Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Labour / Employment /Works / 'Alien' Company/ies

Key Source:  Reference: McKenzie-Smith, Graham 2018 " The Unit Guide The Australian Army 1939-45"  This is a titanic accomplishment in 6 volumes which is must for any student of the Australian Army in WW2.  The VWMA would not have been able to achieve the clarity we have striven for without reference to this series of books.

During the Second World War, the Australian Army established 39 Employment Companies, totalling by war’s end about 15,000 men.  While the names of these army sub-units varied, their function did not.  Some were known as 'Alien' Companies because they were manned by volunteer foreign national internees. The titling  / designation of these units went through a progression from Labour, Employment to Works Companies as the war progressed.  One or more of the appellations may have applied at various times, but their roles remained relatively constant.

They were established to ensure that the Australian Military Forces had a large workforce of soldiers dedicated to essential labouring tasks, the hard physical labour needed to maintain the war effort and support the fighting forces.  Of the 39 Companies, 11 were in part or whole made up of ‘aliens’, or 'non-British' citizens.

Most began their war designated as 'Labour Companies'.  This progressively morphed to 'Employment' (which contemporaneously and indeed in a post-Depression environment, bears an 'unemployment relief' tone to the title) then 'Works' Companies were essentially construction / maintenance / labour teams that were assembled and deployed to build, maintain and sometimes operate the infrastructure needed to support military operations on the Australian mainland and in some cases in the neighbouring Territories and Isl.  Irrespective, during WW2 tehy were a vitl component of the supply chain.

Outside the capital cities and certainly in our sparsely populated north, the road and remote facilities network was rudimentary at best by modern standards, and in some cases non-existent at the outbreak of war.  Ports, airfields, railheads, supply depots, transhipment and handling facilities, roads, transit camps and all manner of temporary accommodation had to be built maintained, moved and rebuilt throughout the war.

1 Labour / Employment / Works Company - Formed in Brisbane initially to carry out cargo handling in the railyards.  Three Platoons were raised  two of whcih were sent to Cairns and Townsville before concentrating at Cluden.

2 Labour / Employment Company - 'Alien Coy' formed in NSW at Narellan from enemy alien volunteers from internment camps.

3 Labour / Employment Company -'Alien Coy' formed in NSW at Menangle but used primarily in the Hunter Valley.

4 Labour / Employment Company -'Alien Coy' formed in VIC from volunteer enemy aliens from internment camps in Victoria.

5 Labour / Employment Company - raised at Claremont in WA and then established at Karakatta, sent to Queensland and then New Guinea, before returning to the Sydney area.

6 Labour / Employment Company - 'Alien Coy' formed in Victoria at Caulfield using volunteer enemy aliens.  Deployed to Tocumwal on the NSW Victorian border to manage transhipment of goods at the 'break of gauge’ railhead. They eventually moved to Royal Park and were used mainly in the rail yards in Melbourne.

7 Labour / Employment Company - 'Alien Coy' of Chinese  ethnicity formed at Woodman Point (WA). Working variously at Fremantle Claremont, Mt Isa, Narrogin and Harvey.  The WA det moved to Redbank (Qld)  in August 1943.  They disbanded in Brisbane in February 1944.

8 Labour / Employment Company - 'Alien Coy' formed in VIC 'The Enjoyment Company' / ‘Dunera Boys’.  Used in railway yards for transhipment tasks at Albury and Tocumwal.

9 Labour / Employment  / Works Company - Formed at Deagon Racecourse for transhipment handling between the Qld and NSW rail systems.  An element was sent to Merauke in New Guinea late in the war.  The remainder moved to Sydney were they saw out the war.

10 Labour / Employment  Company - SA.  Formed at Keswick Barracks focussing on road repairs and timber cutting.  A detachment worked at Leigh Creek clearing pipe channels.  Absorbed into 25 Empl Coy in Oct 1943.

11 Labour / Employment  / Works Company - Raise at Davilk (W) in May 1942 from Allied national volunteers (other than US, Dutch, Norwegian or Chinese).  Mainly employed on the wharves at Fremantle In July 1942 they were re-titled 12 Lab Coy then 12 Empl Coy in September. They were to have been disbanded in early 1944 but were relocated to Chermside in Brisbane working at Redbank stores depot and the wider Brisbane area. BY May 1945 there were five platoons all under command of HQ3 Lab Gp.

13 Labour Company - authorised for establishment but never raised.

14 Labour / Employment  / Works Company - Raised at Yerongipilly in Queensland before moving to Townsville and Cairns on the wharves.  They were split with two Platoons designated for service with 1 Base Sub Area. 14 Wks Coy was then moved to Morotai in the Netherlands East Indies in March 1945 and attached to 1 Beach Gp at Labuan.

