The 2/110th Australian General Transport Company was formed on 1 March 1942. Major Joseph William Sydney (Syd) Graves was called into Melbourne HQ Southern Command to discuss the formation of a new transport unit for the Northern Territory. The raising of the 2/110th General Transport Company, Royal Australian Army Service Corps was authorised that day. The strength authorised to the new company was 12 officers and 465 other ranks, comprising a total of 477 men. The majority of these men were drawn from AIF Reinforcements and unallotted AIF reinforcements. Major Graves was appointed as Officer In Command on the same day.
The Unit arrived on 4 May 1942 in the No.11 Line of Command area (in Alice Springs). The Unit's initial location was the open ground west of the Todd River, and the building of a campsite commenced immediately. For the first three days they spent in Alice Springs, the Unit camped under the stars as there was no other accommodation.
Most of the men within the Unit were under the impression that their stay in Alice Springs was only temporary; they expected to be sent elsewhere, possibly Darwin, for active duty. However, this was not to be. To the great disappointment of its men, the Unit was stationed in Alice Springs, and along with many other Transport Company Units, ran express convoys of supplies from the railhead to Birdum (near Darwin). On a number of occasions, the members of the Unit came under attack from Japanese air raids.
Following the end of the War, the men in the Unit struggled to have their service in frontline Australia (defined as north of the 13th parallel) recognised. Until the late 1970s, they were denied membership to the RSL, and until 1996, were denied veteran's pensions and benefits, and the decorations awarded to those who saw active service in WWII.
After a remarkable campaign by the Sernack family (Captain Sidney Sernack was one of the COs in the 2/110th), the Australian Government recognised not just the efforts of the 2/110, but all of the transport and auxiliary companies who worked in, and supplied northern Australia.
This cache recognises and honours the men of the 2/110th who valiantly and tirelessly supplied the war effort in northern Australia, and the Sernack family - who fought so long and hard to have the efforts of these men recognised for all time.
This cache is a mini-decon container. It contains a log and room for a few small, geocoin-sized swaps.
**PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN PEN***