FTM page 1

In mid July 1940, under the command of Lt Col Kirwood, the 2/10th Field Regiment was formed and set up at Redbank just outside Brisbane in Queensland. By the beginning of the following month it had grown to a unit strength of 400 men. The regiment was made up solely of Queensland volunteers.

Francis (Frank) McDonald was born in Barcaldine Queensland on the 24th of November 1918. He worked as a stockman until he enlisted in the Australian Infantry Force on the 24th August 1940 at Rockhampton. A month later he was sent to the Receiving Depot at Enoggera, Brisbane, to be inducted into the army. After four weeks at Enoggera he was transferred to 2/10 Field Regiment, one of the three artillery regiments in the 8th Division, at Caloundra to begin training along with many other recruits from country areas of Queensland. They then moved to their base At Redbank.

As part of his training Frank obtained his driver's license. Something he hadn't worried about while he was in Barcaldine although he frequently drove around the town.

Training of the Regiment culminated with a nine day field manoeuvre through the Brisbane Valley including live firing of 18lb shells at Caloundra. In November 1940 the soldiers were given their vaccinations which told them that they were soon to go to war. While initially thinking that they may have been going to the Middle East, the issue of tropical kit made them realise they would be heading to fight the Japanese. The Regiment was formed into three Batteries - 19th, 20th (of which Frank was a member) and X Batteries.

On the 15th January 1941, Frank was given 7 days leave prior to embarking on his wartime duties. Frank, along with the rest of 2/10 Field Regiment was moved, by train, to East Command in Sydney on the 1st of February. They boarded the "Queen Mary" on the 2nd of February and sailed via Tasmania to Freemantle. The ship finally arrived at naval dockyards in Singapore on the 18th of February.