7th Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot

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Brief History

The pre-war Western Command Ordnance Depot at Midland Junction was manned by civilians until May 1941 when it was 'militarized' and then reorganized at the 7th Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot in March 1942.Sub depots were established at a number of locations around Midland / Bushmead with the clothing sub store at Claremont. In January 1943 a detachment from 10 Ordnance Stores Company arrived from South Australia, with the majority of the company in Western Australia by April. In 1942 work had commenced on the construction of a major ordnance depot and workshop at Nungarin, and the 7th Australian Advance Ordnance Depot moved there between September and December 1943.

In September 1944 the ordnance depots were reorganized and 10 Ordnance Stores Company and 12 Ordnance Stores Company were absorbed by the 7th Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot, while the 7th Returned Stores Depot was formed as a separate unit at Midland junction. 7th Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot now had two MT spares sections; two general stores & clothing sections; one technical stores section; one provision section, two clerical increments and two stores increments. Although troops numbers decreased as stores were returned to base depots in the east, the 7th Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot operated at Nungarin until the end of the war.

During the war three men posted to this unit died -two to illness and one from injuries.

Unit Personnel

• Joyce Curtis 12 Apr 1943 - 6 Feb 1945
• Shirley Craddon 1 Mar - 15 Jun 1945
• Frederick Joseph Humphrey 3 Jan 1945 - 7 Sep 1945
• Mervyn Joseph Francis
• Viola Shirley Franklin
• Edith May Gregory
• Valda Joy Newton
• Wanda Dawne Sullivan

10th Ordnance Stores Depot

• Sylvie Patricia Beckett 12 Jul - 6 Sep 1943