158:
181:
406:
22:
237:
133:
The US 7th Fleet Naval
Receiving Barracks was established in what was known then as the Old Women’s Home now known as the Fremantle Arts Centre located in Finnerty Street, Fremantle. It housed 19 Officers and 670 enlisted men with 22 additional housing structures built at the rear. The administrative
188:
Navy 137 was used for the storage of torpedoes, naval and army gun ammunition, anti-tank mines and small arms ordnance with approximately 4,000 tons of ordnance being stored and maintained which arrived by rail from the
Fremantle Harbour each rail load weighing 400 tons. For security, personnel from
107:
The decision to move south resulted in a large USN submarine base facility and infrastructure being established at
Fremantle from 1942, such base operating until the end of World War II in 1945. This base became the second largest submarine base in the world at the time, the largest in the Southern
80:
coast, in terms of security and concealment, and was serviced by rail with a close-by airstrip. An area of 202 hectares of farmland was compulsorily acquired and developed as the
Australian Army Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) designated 6 CAD for Western Australia, with an area divided off for the
416:
The water supply was from wells on
Australian Army Ammunition Depot 6CAD to the North. A small household washing machine was provided for the men to do their own laundry. Power was supplied by diesel generator located on the camp. A septic tank is provided for sewerage. All of these facilities
201:
7 NAD Springhill predominately stored the Mark 14 torpedo which was the primary submarine-launched, anti-surface ship torpedo used in World War II until the introduction of the electric Mark 18 Torpedo. Approximately 4,000,000 tons of enemy shipping were sunk by the Mark 14 torpedo. Originally
196:
Stow, issue, and receive ammunition for
Service Force Subordinate Command Seventh Fleet. Conduct prescribed Bureau of Ordnance tests; namely tests of smokeless powder, monthly breakdown and inspection report. Approximately 4000 tons of ammunition
84:
After making an emergency withdrawal of submarines and warships of the United States Navy (USN), the
British and Dutch Navies from the Philippines and Java later in February 1942, the withdrawal from submarine bases in Darwin and later
588:
384:
The
Commanding Officer, Lieutenant George Wickens USN had a staff of one officer and 50 enlisted men accommodated in 9 Quonset huts. With the 109 ammunition structures there were 118 buildings within the depot.
189:
the nearby 7 Supply Depot at
Spencers Brook were utilised as guards and concrete anti-tank defences were constructed surrounding the Springhill depot site, which fortunately were never put to the test.
137:
The USN later purchased land in the area of 6 CAD at
Springhill, near Northam and constructed a Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD) designated 7 NAD to supply ammunition to warships and in particular
169:
in Perth becoming operational in July 1943. To facilitate the transfer of ordnance from Springhill, 100 kilometres to the harbour at Fremantle, magazines were also constructed at Fremantle (
165:
7 NAD was attached to the 137 Ammunition and Ordnance Unit more commonly referred to as Navy 137, located predominately at Springhill except for a torpedo technical depot established in
393:
The men attended dance nights at the Lesser Town Hall in Northam with a number of men commencing relationships with the local Northam women which developed into some of the first
141:
for submarines of the US 7th Fleet operating from the newly established Fremantle Submarine Base. The base also serviced, supplied and repaired submarines operated by the
413:
One aspect of living in the depot was the swimming pool, the structure of which remains today. This concrete pool was apparently also used for scuba diving training.
539:
101:
450:
225:
583:
202:
introduced for use as mechanically-set torpedo, the Mark 14 was modified for use with modern fire control systems and designated Mod 5.
578:
426:
224:
Whilst they were designed to exclude the use of mechanical handling equipment or palletisation methods, these storehouses, as later
157:
180:
504:
405:
134:
offices of the US Naval Supply Depot occupied the first floor of the Dalgety's Building, Queen Victoria Street, Fremantle.
21:
244:
Navy 137 had a total of 109 magazines and structures at Springhill to house and maintain the ammunition as follows:
177:. These technical workshops checked and readied the torpedoes for loading onto submarines in the Fremantle Harbour.
