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2nd / 4th Machine Gun BattalionPrint Page Print this page

18-July-2017
18-July-2017
Photographs supplied by Chris McLaughlin

The plaque commemorates the 2nd / 4th Machine Gun Battalion`s work in building machine gun defences at Winnelie and Casuarina during World War Two.

The Western Australian Battalion was raised at the end of 1940 as one of the support units for the ill-fated 8th Division. Formed with men from across the state, they all came together at Northam military camp, east of Perth, where they carried out their initial training. In July 1941 the 2 / 4th moved to Adelaide and as more of the 8th Division was deployed “up north”, by October it was in Darwin with the 23rd Brigade.

Location

Address:Esplanade, Bicentennial Park, adjacent to Cenotaph, Darwin, 0800
State:NT
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -12.466688
Long: 130.839874
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW2
Actual Event Start Date:03-September-1939
Actual Event End Date:15-August-1945
Link:www.2nd4thmgb.com.au

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:May-2008
Front Inscription

2 / 4th Machine Gun Battalion A.I.F.

Dedicated to the memory of all members of the 2 / 4th Machine Gun Battalion A.I.F. who served in the Darwin area 1941 and were instrumental in building and developing machine gun defences in the Winnelie and Casuarina Beach areas as well as Darwin regional defence.

Lt. Col. M. J. Anketell C.O.

The Battalion was later involved in heavy fighting in Singapore, taken as prisoners of war, held in Changi, used as slave labourers on the Burma / Siam Railway, Sandakan, Japan and other areas under the Japanese where they suffered death, privation, starvation and disease.

Lest We Forget

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au