Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Los Angeles Signal Depot
(San Bernardino Signal Depot;
Western Branch, Dayton Signal Depot)
Location:
The Los Angeles Signal Depot is located
in the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. Specifically,
it is located in Section 32, T2S, R13W. The site is accessed
in the city of Los Angeles by taking the Alameda Street exit
from Interstate 10. Follow Alameda Street north four blocks to
the intersection of East Seventh Street. The site is located
on the southwest corner of the intersection of Alameda and Seventh
Streets.
History:
The Los Angeles Signal Depot facility
was consolidated in 1943 from several sites located within and
outside California. The Depot evolved from two antecedent installations.
One of the installations was the San Bernardino Signal Depot.
The original building utilized by the Signal Depot in San Bernardino
was closed at the end of 1942. In early December 1942, warehouse
space was obtained at 831 South Alameda Street in Los Angeles
and all operations of the San Bernardino Signal Depot were moved
to that site. The name of the facility was changed at that time
to the Los Angeles Signal Depot. The other antecedent installation
was the Dayton (Ohio) Signal Depot, from which four employees
were sent to San Pedro, California to establish a new facility.
The initial facility operated from June
1, 1942 to May 13, 1943. Operations were then moved to 1388 East
Seventh Street in Los Angeles. The Dayton Signal Depot, Western
Branch was opened at the Seventh Street location on June 1, 1943.
The Dayton and Los Angeles Signal Depots subsequently were consolidated
at 1388 E. Seventh Street on October 5, 1943. The Los Angeles
Signal Depot was designated as a backup depot for the Los Angeles
Port of Embarkation. The depot furnished Army Ground Forces equipment
to California south of King City, to the Desert Training Center,
to Los Angeles Sub-Port of Embarkation, and to Land-Lease for
Mexico. The area of service was modified to include the states
of Arizona and Nevada at various times. Subsequently, equipment
maintenance and repair was performed onsite.
Other tasks were to supply the entire Army with meteorological
equipment and supplies, to act as backup depot of the Air Services
Command, to handle repairs to all radio equipment (including
classified equipment), and to exchange defective equipment with
airplane manufacturer's plants. As hostilities with Japan ceased
at the end of World War II, the mission of the Depot was modified
to focus mainly on the disposal of surplus supplies.
The 7 May 1946 Army of the United States
Stion List shows that the site was in a "Surplus" status.
The depot was closed in 1946
Records:
Records of the Los Angeles Signal Depot
are locate at Riverside Branch, National Archives and Records
Administration, Record Group 111: Records of the Chief Signal
Officer.
Extract,
War Department Inventory of Owned, Sponsored and Leased Facilities,
31 December 1945
Capacity:
Enlisted:
Officers:
Station Hospital:
Acreage
Owned:
Leases: 4
acres (4 leases)
Total:
4 acres
Storage:
Ammunition Igloos and Magazines:
Covered:
Heated: 50,000
sq ft
Unheated: 352,000
sq ft
Total: 402.000
sq ft
Sheds:
Open:
Surfaced: 61,000
sq ft
Unsurfaced: 91,000
sq ft
Total: 152,000
sq ft
Total Depot Storage Capacity: 554,000 sq ft
Cost to Government Since 1 July 1940:
Annual Lease Payment(s): $140,800.00
Land Purchase:
Construction: $43,609.00
Total (Less Lease Payments): $43,609.00
Remarks:
Extracts
from the Army of the United States Station Lists
Army Station
List
1 June 1943
Army Service Forces:
Los Angeles Signal Depot
Dayton (Ohio) Signal Depot
Western Branch
Army Station
List
7 May 1945
Army Service Forces:
3994th Service Command Unit
(Service Group, Los Angeles Signal Depot)
9505th Signal Corps Technical
Service Unit (Los Angeles Signal Depot)
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