Subiaco No. 5 Embarkation Depot

During World War II, Subiaco played a much bigger role in the war effort than most people realise. Hidden among its streets was a major Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base called the No. 5 Embarkation Depot, which was later renamed No. 5 Personnel Depot.

 

Located at 133 Salvado Road, it became the main place in Western Australia where air force personnel were processed before being sent overseas.

 

RAAF recruits, including members of the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF), first enlisted at the No. 4 RAAF Recruiting Centre at ANA House (88 St Georges Terrace). This is where applicants signed up, were interviewed, and completed their initial paperwork.

 

Once enlisted, recruits moved to the No. 5 Embarkation Depot in Subiaco for the next stage of processing and preparation. It was here they underwent medical examinations, were issued uniforms, vaccinations and received their travel or training postings before heading off to their next destination.

 

Setting Up the Depot

The No. 5 Embarkation Depot was first established in April 1941 at the No. 5 School of Technical Training, which operated out of temporary buildings on Mounts Bay Road in Perth.

 

Their job was very important: get RAAF members and sometimes airmen from the RAF (Royal Air Force), RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force) and NEI (Netherlands East Indies Air Force), fully prepared to head off to war. This meant:

• Final medical and dental checks,

• Issuing of uniforms and equipment,

• Inoculations for overseas postings,

• Sorting out pay and administrative paperwork and

• Arranging their transport to the front lines.

 

Moving to Subiaco

With numbers increasing, the depot quickly outgrew its original site. In December 1942, the unit moved to a much larger location at 133 Salvado Road, Subiaco (which later became Wembley/Subiaco TAFE) where it remained for the rest of the war.

 

The depot was a busy place where recruits arrived, were processed and sent off to various battlefields, including Europe and the Pacific.

 

Becoming a Personnel Depot

By April 1944, the name changed from No. 5 Embarkation Depot to No. 5 Personnel Depot, which resulted from their extended duties. Besides preparing people to head overseas, they also:

• Handled discharges for those finishing their service,

• Managed postings within Australia,

• Provided convalescence services for recovering personnel

 

WAAAF members trained at the depot were sometimes given flight experience to better understand the operational side of the air force. While they weren’t trained as pilots, these short local flights boosted morale and gave recruits an important insight into the world they were now supporting (Birtwistle Wiki).

 

After the War

The depot continued operating for another year after the end of the war, processing returning personnel and final discharges until 25 September 1946 when they were disbanded.

 

The original buildings at 133 Salvado Road were later repurposed by Subiaco TAFE until 2014, when the site was vacated as part of Subi Centro redevelopment plans.

 

Developers Cedar Woods purchased the site in August 2018, although settlement wouldn’t be completed until July 2020.

 

Demolition took place in February 2021, setting the stage for the Incontro Subiaco residential development. Most people today would never guess the important role the site once played during the Second World War.