V Air Service Area Command, Far East Air Forces, located at Depot #2, Townsville, QLD, during WW2

V AIR SERVICE AREA COMMAND
FAR EAST AIR FORCES
LOCATED AT DEPOT #2, TOWNSVILLE, QLD
DURING WW2

V Air Service Area Command Headquarters building was located near the
end of the old Stock Route Airfield which is now today's Dalrymple Road
You can see a line of hangars built along the Stock Route Airfield.
This is now Dalrymple Road, one of Townsville's very busy roads.

A closer view of V Air Service Area Command Headquarters building
which is located near the bottom centre of the above photograph

On 7 August 1942 General George C. Kenney appointed Colonel Donald W. Benner in charge of the supply and maintenance activities in the Townsville area. One month later Kenney appointed Colonel Victor E. Bertrandias, a previous Vice President of Douglas Aircraft, as the Commanding Officer of the 4th Air Depot Group in Townsville and responsible for building Depot No. 2. It was also known as the Townsville Air Depot.

Six 170 ft x 200 ft and five 100 ft x 200 ft wooden-arch hangars were erected for repair activities and five more hangars were erected for warehouse purposes. A camp for 600 officers and ordinary ranks was erected nearby at the bottom of Mount Louisa. In early October 1942 some constituent units of the 4th Air Depot Group at Tocumwal arrived in Townsville to assist with building of No. 2 Depot which sprawled across 1,630 acres of land near Mount Louisa. Approximately 90% of the Depot was finished by December 1942.

On January 26th 1943, an Advanced Echelon of the Air Service Command, Fifth Air Force was established at the base of Mount Louisa, and Lt/Col V.E. Bertrandias assumed command.

They were all based at Depot #2 Townsville, which was located at the base of Mount Louisa next to Garbutt airfield. The facilities at the base of Mount Louisa was officially given the name Depot #2 in September 1943. Depot #2 was also known as the Townsville Air Depot (TAD).

Townsville was chosen as the location for Depot #2 because of its nearness to New Guinea. Aircraft were able to carry out bombing missions to New Guinea from Townsville. Other factors were Townsville's port facilities and its access via the rail network.

The 5th Air Service Command was responsible for assembling, modifying, overhauling and carrying out major repairs on aircraft.

There were 35 igloo type buildings erected at the base of Mount Louisa. The Depot comprised repair shops, stores, and numerous aircraft engine test stands complete with sound proofing. Wartime photos show an extensive road network through the bush connecting all of the buildings etc.

The Depot was initially built by the US Engineering Corps, but was later taken over by the Allied Works Council.

Living quarters (see photo below) comprised over 120 large barrack type buildings plus 3 or 4 tent cities. There was also an extensive sports ground in the vicinity.

Click here to view a much large version of the above picture
(Warning - this file is 769 kilobytes)

Entertainment in the camp was held at Helton Hall, which was an open aired building. Some famous Hollywood stars appeared at Helton Hall including John Wayne and Joe E. Brown, Gary Cooper, Una Merkel and Phyllis Brook.

Hangars erected along the Stockroute airfield (now Dalrymple Road	Hangars erected along the Stockroute airfield (now Dalrymple Road	Hangars erected along the Stockroute airfield (now Dalrymple Road
Can anyone please identify these people?	Can anyone please identify these people?	Wreckage of an aircraft in the bush
		Can anyone please identify this person
Knock off time!!	Hangars at No. 2 Depot	An RAAF Wirraway at the nearby Stockroute airfield
Can anyone please identify these people?		Can anyone please identify these people?
	One of the two cranes at No. 2 Depot	One of the local snakes!! Can anyone please identify these people?
C-47 and a truck	Note the bullet holes	Brigadier General Kenneth Walker with RAAF officers in North East Area HQ Officers Mess
Can anyone please identify these people?	Where is this?	Where is this?
Who is this?	A crashed C-47	Mount Louisa
Helton Hall, the entertainment hall	Typical camp life at No. 2 Depot	Castle Hill and Townsville as vied from No. 2 Depot, Mount Louisa
A Japanese aircraft in American markings at #2 Depot	Inside one of the workshop hangars	The 630th Engine overhauled

The last real remaining evidence of Depot #2 - the 3 concrete hangar floors and footings adjacent to Duckworth Street in Townsville - are no more. The developers dug up and crushed all the concrete flooring in March/April 2004. Each one of these hangar floors were approx 53m x 53m. In early May 2004, only one part of the original precinct remained with plans at hand for it to go shortly.

CG-4A Glider at the Townsville Air Depot. Note the Butler hangars in
the background which were built on what used to be the Stock Route Airfield

Mount Louisa - Then and Now
A series of photos taken in 1959 and 1992
You can compare the differences
and see the remains of the 5th Air Service Command camp accommodation

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