No. 1 Aircraft Depot RAAF
No. 1 Aircraft Depot RAAF | |
---|---|
(1942–43) |
No. 1 Aircraft Depot (No. 1 AD) was a maintenance unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Formed in July 1921 at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria, it relocated to the nearby RAAF Laverton in March 1926. As well as servicing aircraft and other equipment, in its early years the depot supported survey flights in Australia and the Pacific region. It was also responsible for training maintenance staff.
No. 1 AD's strength increased from 350 staff in the 1930s to over 2,000 during World War II, when it assembled, tested and repaired aircraft ranging from Tiger Moth trainers to Spitfire fighters to B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers. It also undertook aircraft research and development.
Shortly after World War II, No. 1 AD introduced the first jets into RAAF service. In 1961, it ceased airframe maintenance, but continued to service aero engines. By the 1970s, the depot's main focus was ground-based equipment, though it still handled some aircraft components. No. 1 AD was disbanded in December 1994, its functions having been taken over by other units and private contractors. At the time of its disbandment, it was the oldest RAAF unit in continuous operation.
History
Pre-war years
No. 1 Aircraft Depot (No. 1 AD) was one of the first units formed by the
In January 1922, the depot was organised into a headquarters that controlled stores, aircraft repair, and engine repair sections. The vehicle repair section at North Fitzroy was transferred to Point Cook that April.[3] Point Cook's corrosive seaside atmosphere was deemed an unsuitable long-term location for aircraft maintenance; the base also lacked railway infrastructure, necessary for transporting large aircraft parts.[5][6] In September 1921, the government had purchased land at Laverton, near a railway station eight kilometres (five miles) inland from Point Cook, for the express purpose of constructing a dedicated home for No. 1 AD as the "warehouse of the Air Force".[7] The depot, staffed by eight officers and seventy-seven other ranks, relocated to the new base on 1 March 1926.[1] It occupied a large hangar that included an administration block, which along with living quarters and ancillary buildings had cost £300,000 to build.[8]
As well as receiving, assembling, testing and maintaining RAAF equipment, No. 1 AD was responsible for supporting research flights.[1] In July 1927, it was the departure point for the Northern Survey Flight, comprising a de Havilland DH.50 and two Airco DH.9s, which reconnoitred air routes and landing grounds in northern and central Australia under the command of the Chief of the Air Staff, Wing Commander Richard Williams.[9] The following month, No. 1 AD formed the Papuan Survey Flight, consisting of two Supermarine Seagull III amphibious biplanes under the command of Flight Lieutenant Ellis Wackett, to photograph the Papuan and New Guinean coasts as far north as Aitape.[10] Anderson, now a wing commander, returned to command the depot from April to August 1929, handing over to Wing Commander Adrian Cole, who served in the post until December 1932.[1]
By the mid-1930s, No. 1 AD comprised 350 staff;
In December 1935, No. 1 AD's workshops, under the command of Squadron Leader
World War II
Although many squadrons were raised at RAAF Station Laverton during World War II, the base's prime focus continued to be its aircraft depot.
In March 1940, the RAAF began dividing Australia and New Guinea into
No. 1 AD undertook research and development on aircraft such as the Supermarine Spitfire, CAC Boomerang, and Wackett Woomera. It also ran comparative performance studies on Spitfires, Boomerangs, Kittyhawks, Brewster Buffalos, and Mitsubishi Zeros.[1] In the case of the Boomerang, 105 CA-12 models were delivered to No. 1 AD for testing between July 1942 and June 1943.[25] As soon as the aircraft began arriving, the depot commenced handling and armament trials that continued for six months, identifying and overcoming such issues as the aircraft's guns freezing at high altitudes, and unusual levels of carbon monoxide in the cockpit.[26] Fighter aces Alan Rawlinson and Wilfred Arthur, along with a United States Army Air Forces pilot, conducted comparative trials between a Boomerang, a Kittyhawk, a Buffalo, and a Bell Airacobra.[27] The depot began despatching the Boomerangs to their operational units in March 1943, and the following month performance-tested a turbocharged version of the CA-14, though this model never entered production.[26][28] No. 1 AD's Special Duties and Performance Flight was responsible for conducting performance trials during the early war years; in December 1943 it became a separate organisation, No. 1 Aircraft Performance Unit, which would evolve into the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) in 1947.[29]
One of the depot's wartime commanding officers was Wing Commander John Lerew, who held the post from December 1942 until November 1943.[1] During his tenure, after investigating the crash of a Vultee Vengeance, he designed a clip to prevent the accidental release of the pilot's safety harness, which was later adopted for all such harnesses.[30] By January 1945, No. 1 AD's strength had increased to its highest level of 2,339 staff.[1]
Post-war years
After the war, No. 1 AD was responsible for introducing the first jets into RAAF service.
