139th AACS Squadron, Detachment #4 at Mount Low, Townsville, Queensland in Australia during WW2

139TH AACS SQUADRON, DETACHMENT 4
MOUNT LOW, TOWNSVILLE, QLD
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

The mission of the Army Airways Communication Service (AACS) was to provide three basic services:-

The "Bayonet of Australia", the history of Base Section Two in Townsville during WWII, states that the 139th Army Airways Communication Service (AACS) Squadron, Detachment #4 established their operations about 6 miles northeast of Garbutt airfield. Pallarenda is actually only 4 miles NNE of the old control Tower at Garbutt Airfield, so the 6 miles is clearly an exaggeration as that would put it into Cleveland Bay. My guess is that the location is incorrect in the Bayonet of Australia and Wireless Station WYVD operated by the 139th AACS Det #4 was approximately 6 miles NW of Garbutt rather than NE which would roughly line it up with the US Wireless Station that was located at Mount Low during WWII.

The site at Mount Low was hard to access and Lieutenant Quinnelly once gallantly spurred his Jeep across a railroad trestle in order to bypass the flooded Bohle River bridge. Another memorable event for the unit was when an alert M.P. presented WYVD's first traffic ticket to their Commanding Officer.

Trucks carried supplies from town and Garbutt Airfield to the Townsville side of the stream and the versatile Jeeps, converted into ferry boats, took over from there and swam the remaining two miles to camp. The 2486th Quartermaster Truck Company Aviation provided general hauling services to the 139th AACS Squadron Det #4.

A single standard pre-fabricated station building housed transmitters, radio-room, code room, kitchen, officers' quarters, officer storeroom and a copy of "The Second Lieutenants Handbook". The quarters proved to be a little cosy after the third month, which saw AACS handling three hundred percent more traffic than in April and by November 1943 a Remote Receiver site was constructed about a mile from the transmitter site. Around that new receiver site sprang up the military rows of wood and canvas which housed radio and cryptographic personnel.

In September 1943, a CAA "Like Stateside" range was installed which put out 400 watts and carried voice and range signals simultaneously. The range was a showplace of the region and had daily proved itself in terms of lives and aircraft saved. The "seat of the pants" pilots were grateful for its steady "on course" hum in their earphones.

In December 1943, a Detachment of men took over tower operation from the 45th Service Squadron and Unique Tower at Garbutt Airfield became a Christmas present for pilots and the most elaborate tower installation in the region. In June 1945, Unique Tower distinguished itself in the rescue of a ship floundering off the Australian coast. Through the efforts of Tower Chief, John P. Martin, and his group of operators, "intelligence" was transmitted from ship to AACS to aircraft overhead, and as a result of the co-ordinated efforts over a period of two days, the ship and crew were saved.

The energetic Captain Carey personally supervised the battle for living space. Successive expansion was made of the code and radio rooms, drains were dug, grass burnt, trees came down and tent frames were erected. The AACS realised they were tradesmen as well as technicians, roustabouts as well as radio men. When one of the many grass fires threatened to get out of control, maintenance men became firemen, checking the flames which roared to within ten feet of the radio operators who stuck to their positions and kept the messages flying.

The Code Room was enlarged again in October 1944 placing more demands on the resources and ingenuity of all personnel. On 5 September 1944, the unit held a dance with a ten piece band and the necessary "fair feminine company". Shortly after this, athletic competitions were organised by Captain Nicholas Geeza. Conscious of his responsibility for the physical fitness as well as the technical competence of the army of men flowing through WYVD for training and assignment, the Captain led officers and men in vigorous and bloody battles on the newly constructed volleyball court.

Captain Geeza married an Australian girl on 25 November 1944. T/Sgt Jack Reeves, who already had an Australian bride commented "Magnificent judgement".g

On 7 December 1944, the Detachment celebrated the second anniversary of the 68th AACS Group with an 8 piece band. The beer flowed freely. The end of 1944 brought a marked decline in operations and "old timers" predicted mournfully "We'll never be the same again."

Traffic continued to decline in January and February 1945 and the steady departure of units for the active fronts relieved the pressure on troop-weary Townsville. Through the initiative of the men, a day room was built and sprinkled with "Stateside" lounges which bounced like the super-spring jobs back in "the old country".

Three times during March 1945, the Station was marooned from Townsville by flood waters. On the night of 11 March 1945, Lieutenant William Winter received a call from the 89th Station Hospital requesting aid for six women, and an eight year old child and seven Enlisted Men helpless in a vehicle stranded in the flood waters over the Black River bridge. As rescue trucks from town were cut off by local bridges, which were under water, the AACS was the only organisation in a position to attempt to save the stranded personnel.

Quickly loading several hundred feet of heavy manilla rope on to a winchless 2½ ton truck, Lieutenants Winter, Mouth and Eiller proceeded to the scene. A quick glance showed that the stranded truck could not be reached as there was 25 yards of rushing water, too strong for even a powerful swimmer to reach. The AACS truck was immediately backed into the stream until the waters threatened to drown the engine.

A rope thrown with a shoe tied to it, failed to reach the stranded vehicle. Lieutenant Winter roared the AACS truck into the rushing stream until the engine failed. After several more attempts the heavy rope was finally grabbed by eager hands on the marooned vehicle. The child and all the women were quickly carried to the comparative safety of the AACS vehicle and the men followed the rope across unaided.

At 0130 hours an AACS Jeep towed the truck and party safely to shore concluding successfully another facet of AACS services. Lieutenant Winter was recommended for the Soldiers Medal for his part in the rescue.

Three days later, D/F, the AACS Direction Finding Station, saved a Troop Carrier aircraft which was brought in safely through the quick and accurate bearings which were taken. During that month, the unit's D/F gave the highest number of bearings of any station in the 68th AACS Group.

April 1945 brought rain, sunshine and inspections to Detachment #4. Pfc Jacob Dlugash kept a pet Kangaroo called "Hoppy". The Transmitter and Receiver facilities, and eventually the whole unit earned their usual "Superior" rating when Wing Inspector General Major Lytle and staff arrived on 6 April 1945. A few days later Colonel Nichols cast a sharp eye on the manpower situation and remarked "There'll be some changes made". Six operators and three console positions were subsequently sent to Manila leaving the Receiver Room lean and lonely.

Code Room personnel had their own private battle with inspections, flight message times, and black wide spiders, but the inspections were weathered successfully and Pxing times, through the co-operation of Captain Hamill and Flight Lieutenant Bicker, were materially reduced by re-routing RAAF departure messages through Base Operation channels.

Note:- The 149th AACS Squadron at Amberley Airfield also had a Detachment in Townsville (Garbutt) and Eagle Farm Airfield during WWII.

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