LHQ SCHOOL OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE,
AUSTRALIAN ARMY,
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

In November 1941 the AIF formed the AIF (ME) Intelligence School at Mughazi in Palestine to train intelligence officers and staff for all Australian units. When the war broke out in the Pacific, the 1 Australian Corps was ordered to return to Australia. The school was only just starting to become operational when this happened.

The AIF (ME) Intelligence School arrived in Adelaide in South Australia with most of its training units in March 1942 and then moved to Balwyn in Victoria. When the Australian Army was reorganised in April 1942, they became the LHQ School of Military Intelligence in May 1942. Their role was expanded in October 1942 at the time that they moved to Redcliffe on the northern outskirts of Brisbane in south east Queensland.

At Redcliffe they operated four wings:-

A Wing - trained officers for intelligence appointments to divisions or higher headquarters or for L of C and Base Sub Areas with courses lasting for 6 weeks.

B Wing - trained officers and senior NCOs for intelligence appointments at brigade or lower headquarters and the courses also lasted for six weeks

C Wing - trained officers and NCOs in aerial photo interpretation and making formline sketches from aerial photos in courses that lasted for 18 days.

D Wing - acted as as 'finishing school' in field security duties after initial training at FS Reinft Depot in Brisbane. They also conducted courses in enemy equipment and on Malay languages.

The LHQ School of Military Intelligence took over the Pacific Hotel at Southport in south east Queensland after 14 April 1943 when the the First Australian Army Junior Tactical School moved out of the Pacific Hotel The Junior Tactical School had been there since 1 August 1942.

Colonel Mander Jones was the chief instructor at the LHQ School of Military Intelligence.

REFERENCES

"Hotdogs & Meatpies - World War II on the Gold Coast" researched and written by Leslie Jenkins, Gold Coast City Council

"Women in Khaki" by Lorna Ollif, page 194

"The Unit Guide - The Australian Army 1939 - 1945" Volume 2, page 2.594, by Graham R. McKenzie-Smith, AM

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 9 April 2006

This page last updated 02 August 2020