Army Camps at Goffs

There were several different WWII Army camps in the Goffs area. As this area was only a railroad stop with a small town, the camp areas never had a proper Army name like the large Desert Training Center divisional camps. Units were just stationed at "Goffs". Some of these camps were QM (QuarterMaster), Evac Hospitals and RHD (Rail Head Div., for unloading goods). The Goffs camp area was part of the US Army Desert Training Center in Riverside County, California. The sites of the camps around basically surrounded the former Santa Fe Railroad depot at Goffs, California. Goffs is on U.S. Route 66, 6 miles (as the crow flies) north of the current Interstate 40 and 25 miles (40 km) west of Needles in San Bernardino County, California. Currently at the south east end of the Mojave National Preserve. The camps at Goffs were 18 miles northeast of Camp Essex and Camp Clipper.

Built in 1942, the camps at Goffs were built to support the troops in divisional size camps training to do battle during World War II. As each unit moved in, they'd build shower buildings, latrines, wooden tent frames and water tanks. A firing range for training was also built. Goffs Army Ammunition Depot #4 was constructed to house ammunition, shells, practice landmines, etc. for use in divisional camp maneuvers. For safety, the ammunition storage was kept 3 miles south of the camps near Goffs Butte. The 7th Motorized Division (previously and later renamed the 7th Infantry Division) was stationed here from August 14, 1942, to October 18, 1942. They came from and returned to Camp San Luis Obispo, California. A total of 15,000 troops were stationed at the camps. All the Desert Training Center camps closed in May 1944.