Medical Hut
A fortnight after war broke out in September 1939, the "South Western News" announced that 300ha of the historic Fairlawn property on Commonage Road, Vasse (renamed Queen Elizabeth Avenue after the 1954 Royal visit) had been acquired for the purpose of establishing RAAF Station Busselton.
This particular building was the No.4 Recruit Depot ("4RD") Medical Hut and was used by the RAAF during WW2 at the Busselton Aerodrome.
WAAAF staff (cooks, stewardesses, drivers etc.) were stationed at the aerodrome from 1942 until its closure at the end of 1945.
Local men who joined the RAAF during WW2 may have trained there. These servicemen and women would have received their inoculations from this very hut.
No. 4 Recruit Depot RAAF was formed at Pearce, Western Australia on 1 March 1940 commanded by Flight Lieutenant Irvine Owen Gaze (250865), with an establishment of 124 personnel to manage 500 recruits on site. Flight Lieutenant Ronald Walters Graham (290955) took over as the Commanding Officer on 18 December 1940.
No. 4 Recruit Depot relocated from Pearce, Western Australia to RAAF Station Busselton in July 1942. The WAAAF section was located in a secure compound and was called "the Waafery".
Administrative, pay and other logistical support was provided to 33 Radar Station by 4 Recruit Depot at Busselton Airfield.
No.4 Recruit Depot was disbanded in September 1945.
Details
Details
All the aerodrome buildings were auctioned in 1946, and this Medical Hut was purchased by Jack and Marion Couch - they lived in it whilst they built a new home on Caves Road.
Once they had moved into their new home, the Medical Hut was used as accommodation for visitors but over time became a storage shed and fell into disrepair.
The Couch family donated the building to the Busselton Historical Society (BHS) in 2008. Members of the BHS dismantled the building and transported it to the Old Butter Factory Precinct. A team of able BHS volunteers, led by Frank Mouritz, then started the laborious task of reconstruction and restoration. Once complete, the Busselton Shire supplied concrete for the disabled footpath leading to the building, and a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs was used to purchase the materials for the display cabinet. The Medical Hut now contains numerous items relating to WW2 RAAF operations and wartime medical services.
The Medical Hut exhibit was officially opened to the public by BHS Patron, Wally Lord, on 25th November 2009.
Related Objects
Related Objects
Other items from Busselton Historical Society
(Photo from Pearl Smith)
(Photo from Pearl Smith)
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