214:
206:
166:
61:
33:
170:
94:
69:
65:
236:
127:
146:
89:
then called Potshot, the decision was made to base the submarines of the USN 7th Fleet’s Task Force 71 at
73:
499:
Tilbrook, John D (1989). To the warrior his arms. Royal Australian Ordnance Corps Committee, Canberra.
116:
454:. Vol. LXIII, no. 22, 008. Western Australia. 20 October 1945. p. 18 (FIRST EDITION)
112:
57:
126:
Approximately 170 American, British and Dutch submarines made a total of 416 war patrols out of
500:
53:
37:
76:
sought land to establish ammunition depots. Springhill was chosen for its distance from the
516:
205:
7 NAD was one of three other US Naval Ammunition Depots in Australia with the other two at
417:
together with messing facilities were, according to the Americans, adequate for the camp.
120:
130:
during World War II, some with deadly action against the enemy and others not returning.
572:
174:
77:
41:
40:. It was one of three US Naval Ammunition Depots developed across Australia during
111:
Task Force 71 of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet was initially commanded by Rear Admiral
429:
Railway line which connected the area onwards to Midland and Fremantle Harbour.
323:
100:
The moves and transitions in policy and subsequent activity became known as the
486:
142:
60:
on 19 February 1942 and the following 64 bombings of the same city then later
554:
541:
445:
228:(RAAOC) units could testify, made excellent wine cellars and mushroom farms.
517:"Fremantle Submarine Base, US Navy, Fremantle, Western Australia during WW2"
394:
90:
210:
478:
425:
A spur line connected the depot 6 CAD and Navy 137 from the Northam to
138:
86:
218:
192:
The mission of the US Naval Magazine, Navy 137, Springhill was to:
404:
235:
179:
156:
20:
44:
to support the service's operations in the South West Pacific.
589:
Weapons and ammunition installations of the United States Navy
119:
on 7 March 1943, who was later again relieved by Admiral
161:
Ammunition Bunker looking out, US Navy 7NAD, Springhill
471:
469:
184:
Concrete reinforced drums, US Navy 7NAD, Springhill
477:
409:Remains of swimming pool, US Navy 7NAD, Springhill
25:Ammunition Bunker No.26, US Navy 7NAD, Springhill
194:
240:Detonator Hut No. 2, US Navy 7NAD, Springhill
8:
476:Commander US 7th Fleet (15 September 1944).
462:– via National Library of Australia.
102:Western Australian emergency of March 1942
93:. An auxiliary base was also developed in
246:
30:US Navy 7 Naval Ammunition Depot (7 NAD)
437:
115:who was later relieved by Rear Admiral
16:Ammunition Depot in Western Australia
7:
226:Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps
446:"US Naval Base At Fremantle Closes"
14:
32:was located at Springhill, near
1:
605:
584:Northam, Western Australia
380:Accommodation and staffing
173:now Leeuwin Barracks) and
149:(the Koninklijke Marine).
72:in Western Australia, the
579:Australia in World War II
485:. p. 32 – via
232:Buildings and structures
128:Fremantle Submarine Base
480:Base Facilities Report
410:
241:
199:
185:
162:
147:Royal Netherlands Navy
26:
408:
239:
183:
160:
123:on 30 December 1944.
74:Australian Government
24:
555:31.7253°S 116.6760°E
397:to leave Australia.
