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177:. Formed in early 1942 in the Northern Territory, the unit was a light horse mounted unit that was tasked with providing early warning of Japanese activity in northern Australia at a time when an invasion of the country was expected. As the threat of Japanese invasion dissipated the unit's operations were curtailed in 1943 and it was eventually disbanded in the early months of 1945. The unit is considered to be a predecessor of several reconnaissance units that currently exist within the Australian Army.
220:, which was tasked with defending the area in the event of an invasion. Other tasks included manning fixed coast watch stations and signals work. At the peak of its strength it numbered approximately 550 men, including 59 Aboriginal personnel who were employed as guides and labourers. As the threat of Japanese landings declined 2/1 NAOU patrols were reduced in July 1943 and the unit was disbanded in March 1945.
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Carpentaria. The members of the Unit tended to operate in very small groups, often of section strength, over an enormous area, manning observation posts or in fixed or mounted roving patrols, so as to answer for the flanks of
Northern Territory Force. They seldom assembled as troops, companies, or squadrons, and never, while I was in command, as a single Unit, after once taking up their field stations.
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The Unit was organised somewhat on the lines of a Light Horse regiment but with commando-type flexibility. It had a strategic and tactical role with duties of reconnaissance, scouting and coast-watching and was widely dispersed on and off the coasts and inland, between
Cambridge Gulf and the Gulf of
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region and in the
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In 1972, Stanner summarised the unit in the following terms to Amoury Vane, the author of the unit's history:
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Troopers of the North
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381:. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military History Publications.
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North
Australia Observer Unit: The History of a Surveillance Regiment
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Concerned about the large unobserved sea and air approaches to
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Formed on 11 May 1942 under the command of
Lieutenant Colonel
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and an invasion of
Australia was considered a possibility.
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Military units and formations of
Australia in World War II
327:. Australian Department of Defence. 2009. Archived from
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Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
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The Oxford
Companion to Australian Military History
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255:Directorate of Research and Civil Affairs
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475:Indigenous Australians in the military
325:"Unit History—North West Mobile Force"
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241:have a similar role to 2/1 NAOU, with
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167:2/1st North Australia Observer Unit
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158:Nackeroos memorial lookout,near
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423:Australia at War, Peter Dunn
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281:. Australian War Memorial
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218:Northern Territory Force
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68:Light horse
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348:References
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115:Commanders
312:Vane 2000
214:Kimberley
195:Nackeroos
107:Equipment
101:Nackeroos
92:Katherine
50:Australia
249:See also
243:NORFORCE
133:Insignia
335:12 June
181:History
120:Notable
47:Country
42:1942–45
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233:Legacy
55:Branch
39:Active
261:Notes
383:ISBN
364:ISBN
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165:The
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73:Role
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59:Army
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