Difference between revisions of "No. 4 Stores Depot RAAF"

Latest revision as of 00:55, 19 April 2024

Brief History

With the outbreak of War in 1939 the RAAF strength in Western Australia began to increase, accelerating with the Japanese threat to the north-west. To provide support for an operational build-up, two stores depots were to be formed in Western Australia, one of these being No. 4 Stores Depot. On 19 Jan 1942 an advance party gathered at a military drill hall in Lord Street, East Perth. While proposed sites at both Narrogin and Merredin were inspected, the No. 4 Stores Depot nucleus remained in temporary accommodation for several weeks until the new depot site had been organised. Eventually, the Depot was located in the McKay Massey Harris building in Maylands where initially they had access to about half (some 3000 square meters) of the total building area was available for the RAAF. The remainder being used to store tractors.

The Depot headquarters staff later moved to Maylands and another part of the Depot, comprising workshops and messes were later located in Caledonian Avenue, Maylands. On 1 Jan 1943 an advance cadre group were posted to form No. 10 Stores Depot RAAF at Merredin. Like other stores depots during the war years, No. 4 Stores Depot initially occupied several remote sites around Perth, such as the Kauri Timber Company building at 1Oth Avenue Maylands, and one in Wright Street for clothing. Ongoing alterations to the Massey Harris building eventually enabled some of these remote sites to be vacated, and stock brought into the Maylands building on 30 Sep 1943. Some of the Depot's bulk storage was actually at 10 Stores Depot at Merredin as 4 Stores Depot was short of storage space.

Other construction carried out at the Maylands site was a new administration block, completed on 8 Dec 1943. No. 4 Stores Depot had no domest1c accommodation on the Depot, with airmen generally living out-either at home for those coming from Perth or in private accommodation. Later a large private building called the 'Gables', was taken over to accommodate the WAAAF. No. 4 Stores Depot was handicapped regarding the service it could provide, as Western Australia did not have much local industry at the time. Virtually all manufactured goods had to come from the eastern states, with the attendant transportation delays of that time.

Near the end of the War, No. 4. Stores Depot formed the Central Footwear Repair Section to effect shoe and boot repairs for all or the Perth units, including those as far away as Busselton and Gerald ton. During May, ten 7.6m x 7.6m huts were acquired and erected in the Depot domestic area compound to alleviate chronic storage problems, with the first two ready in June 1945. Immediately following the end of the War, it was decided that most of No. 4 Stores Depot's stocks would be transferred to Merredin. Remaining stock was transferred to No. 14 Stores Unit in Adelaide, and th1s was completed on 30 September 1945. No. 4 Stores Depot was disbanded on 19 Nov 1945, becoming the first depot to disband at the end or the War.

Unit Personnel

Joseph Watson (RAAF) 19 May 1943 - 15 Jan 1944
Oswald Francis Williams 7 Sep 1943 - 26 Dec 1944
Frederick George Thornton 19 - 28 Apr 1944
Dora Terry 6 Jul - 13 Aug 1944
Mervyn James Pound 27 Sep - 13 Oct 1944
Bernice Lydia Hand 8 May - 10 Jun 1945

Notes

Content has come from Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A Concise History - Volume 6 Logistics Units - Australian Government Publishing Service - 1995

