I CAME to the naval ammunitions depot Spring Hill, near Northam, during the last days of June 1942.
I had served aboard the battleship Oklahoma and I survived her sinking at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Subsequent transfers to 7th Fleet eventually brought me to Brisbane, Australia; an overnight stay there was followed by a train journey to Melbourne.
By this time a small group of about 12 men had formed.
We were all from ships which had been damaged severely or sunken at Pearl Harbour.
From Melbourne, we travelled across the Nullabor Plain on an Australian military troop train.
The train consisted of a few old-type coaches with no water facilities.
We obtained drinking water from canvas water bags which were tied between the coaches.
In addition to the coaches, there were a few flat cars with pieces of artillery and tanks, and a few box cars the contents of which were un known to us.
The change of rail gauges was quite a problem.
We observed and experienced it with interest.
This was accepted more readily by the few Australian Home Guard personnel who were also aboard the train as they were frequent travellers and accustomed to the changes.
On this journey we were nourished at feeding stations.
The meal for our group, consisted of a loaf of bread, a tin of jam; and two small tins of cheese.
This accompanied a mutton stew made in large copper kettles the largest kettles I have ever seen.
Since we had no mess kits, we ate picnic-style from pie pan platters. The beverage which completed the meal was a steaming mug of tea which had been brewed on the spot.
We were all coffee drinkers.
However, the weather was cool and we drank and enjoyed the tea.
At a station on the Nullabor, we viewed the home of a group of Aborigines. It was a primitive structure over a large hole in the ground.
One of the Aborigines approa ched the train with his family.
In his hand he carried several black flint-like stones which he offered for my perusal.
With a gesture he indicated to me that these had fallen from the heavens. Thirty years later I read that in Australia many fragments of meteoric substance had fallen from outer space. These were textonic material called textite.
This information connected itself with my memories of the Aborigine. I found myself more accepting of his gestures.
On our arrival in Fremantle, we were billeted for two days and eventually transferred to Spring Hill by truck. The original buildings consisting of about twelve sheet iron Quonset huts were already established at this time.
They may have been the work of a few men who preceded us there.
Our group assembled one or two of these Quonsets after our arrival.
The huts served as magazines and were set on concrete most of them were cool inside.
Later we constructed two large, heavy gauge corrugated metal huts.
They were designed to be earth covered for cooling purposes.
One summer problem was the temperatures in the magazines which would on occasion exceed 100 Fahrenheit (38C).
This high temperature tended to cause deterioration in smokeless powder in the powder charges.
A short distance from Spring Hill, near the railway siding, a group of Australians were stationed.
They had similar ammunition storage.
As I remember it, personnel seemed to be like Britain's Home Guard. They performed guard duty in both the Australian and US areas.
For a time we took our meals with them. We enjoyed the good Australian food.
Our work was hard and it provided needed energy. Most of us stayed in a hotel in the small town of Northam. We found the restaurant dinner meals very small.
I usually had to eat twice to sustain life. I understood this was due to food rationing.
Our railway station siding, which I understand is still there, was a very active place.
We received ammunition by train from Fremantle in 400-ton lots.
Even though help was sent from the Australian Northam Camp when we requested it, sometimes it required three or four days to unload the train and store the ammunition.
We were fortunate in arriving in the winter. We had time to grow accustomed to the weather and the hard physical labour gradually.
The majority of the personnel about 18 in all during my tour there arrived in mediocre physical condition. Within a few months the hard work strengthened muscles and we were able to lift boxes of 120lbs, some of which were stacked in overhead positions.
Actually, I have never felt healthier than I did during those days.
The flies were a new experience to us. They also came gradually and we learned to adjust to their presence as we did to the hot, dry summer.
On hot days the tools we used became so hot, we were unable to handle them. The use of gloves solved the problem.
As ships came into Fremantle, we supplied the ammunition they needed.
Many of these were merchant ships carrying war materials for Russia, India or Burma.
They were bound for the Persian Gulf and Iran.
US forces had built a railroad through Iran and thence to Russia to complete these deliveries.
We also supplied ammunition, including mag netic mines, to US submarines.
I recall one instance of delivering 35 mines to a submarine which later entered Tokyo Bay, Yokohama, and laid the mines while standing out.
Before the mines were laid, the first mine exploded prematurely due to malfunction.
The remaining mines which had been laid in a time sequence, also exploded.
The submarine barely escaped the patrol vessels which were alerted.
At Spring Hill, I remember a wooden fire lookout tower with a platform on top. It had been constructed on a hill. The carpenter, who was on the staff of Spring Hill during my stay there, was of Danish descent.
We called him 'Pop' Erick son. He told us he was born in Denmark around 1870.
He travelled to Fremantle as a crew member on a sailing vessel in 1890. He was an energetic worker despite his 75 years.
Following the Solomon Island campaign, as the war moved north, the importance of our small depot diminished considerably. A large depot in Brisbane assumed the greater responsibility.
I was transferred in Nov ember 1943, first to Fremantle and eventually on December 31, 1943, I returned to the US for further assignment.
I enjoyed my tour of duty at Spring Hill. Relationships with the military and civilian, were congenial and co-operative.
I was sorry to leave.
I remember it as a healthy, productive time of my life.
Lt. Geo Wickens (USN) was commanding officer during my tour of duty at Spring Hill.
I am still in touch with two of my Spring Hill shipmates: Alfred Perucci also of San Diego and Cleve Simpson of Tiffin, Ohio.
We meet occasionally when the Simpsons are in California.
Our wives, all Australians who grew up in Northam and attended school there together, enjoy these reunions as much as we do.
The hospitality extended to my wife by the 511 Supply Company during her recent visit to Australia, is much appreciated.
I have enjoyed hearing news of Spring Hill, and this was made possible by the generous people she met there also including Frank Mountney and his wife, Sue.
