Having completed his Telegraphist Course No. 41 at 1 WAGS Russell Burge was posted to the newly formed No. 11 Signals unit RAAF situated at Adelaide River. A further move on the 25th May 1943 saw Russell located at No. 51 Operational Base Unit at Groote Eylands NT, a large island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. No. 11 Signals and the Operational Base Units where Russell served were all sections of the 'Australian Special Wireless Group' and played an important roll in the defense of Australia during and after the attacks at Darwin by the Japanese.