Aubrey Brown, RAAF Air Defence Controller during WW2

Aubrey M Brown (62677) was located at Fort Lytton as a Radar Operator from 29 May 1942 until 1 October 1942 with No. 23 Radar Station RAAF. Aubrey said that the Radar site was shared with the Army who looked after RAAF Administration at Lytton. There was a railway line serving the site, but it was a long walk from the site to the station. Aubrey thought that the Commanding Officer was a chap named FLETCHER while he was stationed there.

Aubrey Brown advised that prior to the evening of 31 May 1942, when the Japanese midget submarines attacked Sydney Harbour, the mother submarines were detected by No. 23 Radar Station at Fort Lytton travelling down the east coast of Australia. This provided some warning that an attack would most probably occur somewhere along the coast. The Japanese mother submarines I-22, I-24 and I-27 left Truk Lagoon on 18 May 1942 and headed south between Rabaul and Solomon Islands. Each had a 46 ton midget submarine clamped to its afterdeck.

POSTINGS
19/3/42 - 16/4/42 2RD(Recruit Depot) Sydney
16/4/42 - 29/5/42 Radar Training Richmond
29/5/42 - 1/10/42 Radar Operator Lytton (Qld)
1/10/42 - 12/11/42 5ED (Embarkation Depot) Brisbane
12/11/42 - 12/2/43 32 RS (Radar Station) Rottnest Is (WA)
12/2/43 - 1/3/43 5ED Perth
1/3/43 - 30/6/43 314 RS (Radar Station) Onslow (WA)
30/6/43 - 14/10/43 Officers Course Richmond NSW
14/10/43 - 18/12/43 1 RPP (Radar Personnel Posting) New Lambton Newcastle
18/12/43 - 19/11/44 109 MFCU (Mobile Fighter Control Unit Goodenough Is NG
19/11/44 - 6/12/44 2 PD (Personnel Depot) Sydney
6/12/44 - 18/1/45 101 FCU Darwin
18/1/45 - 8/6/45 Air Defence HQ (ADHQ) Darwin
8/6/45 - 16/6/45 4PD Darwin
16/6/45 - 10/10/45 ADHQ Melbourne
10/10/45 Discharged

Aubrey's pay book shows 5ED as being in both Brisbane and Perth. His recollection is that it was a generic holding unit for Radar personnel on posting. He is not sure where it was headquartered, but probably operated in most Capital cities.

I'd like to thank John Brown for his assistance with this home page. His father Aubrey lives at Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, NSW.

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