The unit was raised as a result of the experiences of the ill-fated Australian garrison at Rabaul, where the lack of an early warning system to detect Japanese air raids and the movement of an invasion force had complicated its defence before it was ultimately overwhelmed.

[4] Attached to New Guinea Force, the company was conceived by Major Donald Small, Chief Signals Officer of the 8th Military District, who, having experienced the Japanese air raids on Rabaul, observed that the lack of an effective early-warning system around New Britain had resulted in the defenders being caught by surprise when attacked.

[1] By employing volunteers from Army units stationed in the area, he planned a network of observation posts, each equipped with a wireless transmitter to screen Port Moresby around a 150-kilometre (93 mi) radius, providing early warning of air raids, in addition to data on their size, height and strength.

[5] The decision of the territory administration to withdraw the civilian wireless operators following the entry of Japan into the war had also left holes in the coastwatching network, reducing its effectiveness.

[1] In the nine days following the fall of Rabaul, hasty arrangements were made by Small to assemble an ad hoc group of volunteer infantrymen with only a little signals training using civilian wireless equipment for deployment to the north coast with the assistance of two Short Sunderland flying boats from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

The NGAWW issued its first air warning on 3 February after spotters at Tufi observed Japanese aircraft heading towards Port Moresby to attack it for the first time.

[1] The control station for this group was located at Awala, while there was a rear link to company headquarters at Rouna, approximately 34 kilometres (21 mi) from Port Moresby.

[7] However, whilst the outer perimeter was able to provide the anti-aircraft defences at Port Moresby with approximately an hour's warning of an air raid, the system would be unable to track approaching aircraft if they changed course after crossing the reporting line.

As a consequence a second, inner perimeter, was established in March, at a range of 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Port Moresby to provide ten minutes' warning of an attack.

Yet the photos were soon published in a newspaper in Sydney and the observation post was attacked by the Japanese the day after, with Kirkwood forced to make a narrow escape.

In July 1942, the Buna station reported the landing of Japanese forces in Papua, an event which marked the commencement of the Kokoda Track Campaign.

[1] Following the rapid expansion that had been required to provide effective coverage in response to the crises caused by the initial Japanese movements a review of the makeshift organisation was undertaken.

[2] In October 1942, the NGAWW Company was officially formed as part of New Guinea Force Signals to consolidate the Army, RAAF and Coastwatcher stations.

Teams of two or three spotters typically maintained the stations, each led by an acting non-commissioned-officer (NCO), working in isolation from friendly forces in remote locations for extended periods of time.

[5] Once their initial supplies were expended they usually had to fend for themselves, although stations were also sometimes re-supplied by airdrop or by sea, but usually only in the event of a failure of mission essential equipment, or when petrol for the radios ran low.

[6] As a result, many stations found themselves isolated behind Japanese lines, relying on the support of the native population whilst evading capture in order to continue operating.

[21] Meanwhile, in March and April a number of stations closed or transferred to ANGAU following a reduction in the threat of large-scale air raids against Australian controlled territory.

[10] In April 1944, five USAAF personnel, as well as four officers and 20 enlisted men from the US Signal Corps, were seconded to the NGAWW to be trained as spotters for the purpose of establishing the American Air Warning Wireless Unit to function in the Philippines.

[26] After Christmas leave the company concentrated at Balcombe in Victoria where it was officially disbanded on 20 April 1945, although many of the men continued to serve in other signals units until the end of the war.

[33] In addition, some teams operating in more difficult jungle and mountain terrain, such as that closer to Port Moresby, were equipped with RAAF supplied ATR-2 radios which were lighter than the Teleradio 3A sets provided to the more distant outstations.

[33] Even before the outbreak of hostilities the RAN had organised many civilian wireless users in the islands of the Pacific into networks of "spotters", known as Coastwatchers, in order to provide reports of any suspicious activities.