RAAF SECURITY GUARDS

By Ian D. Jenkins, Canberra, January 2000

The Security Guards Unit was first established on 1 October 1942 in the vicinity of Livingstone fighter airstrip, located on the Stuart Highway, some 34 miles south of Darwin.   It was during this period that airfields in the Darwin area were receiving regular attention from Japanese bombers, and the threat of invasion was very much a reality. The unit later moved to Nightcliff (now a suburb), a short distance north of Darwin, on 12 June 1943, and was renamed No.1 Airfield Defence Squadron on 7 April 1945. On 23 September 1945, the unit was again moved to Winnellie, where it was disbanded on 19 November 1945.   Another unit, No.2 Airfield Defence Squadron was also formed at Morotai on 10 April 1945, and remained there until disbanded on 29 October 1945. A detachment of this unit was established at Tarakan on 1 May 1945, and was also disbanded on 29 October 1945.

The guards were specially selected, and after their initial 4-week recruit course, were required to complete a 4-week Guards Course prior to being posted to their service unit. They were given further intensive training along infantry lines in the bush near Darwin in the Northern Territory, firstly at Livingstone Airfield and later at Nightcliff.  Their primary role was the ground protection of airfields by paratroops and glider-borne troops, including infantry or sniper attack, and also to provide ceremonial guards when required.  Training was carried out using infantry weapons such as Owen Guns and .303 Le Enfield rifles with ball ammunition and fixed bayonets. They were also referred to by other such titles as "RAAF Infantry Regiment"  and "Group Captain Caldwell's RAAF Infanteers". Opportunity existed for them to later become Airfield Defence Instructors after successfully completing a special 8-week course.

A special screen-printed badge for Security Guards was instituted possibly in early 1943 as a means of identification, and one which they wore with pride, sewn on the right side of the pugaree of their fur-felt hat.  It comprised a 2-1/2 x 2 inch piece of white cloth, on which was printed a central blue roundel with a red eagle superimposed across it similar to that of the VAOC. Superimposed over that again was a black crossed rifle and sword. Research by the author appears to indicate that the badge was produced locally and was worn within the unit, and did not have an official RAAF identification number.  It is also a very rare badge, with only two surviving examples being known to the author, one at the RAAF Museum, Point Cook, Victoria, and the other at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

The original WW2 guards were the forerunners of the RAAF’s Airfield Defence Guards. An attempt was made to reform No.2 Airfield Defence Squadron on 5 July 1951, but was disbanded on 12 September 1952, without becoming operative.  However, on 17 March 1983 the unit was reformed, taking it's title from the original WW2 unit, with Amberley, Queensland later becoming the home of the RAAF ground defence in 1989. The design adopted for the official unit badge was similar to that originally worn on the pugaree of crossed rifle and sword, but with the Wedge-Tailed Eagle superimposed across the centre.