Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

World War 2, Australia Northern Territory Adelaide River, 119 Australian General Hospital, 1942

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1942

Overview

Hospital staff riding on the back of a truck at Adelaide River

Historical information

Raised at Kahlin, Northern Territoy from AAMC staff from the 2/5th Australian General Hospital together with Admin staff from HQ 7th Military Distict and reinforcements from Sydney, before moving to huts and canvas tents at Bagot. In March 1941 it was renamed 109th Australian General Hospital, operating 600 beds

A new hospital was built for the unit at Berrimah, 15 miles (25Km) south of Darwin and by Dec 1941 they were established there. During the first air raid on Darwin the new hospital was attacked with one patient killed. They played a key role in treating the injured and displaced population following the attack. Every ward had wounded in every available bed, and also on the verandahs. The Sisters worked without a break for thirty-six hours.

Following the raid, the hospital was moved to Adelaide River, 113 km south of Darwin to service units in the Northern Territory. To help service the 107th and 119th Australian General Hospitals, rail sidings were built at the Adelaide River station to serve ambulance or "hospital" trains that brought wounded personnel to them. The town also had a nearby operational airfield, and a War Cemetery. In May 1943 they were moved to Rokeby, Victoria where it is probable that the unit was disbanded in late 1943.
Extracted from: The Unit Guide - Volume 4 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 4.109 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-P1900.2433

Item type

Photographs

Themes

Medicine & Health
War and Conflict
War and Conflict > World War 2

Year

1942

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Organisation Details
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