Volunteer Defence Corps, Australian Army, World War II

How did the VDC run?

As indicated above, the VDC was formed on 15th July 1940 and, initially, operated under the auspices of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers', and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia (RSSAILA, now RSL). Major General (later Lieutenant General) Gordon Bennett (1887-1962) was given command of establishing the VDC, however, in August that year he was appointed commander of the newly formed but ill-fated 8th Division. First World War Light Horse hero, General Sir Harry Chauvel (1865-1945) was then brought out of retirement at 74 years of age and appointed Inspector in Chief of the Volunteer Defence Corps.

From May 1941, the Commonwealth Government took over the running of the VDC, bringing it under the banner of the Commonwealth Military Force (CMF). The government gave the organisation the role of training for guerrilla warfare, collecting local intelligence and providing static defence of each unit's home area. Recognising the rapid advance of Japanese forces posed a serious threat to the country (Pearl Harbor and Darwin had been bombed and Malaya-Singapore and New Guinea, which was then an Australian Territory, invaded), the CMF absorbed the VDC intact in February 1942. The age limits for the VDC were set at 18 to 60 – including those working in reserved occupations – forcing many older members, including the original Queensland VDC Commandant, Brigadier Lachlan Wilson to resign.

Although the VDC has often, disparagingly, been called 'Dad's Army' and other names, it is not really true to say its members were 'old men'. True, they were older than the majority of AIF and CMF members, who were mostly in their late teens, twenties and thirties. Many, but nowhere near all, VDC members had military from the First World War, 25 years earlier; making many 45 to 55 years of age. But, I wouldn't dare called men of that age today 'old'! Most VDC members were men who carried a slight disability or health issue (only the fit were taken for the killing fields), or came under one of the 'restricted employment areas', such as farmers, steel workers, miners, emergency services, businessmen and public servants.

The State bodies came under the auspices of the respective Line of Communication Area (district Command Headquarters) and were commanded by Brigadiers, other than Tasmania, whose commandant was a Lieutenant Colonel. A typical battalion held approximately 400 men, organised into companies, platoons, and sections spread amongst nearby smaller towns and population centres. The 'shape' of each particular battalion, however, determined its unique operational task.

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What medals did VDC members recieve?

VDC members were awarded the Australia Service Medal 1939-1945 if they served at least three years, or died during their service.

• Category: Australia Service Medal 1939-1945

Those who served in the Darwin region also qualified for the Defence Medal.

• Category:Defence Medal

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What Stickers and Categories apply

Many WikiTree members like to include a Sticker below the 'Biography' line on profiles on which they're working. This is a simple Sticker, that is, there are no hidden links to Categories. You simply need to alter the years (adding days and months will add another line to the Sticker, for some making it look unwieldly) and battalion number to suit:

... ... ... is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Volunteer Defence Corps 1941-1945.
1st Battalion

The Category, above the 'Biography' line can be included by simply altering the unit name in the same format as this example and leaving the remainder as is:

• Category:1st Battalion (QLD), Volunteer Defence Corps, Australian Army, World War II

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Disposition of VDC units

Throughout Australia, there were 111 battalions in the VDC:

• Queensland 23
• New South Wales 33
• Victoria 24
• Tasmania 5
• South Australia 10, and
• Western Australia 16

Queensland

Established in July 1940, within a month the VDC in Queensland had 18 battalions forming across the State. A Corps Headquarters was set up in October as VDC Northern Command HQ, located on the first floor of Griffith House, the City Mutual Building, at 307–311 Queen Street, Brisbane, before moving to 142 Creek Street. By August 1943, the Corps HQ for the VDC (QLD) re-located to 'E' Block at Enoggera military camp.

In December 1941 the VDC in Queensland numbered 9,347 members. About 800 VDC members in Queensland were enlisted on fulltime duties at the same time, to provide guards on bridges, aerodromes, and other infrastructure, and to begin demolition preparations in case of Japanese invasion. Within a few months recruiting for the VDC had peaked at 17,249 volunteers in Queensland comprising 22 battalions and the 23rd Regiment, a special northern mounted unit.

The battalions' disposition across the expansive State indicates both the decentralisation of industry and population, but also the imminent threat of invasion; 6 based in and around the capital city, 8 in regional areas, and 9 based in Central and North Queensland (of course, North Queensland was also the major training area for the AIF). The battalions' dispersion across the State, sequentially was:

1. Brisbane
2. Brisbane north – Around Ascot (by the river), Nundah (north eastern suburbs) and Redcliffe (by Moreton Bay)
3. Brisbane west – Chermside
4. Brisbane south – Yeronga (southern suburbs), Morningside (on the river) and Manly (by Moreton Bay)
5. Gold Coast – Southport
6. Nambour – commanded by decorated First World War veteran and future Premier of Queensland Lieutenant Colonel (Sir) Frank Nicklin MM.
7. Toowoomba
8. Warwick
9. Ipswich
10. Bundaberg
11. Maryborough
12. Gympie
13. Rockhampton – A strategic railhead for beef and agricultural produce from Central Queensland.
14. Longreach
15. Mackay
16. Townsville – A strategic railhead for beef and agricultural produce from North Queensland.
17. Cairns
18. Innisfail
19. Roma
20. Murgon
21. Charters Towers (1)
22. Bowen
23. Charters Towers (2) – the special mounted regiment

