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No. 3 Fighter Sector (3FS) was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) unit formed at Townsville Grammar School, Townsville, Australia on 25 February 1942. No. 3FS was responsible for fighter aircraft control and coordination for the Townsville region. The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force members of 3FS were billeted at St Anne’s Girls School, Townsville.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), formed in March 1921, is the aerial warfare branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). It operates the majority of the ADF's fixed wing aircraft, although both the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy also operate aircraft in various roles. It directly continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF provides support across a spectrum of operations such as air superiority, precision strikes, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, air mobility, space surveillance, and humanitarian support.
Townsville Grammar School is an independent, co-educational, day, International Baccalaureate and boarding school, located in Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east. The population of 25 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
The role of 3FS was to co-ordinate all of the intelligence information from the various D/F stations and VAOC posts, decide on the most appropriate response and then advise the appropriate fighter or bomber squadrons to respond. 3FS was in telephone and radio contact with all of the anti-aircraft, searchlight, RDF and HF/DF stations in the Townsville area.
In 1942, a new headquarters for No. 3FS was under construction at Wulguru, Queensland, Stuart, Townsville. The site was a full integrated camp site with its own power house, barracks, kitchens, septic system and recreation hall. There were as many as 62 different buildings in 3FS HQ. The camp was on the side of a hill near Mount Stuart, on the west side of the road to Charters Towers. It can still be seen today on the hill on the opposite side of the Stuart Shopping centre (Wulguru).
Wulguru is a suburb in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Stuart is a rural coastal suburb of the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Stuart had a population of 1,386 people.
Charters Towers is a town in northern Queensland, Australia. It is 134 kilometres (83 mi) inland (south-west) from Townsville on the Flinders Highway. In 2016 the population was 8,120 people. During the last quarter of the 19th century the town boomed as the rich gold deposits under the city were developed. After becoming uneconomic in the 20th century, profitable mining operations have commenced once again.
No. 3FS was renamed to 103 Fighter Control Unit (103 FCU) on 7 March 1944. The Stuart complex became fully operational on 20 December 1944. The main operations building was made of 30-centimetre (12 in) thick reinforced concrete designed to withstand a direct bomb hit. It had a mezzanine floor and was air-conditioned. 3 Fighter Sector Headquarters comprised 32 rooms in the large rectangular concrete building with caneite partitions forming various passageways. The building still stands today and is 60 by 42 feet (18.3 m × 12.8 m). The mezzanine floor has long since disappeared.
All air raid warnings were initiated from this bunker by red, yellow and white flares.
103 FCU was disbanded in Townsville on 21 January 1945.
Modern day use of the site has apparently been hindered by the presence of old tunnels that were in use during World War II.
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 70 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
There was also HQ located in North Ward, Townsville.
North Ward is a popular coastal suburb in Townsville, Queensland, Australia.The suburb is one of the oldest in the city but has undergone significant development over many decades. It is very popular with tourists and investors. It is home to some of the cities top attractions including "The Strand", The Waterpark, The Rockpool, and the Tobruk Memorial Baths.
After the war, the buildings were used as an immigration and migration hostel. The Buildings were still furnished at the time. In 1961 it was purchased by James Cook University of Queensland and was used as a temporary accommodation for students while the residential halls at douglas were being built. The Bunker itself was still furnished with communication and signals equipment. A few years later the bunkers insides were destroyed by fire. In 1971 the rest of the buildings were demolished. The Site is still owned by James Cook University even though the only building on the site is the bunker, except for all the old slabs on the site.
The western side of the bunker
The columns in the main room of the bunker
The main entrance on the eastern side
