Northern Territory Force
| Northern Territory Force | |
|---|---|
 Australian infantry at Darwin in August 1942 | |
| Active | 1942–1946 |
| Country | Australia |
| Role | Area defence |
| Size | 1–3 brigades |
| Garrison/HQ | Darwin, Northern Territory |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Edmund Herring Jack Stevens |
| Insignia | |
| Unit colour patch |  |
Northern Territory Forcewas anAustralian Armyforce responsible for protecting theNorthern TerritoryduringWorld War II.Most units assigned to the Northern Territory Force were based nearDarwinand were responsible for defending the important naval and air bases in and around the town against a feared Japanese invasion. Northern Territory Force was renamed the12th Divisionin late 1942 but this was short-lived. Australian Army units were rotated through northern Australia during the war and six infantry brigades served as part of Northern Territory Force between 1942 and 1945. The formation was reduced over the course of the war as the strategic situation in the Pacific turned in the Allies' favour, although remnants remained until the end of the war. In early 1946, it was converted back to the7th Military District.
History
[edit]In mid-1942, the strategic situation in the Pacific was desperate for the Allies with theFall of Singaporein February 1942 and the Japanese victory in theDutch East Indies campaign.Amidst concerns about the security of the Australian mainland, the Australian government decided to bolster the defences aroundDarwinand to reorganise them. The Northern Territory Force was established on 25 April 1942 from the headquarters of the6th Divisionand7th Military District,with the previous headquarters troops being transferred to control the district's line of communications. Its first commander was Major GeneralEdmund Herring,who arrived at a time when an invasion was expected and comprehensive changes to tactical dispositions were delayed. Herring did redeploy some of the defending elements, most of which wereMilitiaformations that had been mobilised for wartime duties. The19th Battalionand the3rd Brigadewere pulled back from the beaches and established stronger defended positions in depth. The23rd Brigadewas moved north to establish a counter-attacking force.[1]
As the threat passed, at the end of April, Herring reorganised his force extending the fortress area to includeRAAF Base Darwinand strengthening its defences. To defend the vital supply lines that stretched towardsAlice SpringsandMount Isa,screening forces from the 3rd and 23rd Brigades were deployed to two locations well south of Darwin, poised to deploy forward in the event of an invasion. In May, the19th Brigade,a veteranSecond Australian Imperial Forceunit, arrived fromAdelaideand a third brigade area was established. Headquarters elements were established at 56-Mile andAdelaide River.The2/4th Independent Companywas assigned patrolling duties aroundKatherineand the2/6th Cavalry RegimentoccupiedPine Creek.[1]The 2/4th Independent Company was relieved by the establishment of the2/1st North Australia Observer Unitin August 1942, releasing the 2/4th to be deployed to Timor to reinforce the2/2nd Independent Company.[1]
Northern Territory Force was renamed the 12th Division on 31 December 1942 and reverted to the title of Northern Territory Force on 15 January 1943.[2]During the fifteen days that the formation constituted the 12th Division, it comprised the 3rd Brigade, 19th Brigade, 23rd Brigade,2/4th Pioneer Battalionand2/6th Cavalry Regiment.[3]
When the 3rd Brigade was transferred to the4th Divisionand moved toTownsville, Queensland,the13th Brigadetook its place, being transferred from Western Australia.[1]The 19th Brigade was returned to the 6th Division, rejoining them on theAtherton Tablelandsin June 1943 and their place was taken by the12th Brigadefrom Tasmania. In July 1943, defence plans were revised and the area that the garrison was expected to cover was concentrated around Darwin rather than its hinterland. The 23rd Brigade was redeployed to the Atherton Tablelands for training, ahead of its employment in combat operations as part of the3rd Division.The2nd Brigadesubsequently took the place of the 23rd Brigade in the garrison, being transferred from Perth.[4]
In mid-1944, the defence plans relating to the Darwin region was revised again. The threat of invasion had passed and a manpower shortage had developed within the Army and the Australian economy.[5][6]The garrison was reduced to a single brigade: the 12th. The 13th Brigade was reorganised and prepared for combat operations in the Pacific, eventually to take part in the fighting onNew Britain.The 2nd Brigade was chosen for disbandment and its personnel were transferred to several understrength units. The force's headquarters elements were consolidated in October 1944 and established themselves atLarrakeyah Barracks.The 12th Brigade continued defensive duties around Darwin until the end of the war in August 1945, when it was finally deployed as part ofTimor Force.[7]Following this, the size of the force was slowly reduced as part of the demobilisation process and the majority of its units were supply, transport, maintenance, medical, signals and engineer units spread across Darwin, Alice Springs and Mount Isa, although there was a small artillery element based around Darwin's fixed defences. The force's headquarters remained until 28 February 1946 when it was converted back into the 7th Military District.[8]
Subordinate units
[edit]The main units deployed to protect Darwin during the war were:[3][9]
- 2nd Brigade(September 1943 – September 1944)
- 3rd Brigade(March 1942 – March 1943)
- 12th Brigade(July 1943 – end of war)
- 13th Brigade(March 1943 – November 1944)
- 19th Brigade(March 1942 – June 1943)
- 23rd Brigade(March 1941 – September 1943)
- Darwin Fortress Company, RAE(December 1941 – December 1944)
- 2/4th Pioneer Battalion(15 December 1942 – 15 October 1944)
- 2/6th Cavalry Regiment(15 December 1942 – 15 December 1943)
Commanding officers
[edit]The following officers commanded the formation during the war:[1][10]
- Major GeneralEdmund Herring(April–August 1942)
- Major GeneralJack Stevens(August 1942 – March 1943)
- Major GeneralArthur Samuel Allen(March 1943 – October 1944)
- BrigadierRobert Harold Nimmo(acting;October 1944 – January 1945)
- Major GeneralJohn Murray(March 1945 – January 1946)
See also
[edit]
Citations
[edit]- ^abcdeMcKenzie-Smith 2018,p. 2039.
- ^"Northern Territory Force: History".Orders of Battle.Retrieved24 June2018.
- ^ab"12 Infantry Division: Subordinates".Orders of Battle.Retrieved24 June2018.
- ^McKenzie-Smith 2018,pp. 2040 & 2100.
- ^Palazzo 2001,p. 174.
- ^Kuring 2004,p. 150.
- ^McKenzie-Smith 2018,p. 2040.
- ^"AWM52 1/5/27/41: November 1945 – June 1946"(PDF).Unit war dairies, 1939–45.Australian War Memorial.Retrieved24 June2018.
- ^"Northern Territory Force: Subordinates".Orders of Battle.Retrieved24 June2018.
- ^"Northern Territory Force: Appointments".Orders of Battle.Retrieved24 June2018.
References
[edit]- Kuring, Ian (2004).Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001.Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military History Publications.ISBN1-876439-99-8.
- McKenzie-Smith, Graham (2018).The Unit Guide: The Australian Army 1939–1945.Vol. 2. Warriewood, New South Wales: Big Sky Publishing.ISBN978-1-925675-146.
- Palazzo, Albert (2001).The Australian Army: A History of Its Organisation 1901–2001.South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.ISBN0-19-551507-2.
Further reading
[edit]- McKenzie-Smith, Graham (1995).Australia's Forgotten Army: Defending the Northern Gateways Northern Territory and Torres Strait. 1938 to 1945.Vol. 2. Queanbeyan, New South Wales: Highland Press.ISBN0-646-24404-3.