Myer and US Military

In 1936, the Myer Department Store commissioned two "Factory and Despatch"  buildings in Carlton - one in Barry Street and one in Berkeley Street. The architects were Harry & Fred Tompkins, who also designed the Myer Department Store in Bourke St (1933). The five-storey cement rendered buildings featured an asymmetrical tower, and were distinguished by decorative banding at the top of the tower, together with distinctive lettering that spelt out Myer in a series of vertical lines. The lettering was repeated above the street entrance. 

The Myer firm was very supportive of the Allied efforts during WW11 and the warehouses were used to billet US military personnel after 1942. The image above shows a group of US troops gathered at the entrance.