Virtual Discovery #79 - Defending Rottnest

When the coast defence guns were installed at Oliver Hill and Bickley Batteries in the 1930’s Rottnest Island became the key to the defence of the port of Fremantle. These guns also had to be defended against any seaborne raiding parties that may be landed to destroy these guns prior to a landing on the mainland to capture the port.
On declaration of war B Coy of the militia 16 Infantry Battalion was mobilized on 5 September 1939 and sent to Rottnest along with a medium machinegun platoon. With insufficient troops to man defensive positions across the whole island, all island transport was commandeered to allow the company to be mobile to meet a threat anywhere on the island. On 7 October B Coy was replaced by Battalion HQ, A Coy and C Coy of 16 Inf Bn which established their camp near the airstrip and developed defensive positions at Bickley Point, Nancy Cove, Narrow Neck and Thompson Bay. There were machine gun positions at each end of Longreach Bay to enfilade the entire length of beach.