BIG ARMY IN DARWIN

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23315, 29 April 1941, Page 4

BIG ARMY IN DARWIN

TROOP MOVEMENTS IN AUSTRALIA SUCCESS OF NEW ROAD (F.0.0.C.) SYDNEY, April 24. The greatest internal troop mover ment in the history of the Australian military forces was completed with the arrival in Darwin of large detachments of the A.I.F. This is seen as a counterpart to the recent reinforcement of Empire forces in Malaya by similar detachments of the A.I.F. The troops were transported on the new all-weather road in Central Australia, following the route of the overland telegraph line which first linked Australia’s northern outpost with the settled south, in 1871. Critics said the road would never withstand the rigours of the “wet" season, but except where flooded creeks had caused washaways and necessitated detours, 95 per cent, of the road presented no difficulties. The transportation began early in March, and continued for a month. For weeks before the first detachment reached Darwin, troop trains were arriving at Alice Springs (Northern Territory) packed with thousands -of happy, sun-tanned men. Even when heavy Army trucks with the first detachment rolled out of Alice Springs for the Birdum railhead, trains were still arriving with more troops. On the 600-miles road journey between Alice Springs and Birdum, occupying three days, each man was given a bottle of ice-cold beer from the mobile refrigerating unit, and meals included fresh vegetables and fruit. The organisation of the movement was so complete that on the journey along the North-South road, mail was distributed among the men at every overnight camp. At Birdum the troops entrained in cattle trucks for the last 300-miles stage of the journey. They are now camped outside Darwin. Smaller detachments have already been stationed at Darwin for some time, and supplementary forces arrived from Queensland. The successful use of tne new transcontinental route, however, emphasised the strategical defensive importance of Darwin, and it will become more so when plans approved by the Government are carried out to build a road from Mount Isa (Western. Queensland) to link up with the North-South road at -Tennant Creek (Northern Territory).