15 Labour / Employment  / Works Company -  Raised at Gaythorne in Queensland in July 1942 to work in the Brisbane area.  IN April 1943 1 Pl was detached to Merauke in New Guinea and the balance moved to Atherton to support the rapidly growing training bases there.  They finished the war in the Brisbane area.

16 Labour / Employment  / Works Company - Raised by drawing men from the Militia 5th Infantry Division in Townsville in June 1942.  Elements were detached to Baronta and Atherton, but it late 1944 the US was redeploying forces out of Bougainville and 16 Wks Coy redeployed to Torokina joining 4 Base sub Area. They worked on the port and construction projects until war's end.

17 Labour / Employment  / Works Company - Drawn from men from the Militia 3rd Infantry Division at Gaythorne Queensland in July 1942.  They were to have been deployed to New Guinea but were held at Oonoomba training camp.   Listed to return to Brisbane, plans changed again and they went to the north coast of New Guinea in support of the 6th Division's clearance of the north coast.  They finished the war at Wewak. 

18 Labour / Employment  / Works Company - Formed at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, drawn from the Militia's 1st and 2nd Divisions.  Initially working in nearby railyards and at Mascot airport, they later relocated to Muswellbrook and Myambat.  The Company split to form 35 Employment Company which left for Queensland. See the entry below.

19 Labour / Employment  / Works Company - Formed at Randwick in June 1942 an by August 1943 they had elements in Queensland, Parap in the Northern Territory and Milne Bay in Papua.   They consolidated into the Darwin area.  In late 1944 they left the NT and reconsolidated in Randwick NSW from where they were based for the rest of the war. 

20 Labour / Employment  / Works Also raised at Randwick in June 1942 as 20 Lab Coy,  Drawn from the Militia 1 and 2 Infantry Divisions.  Renamed 20 Emp Coy, they moved to Queensland in November 1942 split across Townsville, Cairns Innisfail and Atherton.  The Company moved to Milne Bay and Goodenough Island in March 1943.  The latter detachment then moved to Buna.  12 months later after the unit concentrated at Buna, they were re-titled 20 Wks Coy. Leaving New Guinea in October 1944 they reformed after leave at Gaythorne and moved to Chermside in April 1945 from where they saw out the war in and around Brisbane. 

21 Labour / Employment  / Works.  formed as 21 Lab Coy in August 1942 at Randwick (NSW), Platoons were located at Myambat (Ammunition Depot) and Newcastle.  It absorbed 8 and 9 Empl Coy and was re-titled 21 Empl Coy.  It was split in Dec 1942 to raise 34 Empl Coy for service in the tropics. Retitled 21 Wks Cy in Apr 1944 it remained in the Randwick area under command HQ 2 Lab Gp until war's end.

22 Labour / Employment / Works Company - Formed at Camp Pell at Royal Park in Melbourne in June 1942 and deployed working on Melbourne docks within a month. Renamed 22 Empl Coy in October,  the bulk of the unit left for Papua in July 1943, where they worked at the port in Port Moresby.  Reinforced with two platoons drawn from Garrison Battalions (2,11 and 20).  Elements were deployed to support operations on the Bulldog / Wau overland route until it was closed in early 1944.  They were then based at Lae and sent a detachment to Finschafen in Nov 1944.  They returned to Austraia and re-assembed at Randwick, working in the Sydney area for the remainder of the war.

23 Labour / Employment Company (Koepangese)  - 'Alien Coy' of Koepangese (Netherlands East Indies) ethnicity raised in May 1942 retitled 23 Empl Coy in Oct 1942, disbanding in Feb 1943.

24 Labour / Employment  / Works - Formed at Camp Pell, in June 1942.  Retitled successively. By November 1944, two Platoons were working from Randwick with remaining elements at Mangalore and Nagambie in Victoria, engaged in timber cutting.  The unit Re-assembled in Victoria at Camp Pell in Jul 1945 disbanding after war's end.

25 Labour / Employment  / Works - Formed at Wayville in South Australia in June 1942 as 22 Lab Coy.  Relocated to Osborne on the Le Fevre Peninsula they were primarily employed on the Port Adelaide docks and oil depots.  A platoon was detached to Papua to form 32 Empl Coy.  The remainder relocated to Cheltenham and then Warradale (both suburbs of Adelaide) by Feb 1943.  Absorbing 10 Empl Coy in October 1943 they were relocated to the NT relieving 28 Empl Coy at Larrimah with detachments at   Adelaide River, Mataranka, Katherine and Pine Creek.  By December detachments had also been sent to Alice Springs and Mt Isa (Qld).  They consolidated at Katherine in February 1944 maintaining their detachments as previously noted.  In April,  they were re-titled 25 Wks Coy.  As the tempo moved north, 25 Wks Coy absorbed 27 Wks Coy and took over their detachments at Darwin, Noonamah and Adelaide River.  In May 1945 they came under command of HQ 1 Lab Gp in Melbourne but remained in support of NT Force until war's end.

