| Accession Number | P02855.004 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Negative |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Australia: Northern Territory, Darwin |
| Date made | 1943-1945 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
A Lee-Enfield rifle and a slouch hat, the puggaree of which appears to bear an anti-aircraft ...
Description
A Lee-Enfield rifle and a slouch hat, the puggaree of which appears to bear an anti-aircraft searchlight colour patch, hanging from a sign indicating 'Prohibited Area: out of bounds to all troops'. This smaller sign is above another which reads: 'Commonwealth of Australia, Darwin Quarantine Station. Trespassing is forbidden, penalty twenty five pounds. Persons trespassing while the station is in active quarantine will be apprehended and placed in quarantine.' The Quarantine Station area was used by anti-aircraft searchlight elements deployed to assist in the defence of Darwin from Japanese air attack in the Second World War. These elements included the 65th Anti-aircraft Searchlight Company (65 AASL Coy) Royal Australian Engineers (RAE). On 1 May 1943, RAE anti-aircraft searchlight companies were reallotted to Royal Australian Artillery and retitled 'batteries', 65 AASL Coy becoming 65 AASL Bty.