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2nd / 1st Army General HospitalPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the 2nd / 1st Army General Hospital which was based in Merredin in 1942 and 1943. The plaque was erected during the centenary of Merredin in 1991.
The hospital was relocated from Tobruk to Merredin in December 1942 for strategic reasons and because a reliable supply of fresh water was available. It operated in the town for 18 months. Twenty doctors and over one hundred personnel were employed on the site.
The influx of thousands of injured and recuperating men associated with the hospital brought substantial economic benefits to the town. There were also social benefits, such as local churches being able to support large choirs. Local knowledge states that the hospital was constructed as part of a base for counter-attack on Perth and Fremantle, should the metropolitan area have been taken by the Japanese during World War Two. This conflicts with the commonly held view that if the enemy had landed in Western Australia, Australia's defence forces would abandon the State and pull back to a line between Adelaide and Brisbane.
Location
| Address: | Barrack Street, Station Car Park, Merredin, 6415 |
|---|---|
| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -31.482358 Long: 118.277286 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
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| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | December-1942 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | August-1943 |
| Link: | https://www.goldenpipeline.com.au/p… |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 1991 |
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This Plaque Was Placed Here
In Memory Of
THE 2 /1st ARMY GENERAL HOSPITAL
Its Staff, Personnel And Patients
Who Were Based In Merredin In 1942 - 43
Erected During
THE CENTENARY OF MERREDIN
1991
By The Merredin Shire Council
And Rob & Annette Debenham