117:Ralph Waldo Christie
551: /
113:Charles A. Lockwood
560:-31.7253; 116.6760
411:
364:Shelters, modified
350:Shelters, standard
242:
213:(Navy 134) and at
186:
163:
58:Northern Territory
27:
377:
376:
259:No. of buildings
54:bombing of Darwin
38:Western Australia
596:
566:
565:
563:
562:
561:
556:
552:
549:
548:
547:
544:
532:
531:
529:
527:
513:
507:
497:
491:
490:
484:
473:
464:
463:
461:
459:
442:
367:Timber & tin
353:Timber & tin
284:1,200 sq ft each
270:1,000 sq ft each
247:
604:
603:
599:
598:
597:
595:
594:
593:
569:
568:
559:
557:
553:
550:
545:
542:
540:
538:
537:
535:
525:
523:
521:Australia @ War
515:
514:
510:
498:
494:
475:
474:
467:
457:
455:
444:
443:
439:
435:
423:
403:
391:
382:
234:
155:
121:James Fife, Jr.
52:With the first
50:
17:
12:
11:
5:
602:
600:
592:
591:
586:
581:
571:
570:
534:
533:
508:
492:
465:
436:
434:
431:
427:Spencers Brook
422:
419:
402:
399:
390:
387:
381:
378:
375:
374:
371:
368:
365:
361:
360:
357:
354:
351:
347:
346:
343:
342:270 sq ft each
340:
337:
333:
332:
329:
328:778 sq ft each
326:
321:
317:
316:
313:
310:
307:
306:Detonator huts
303:
302:
299:
298:720 sq ft each
296:
293:
289:
288:
285:
282:
279:
275:
274:
271:
268:
265:
261:
260:
257:
254:
251:
233:
230:
207:Mount Coot-tha
154:
151:
49:
46:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
601:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
577:
576:
574:
567:
564:
522:
518:
512:
509:
506:
502:
496:
493:
488:
483:
481:
472:
470:
466:
453:
452:
447:
441:
438:
432:
430:
428:
420:
418:
414:
407:
400:
398:
396:
388:
386:
379:
372:
369:
366:
363:
362:
358:
355:
352:
349:
348:
344:
341:
338:
336:Isolation hut
335:
334:
330:
327:
325:
322:
319:
318:
314:
312:36 sq ft each
311:
308:
305:
304:
300:
297:
295:Tubular steel
294:
291:
290:
286:
283:
281:Tubular steel
280:
277:
276:
272:
269:
266:
263:
262:
258:
255:
252:
249:
248:
245:
238:
231:
229:
227:
222:
220:
216:
212:
208:
203:
198:
193:
190:
182:
178:
176:
175:Woodman Point
172:
168:
159:
153:Establishment
152:
150:
148:
144:
140:
135:
131:
129:
124:
122:
118:
114:
109:
105:
103:
98:
96:
92:
88:
82:
79:
75:
71:
67:
63:
59:
55:
47:
45:
43:
39:
35:
31:
23:
19:
536:
524:. Retrieved
520:
511:
495:
479:
456:. Retrieved
449:
440:
424:
415:
412:
392:
383:
253:Construction
243:
223:
221:(Navy 135).
204:
200:
195:
191:
187:
171:HMAS Leeuwin
164:
136:
132:
125:
110:
108:Hemisphere.
106:
99:
83:
78:Indian Ocean
51:
42:World War II
29:
28:
18:
558: /
546:116°40′34″E
389:Social life
339:Quonset hut
324:Quonset hut
197:maintained.
573:Categories
543:31°43′31″S
505:0731674855
487:Wikisource
451:Daily News
433:References
401:Facilities
395:war brides
143:Royal Navy
48:Background
370:238 sq ft
356:304 sq ft
292:Magazines
278:Magazines
264:Magazines
215:Newington
139:torpedoes
91:Fremantle
320:Workshop
309:Concrete
211:Brisbane
145:and the
526:4 April
458:4 April
167:Subiaco
87:Exmouth
62:Wyndham
56:in the
34:Northam
503:
482:
219:Sydney
95:Albany
70:Onslow
66:Broome
81:NAD.
528:2017
501:ISBN
460:2017
421:Rail
267:Arch
256:Size
250:Type
68:and
373:46
359:28
575::
519:.
468:^
448:.
345:1
331:1
315:6
301:9
287:9
273:9
217:,
209:,
104:.
97:.
64:,
36:,
530:.
489:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
