Merredin HF/DF Station in Western Australia during WW2

MERREDIN HF/DF STATION,
IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
DURING WW2

visits since 1 January 2005

Greg Shea told me that a high frequency direction finding (HFDF) station was built in Merredin in 1943/44 (Air Board Addendum No 3960). There was an associated support building about 1 -2 km away of which the purpose is unknown except that it appears to be power supply or part of the communications cabling system connecting the Station to the town site of Merredin. Only the concrete base of this support building remains.

Photo:- Rob Endersbee

Photo:- Greg Shea

Greg Shea said that they have found part of the original towers. They were salvaged after the war for use on the farm. Greg believes that the Station was part of a network of similar facilities and may have been used for Signal Intelligence purposes. These were all RAAF facilities and according to National Archives files were built at Albany, Busselton, Geraldton, Corunna Downs, Kalgoorlie and near Yanchep, north of Perth.

The surviving structure near Merredin is on private land, and is currently used for storing grain and is not accessible to the public.

Photo:- Ian Perker

Radar Bunker north east of Merredin

Photo:- Ian Perker

Radar Bunker north east of Merredin

Rob Endersbee told me that the VDC troops stationed in Merredin during the war were told that the installation was a radar unit, however none of them that he has spoken to remember seeing any sort of "array" or even aerial wires. They do remember that there were some regular army blokes there and that it was a "no go area".

Lindsay Peet does not believe that it would be radar as there would not have been any need for one at Merredin, but it was a very distinct possibility that it was a HF/DF station and the radar story was used as a cover up. Unfortunately nobody has been able to access the inside of the concrete bunker as it is being used for long term grain storage by a local farmer.

10 Stores Depot RAAF
Merredin, WA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Greg Shea of Merredin, Lindsay Peet, Rob Endersbee and Ian Parker for their assistance with this home p-age.