As part of the RAAF's reorganisation from a geographically based command-and-control system to one based on function, No. 4 Maintenance Group was superseded by
By 1961, when all airframe maintenance at Laverton was transferred to Nos. 2 and 3 Aircraft Depots, No. 1 AD had serviced forty-two aircraft types throughout its existence. It continued to maintain aero engines, and began supporting telecommunications equipment as well. The aircraft engine repair facilities at No. 1 AD were closed down in 1968.[1] Staff were transferred to No. 3 Aircraft Depot at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland, to prepare for the introduction of the General Dynamics F-111C swing-wing bomber to Australian service and concentrate on maintaining the new aircraft's engines.[41] No. 1 AD's focus thereafter shifted to ground support, manufacturing, installing, servicing and providing training for navigational, air traffic control, telecommunications and motor transport equipment used by the Air Force and other sections of Defence and government.[1] From 1968 to 1977, the depot was organised into two components, Telecommunications Installation and Maintenance Squadron and Ground Equipment Maintenance Squadron. These were subdivided in February 1977 into Telecommunications Squadron (maintaining ground communications equipment for control towers, transmitters and receiving stations in Australia and the region), Radar Squadron (supporting surveillance systems at RAAF Bases Williamtown, Amberley, Townsville, Darwin and Pearce), Ground Equipment Maintenance Squadron (maintaining motor transport, and other ground-based mechanical and electro-mechanical systems), and Intermediate Level Maintenance Squadron (communications, navigation and other ground-based maintenance at Laverton, as well as spectrometric analysis of oil used by the RAAF in aircraft and other equipment).[42]
On 6 November 1981, the Governor-General,
Commanding officers
No. 1 AD was commanded by the following officers:[45]
From | Name | From | Name | |
---|---|---|---|---|
July 1921 | Squadron Leader W.H. Anderson | March 1956 | Wing Commander R.W.T. Ayre | |
February 1922 | Squadron Leader A. Murray-Jones | March 1957 | Group Captain J.P. Godsell | |
July 1922 | Flight Lieutenant W.A. Coates | January 1959 | Wing Commander R.W.T. Ayre | |
February 1923 | Squadron Leader T. R. Marsden | June 1959 | Group Captain A.G. Pither | |
May 1924 | Flight Lieutenant E.J. Howells | September 1959 | Wing Commander R.W.T. Ayre | |
December 1925 | Flight Lieutenant R. Christie | January 1960 | Wing Commander A.G. Pither | |
March 1926 | Wing Commander P.A. McBain | June 1961 | Wing Commander F.M. Timms | |
January 1929 | Squadron Leader J.R. Bell | September 1962 | Wing Commander J.R. Lavers | |
April 1929 | Wing Commander W.H. Anderson | February 1966 | Wing Commander D.M. Furler | |
August 1929 | Wing Commander A.T. Cole | January 1968 | Wing Commander R.K. Starkie | |
December 1932 | Squadron Leader R. Christie | June 1968 | Wing Commander H.J. Gent | |
January 1933 | Squadron Leader A.W. Murphy | September 1968 | Squadron Leader R.R. Prowse | |
February 1933 | Wing Commander F.W. McNamara |
May 1969 | Wing Commander D.C. Mazlin | |
April 1936 | Wing Commander F.W.F. Lukis | November 1971 | Wing Commander J.C. Swales | |
January 1938 | Wing Commander A.W. Murphy | January 1974 | Wing Commander G. Grantham | |
May 1940 | Wing Commander C.E. Douglas | June 1974 | Wing Commander J.O.F. Philip | |
July 1942 | Wing Commander J.C. Stevenson | January 1977 | Wing Commander C.R.A. Ely | |
December 1942 | Wing Commander J.M Lerew | February 1979 | Squadron Leader P.J. Winyard | |
November 1943 | Wing Commander S.DeB. Griffiths | March 1979 | Wing Commander D.K. Leslie | |
October 1945 | Group Captain C.McK. Henry | January 1982 | Wing Commander L.J. Crowley | |
November 1949 | Wing Commander K.P. Connolly | January 1984 | Wing Commander T.J. Kelly | |
July 1951 | Wing Commander E.F. Easterbrook | June 1985 | Wing Commander R.I. Gretton | |
May 1953 | Group Captain E.V. Millett | December 1987 | Wing Commander P.J. McDonald | |
October 1954 | Wing Commander A.T. Fay | January 1990 | Wing Commander T.C. Smith | |
June 1955 | Group Captain J.W.C. Black | January 1993 | Wing Commander M.W. Shaw |
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q RAAF Historical Section, Maintenance Units, pp. 1–5
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 16 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, p. 41
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 31
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 33
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, p. 129
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, p. 128
- ^ a b c d e RAAF Historical Section, Introduction, Bases, Supporting Organisations, pp. 141–143
