michael was not able to locate any slabs but he did find what looked like two possible makeshift machine gun posts made of rocks with an entrance on one side. These where located at the semi top of a hill looking down upon a large open area. A fair percentage of the area also seemed unnatural.

Photo:- March 2009 Michael Latter

Possible WWII gun position at Mon Repos

Photo:- March 2009 Michael Latter

Possible WWII gun position at Mon Repos

Photo:- March 2009 Michael Latter

Possible WWII gun position at Mon Repos

Near the intersection of Mon Repos Road and Grange Road there are 7 or 8 large mounds. There are rumors that old WWII equipment is buried beneath them.

XE-craft submarine (35 ton) of the 14th Submarine Flotilla carried out exercises off Mon Repos Beach during WWII. They simulated the cutting of the underwater cables used by the Japanese for sending and receiving High Command messages from Singapore and Hong Kong. They simulated this task off Mon Repos, by attempting to cut a disused submarine telegraph cable that ran between Mon Repos and New Caledonia. It was originally laid in 1893 and abandoned in either 1895 or 1898. The exercise was in readiness for an attack on the underwater telephone cables from Singapore and Hong Kong.

Can anyone advise whether there was a military camp at Mon Repos?

Or what those large stone enclosures were used for?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Michael Latter for his assistance with this web page.