Camp Cable, Australia was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

army training base near

Logan Village Logan Village is a semi-rural town and locality in the City of Logan, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Logan Village had a population of 4,417 people. Logan Village was once known as the head of the navigable Logan River. Its i ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The base was first known as Camp Tamborine but renamed in honour of Sergeant Gerald O. Cable. Constructed in 1942 for the United States Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA), initially for the 32nd Infantry "Red Arrow" Division (United States) preparing for the

New Guinea campaign The New Guinea campaign of the Pacific War lasted from January 1942 until the end of the war in August 1945. During the initial phase in early 1942, the Empire of Japan invaded the Australian-administered Mandated Territory of New Guinea (23 Jan ...

, the base was occupied by various units during the war. Part of the base was an area south of the Albert River for the 155th Station Hospital. Camp related entertainment was both local and from overseas. A picture theatre and tennis courts were built near the base Headquarters. American comedian

Joe E. Brown Joseph Evans Brown (July 28, 1891 – July 6, 1973) was an American actor and comedian, remembered for his friendly screen persona, comic timing, and enormous elastic-mouth smile. He was one of the most popular American comedians in the 19 ...

performed at the 155th Station Hospital in 1943. A song called ''Once upon a midnite'' was written at Camp Cable in 1943 for the show ''Here we go again'', produced at the Theatre Royal, Brisbane, in 1944. A railway branch line to

Canungra Canungra is a rural town and locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Canungra had a population of 1,229 people. Geography Located in South East Queensland, Canungra is situated in the Gold Coast hint ...

, operating from 1915–1955, passed through the base where its traffic peaked during the war. Timber getting and a

slash pine ''Pinus elliottii'', commonly known as slash pine,Family, P. P. (1990). Pinus elliottii Engelm. slash pine. ''Silvics of North America: Conifers'', (654), 338. is a conifer tree native to the Southeastern United States. Slash pine is named after ...

plantation were the principal activities on the site of the former base after 1945.

"Red Arrow" units

128th, 127th and 126th Infantry Regiments

120th, 121st, 126th, 129th Field Artillery Battalions

632 Tank Destroyer Battalion

In August 1942 the 632 TD Battalion moved to the then ''Camp Tamborine'' after training on antitank ranges at Camp Mangalore,

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. Training intensified with emphasis on beach defence and jungle warfare. On 21 December 1942 the battalion moved to Camp Strathpine near

Petrie Petrie is a surname of Scottish origin which may refer to: People * Alexander Petrie (minister), Alexander Petrie (died 1662), Scottish minister * Alistair Petrie (born 1970), English actor * Andrew Petrie (1798–1872), Scottish-born builder, arc ...

, Queensland.

Post war

Yarrabilba development

In 2011 development began of the remaining land not previously subdivided for an urban precinct known as

Yarrabilba Yarrabilba is a locality in the City of Logan, Queensland, Australia. In the , Yarrabilba had a population of 3,580 people. Geography As of June 2018, Yarrabilba consists of seven neighbourhoods; The Avenues, Oak Leaf, The Retreat, Sandstone Ri ...

. Prior to 2012, a public park near the original main entrance of the base along Waterford-Tamborine Road included several memorials of remembrance. In 2012 these memorials were moved to the grounds of the Logan Village RSL, situated along Quinzeh Creek Road, to make way for the development's road works.

Archaeological field school

The School of Social Science at the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

conducted its first archaeological field school in south-east Queensland at the former Camp Cable site in 2015. The site offers opportunities for field work on World War II history over an extended period, possibly around 10 years, depending on Yarrabilba's development. One aim is to excavate building remains for finds belonging to individuals present during the war era, which can be added to historical collections such as the Queensland Museum.

References

External links

{{Commons category, History of Queensland/World War 2/Camp Cable, Camp Cable
Tambourine_(sic)_-_Camp_Cable_area_[plan_number_1/T/296
/nowiki>.html" ;"title="lan number 1/T/296">Tambourine (sic) - Camp Cable area [plan number 1/T/296
/nowiki>">lan number 1/T/296">Tambourine (sic) - Camp Cable area [plan number 1/T/296
/nowiki>(1945) NAA: BP378/1, FOLDER T FOLIO 76
National Archives of Australia
(large jpeg image)
Tamborine Hospital - Block Plan [1/T/296
/nowiki>] (1943) NAA: BP378/1, FOLDER T FOLIO 74 National Archives of Australia (jpeg image)
Tamborine - USA Hospital at Tamborine, Parish of Tamborine, County of Ward
(survey plan) (1943) NAA: J1018, LS591 National Archives of Australia (jpeg image)
Camp Cable on Facebook
Logan Village RSL
Camp Cable USA Memorial Cairn
Queensland War Memorial Register
Notables from Camp Cable
Bootstrap Heritage Military camps in Australia