- NCVA CRYPTOLOG, Pensacola, Florida Winter 201116 NCVA CRYPTOLOG, Pensacola, Florida Winter 2011- 17

ADELAIDE RIVER STATION,AUSTRALIA - REVISITED

By Jay R. BrowneWhen the cryptologists were evacuated by submarine from

Corregidor Island in the Philippines, in early 1942, they set upshop in Melbourne, Australia and FRUMEL was born. In early1943 a site survey was conducted in the north of Australia for anew intercept site closer to the war action. The area aroundDarwin was considered to be the prime area and LTJG KegGoodwin along with WO1 Sid Burnett found a great location atAdelaide River, near Mount Bundy.

By mid-March 1943 a dozen or so personnel departedMelbourne (circled bottom center next page) and headed general-ly northwest, along with their equipment, for the 1900 mile jour-ney. They set up shop after the 12 day trip in what could betermed 'primitive' conditions but over the course of the next 2½years Adelaide River Station (circled upper right this page)proved to be a valuable site in the war effort. The station wasclosed in September 1945 - the war was over and the 'Yanks' wenthome.

Sixty-plus years later Doug Tilly, a local Australian living in theMount Bundy area has re-discovered the old intercept site and hasbeen working to identify landmarks and cleanup the general area.

Doug contacted the CRYPTOLOG and we have had a lively E-mail exchange over the past couple of months. He sent all the'now' photos seen here.

Thanks Doug, it's nice to see what happened to one of our oldsites.

P

Map courtesy National Geographic Society

Above: old .45 roundsBelow: handle from G.I. mess kit knife

Above: slab remains of Store building #11 on sketchBelow: slab remains of the Signal hut #12 on sketch

Remains of an old GMC truck

Vintage Coke bottle

NCVA photo courtesy Jack GrafingFRU Adelaide River, Barracks and water tower,

C.O.'s pickup & station truck

Antenna guywire anchor

All photos courtesy Doug Tilly, except where noted

For further reading:CRYPTOLOG

Tribute to Keg Goodwin, by Charles Denson, July 1982, Vol. 4,No. 4, Pg 9Adelaide River Station, by Sid Burnett, Summer 1984, Vol. 5,No. 4, Pg 10Letter to the Editor, by J.H. Gore, Winter 1985, Vol. 6, No. 2, Pg 5Echoes from Adelaide, by Jim Shewmaker, Spring 1995, Vol. 16,No. 2, Pg 11Frumel History Available in the National Archives of Australia,By Nick England and Doug Tilley, Fall 2010, Vol. 31, No. 4, Pg 18

On the Internethttp://www.exploroz.com/Places/97012/NT/World_War_II_US_Navy_Fleet_Radio_Unit_FRU.aspx

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2045256&id=1225149182&l=07f178a13d

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2042847&id=1225149182&l=7a2fd1028b

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004003&id=1225149182&l=e1a22165e5

www.adelaideriverwargraves.com

P