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp. 392–393
- ^ a b Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp. 412–413
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, p. 470
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp. 274–280
- ^ a b Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, p. 131
- ^ a b RAAF Historical Section, Training Units, p. 80
- ^ Eaton, Mark (21 November 2002). "Proud history continues". Air Force. Archived from the original on 25 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Training Units, p. 91
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp. 275, 419–420
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, p. 433
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 91–92
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force!, p. 34
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Maintenance Units, pp. 23–25
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Logistics Units, p. 48
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 479
- ^ Southern Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, p. 240
- ^ Wilson, Wirraway, Boomerang and CA-15, p. 96
- ^ a b Wilson, Wirraway, Boomerang and CA-15, pp. 145–146
- ^ Wilson, Wirraway, Boomerang and CA-15, pp. 90–91, pp. 114–119
- ^ Wilson, Wirraway, Boomerang and CA-15, p. 138
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p. 434
- ^ McAulay, We Who Are About to Die, pp. 218–219
- ^ "Sikorsky S51". RAAF Museum. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ "Governor-General's Plane Ready For Service". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 11 October 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 30 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Maritime and Transport Units, p. 183
- ^ Wilson, Wirraway, Boomerang and CA-15, p. 169
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Bomber Units, p. 148
- ^ "RAAF abandoned area command system". Air Power Development Centre. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ "RAAF Headquarters No. 4 Maintenance Group, Melbourne". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 76–77
- ^ "Closure of air force base to-day". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory. 14 October 1960. p. 12. Retrieved 30 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Osborne, Frederick (29 February 1960). "Closing down of two RAAF bases" (Press release). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p. 293
- ^ a b "RAAF No 1 Aircraft Depot". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ "Vice-Regal". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory. 9 November 1981. p. 2. Retrieved 30 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Dennis et al, The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History, pp. 150–151
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Maintenance Units, pp. 3–5
References
- Ashworth, Norman (2000). How Not to Run an Air Force! The Higher Command of the Royal Australian Air Force During the Second World War: Volume 2. Canberra: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-26550-X.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1991). The Third Brother: The Royal Australian Air Force 1921–39. North Sydney: ISBN 0-04-442307-1.
- Dennis, Peter; ISBN 978-0-19-551784-2.
- Gillison, Douglas (1962). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942. Canberra: OCLC 2000369.
- McAulay, Lex (2007). We Who Are About to Die: The Story of John Lerew, a Hero of Rabaul, 1942. Maryborough, Queensland: Banner Books. ISBN 978-1-875593-30-9.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 1: Introduction, Bases, Supporting Organisations. Canberra: ISBN 0-644-42792-2.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 3: Bomber Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42795-7.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 4: Maritime and Transport Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42796-5.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 6: Logistics Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42798-1.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 7: Maintenance Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42798-1.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 8: Training Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42800-7.
- Southern Area Headquarters (1942–45). Operations Record Book. RAAF Unit History Sheets. Canberra: National Archives of Australia.
- Stephens, Alan (1995). Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42803-1.
- Stephens, Alan (2006) [2001]. The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-555541-4.
- Wilson, Stewart (1991). Wirraway, Boomerang and CA-15 in Australian Service. Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 0-9587978-8-9.