External Links

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 ==Brief History==
-With the outbreak of War in 1939 the RAAF strength in Western Australia began to increase, accelerating with the Japanese threat to the north-west. To provide support for an operational build-up, two stores depots were to be formed in Western Australia, one of these being No. 4 Stores Depot  which was to be the area specialist depot for non-technical
+With the outbreak of War in 1939 the RAAF strength in Western Australia began to increase, accelerating with the Japanese threat to the north-west. To provide support for an operational build-up, two stores depots were to be formed in Western Australia, one of these being No. 4 Stores Depot. On 19 Jan 1942 an advance party gathered at a military drill hall in Lord Street, East Perth. While proposed sites at both Narrogin and Merredin were inspected, the No. 4 Stores Depot nucleus remained in temporary accommodation for several weeks until the new depot site had been organised. Eventually, the Depot was located in the McKay Massey Harris building in Maylands where initially they had access to about half (some 3000 square meters) of the total building area was available for the RAAF. The remainder being used to store tractors.
-equipment.
-On 19 Jan 1942 an advance party gathered at s military drill hall in Lord Street, East Perth. While proposed sites at both Narrogin and Merredin were inspected, the 4 Stores Depot nucleus remained in the Lord Street drill hall for
-sevcrul weeks until t!Victed at a moments notice, then moved into .1nothcr
-drill hall in Ea>t l'crth. The utut was aga.in evicted from thi~ hall ~hortly
-afterwards. but fortunately by thts Lime the new depot s•te had been
-organised.
-Eventually, the Depot was located in the McKay ass~y liarrls
-butldlng in Whatley Crescent, Maylands (an eastern Perth "uburb). This
-was taken over on 17 March 19·12, but there were tntha l problems as only
-about half (some 3000 square metres) of U1e total bluldmg ar<>n was
-available for the RAAF. lllC remainder w.ts used by the original building
-owners to store! their tractors.
-After ovcrcommg considerable initial ddficulty m adnptmg the
-butlding for administrative acrommodaUon, the Depot headquarters sta ff
-all moved to Maylands. Another part of the Depot, comprising
-workshops dnd rnessL'S, was later located m Ca ledonian Avenue,
-Mnylands.
-An advance p~rty of 2 1 members, w1t.h Flight L1cutenant I'. B. Jclbart
-as OHicer-m-Charge and Flying Officer M. Thon>son, were posted from
-Stores Depot on I January 19~3 to form 10 Stores Depot at Men'edin.
-Like other stores depots during the war years, 4 Stores Depot initially
-occupied several remote Sitt-s around Perth, 'uch as the Kaut1 Tunber
-Company bu1ldmg at lOth Avenue, Mayland~ and one m Wright Street
-for clothmg. Ongomg alteration to the Massey Hams bwldmg eventually
-enabled some of these remote siti.'S to be ''acated, and stock brought into
-the Maylands building on 30 September 19-13. Some of the Depot's bulk
-storage was actually at 10 Store;, Depot at Metl'edm as 4 Stores Depot was
-short of storage space.
-The Kauri Tunber Company bu1ldmg was cleart'<l and handed over to
-Central Recovery Depot (4CRD), which formed an advance party there
-on 13 April 1944 as Detachment 'C', 4 Central Recovery DepoL
-Other construction earned out at the Maylands s1te was a new
-administration block. completed on 8 December 1943. It was also planned
-to construct two BcUman hangars on s1te for 1ncreased storage; later this
-proposal was amended to two 'woolshed' type bu~dmgs. However,
-neither of these were ever bu1lt.
-Stores Depot had no domcst1c accommodation on the Depot, with
-airmen generally lwing out-either Dl home for those coming from Perth
-or in private accommodation. However, becai.IM! the Depot strength
-never axceeded 24 1, Its peNIOnncl were able to be accommoda ted locally
-with a minimum of difficulty. Lntcr a large pnvate building. called the
-'Gables', was taken over to accommodate the WAAAF.
-There was one "'c1dcnt involving fraud over the supply of clearung
-rags. Cleaning rags were all supplied from the eastern States, and
-payment was made bolscd on the weight delivered to the milway station.
-At the tin1e, the rtoceipt~ scclion blaff were having considerable difficulty
