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 USMC 1943  Peter Flahavin 2003  USMC 1943  Peter Flahavin 2003 |
Location Lat 37° 48' 50S Long 144° 57' 48E Melbourne is located at an elevation of 209' / 63m in Victoria in Australia. To the south is the Port of Melbourne and Port Philip Bay. To the southwest is Point Cook. To the west is Laverton. Wartime History Important city in Australia's wartime history, as the headquarters of RAAF, US Army and the 1st Marines recouperated in the city after service in Guadalcanal. Tension was created for the US Army when Private Eddie Leonski was found to have killed three Melbourne women. The exhausted 1st Marine Division left Guadalcanal in December 1942 and was sent to Brisbane, Australia. However their camp turned out to be in a malarial area, something the troops had just endured for six months. General Vandergrift moved the Division to Melbourne in January 1943, which received the Marines with every hospitality. Melbourne was the only large city the 1st Marine Division saw during the entire Pacific war. Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) The 1st Marine Regiment was quartered at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which was near the center of the city. The stadium remains in use to this day. The 7th Marines were 30 kilometers to the south-east at the bay side suburbs of Balcombe, Mt Martha and Frankston and the 11th Marines were stationed in Ballarat, 100 kilometers northwest of Melbourne. Tullamarine Airfield (Melbourne Airport) Built 1939. Still in use today as Melbourne Airport. Essendon Airfield (Melbourne Essendon Airport) Built 1921 at Essendon. Still in use today as Melbourne Essendon Airport. Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) headquarters and factory were located at the Port of Melbourne between 1937 until 1985. During World War II, designed and built the CAC Wacket, CAC Boomerang and CAC Wirraway. During 1942 in the early stages of the Pacific War, disassembled American aircraft shipped overseas as cargo to Australia were unloaded at the factory and reassembled. Also, modifications to CAC aircraft were performed at the factory until the end of the war. Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) Located at the Fishermans Bend suburb of Melbourne. Previously known as Government Aircraft Factories (GAF). Starting in 1939, the Beaufort Division began building the DAP Beaufort for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) with a total of 700 built when production ceased during August 1944. During 1944, DAP began building the DAP Beaufighter with a total of 364 built when production ceased in 1946. Contribute
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 Map Fallingrain  Marines in Melbourne |
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