Southern Area Command (RAAF)
Southern Area Command | |
---|---|
![]() Provisional RAAF area command boundaries, February 1940 | |
Active | 1940–53 |
Allegiance | Australia |
Branch | Royal Australian Air Force |
Role | Air defence Aerial reconnaissance Protection of adjacent sea lanes |
Garrison/HQ | Melbourne |
Engagements | World War II |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Henry Wrigley (1940) Adrian Cole (1940–41) Frank Bladin (1941) Ian McLachlan (1944–45) Charles Eaton (1945) Allan Walters (1948–50) Alan Charlesworth (1951–53) |
Southern Area Command was one of several
The area command continued to operate following the end of the war, becoming the hub of Air Force training services. In October 1953, the RAAF began reorganising its command-and-control system from one based on geography to one based on function; Southern Area was re-formed as
History
World War II
Prior to World War II, the
No. 1 Group, which had been established on 20 November 1939, was re-formed as one of the first two area commands, Southern Area, on 7 March 1940. Headquartered in Melbourne, Southern Area Command was given control of all Air Force units in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the southern Riverina district of New South Wales.[5] Its inaugural AOC was Air Commodore Henry Wrigley, who had also led No. 1 Group.[6] His senior administrative staff officer was Group Captain Joe Hewitt.[7] Wrigley handed over command to Air Commodore Adrian "King" Cole, formerly AOC Central Area, in November 1940.[6]
By mid-1941, the RAAF's expanding instructional program necessitated the establishment of overarching training organisations on a semi-functional, semi-geographical basis. Accordingly, on 2 August, No. 1 (Training) Group was formed in Melbourne to assume responsibility for training units within Southern Area's boundaries, and No. 2 (Training) Group in Sydney took over training units then under Central Area, which was disbanded; control of other Central Area units was "divided as convenient", according to the official history of the war, between Southern and Northern Area Commands.[8][9] Air Commodore Frank Bladin held command of Southern Area from September to December 1941.[6]
![Map of Australia showing state borders, with RAAF area command boundaries superimposed](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/RAAFAreaCommands1941.png/290px-RAAFAreaCommands1941.png)
As of 20 April 1942, operational authority over all RAAF combat infrastructure, including area commands, was invested in the newly established Allied Air Forces Headquarters under
Of geographical necessity, the operational responsibilities of the RAAF's southerly areas centred on
The German submarine U-862 operated off southern Australia in December 1944 and January 1945, and the few combat units in Southern Area were heavily engaged in the search—ultimately unsuccessful—for this submarine and any others in the vicinity.[20] The Ansons were found wanting when it came to night operations, and Southern Area had to call in aircraft from Eastern Area and from training and maintenance units to buttress its patrol effort.[21] In April, Eaton complained to Bostock that intelligence from British Pacific Fleet concerning its ships' movements eastwards out of Western Area was hours out of date by the time it was received at Southern Area Command, leading to RAAF aircraft missing their rendezvous and wasting valuable flying hours searching empty ocean. There had been no U-boat strikes since February, and by June the naval authorities indicated that there was no pressing need for air cover except for the most important vessels.[20] Eaton led the command through to the surrender of Japan in September, and into December 1945.[6][22]
Post-war reorganisation
![Map of Australia showing state borders, with RAAF area command boundaries superimposed](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/RAAFAreaCommands1947.png/290px-RAAFAreaCommands1947.png)
On 2 September 1945, following the end of the Pacific War, South West Pacific Area was dissolved and the RAAF again assumed full control of all its operational elements.
The Federal government retired Jones in 1952 and replaced him with Air Marshal
Aftermath
The functional commands established in 1953–54 were revised in 1959. Home Command was renamed
Order of battle
As at 30 April 1942, Southern Area's order of battle comprised:[35]
- RAAF Station Laverton
- General Reconnaissance School, Cressy
- No. 7 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron, Bairnsdale
- No. 7 Fighter Sector Headquarters, Melbourne
- RAAF Station Richmond
- RAAF Station Canberra
- No. 4 (Army Cooperation) Squadron
- No. 18 (Heavy Bomber) Squadron
- Survey Flight
- RAAF Station Rathmines
- No. 2 Fighter Sector Headquarters, Newcastle
Notes
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 111–112
- ^ a b "Organising for war: The RAAF air campaigns in the Pacific" (PDF). Pathfinder. No. 121. Air Power Development Centre. October 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 66–67
- ^ a b Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 91–92
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. xix–xx, 27–29
- ^ a b c d e Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. 302–304
- ^ "Many Air Force promotions appointments". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 25 April 1940. p. 2. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 112
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. xx, 38
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 473
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 15–16
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. xxi, 134–135
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 585–588
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 4–6
- ^ a b Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 144–145
- ^ Wilson, The Eagle and the Albatross, pp. 79–80
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 141
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 140
- ^ Wilson, The Eagle and the Albatross, pp. 73–74
- ^ a b Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 351–354
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 269
- ^ "Eaton, Charles". World War 2 Nominal Roll. Department of Veterans' Affairs. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force!, p. 262
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 11–12, 72–73
- ^ Helson, The Private Air Marshal, pp. 321–325
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 68, 462
- ^ Frost, RAAF College & Academy, pp. 6, 45
- ^ "Air Vice-Marshals (L–Z)". Air Marshals of the RAAF. Air Power Development Centre. Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ "Honorary Air Vice-Marshals". Air Marshals of the RAAF. Air Power Development Centre. Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ "Sir Donald Hardman's reorganisation of the RAAF" (PDF). Pathfinder. No. 106. Air Power Development Centre. March 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 73–76, 462–463
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 76–77
- ^ Dennis et al, The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History, pp. 150–151
- ^ "Air Force Training Group". Royal Australian Air Force. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. 299–300
References
- Ashworth, Norman (2000). How Not to Run an Air Force! Volume One – Narrative (PDF). Canberra: RAAF Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-26550-X.
- Dennis, Peter; ISBN 978-0-19-551784-2.
- Frost, R.E. (1991). RAAF College & Academy 1947–86 (PDF). Canberra: ISBN 978-0-646-08518-0.
- Gillison, Douglas (1962). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942. Canberra: OCLC 2000369.
- Helson, Peter (2010). The Private Air Marshal: A Biography of Air Marshal Sir George Jones, KBE, CB, DFC (PDF). Canberra: Air Power Development Centre. ISBN 978-1-920800-50-5.
- OCLC 246580191.
- Stephens, Alan (1995). Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971 (PDF). Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 978-0-644-42803-3.
- Stephens, Alan (2006) [2001]. The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. London: ISBN 978-0-19555-541-7.
- Stevens, David (2005). A Critical Vulnerability: The Impact of the Submarine Threat on Australia's Maritime Defence 1915–1954 (PDF). Canberra: Sea Power Centre – Australia. ISBN 0-642-29625-1.
- Wilson, David (2003). The Eagle and the Albatross: Australian Aerial Maritime Operations 1921–1971 (Ph. D thesis). Sydney: University of New South Wales.