Japanese landings in the Gulf 1943

DID THE JAPANESE LAND ON THE SOUTH EAST SHORE OF THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA, QLD IN APRIL 1943?

In April 1943, the RAF Radio Unit in Townsville intercepted Japanese radio traffic which they interpreted as indicating that Japanese military were being landed on the Cape York Peninsula. The large military airfield at Iron Range was advised and placed on alert.

HMAS Australia spent the early months of 1943 in support of the Coral Sea Group and patrolling the east coast of Australia. On 11 April 1943 she received a report of a Japanese landing of 40 to 50 Japanese marines on the south east shore of the Gulf of Carpentaria at Galbraith. Although subsequent investigations proved negative, it appeared likely that the Japanese were either establishing fuel caches for subs or aircraft or both, or landing small parties of men as commandos or coast watchers.

The reports started with advice from N.E.A. through O.B. 28 at Horn Island of an unconfirmed report of a Japanese landing at Galbraith. At around the same time, local residents from Mitchell River Mission and Galbraith reported seeing lights out to sea. They were even reports of a submarine being seen west of Aurukun Mission.

At 1720 hours on 11 April 1943 P. Randall of Sterling Station reported the landing to Colonel O'Malley VDC in the Gulf area. At 1930 hours the RAAF advised that a Japanese submarine had been sighted west of Aurukun and an aircraft was circling the area.

At 2330 hours NOIC Townsville reported that there were no sightings after an aerial reconnaissance of the area. Footprints were found on the beach.

York Force was mobilised to find the suspected landing party. An Independent Company was formed from the 11th Brigade. They were flown from Cairns in Qantas flying boat Camilla on 13 April 1943. Another source stated that a party of 10 RAAF guards and a detachment for the 13th Garrison Battalion of the Australian Army was sent to the area on 17 April 1943 where they patrolled Tozer's Gap on the road between Iron Range airfield and the sea. They searched the area for two days with no result.

Extensive ground and aerial surveillance patrols failed to find any trace of the suspected landing force.

REFERENCE BOOK

Ball, Reg. A., "Torres Strait Force - Cape York, Thursday Island, Merauke 1942 - 1945", Australian Military History Publications, 1996.

War time at Mitchell River Mission

The Curr family were at Inkerman Station in 1943. Their station life on the Nassau River coast will be the subject of a book currently being written by Carol Curr. The Late Vera Dick talked about seeing a strange vessel later interpreted to be a submarine off the coast at Mitchell River Mission around the time of the other coastal sightings.

“In 1942, civil aviation services throughout Cape York used a landing area (DCA Landing Ground No 516) near Mitchell River Mission. This site provided light aircraft access for minor RAAF interest in the area. The most significant of which was the installation of a radar station (No 320), nearby. While this landing area never compared with the many developed and frequently used throughout the State during WW2, its proximity to a well-documented USAAF B-17 Bomber recovery meant that it became better known. This particular recovery called Mitchell River Mission residents, particularly large numbers of Aboriginals at the centre, into great prominence at the time even though newspaper censorship masked location and identities.” (https://www.ww2places.qld.gov.au/pl ace?id=849)