General Douglas MacArthur in Townsville, Queensland during WW2, the Facts and the Myths

GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR
IN TOWNSVILLE DURING WW2
THE FACTS AND THE MYTHS

visits since 25 July 2004

General MacArthur was based for a while in Townsville during WW2

Not true!

General Douglas MacArthur visited Townsville on a few occasions. It would appear he may have stayed overnight in Townsville on at least one occasion. All other visits were for a short period only.

MacArthur's visits to Townsville

2 Oct 42	Left Brisbane and flew to Port Moresby with a short stopover in Townsville
17 Oct 42	Left Brisbane with General Kenney and stayed overnight in Townsville and flew to Port Moresby the next morning. They retrned to Brisbane on 21 October 1942 ***
6 Nov 42	Left Brisbane and flew to Port Moresby with a short stopover in Townsville
9 Jan 43	Left Port Moresby and flew to Brisbane with a short stopover in Townsville
25 Jun 43	Left Brisbane and flew to Cairns with a short stopover in Townsville. Stayed in Cairns overnight.
24 Sep 43	Left Port Moresby and flew to Brisbane with a short stopover in Townsville
1 May 44	Left Port Moresby and flew to Brisbane with a short stopover in Townsville
9 Sep 44	Left Brisbane and flew to Port Moresby with a short stopover in Townsville
20 Sep 44	Left Port Moresby and flew to Brisbane with a short stopover in Townsville

*** The book "General Kenney Reports" indicate MacArthur stayed overnight in Townsville in October 1942. This visit was not mentioned in Jack Gallaway's book "The Odd Couple - Blamey and Macarthur at War" which lists "MacArthur's Movements Day by Day".

The Diary of Weldon E. (Dusty) Rhoades, General MacArthur's personal pilot during WW2 has the following two entries about visits to Townsville:-

1 May 1944
This has been a fine day. This morning I was up early to make ceratin that all was in readiness for General MacArthur's departure. He arrived at the airport on schedule and said something very complimentary to me. Upon entering the airplane, he said. "You know, Dusty, I never worry about the weather or the airplane when you are flying me." We had an excellent trip down, with a stop at Townsville for lunch.

20 September 1944
We departed Port Moresby at 0810 with a stop scheduled for lunch at Townsville. On the way General MacArthur spent agood deal of time in the cockpit and once more wanted to see some of the Great Barrier Reef, so we deviated to the east to fly over a portion of it. We had a very jolly lunch at Townsville and the general was literally bubbling with enthusiasm.....

General MacArthur lived in a house in Cleveland Terrace in Townsville during WW2

Not true!

General Douglas MacArthur was never based in Townsville during WW2 and to my knowledge he never stayed overnight in Townsville. He did stay overnight in Cairns on one occasion.

I have heard a story that General MacArthur may have lived in a house opposite 22A Cleveland Terrace, Townsville behind where the old Supreme Court House used to be located. This house is apparently painted pink today. (Can someone send me a photograph of this house and confirm its street address?). Perhaps he may have visited this house. Was it where his local senior officer lived? For example did General Kenneth Walker live there? Was it the "Cream House" referred to below?

General Douglas MacArthur visited the "Cream House" in Townsville

True!

WAAAF driver, ACW Jan Arthur remembers driving General Douglas MacArthur, along with General Kenney, and General Kenneth Walker to the 'Cream House', the top of a hill in Townsville. The "Cream House" is believed to be the residence of General Walker while he was in Townsville during WW2. (Does anyone know where this was?)

"Duncragen" is a lowset house at 4 Cleveland Terrace, Melton Hill, in Townsville overlooking The Strand. It was commandeered by the US Army during WW2 and was used as a private residence for at least one US General. Was it the "Cream House"?

General MacArthur's Bunker was located at Garbutt during WW2

Not true!

The US Operations and Signals Building or Message Center at Ramsay Street, Garbutt

Some of the locals have referred to the large bunker at Ramsay Street, Garbutt as MacArthur's bunker. There's a possibility that General MacArthur may never have visited this large bunker. He's more likely to have visited the North East Area Headquarters in Sturt Street during his short stopovers in Townsville. This bunker was the Operations and Signals Building for No. 2 U.S. Air Command.

REFERENCES

"The Odd Couple - Blamey and Macarthur at War"
by Jack Gallaway

"Flying MacArthur to Victory"
By Weldon E. (Dusty) Rhoades

"General Kenney Reports - A Personal History of the Pacific War"
by George C. Kenney

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Walter Price for his assistance with this home page.