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The Spotters : 7-March-2012
The Spotters : 7-March-2012
Photographs supplied by Graeme Saunders

A plaque commemorates the members of the New Guinea Air Warning Wireles Company, known as "The Spotters" who manned stations in New Guinea and neigbouring islands, reporting on enemy activities during World War Two. 

Location

Address:300 Waterdale Road, Repatriation Hospital, Remembrance Garden, Heidelberg, 3081
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -37.755725
Long: 145.047069
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW2
Actual Event Start Date:
Approx. Event Start Date:February-1942
Actual Event End Date:
Approx. Event End Date:December-1944

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Thursday 17th August, 2000
Front Inscription

Lest We Forget   

New Guinea Air Warning Wireles Coy. (A.I.F.)
( The Spotters)

In honour of "The Spotters" who manned stations throughout Papua New Guinea and nearby islands from February 1942 to December 1944.  The unit operated with groups of two or three signalmen in isolated situations providing advance warning of Japanese air attacks and the location and movement of enemy forces, land, sea and air.

"The fortitude of these personnel and devotion to duty is something of which Australia must be proud.  The company`s members had to contend with sickness, fever, shortage of food and medical supplies, isolated from contact with our troops for long periods, and constantly exposed to the danger of capture by the enemy.  They were dedicated to their duty and never failed. 

The New Guinea Air Warning Wireless Company is a signal unit of which very little has been heard as their duites were top secret at all times.  It can be stated that the successful course of the war could have been seriously delayed, if not greatly prolonged, if this signal unit had not operated so efficiently."  
Major-General C. H. Simpson, C.B.E., M.C., V.D
Late Signal-Officer-in-Chief (Australian Military Forces)

Honours and awards  M.B.E. 1  M.M. 10  M.I.D. 10 

"Spotters" killed in action on stations over-run by the Japanese [ Names ]

Died while on active service [ Names ]

Unveiled and dedicated on 17 August 2000

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