26 Labour / Employment  / Works - Formed at Davilik (WA) in June 1942, drawn from the Militia 3 Corps, comprising men over 35yo specifically for cargo handling in northern ports.  By August they were handling ammunition at Woodman Point, and soon after they had detachments allocated to Port Hedland Marble Bar, Broome, Exmouth and Kalgoorlie.  Renamed to 26 Empl Coy in  Oct 1942, by Oct 43 they were retitled as 26 Wks Coy by April 1944.    A large detachment was sent to Pippingarra in May 1944 to handle cargo for Corunna Downs airfield. 26 Wks Coy reduced to three Platoons and in March 1945 they consolidated in the Hamilton Hill area of WA with fourteen detachments around WA/.

27 Labour / Employment  / Works  Company - formed at Camp Pell in July 1942.  Reformed as 27 Empl Coy in Oct 1942.  By mid-1943 they had elements at Oakleigh, Broadmeadows, Rockbank, Murchison and Nagambie.  Relocating to the NT in January 1944 they provided personnel to Winnellie, Alice Springs and Parap by March. With the focus of the war effort shifting north  to the islands, in January 1945 they were scaled back and absorbed into 25 Wks Coy. A second iteration of 27 Wks Coy was raised at Camp Pell in March 1945.  They were to have been deployed in support of the 1st Australian Army onto New Guinea and were relocated to Brisbane in May 1945 in anticipation of deployment, but were disbanded the following month.

'X' Lab Coy 28 Lab Coy / 28 Empl Coy / 28 Wks Coy. With the most tortured pedagogy of them all, spawned from elements of NT Force in July 1942 at Katherine.  Relocated to Katherine, they were reinforced with personnel from 3 Inf Bde (Militia) and a Platoon from 23 Inf Bde Gp.  A volunteer enemy alien platoon was added. 28 Empl Coy was now responsible for all labour demands along the Main Supply Rute from Alice Springs to Pine Creek.  A Platoon was transferred to 29 Empl Coy and in July 1943, 28 and 29 Companies swapped roles, with 28 Coy moving to Winnellie, looking after the Darwin to Adelaide River sector. In October 1943, they left the NT returning to Camp Pell after levae and in April 1944 re-designated as 28 Wks Coy.  They then relocated to Chermside in Brisbane.  Assigned to 1 Base Sub Area, they were originally destined for New Guinea but with the impending Borneo Campaign, they landed in Morotai in March 1945, and support the 7th Div operations around Balikpapan, where they were developing the base when the war ended.  

29 Employment  / Works  Company - Beginning life as 4 Special Pioneer Company until  November 1942, when they were re-designated as 29 Empl Coy. As occurred in other instances, the Company acquired Platoons from various sources including NT Force.  In January 1943 the Coy HQ established at 23 mile initially before moving to Winnellie, then relieving 28 Empl Coy at Katherine with elements at Larrimah and Alice Springs taking care of the MSR between Alice Springs and Pine Creek.  In September 1943 they were relieved by elements of 28 and 19 Empl Coy and relocated to Warradale, a southern suburb of Adelaide. Renamed 29 Wks Coy in April 1944, they saw out the war there, gradually being scaled down.

30 Employment  / Works  Company - Like 28 Wks Coy (above), what had been 3 Special Pioneer Company located in Port Moresby in November 1942, was re-designated as 30 Empl Coy. In December, a Platoon at Milne Bay that had been part of 19 Empl Coy was re-allocated to 30 Empl Coy.  In March 1943 they returned to Australia at Chermside in Brisbane, leaving a Platoon at Milne Bay until January 1944, and the Company was retitled as 30 Wks Coy.  They were allocated to 1 Base Sub Area with the intent that they would deploy to New Guinea.  Instead, with Operation Oboe to invade Borneo, getting underway, they were despatched to Morotai in April 1945 where they saw out the war working onteh docks, construction projects and stores dumps.

31Employment  / Works  Company - Another former Pioneer Company (7), was reformed in August 1942, as 31 Empl Coy with men from 8 Pioneer Company as well.  Working wround Brisbane they were stationed on the wharves and rail yards.  Renamed 31 Wks Coy in April 1944 with detachments at Grovelly, Wallangarra, Applethorpe, Inglewood, Toowoomba and Helidon.  They remained in these locations until the end of the war.

