The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
North Australia. C. 1943. American servicemen fold and pack parachutes on work benches in a repair workshop of the US Fifth Air Force Service Command Depot. Left to right: Sergeant (Sgt) Jerome Lennes of Minnesota, Sgt Joe Tucker of Georgia, Corporal James Miller of New Jersey. The original caption written at the time reads: "Hidden in the scrub `somewhere in North Australia' are scores of huge, skilfully camouflaged buildings which cover many hundreds of acres and house the US Fifth Air Force Service Command Depot. It is the largest installation of its kind in the southern hemisphere and the closely-guarded equipment and machinery are valued at more than 45 million pounds. Probably more than any other factor, these repair workshops helped to turn the tide of the Southwest Pacific air war and enabled the Allies to achieve aerial supremacy. The depot was established when few planes were available for the Pacific theatre. Battle-battered aircraft are towed in one end of the workshop and emerge from the other practically new machines.'
New Guinea. Their pilots' lives may depend on how carefully these US soldiers fold and pack parachutes for use in the combat area. Left to right: T/Sergeant Jerome Lennes of Minnesota; T/Sergeant Joe
Townsville, Qld. 1944-04-11. US Fifth Air Force Service Command at Garbutt airfield. RAAF fitters, working under US supervision do practical work on the starboard Pratt and Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp en
1946-02-26. NP2856 LIEUTENANT A. C. HUTCHINSON, "A" COMPANY EASTERN COMMAND BULK ISSUE OF PETROL AND OIL DEPOT, CHECKS A PILE OF 4 GALLON DRUMS AWAITING REPAIR IN THE UNIT'S WORKSHOP.
Townsville, Qld. 1944-04-11. US Fifth Air Force Service Command at Garbutt airfield. Exchange of headgear beside a US Army Air Force B-24 Liberator bomber aircraft was an amusing incident during after
Nadzab, New Guinea. US Army Air Force Consolidated B24 Liberator aircraft manned by RAAF and flying with No. 65 Squadron of the Fifth Air Force are in action in the South-West Pacific. Out on a missio
Nadzab, New Guinea. US Army Air Force Consolidated B24 Liberator aircraft manned by RAAF and flying with No. 65 Squadron of the Fifth Air Force are in action in the South-West Pacific. Back from a mis
