World War Ii No 1 Medical Receiving Station - NT

The WWII No.1 Medical Receiving Station located at the Stuart Highway and Batchelor Road intersection, established in 1942, was the first field hospital operated in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) by an American Unit. Capable of caring for 250 patients its headquarters organised the first systematic SWPA American air evacuation of casualties, which began on 10 June the same year. By 10 September 1942 the site had been developed enough to accommodate the arrival of staff and equipment of No.1 Medical Receiving Station from Daly Waters.
The site comprised an extensive grouping of buildings and equipment. Today remnants of foundations, floor slabs, x-ray chemical bath, pathways, stone lined garden beds, sealed roadway, latrines and recreation oval are clearly visible. These remnants are relatively intact and combine to present a tangible and significant WWII precinct that represents the activities of an essential service unit that saw none of the glamour of the war, but served to repair much of its damage. The area comprising the No.1 RAAF Medical Receiving Station forms a WWII precinct unique to the Territory.
The hospital was constructed by one section from D Company, 2nd Battalion plus H Company and Headquarters, 3rd Battalion, 135th Medical Regiment, U.S. Army, in 1942-05. Situated 88 kilometres from Darwin and 11 kilometres from Batchelor Air Field, this was the first field hospital to be established and operated in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) by an American unit. The hospital was capable of caring for 250 patients. Its headquarters organized the first systematic SWPA American air evacuation of casualties, which began on 1942-06-10. The hospital made extensive use of air evacuation using US and Australian military transport, and commercial land and Qantas flying-boat transport to Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Townsville. H Company evacuated the hospital in September 1942 and moved to Birdum, NT, to operate the 135th Medical Regiment Evacuation Hospital. Coomalie Creek Field Hospital was taken over by the Australian No. 1 Medical Receiving Station.