Australia WW2 Civil Construction Corps Lapel Badge

Australia WW2 Civil Construction Corps Lapel Badge.

In February 1942 the Allied Works Council (CA 497) was created to take responsibility for carrying out all works required for war purposes by the Allied forces in Australia. Edward Granville Theodore, a former Premier of Queensland (1919–25) and Federal Treasurer (1929–31) was appointed Director-General of the Council.

The major difficulty faced by the Allied Works Council was the supply of labour. In March 1942 the War Cabinet accepted a recommendation from Theodore for the creation of a Civil Constructional Corps (CCC), which would undertake war-related construction projects within Australia.

The Corps was formed as a civilian rather than military organisation and comprised volunteers and persons called up under military impressments. Given the wartime climate and the range of powers given to the Director-General, the Corps operated under a more rigid discipline than would be normal industrial practice. While members’ pay was based on civilian award rates, they could not refuse work and were subject to regulations governing their conduct on the job and to the orders of the Director-General for maintaining good order at works or in camps.

By June 1943 some 66 000 men had sought enrolment in the Corps of whom 53 500 were selected as medically fit and suitable. Of these, 8 500 had volunteered, 28 000 had already been working on Allied Works Council jobs at the time of enrolment and about 17 000 had been called up for service. Most were over 35 years of age. The major occupational categories were labourers, carpenters and truck drivers.

Members of the Corps were sent to all parts of Australia to work on projects such as docks, aerodromes, roads, gun emplacements, hospitals, fuel storage depots, pipelines and factories.

Code: 114