CENTRAL INTERPRETATION UNIT A6
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
ALLIED AIR FORCE
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII
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The Central Interpretation Unit was a section in the Directorate of Intelligence in Allied Air Force Headquarters. Major E. W. Owen was the Commanding Officer.
The October 1943 Military Telephone Directory for Brisbane shows the following entries for the Central Interpretation Unit:-
CENTRAL INTERPRETATION UNIT (Old Courier
Building):
Major Owen, E.W. Room 7 Old Courier Bldg.
F/Lt. Vroland, R.N. Room 7 Old Courier Bldg.
Photo Interpretation Section:
Capt. Simmons Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
Capt. Hyslop, A.J. Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Fowlkes, T. Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
F/O Pettifer, H.C. Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Axelrod, D.I. Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Thompson, H.D. Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
F/O Smith, T.L. Room 25 Old Courier Bldg
F/O Mackay, C. Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Benson, R.G. Room 31 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Anderson, R.E. Room 7 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Page, G.M. Room 7 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Peacock, J.H. Room 31 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Putman, D.L. Room 7 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Giebelhaus, W. Room 31 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Sprague, J.S. Room 31 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Murphy, D. Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Wright, R.M. Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
S/O Naylor, A. Room 31 Old Courier Bldg
Objective Data Section:
F/O Weir, A.H. Room 36 Old Courier Bldg
F/O Williams, H.M. Room 36 Old Courier Bldg
F/O Fairbridge, R.W. Room 36 Old Courier Bldg
F/O De Verteuil, P. Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Cheney, W.D. Room 7 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Walker, H.H. Room 7 Old Courier Bldg
Flt/O Colvin, M. Room 39 Old Courier Bldg
S/O Cook, M. Room 7 Old Courier Bldg
Intelligence Map Section:
F/Lt Burr, I.L. Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
F/O Furneaux, W.J. Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
F/O Barrass, C. Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
F/O Moir, J. Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
Capt. Fraser, H.E. Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Crofts, F.M. Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
Lt. Marshall, W. Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
S/O Aldritt, C. Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
A/S/O Elvins, N.E. Room 29 Old Courier Bldg

Photo in Brisbane:- via June Cutting
The back row consists of USN ensigns, learning
photo intelligence
before going north. Second row from left, S/O Audrey Naylor, S/O Margaret
Dorothy Cook, P/O Ian Lawrence Burr, S/O Iris Constance Mirva Colvin,
P/O Rhodes Whitmore Fairbridge, SGT Wolfe USA. ACW June Nicholson
(later Cutting) is sitting in centre, others unknown.
The personnel in the above photograph were in the Photo Intelligence section in Allied Headquarters at the time of the photo. They then transferred into the Central Interpretation Unit in 1943 and mostly moved into the Old Courier Building.
ACW June Nicholson (later Cutting) was a WAAAF Clerk General working with S/O Mirva Colvin keeping files on aerodromes and air strips used by the Japanese between Australia and Japan. Major Owen went on to marry S/O Mirva Colvin and lived in south east Texas.

REFERENCE BOOKS
1943 Military Telephone Directory for GHQ SWPA
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank June Cutting (nee Nicholson) and David Glerean for their assistance with this web page.
Can anyone help me with more information?
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
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This page first produced 9 October 2020
This page last updated 16 September 2024