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The Base Depots

Base depotWomen's Auxiliary Army Corps and soldiers working in a shed for the storage of spare parts at the base mechanical depot at Rouen. IWM photograph Q8837, with permission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Base Depots were established at the Channel Ports and other places on the lines of communication. Here goods arrived in bulk by ship and were broken down into wagon-loads and sent on by rail to the Regulating Stations. General Base Depots were the centres for collecting, sorting and despatching reinforcements. Many of the places selected for Bases became centres of very considerable industry, with hospitals, workshops, stores, etc. The bases established were:

Established Base Purpose
1914 Le Havre Supplies, reinforcements and remounts (horses).
No 1 General Base Depot for RGA.
No 2 General Base Depot for RHA and RFA.
No 3 General Base Depot for Canadian forces.
ASC Base Depot.
AOC Base Depot.
AVC Base Depot.
1914 Rouen Supplies, reinforcements and remounts, ordnance, mechanical transport, sick and wounded (hospitals).
No 4 General Base Depot for RE.
No 5 General Base Depot for Cavalry and RAMC.
Also Territorial Force Base Depot.
Indian Advanced Base Depot.
AOC Base Depot.
1914 Boulogne Supplies, ordnance, sick and wounded, veterinary, evacuation of wounded. AOC Base Depot..
1914 Dieppe Remounts, veterinary
1914 Abbeville Advanced Base
1914 Marseilles General Base Depot for Indian Divisions in France
1914 Etaples Most Infantry Divisional Base Depots.
Australian Base Depot, New Zealand Base Depot (these latter two switched with Canadian Base Depot in Le Havre in October 1916).
MGC Base Depot.
1914 Alexandria Base for the Levant (Egypt and Palestine).
1915 Grand Quévilly (near Rouen) Ammunition
1915 Audruicq (near St. Omer) Ammunition
1915 Calais Ordnance, remounts, sick and wounded.
AVC Base Depot.
1916 Blargies Ammunition
1916 Zeneghem Ammunition
1916 Rouxmesnil Ammunition
1916 Saigneville Ammunition
1916 Dannes Ammunition
1917 Outreau (near Boulogne) Advanced Base