NO. 1 SPECIAL WIRELESS GROUP
ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS (RCCS)
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2

visits since 3 September 2001

The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS) established "Special Wireless" or "Y work" groups to intercept enemy radio traffic.

On 7 June 1944 the Canadian War Cabinet approved the establishment of a special Signals and Intelligence Unit to be sent to India to intercept Japanese military radio messages. The Commander-in Chief of the Indian Army had requested the establishment of such a group in India in May 1944.  

The establishment of No. 1 Special Wireless Group of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS) was approved by the Minister on 19 July 1944. 

In late August 1944, the Australian Government  requested that No. 1 Special Wireless Group be despatched to Australia rather than India.

The Signals Section (13 Officers and 278 men) and the Intelligence Section (6 Officers and 39 other ranks) moved to Patricia Bay Camp near Victoria, B.C, in August 1944 for more training and indoctrination and to assemble all of their necessary specialist equipment.

The Intelligence Section was made up of  men from No. 1 Discrimination Unit in Ottawa. The Signals section was established using men who had already been working at various Signal Monitoring stations across Canada. They were mostly already trained in the interception of Japanese Code. Approximately 30 additional men were recruited and trained.

No. 1 Special Wireless Group commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel H.D.W, Wethey, left Canada on 20 January 1945 on board U.S.A.T. Monterey. They arrived at Finschafen Harbour in New Guinea on 4 February 1945. They relocated to Hollandia and boarded the hospital ship U.S.A.T. Shawnee on 7 February 1945. They called into Oro Bay on 11 February 1945 and Milne Bay on 12 February 1945. They then headed southwards for Australia where they arrived in Brisbane on 15 February 1945.

They camped at Camp Chermside on the north side of Brisbane during their six and a bit weeks in Brisbane.

No. 1 SWG left Brisbane by train on 4 April 1945 headed for Darwin. They arrived in Mount Isa where they departed for Darwin via motor transport. They finally arrived in Darwin on 18 April 1945.

While in Darwin No. 1 Special Wireless Group intercepted an average of 1200 Japanese messages a day. They were assigned to Central Bureau in Brisbane which had its headquarters at 21 Henry Street,, Ascot in Brisbane.

When the war with Japan ended on 15 August 1945, General Douglas MacArthur requested that No. 1 Special Wireless Group continue to operate and intercept diplomatic traffic. The unit ceased operations in Australia on 11 October 1945.

The unit left Darwin on 24 October 1945 headed southwards by motor vehicle, then by train, and then finally by motor vehicles to Sydney where they arrived on 24 November 1945. Some members of the Intelligence Section were sent to New Guinea and Timor and other places to assist at peace negotiations and surrender ceremonies as interpreters. Another 6 men were sere sent to Manilla to be part of the Canadian Repatriation Group. A further 4 men were sent to Japan to be members of the Canadian Recovery Team.

On 6 February 1946, the rest of the Unit were finally embarked on the T.S.M.V.Socotra. They arrived back in Vancouver on 25 February 1946.

REFERENCE

"History of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals 1903 - 1961"
edited by John S. Moir

Does anyone know where the unit camped
for the time that it was in Brisbane?

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 3 October 2001

This page last updated 26 March 2005