About This Unit
Cipher Section /s
Source: McKenzie -Smith, Graham, 'The Unit Guide , The Australian Army 1939-45' Vol 4 Medical and Signals Units 2018 Big Sky Publications ISBN: 978-1-925675-14-6
This is an aggregation page
Cipher sections in signals offices were responsible for coding and decoding signals and were formed into various sections in mid 1942. Initially they were named Cipher Sec, XXX Sigs, but sections were numbered sequentially in mid-1943 and they are listed in that order below.
Depending on the size of the HQ and volume of sigs traffic, the cipher section could have between one and six officers with eight to 66 men and women.
Detachment Listing
1 Cipher Section - Land Headquarters. Albert Park and Queens Rd Melbourne
2 and 5 Cipher Section. Based at Indooroopilly with a detachments at Warwick, Cairns and Townsville. The FNQ dets later formed as the second iternation of 6 Cipher Section (2). The result of a rationalised structure following the merging of 6 Sect (1), 57 in SE Queensland, and 56 and 66 Cipher Sections (the latter two in Cairns and Townsville respectively).
3 Cipher Section (1) - NT (Adelaide River, Noonamah, Katherine, and Alice Springs), disbanded at Balcombe in Feb 1944. 3 Cipher Section (2) was raised for service in the Philippines / Ambon.
4 Cipher Section - New Guinea 1942-45 (aka 1 Indep Brigade Cipher Section / 100 Cipher Section
7 Cipher Section - Supporting 1st Aust Army from the Atherton Tablelands (Mareeba / Atherton) . Did not deploy to New Guinea. Relocated to Cairns late in the war and disbanded there.
8 Cipher Section - 2 Aust Army. Mt Martha (Vic) Oatlands (NSW) and Middle Head (NSW).
9 Cipher Section - NG Force Port Moresby and Lae (NG)
10 Cipher Section - 3 Aust Corps Mount Lawley Swan Barracks disbanded March 44 at Balcombe (Vic)
11 Cipher Section -
21 Cipher Section -
22 Cipher Section -
23 Cipher Section -
24 Cipher Section -
1 & 3 Armd Div / 2/31 Cipher Section
32 Cipher Section
33 Cipher Section
36 Cipher Section
37 Cipher Section
38 Cipher Section
39 Cipher Section
40 Cipher Section
2/42 Cipher Section
2/43 Cipher Section
44 Cipher Section
45 Cipher Section
46 Cipher Section
47 Cipher Section
48 Cipher Section
49 Cipher Section
50 Cipher Section
56 Cipher Section
57 Cipher Section
58 Cipher Section
59 Cipher Section
60/87 Cipher Section
61/85 Cipher Section
62 Cipher Section
64 Cipher Section
65 Cipher Section
66 Cipher Section
67 Cipher Section
68 Cipher Section
69 Cipher Section
70 Cipher Section
71 Cipher Section
72 Cipher Section
73 Cipher Section
74 Cipher Section
75 Cipher Section
76 Cipher Section
77 Cipher Section
78 Cipher Section
79 Cipher Section
80 Cipher Section
81-84 Cipher Section - allocated but not used.
86 Cipher Section
101/63 Cipher Section
103 Cipher Section
104 Cipher Section
105 Cipher Section
106 Cipher Section
107 Cipher Section
110 Cipher Section
111 Cipher Section
112 Cipher Section
113 (1) and (2) Cipher Section (1) - LoC Sigs New Guinea 1943-Sep 1944. (2) raised Nov 1945 Morotai / BCOF
Misc
1 Aust Div Cipher Section - May-Aug 1942 Burwood (NSW)
Yorkforce Cipher Section - Jan - Aug 1943 Townsville / Barrine
NG LoC Cipher Section - Jan - Apr 1943 Port Moresby
AIF Base Area Cipher Section - Feb-Jun 1942 Middle East
LHQ Cipher Replacement Section - Jan 43-Aug 45 Balcombe (Vic) Milne Bay (NG) Bonegilla (Vic)
LHQ Cipher Production Secion Jan 44-Aug 45 Melbourn Observatory
Work in Progress
Compiled by Steve Larkins Jul 24