31ST AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION
THE KENNEDY REGIMENT
11TH BRIGADE

visits since 24 December 2001

The 31st Australian Infantry Battalion and the 26th Battalion and 51st Battalion made up the 11th Brigade whose headquarters were at Kissing Point.

During World War 2, the 31st Battalion was camped in the Australian Army Camp in the Townsville Showgrounds from October 1939. 

The 26th, 31st and 51st Militia Battalions moved to Miowera Camp near Funnel Creek, near Bowen on 23 March 1940. They were in camp there until about mid June 1940. The troops then returned to their civilian occupations. The members of the 31st Battalion had travelled to Bowen from Townsville by the steamer S.S. Orungal because the bridge over the Burdekin River was cut by flooding.

The 31st Battalion formed camp again in Townsville Showgrounds for a further 3 months from about mid April 1941 until mid July 1941.

All units were placed on full-time duty from 22 October 1941 and at least part of "A" Company (mainly personnel from Ayr and Home Hill) went into camp in the grounds of the Mundingburra State School. They had tents among the trees in the area adjoining the school building, and they used some of the school rooms for their orderly Room, etc. Their mess located under one of the school rooms. This was where Loftus Dun first tasted tripe and enjoyed it! School classes continued as normal and some of the soldiers participated in the school air raid warning drills when they were held. There was one large air raid shelter located in the school grounds.

The 31st Battalion was again in camp, this time at Townsville West on 14 May 1942. 

At the suggestion of Intelligence, the 31st Battalion "The Kennedy Regiment", moved from the Townsville Showgrounds to Mango Avenue in Townsville. "A" Company moved to a house  where the area was known as "Warsaw". The owner of the house was Polish. They stayed there until the Units moved to Nome.

Captain Theodore, the Officer Commanding "B" Company ordered a small party to travel by Sunderland Flying Boat to investigate reports that a Japanese submarine had a refuelling base somewhere in Princess Charlotte Bay in north Queensland

The 11th Brigade Headquarters "moved from Denham St. to the house mentioned by Loftus Dun, in Church St (West End) up against Castle Hill. The signallers had built a bunker into the Hill, with quite big logs - at least 18" in diameter. I doubt that a direct hit would have done much damage, because the logs on the roof were huge and covered with dirt. While we were in the HQ at Church St, at West End, the signallers operated there all the time". 

Initially Loftus Dun was in "A" Company of the 31st Australian Infantry Battalion until about April 1942. From about mid February 1942 he was temporarily transferred for about 6 weeks to Combined Defence Headquarters which was located oat that time on the top floor of the Commonwealth Building in Sturt Street. He then was transferred to the Headquarters of the 11th Australian Infantry Brigade for the remainder of the war. The 11th Brigade Headquarters were located in a house on the corner of Denham Street and Wills Street at that time.

Could this presence at West End be the connection with the stone buildings at West End and the communications cable?

There is a Centenary memorial for the 31st Battalion at Jezzine Barracks in Townsville.

The Kennedy Regiment Library collection is housed in the Hinchinbrook Shire Library in Ingham. The collection was bequeathed to the the Library by the Battalion historian Bob Burla. His widow  Mrs Elsie Burla has arranged for the transfer of the collection from their  house to the Library. Mrs Burla is completing the history of the Battalion which Mr Burla began - it is to be published in about 2002.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Loftus Dun for his assistance with this home page.

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

This page first produced 5 July 1998

This page last updated 06 May 2007