32 Employment  / Works  Company - formed in South Australia in September 1942  picking up a Platoon from 25 Empl Coy then in October , they moved to Milne Bay, acquiring another Platoon there from 19 Empl Coy. 30 Empl Coy acquired that Platoon but it continued to work with 32 Empl Coy. 

33 Employment  / Works  Company. Formed at Watsonia in February 1943 then moved to Port Moresby in June 1943.  Based at Ela Beach, in addition to running the port they also operated a sawmill. The unit left New Guinea in May 1944 having been re-designated as 33 Wks Coy in April.   Assembling after leave in Chermisde Qld, they departed for Townsville in September.   Next they deployed to Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea in January 1945.  By March attention shifted to Morotai and 33 Wks Coy deployed there detaching elements to work in support of the 9th Division at Labuan in North Borneo in July 1945.  33 Wks Coy dispositions remained as stated until war's end. 

34 Employment  / Works  Company - Formed as a result of splitting 21 Empl Coy at Randwick in December 1942.  the new entity deployed to Dubbo in central NSW in January 1943.  In April they left for New Guinea staging through Kalinga in Qld befire arriving at Milne Bay in July 1943 too relieve 32 Empl Coy as part of Milne Bay Base sub Area.  Re-designated as 34 Wks Coy in April 1944 they returned to Australia in July. They were sent to Toorbul Point to relieve 14 Wks Coy in November 1944 to support the Amphibious Training Centre.  Returning to Chermside in January 1945 under command of HQ 3 Lab Gp, remaining in the Brisbane area until the end of the war.

35 Employment  / Works  Company - Created from 18 Empl Coy at Randwick by splitting it, with the new entity despatched to Cairns.  Platoons were established at Innisfail, Atherton and Baronta with detachments at Cloncurry and Sellheim.  By July a Platoon was operating in Townsville with detachments at Brookhill and Hughenden.  Concentrating at Port Moresby in August they came under Port Moresby Base sub Area, operating the 9 Mile Quarry.  Re-named 35 Wks Coy in April 1945, they took over the saw mill from 33 Wks Coy in May.  They left New Guinea in September re-assembling at Enoggera under HQ 3 Lab Gp, until July 1945 when they relocated to St Ives on Sydney's north shore, under HQ 2 Lab Gp before consolidating at French's Forest in August.

36 Employment Company - Initially an 'Alien Coy' comprised of men of Javanese ethnicity, who had been interned at Cowra after escaping the Netherlands East Indies, forming at Graythorne in Queensland in late 1942.  Primarily employed at Wallangarra engaged in transhipment of rail cargo at the 'break of gauge' railhead between the NSW (standard gauge) and Queensland (narrow gauge) rail systems.  They were in the process of disbanding to allow repatriation of their personnel when the war ended.

37 Employment / Works Company - Raised from men of 9 Garrison Battalion, which was in the process of being scaled down in August 1943,  deemed fit for tropical service.  Deployed to New Guinea, with elements initially at Buna and later Lae, working on the wharves. 37 Wks Coy disbanded in June 1945, its men reinforcing 1 Wks Coy at Townsville.  

38 Employment  / Works  Company - Raised at Wallgrove west of Sydney in August 1943 from the disbanding 20 Garrison Battalion, selecting men fit for tropical service.  They deployed to Buna initially and later to Lae, where they were engaged in engineering tasks and operating a sawmill.  Renumbered in April 1944 when they were re-designated as 38 Wks Coy.  With Australian units replacing US units who were regrouping to go to the Philippines, 38 Works Company was sent to Torokina on Bougainville, serving there until relieved by 5 Wks Coy in June returning to Sydney (St Ives) in July where they were on leave when the war ended.

39 Employment / Works  Company - Formed at the Engineer Training Wing at Kapooka (Wagga Wagga) in December 1943 as 39 Emply Coy,  they relocated to Gaythorne in Qld where they were renumbered 39 Wks Coy in April 1944. The Militia 5 Inf Div was sent to New Britain to contain the Japanese Garrison at Rabaul, and 39 Wks Coy was deployed in support with  5 Base sub Area at Jacquinot Bay, relocating to Rabaul after the Japanese surrender.

'A' Labour Company.  Formed on Thursday Island and by March 1942 they had more men than their establishment could accommodate.  Working initially on the wharves and carrying out road maintenance, they were eventually absorbed into the Thursday Island Light Infantry Battalion.

Compiled by Steve Larkins July 2021, completed in June 2026