6 STORES DEPOT RAAF
WATERLOO, THEN DUBBO, NSW
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWI

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The nucleus of 6 Stores Depot RAAF was formed at at 2 Stores Depot at Waterloo in New South Wales on 1 December 1942. The advance party of 6 Stores Depot moved to Dubbo in New South Wales by train on 4 December 1942. Wing Commander Denis Archibald John Creal (03126) was the initial Commanding Officer for 6 Stores Depot.

 


Units of the Royal Australian Air Force, A Concise History - Volume 6 Logistics Units

Aerial view of 6 Stores Depot, Dubbo looking towards the north

 


Photo:- Brian Harvey. Taken June  2010

Aerial view of 6 Stores Depot, Dubbo looking generally from the same direction

 


Brian Harvey. Taken June  2010

Aerial view of 6 Stores Depot, Dubbo looking from the opposite direction

 


Brian Harvey. Taken June  2010

Modern day view of 6 Stores Depot, Dubbo

 

The 45 hectare (110acre) site of the former 6 Stores Depot is bounded by the Mitchell Highway (Cobra Street) at its northern boundary, a railway line to the east, High Street at the southern boundary and Palmer Street on the western boundary. It comprised 5 type W3 igloo hangars (Buildings 4, 5, 7, 8 and 11) and 3 Bellman hangars, a "Rabaul" design storehouse and a number of other smaller buildings including a Sidney Williams hut. The 5 main igloos and two Bellman hangars can still be clearly seen on Google Earth.

The W3 igloo hangars (RAAF Inland Stores Buildings) 309 ft x 250 ft were adapted from American designs using local materials. The RAAF Standard Inland Stores Building was a type W3 built initially at Dubbo without roof lights due to blackout requirements. The W3 is a large segmented trussed roof structure of curved profile, with five longitudinal rows of solid hardwood columns supporting transverse segmented Pratt trusses.

There is one double Bellman hangar (Building No. 70) and two single Bellman hangars (Building Nos.  2 and 3). They were used as mixed and bulk stores. The Bellman Hangar is a British designed hangar with a pitched roof and gabled steel frame. They have sliding doors at each end of the hangar .

 

Looking towards south east at 6 Stores Depot RAAF

 

"H" Group from 2 Stored Depot transferred to 6 Stores Depot on 2 August 1943. "I" Group from 2 Stores Depot also transferred to 6 Stores Depot on 16 August 1943.

By late August 1943, 6 Stores Depot was holding aircraft spares for the following aircraft:-

Wing Commander Philip Magnus Rickard (1041) took over as Commanding Officer on 25 September 1943 and remained as CO until 25 June 1946.

 


Units of the Royal Australian Air Force, A Concise History - Volume 6 Logistics Units

Large igloo hangar at 6 Stores Depot RAAF Dubbo. Note the
use of structural additions and paint to camouflage this Igloo.

 

In late 1944 skylights were installed in the 5 large igloo hangars and overhead gantry cranes were installed in two of the igloo hangars. In July 1944 a railway siding was constructed into the Depot.

6 Stores Depot was the largest RAAF Stores Depot at the end of WWII. 6 Stores Depot reformed into Detachment "D", 2 Stores Depot thus effectively disbanding 6 Stores Depot on 9 November 1953.

There is also apparently a semi-underground communications bunker located on this site.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Keith Boulton and Brian Harvey for their assistance with this web page.

 

REFERENCE BOOK

Units of the Royal Australian Air Force, A Concise History - Volume 6 Logistics Units
by RAAF Historical Section.

 

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This page first produced 22 April 2009

This page last updated 13 January 2020