World War II Quarantine Anti Aircraft Site, East Arm Darwin

QldKing · Mar 15, 2020

World War II Quarantine Anti Aircraft Site, East Arm Darwin

Being a strategic Allied military base during World War II, Darwin was the target of multiple Japanese air raids, with the first in February 1942. More bombs were dropped on the city in this raid than on Pearl Harbor two months earlier. Savage air raids continued to rain across the Top End during World War II, leading to a repositioning of armed forces in the Darwin region. Adelaide River, 113km south of Darwin, become a huge base for Australian and American headquarters. During the period February 1942 to November 1943, Australia came under attack on nearly 100 occasions by the Japanese!

Located just 8.53kms east of Darwin, the East Arm Quarantine Anti-Aircraft Battery Site is the only complete gun-site of its type remaining within the Darwin area. Established in 1941, it was highly significant as it was a design that was discontinued by the Defence Force in the mid 1940s and one which is unique to the Northern Territory. The present structures were built in September 1942 by the Civil Construction Corps and personnel of the 2nd and 14th HAA Batteries. The site was used to defend the South West section of Darwin Harbour and was a backup for the Berrimah Station.
Local stone was used in the construction. The entry post was constructed solely of local stone with the remaining structures built of aggregate made from local stone.
The original structures consisted of four revetted emplacements, a central instrument bunker, accomodation, administration hut, mess kitchen and rifle range. The site comprised four 3.7" Heavy AA guns, a Bofors gun, a Vickers Predictor Mark IV a Height and Range Finder Mark IV Lewis Machine guns and Radar Equipment. During the Japanese raids on 22 February 1942 the guns maintained fire at the enemy with one heavy bomber being shot down.
Today the site consists of the revetted emplacements the central bunker and slabs where the administration mess and kitchen buildings stood. The 3.7" guns were removed on 27 November 1944.
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Jimck9 · Mar 15, 2020

Cool, I loved all the info you provided as I was formulating questions as I watched!

Thomas B · Mar 15, 2020

Well portrayed! Great bit of history.

Greg Webb · Mar 15, 2020

Very good! I kept waiting for a narration to start. Good job!!

QldKing · Mar 18, 2020

Jimck9 said:
Cool, I loved all the info you provided as I was formulating questions as I watched!

Thank you - appreciate you watching it.

QldKing · Mar 18, 2020

Thomas B said:
Well portrayed! Great bit of history.

Thank you - was a fascinating place to find and capture.

QldKing · Mar 18, 2020

Greg Webb said:
Very good! I kept waiting for a narration to start. Good job!!

I did think about doing a narration - if I had the voice for it I would. But I was hoping to just let the vision speak for itself, along with information in the description.

bushie · Mar 19, 2020

I lived in Darwin in the mid 60s and was a member of the CMF unit there. 121 AA Battery. We had Bofor AA guns. We often exercised at East Point and once a year fired live rounds from there at a "splash target" towed by a boat, lite up by search lights. We also had pre dug positions as our job in the case of war was to protect the Blood Hound missiles based at the air force base. I always remember one time when a panic call went out for us and we were told Indonesia was coming to invade. We towed the guns out and spent a frightening night in our positions with live rounds loaded. The next day we were stood down. Always wonder how real the info was. A different world in those days with Darwin a small town on the edge of wilderness.This was pre cyclone Tracy

QldKing · Apr 12, 2020

bushie said:
I lived in Darwin in the mid 60s and was a member of the CMF unit there. 121 AA Battery. We had Bofor AA guns. We often exercised at East Point and once a year fired live rounds from there at a "splash target" towed by a boat, lite up by search lights. We also had pre dug positions as our job in the case of war was to protect the Blood Hound missiles based at the air force base. I always remember one time when a panic call went out for us and we were told Indonesia was coming to invade. We towed the guns out and spent a frightening night in our positions with live rounds loaded. The next day we were stood down. Always wonder how real the info was. A different world in those days with Darwin a small town on the edge of wilderness.This was pre cyclone Tracy

Wow - amazing. I have some videos coming up from East Point, just trying to edit them and get them out. Darwin is a different world. The isolation is crazy, and the WWII connections is everywhere.