Royal Australian Air Force No.5 Transport Movements Office

New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company warehouse and Energex Depot

Type
Supply facility
Region
Brisbane City

10 and 10A Bowen Bridge Road, Spring Hill 4000

Royal Australian Air Force No.5 Transport Movements Office (TMO) was formed in 1942 to oversee the speedy transfer of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Women’s Australian Auxiliary Air Force (WAAAF) personnel and supplies through Brisbane. It operated from multiple sites at Albion, Bulimba, Hamilton, Herston and Meeandah. No.5 TMO ceased wartime-related operations in September 1948.

History

Royal Australian Air Force No.5 Transport Movements Office was established in Brisbane on 18 November 1942. The initial commander was Flying Officer E.J. Dynon. Squadron Leader R.G. Goodman replaced him on 24 February 1944. Flight Lieutenant J.J. Wright took command on 30 September 1946, followed by Squadron Leader J.B. Fitzgerald on 25 May 1947 and lastly by Flight Lieutenant J.J. Williams on 29 July 1948.

No.5 RAAF Transportation and Movements Office organised the movement orders and travel arrangements large numbers of RAAF and WAAF personnel, as well as the shipment of various quantities of RAAF equipment and supplies from out of Brisbane. No.5 TMO organised air, ship, rail or road transport for the airmen and airwomen and goods for which it was responsible. The Office also provided transportation to US military units occasionally.

No.5 TMO maintained a number of offices throughout Brisbane. Its headquarters was in Crosby Park, on Crosby Road at Albion. It had a detachment at the RAAF Marine Section’s No.13 Transit Post in Byron Street, Bulimba near the Brisbane River Across the river at Hamilton; it maintained an office at the RAAF Flying Boat base located near Brett’s Wharf. It had another detachment operating from the New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency Company warehouse near the Bowen Bridge railway overpass at Herston. This allowed No.5 TMO to access supply stocks from the main RAAF supply depot in Brisbane - No.3 Base Supply Depot (BSD) that located next door in Victoria Park, Spring Hill. It also allowed No.5 TMO to utilise the rail facilities operated by No.3 BSD. A second supply detachment was based at Meeandah at the area’s large US Army supply depot.

The RAAF Marine Section sailed a variety of small craft engaged primarily in air-sea rescue. The Section’s boats also brought supplies to and refuelled RAAF Catalina flying boats and provided mooring assistance to the flying boats. No.5 TMO and No.3 BSD administered Brisbane’s small RAAF Marine Section jointly.

While most of the TMO units in southern states were disbanded in early 1946, the heavy volume of traffic flowing through Brisbane meant that No.5 TMO was not disbanded until 28 September 1948. Of the nine Transportation and Movements Offices established by the RAAF during World War two, No.5 TMO was the last to cease operation.

Source/comments

Units of the Royal Australian Air Force Vol.6.