26 RADAR
STATION RAAF
CAPE CLEVELAND, QLD
DURING WW2
The RAAF established No. 26 Radar Station (26RS) at Cape Cleveland near the Cape Cleveland Lighthouse on 1 June 1942. It was a Radio Location station. The Operations Record Book initially shows it as 26 Radio Station. Later entries show it as 26 RDF Station (Radio Direction Finding Station). From September 1943 it is called 26 Radar Station.
Cape Cleveland is at the eastern end of Cleveland Bay near Townsville in north Queensland.
The Commanding Officers of 26 Radar RAAF were as follows:-
| Pilot Officer Carey | 15 Jul 1942 |
| Pilot Officer Uren | 25 Sep 1942 |
| Pilot Officer H. White | 25 Jan 1943 |
| Pilot Officer Ian William Young | 23 Apr 1943 |
| Flight Lieutenant Frank Vernon Bassett | 5 Sep 1943 |
| Flying Officer Michael William Robson | 20 Mar 1944 |
The Environmental Protection Agency web site indicates that an observation post and a radar were set up on high ground near the lighthouse. The power house building remains, but is disused and in a dilapidated condition and only the foundations of the observation post and the radar hut remain. I wonder if the observation post was an RAN unit?
Joseph Henry Carter, the lighthouse keeper at Cape Cleveland from 1939 to 1943 was a member of the Volunteer Air Observer Corps.
Colin Victorsen Collection
Radar Antennae array at Cape Cleveland during WW2
Plan of the Lighthouse layout in 1952. The
location of the WW2 Radar Aerial and Power House building are shown. The Observation
Post shown was actually the Watch House for the Lighthouse. It is no longer
there as it was blown off its foundations during a
cyclone in the 1990's putting a dent in the lighthouse roof, and then
disappeared out to sea. The Flying Fox can also be seen above.
No1 Cottage after cyclone 18 February 1940.
Bill Carter believes
this was where they later put the radar hut with the antennae on top.
Photo:- Carter Family
This house replaced the one in the photo
above, probably
built beside it, and maybe they used some material from the other.
Photo:- Carter Family
The top end of the Flying Fox, Lighthouse Watchhouse on the right
Photo:- Carter Family
The bottom (beach) end of the Flying Fox
and Boatshed,
a very young Bill Carter sitting near the Flying Fox
Headed for Cape Cleveland Radar site, possibly members of 26 Radar unit
Colin Victorsen Collection
Lighthouse and 26 Radar site during WW2
Colin Victorsen Collection
Flying Fox to Lighthouse and Radar Beacon during WW2
Colin Victorsen Collection
Flying Fox to Lighthouse and Radar Beacon during WW2
Photo:- Ralph Sheffield
Remains of 26 Radar Site, Cape Cleveland in 1953
Photo:- via Bill Carter
WW2 Concrete bunker, probably the powerhouse building associated with 26 Radar site
Photo:- via Bill Carter
WW2 Concrete bunker, probably the powerhouse building associated with 26 Radar site
Photo:- via Bill Carter
Note all the old concrete rubble on the left. This was from the old houses they replaced in 1953
Photo:- via Bill Carter
Another shot similar to above.
Note the concrete at left of photo. Bill Carter
told me that the piece of concrete was something they had down the
end of the track, where they lowered a trolley on rails down there with a
light on it so nothing would run into a big rock sticking out of the sea there
Photo:- Carter Family
Taken from the same area as the above 2005 photo with the car tracks covering the tram line tracks
Photo:- via Bill Carter
End of the tram line tracks
Photo:- Carter Family
The Tram Line Trolley, May Carter at the right and her friend Ruby Andrews of Townsville on the left
Photo:- via Bill Carter
Cape Cleveland Lighthouse in August 2005
Photo:- via Bill Carter
Photo:- via Bill Carter
Lighthouse Workshop
Photo:- via Bill Carter
Lighthouse Workshop
Photo:- via Bill Carter
You can see a large rock in the
sea to left of the distant headland.
No. 2 House and its water tank can be seen in the foreground.
Photo:- via Bill Carter
Another view of the rock in the sea.
Photo:- via Bill Carter
From left Operators Steve White,
Gavin Reibelt and Les Steel at International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend which is held every year, on the 3rd weekend in August. Radio
Hams operate
from Lighthouses all around the world, mainly to publicise them and the radio
connection with
them. Bill Carter usually turns up at a lighthouse somewhere on that weekend.
Photo:- via Bill Carter
Steve White operating the radio set
Photo:- via Bill Carter
Radio equipment International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
Photo:- via Bill Carter
View from the Lighthouse at Cape Cleveland
There was a Mustard Gas testing range somewhere near Cape Cleveland during WW2. Volunteer Australian soldiers were used in Mustard Gas trials in Australia from 1942 to 1945. The trials were carried out to study the possible effects of mustard in a tropical climate, which at that time were still unknown. Does anyone know where these test were carried out near Cape Cleveland?
Irv Hamlin who was a member of the 208th Coastal Artillery (AA) Regiment, US Army believes the 208th may have had a battery of 3" guns somewhere near Cape Cleveland for a while during WW2. Can anyone confirm?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank Bill Carter for his assistance with this web page.
Can anyone help me with more information?
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
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This page first produced 18 January 2008
This page last updated 13 January 2020
