No. 1 Stores Depot RAAF

[[File:]]

Brief History

The unit was formed at Fishermens Bend on 16 Oct 1939 as 1 Equipment Depot (1 ED). It was located in the Port Melbourne docklands area. The unit was responsible for the receipt, storage and Issue of clothing, barracks stores and equipment. The Depot became a separate unit on 18 Dec 1939, and in the following May was re-named 1 Stores Depot (1 SD), RAAF Sandridge.

At the height of the War, 1 Stores Depot controlled 47 sites in Victoria, and this became a concern to the Department of Air hierarchy. Consideration was given by the War Cabinet to acquire valable land in the Melbourne suburbs of Sunbury, Yarraville or Braybrook for the building of another stores depot. A Requisition for Property was signed on 21 August 1943 and the Tottenham site, located in the Braybrook area, was acquired from the Victorian Government Railways for £33,650 ($67,300). With funds allocated and construction begun in July 1944, by war's end only 75 per cent of the work had been completed. The advance party of one officer and 10 airmen marked the start of an association with the local community that would last 48 years. Over the next few years, the Fishem1ens Bend site was closed and serv1ces re-located to the Depot's 'new home', some 8 miles away in the western suburbs, under the command or Group Captain C.C. Probert. During the post-war period, a great strau1 was placed on the limited staff of 240. who had to contend with handling stores associated with demobilisation of war servicemen, and the receipting of equipment from as far away as Japan. The Depot manning level was a far cry from the 1,030 on strength during the height of its wartime operations-when three shifts were rostered. On average, l Stores Depot maintained a manning of 550 service and civilian personnel over the years, reducing to approximately 100 at the time of closure.

In August 1962 the RAAF Police Dog Training Centre was formally established at 1 Stores Depot. The Depot prided itself on the various types of supply, National Service, Police Dog, WRAAF, tailor, RAAF quality and selected Defence training that were conducted on site since its formation. In latter years of unit operations the Supply Training School was responsible for supply officer and several airman training courses. The school re-located to RAAF Base Wagga in December 1992 and was incorporated into the RAAF School of Clerical and Supply Train1ng (RAAFSCST). Thus ended a link with training at the Depot that had lasted since the 1940s when the first supply officer course was conducted. The advent of the computer age in the early 1980s meant an upgrade in stores handling which greatly assisted Depot Personnel in ensuring that stock was properly located in the various warehouses, and issues effected in a timely manner.

A Ministerial announcement was made in June 1991 to close the entire Depot on 25 Jun 1993, and this was achieved in early August 1963.

Unit Personnel

• John Harold Garnett 3 Aug - 25 Jun 1945