MAJOR GENERAL LEWIS HYDE BRERETON
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2

Major General Lewis Hyde Brereton was born in 1890, and died in 1967. He was appointed commander of the Far East Air Force (FEAF) under General Douglas MacArthur in 1941. 

In early November 1941, Major General Brereton, the Commanding Officer of the U.S.F.E.A.F. in the Philippines came to Australia to survey a route between Australia and the Philippines to ferry aircraft from the USA. The route became known as the Brereton Route.

The USFEAF, which was formed on 28 October 1941, fought in the Philippines at the outbreak of the Pacific War. They covered the retreat south to Java and then escaped back to Australia where they played a small part in the Battle of the Coral Sea (7-8 May 1942) and went on to became the nucleus of the new Fifth Air Force. When Java fell, Brereton was transferred to India and placed in command of the 10th Air Force.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 6 February 2002

This page last updated 24 January 2020