No 10 IAFD Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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An interesting part of WWII history
Standing for Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot, This IAFD was designated no 10 in Australia.
Often mistaken for grain silos, the depot was part of a very strategically important aviation fuel storage network across the country.
It was built here because it was out of range of sea based attack, four where built in W.A. being this one, Merredin, Narrogin, and Boulder.
This one operated between 1942 until 14 JUN 1944 No 10 IAFD had initially three tanks built; two were the standard 120,000 gallon (540,000 litres) to store aviation fuel and one 40,000 gallon (180,000 litres) for the mixing of aviation fuel with tetraethyllead (TEL). Later in January, 1943, an underground tank was installed with a capacity of 300,000 gallons (1,350,000 litres). This is situated under the building closest to the road. This building housed the pipework and pump.
Tetraethyl lead (TEL), is an organolead compound which was mixed with gasoline (petrol) beginning in the 1920s as an inexpensive octane booster. This allowed engine compression to be raised substantially, which in turn increased engine performance and fuel economy, especially for aircraft. TEL, considered a precious commodity during WWII for it's power enhancing properties, was stored at Northam in 15 drums, in an underground bunker with a half-ton tripod and chain block and rope slings over the hatchway for drum handling. This bunker still exists and is situated on the other side of the underground tank.
There is evidence the area was protected with an anti-aircraft artillery battery perhaps consisting of 3.7-foot anti-aircraft guns and an airstrip running east west from the current gateway.
Now on to the cache, I would have loved to have hidden a 200 liter Avgas drum here as it would be fitting. But i couldn't find too many places to hide it . So I settled for the next best thing and crafted a cache sporting a lid from an Avgas drum and an official 200 liter Avgas drum decal. It does make it look somewhat dangerous but it is not.
NOTE: We do not have permission to enter the farmland and i think it would be too dangerous an area anyway.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
V oebhtug zl bja uvqvat fcbg