State Commandants were:

• 1941-42 Brigadier Lachlan Wilson CB CMG DSO (1871-1947)
• 1943-

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New South Wales

Fourteen battalions were based in the strategic Newcastle-Sydney-Wollongong region, whilst 9 battalions were based north of that area and 10 to the south and west. The 33 battalions' dispositions across the State were, sequentially:

1. Lismore
2. Grafton
3. Armidale
4. Taree
5. Newcastle (1)
6. Tamworth
7. Manly-Northern Beaches
8. Willoughby
9. Randwick – VWMA Nominal roll of all 1,235 members of the 9th Battalion.
10. Kogarah
11. Sydney metropolitan (1)
12. Wollongong (1)
13. Moss Vale
14. Goulburn
15. Cooma-Bega-Bombala
16. Coffs Harbour
17. Wagga Wagga
18. Cootamundra
19. Sydney metropolitan (2)
20. Cessnock
21. Canberra
22. Casino
23. Bathurst
24. Marrickville
25. Dubbo
26. Orange
27. Parkes
28. Sydney metropolitan (3)
29. Glen Innes-Moree
30. Port Macquarie
31. Newcastle (2)
32. Newcastle (3) – specifically steel industry installations
33. Wollongong (2)-Port Kembla – specifically steel industry installations

State Commandants were:

• 1940-42 Brigadier Jimmy Heane CB CMG DSO (1874-1954)
• 1943-

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Victoria

The 24 battalions' dispositions were, sequentially:

1. Footscray
2. Westgarth
3. Surry Hills
4. Prahran
5. Brighton
6. Geelong
7. Camperdown
8. Portland-Haywood
9. Hamilton
10. Mentone-Dandenong
11. Yarragong
12. Traralgon
13. Sale
14. Horsham
15. Bendigo
16. Shepparton
17. Corowa
18. North Carlton
19. Colac
20. Ballarat
21. Kerang
22. Benalla
23. Korumburra-Loch-Maribyrnong
24. Maribyrnong (2) – specifically the Ordnance factory

State Commandants were:

• 1940-44 Brigadier (later Lieutenant General) John Whitham CMG DSO (1881-1951)
• 1944-45
• Brigadier Campbell Stewart CMG DSO & Bar (1884-1947) commanded the Melbourne Metropolitan Group in 1942-45

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Tasmania

The dispersion of the five Tasmanian battalions was:

1. Southern sector
2. Eastern sector (1)
3. Northern sector
4. North Western sector
5. Eastern sector (2) – the battalion had as a Lieutenant throughout the war, Percy Statton VC MM.

State Commandant was:

• 1940-45 Lieutenant Colonel Donald Cameron OBE MC (1888-1979)

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South Australia

The ten battalions' dispositions were, sequentially:

1. Port Adelaide
2. Prospect
3. Unley
4. Strathalbyn
5. Port Lincoln
6. Port Pirie
7. Kadina
8. Murray Bridge
9. Mount Gambier
10. Gawler

State Commandants were:

• 1941-44 Brigadier Ray Leane CB CMG DSO MC (1878-1962)
• 1944-45

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Western Australia

Whilst a battalion was based at Geraldton, 400kms north of Perth, just one battalion was tasked with guarding the 2,500kms of coast from Carnarvon to Wyndham! One battalion was based at Wiluna, 500kms from the coast and north-east of Geraldton. The remaining 13 battalions were in or around Perth, to the south and east, or to the immediate north, all within 600kms of Perth. Of course, this reflects the isolation of Western Australia's north; where the majority of Australia's mineral wealth is located. Just as well the Japanese had not known! The 16 battalions' dispositions were, sequentially:

1. Perth
2. Fremantle
3. Swan
4. Bunbury
5. Busselton
6. Albany
7. Geraldton
8. Kalgoorlie and Norseman
9. Northam
10. Narrogin
11. Wyndham to Carnarvon – responsible for 2,500kms of mostly isolated coastline in Australia's north-west
12. Dwellingup
13. Moora
14. Manjimup
15. Merredin
16. Wiluna

State Commandants were:

• 1940-42 Brigadier Alfred Bessell-Browne CB CMG DSO (1877-1947)
• 1942-45 Brigadier Edward Martin CB CMG DSO (1875-1950)

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Further reading

• Australian War Memorial: Volunteer Defence Corps.
• Digger History: Volunteer Defence Corps.
• Wikipedia: Volunteer Defence Corps.
• Burke, Arthur, Hosting the Allied Invasion. Royal Historical Society of Queensland Report, 1993.
• Dennis, Peter; et al, Volunteer Defence Corps. The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History (Second ed.), pp 558–559. Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand, Melbourne, 2008. ISBN 978-0-19-551784-2.

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Sources

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