-in reconciling the weight of the bales receiVed w•th the we•ght recorded
-on acceptance at the eastern States railway statiOn. The bales received in
-Perth were always much hghtcr. First 1nves11gallons were based on the
-premise that cleamng rags were bcmg stolen en route. It was only when
-one of the bales caught fire from spontaneous combustion that an
-explanation was found. The supplier had worked out that it could
-increase the weight of each bale by wetting the rags before delivery to the
-railway station. The tra1n JOurney from Victona would normally take
-several weeks, and this would be suffiCient for the bali.'S to dry out. 95
-Stores Depot wns handicapped regarding the service it could
-provide, as w,>stcm Australia did not have much local industry at the
-time. V~rtually all manufactured goods had to come from the eastern
-St .. tes, with the attendant transportation delays of that time.
-Ncar the end of the War, 4. Stores Depot formed the Ccntml Footwear
-RepalJ' Section to effect shoe and boot repau-s for all or the Perth units,
-including those as far away as Busselton and Gerald ton.
-During May, ten 7.6m ~ 7.6m huts were acquired and erected in the
-Depot domesllc area compound to ,,lleviate chronic storage problems.
-The first two huts were completed m June 1945.
-Immediately following the end of the War, it \Vas decided that most of
-Stores Depot's stocks would be transfem.>d to Merredln. Remaining
-stock was transferred to 1•1 Stores Unit m Adelaide, and th1s was
-completed on 30 September 1945.
-Start'S Depot was disbanded on 19 November 1945, becoming the
-first depot to disband at the end or the War.
+The Depot headquarters staff later moved to Maylands and another part of the Depot, comprising workshops and messes were later located in Caledonian Avenue, Maylands.  On 1 Jan 1943 an advance cadre group were posted to form [[No. 10 Stores Depot RAAF]] at Merredin. Like other stores depots during the war years, No. 4 Stores Depot initially occupied several remote sites around Perth, such as the Kauri Timber Company building at 1Oth Avenue Maylands, and one in Wright Street for clothing. Ongoing alterations to the Massey Harris building eventually enabled some of these remote sites to be vacated, and stock brought into the Maylands building on 30 Sep 1943. Some of the Depot's bulk storage was actually at ''10 Stores Depot'' at Merredin as ''4 Stores Depot'' was short of storage space.
+Other construction carried out at the Maylands site was a new administration block, completed on 8 Dec 1943. No. 4 Stores Depot had no domest1c accommodation on the Depot, with airmen generally living out-either at home for those coming from Perth or in private accommodation. Later a large private building called the 'Gables', was taken over to accommodate the WAAAF. ''No. 4 Stores Depot'' was handicapped regarding the service it could provide, as Western Australia did not have much local industry at the time. Virtually all manufactured goods had to come from the eastern states, with the attendant transportation delays of that time.
+Near the end of the War, No. 4. Stores Depot formed the Central Footwear Repair Section to effect shoe and boot repairs for all or the Perth units, including those as far away as Busselton and Gerald ton. During May, ten 7.6m x 7.6m huts were acquired and erected in the Depot domestic area compound to alleviate chronic storage problems, with the first two ready in June 1945. Immediately following the end of the War, it was decided that most of No. 4 Stores Depot's stocks would be transferred to Merredin. Remaining stock was transferred to No. 14 Stores Unit in Adelaide, and th1s was completed on 30 September 1945. No. 4 Stores Depot was disbanded on 19 Nov 1945, becoming the first depot to disband at the end or the War.
+===Unit Personnel===
+* [[Joseph Watson (RAAF)]] 19 May 1943 - 15 Jan 1944
+* [[Oswald Francis Williams]] 7 Sep 1943 - 26 Dec 1944
+* [[Frederick George Thornton]] 19 - 28 Apr 1944
+* [[Dora Terry]] 6 Jul - 13 Aug 1944
+* [[Mervyn James Pound]] 27 Sep - 13 Oct 1944
+* [[Bernice Lydia Hand]] 8 May - 10 Jun 1945
 ====Notes====
+Content has come from ''Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A Concise History - Volume 6 Logistics Units'' - Australian Government Publishing Service - 1995
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