Western Area Command (RAAF)
Western Area Command | |
---|---|
Active | 1941–1956 |
Allegiance | Australia |
Branch | Royal Australian Air Force |
Role | Air defence Aerial reconnaissance Protection of adjacent sea lanes |
Garrison/HQ | Perth |
Engagements | World War II |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Hippolyte De La Rue (1941–42) Raymond Brownell (1942–45) Colin Hannah (1945, 1946) Douglas Wilson (1945) Bill Garing (1946–48) William Hely (1951–53) |
Western Area Command was one of several
The area command continued to operate after the war, but its assets and staffing were much reduced. Its responsibilities were subsumed in February 1954 by the RAAF's new functional commands:
History
World War II
Prior to World War II, the
Western Area Command, headquartered in Perth, was formed on 9 January 1941 to control all RAAF units in Western Australia.[4] These included No. 14 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron, No. 25 (General Purpose) Squadron and No. 5 Initial Training School at RAAF Station Pearce; No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School at Cunderdin; and the soon-to-be-raised No. 4 Service Flying Training School at Geraldton.[5] RAAF Headquarters had maintained control of Western Australian units pending the area's formation.[6] Western Area's inaugural AOC was Group Captain (acting Air Commodore) Hippolyte "Kanga" De La Rue.[5][7] His senior air staff officer was Group Captain Alan Charlesworth. Headquarters staff numbered forty-one, including fifteen officers.[8] No. 14 Squadron, operating Lockheed Hudsons, and No. 25 Squadron, flying CAC Wirraways, were responsible for convoy escort and anti-submarine patrol.[9][10] Shortly after taking command, De La Rue lobbied RAAF Headquarters for a force of long-range Catalina flying boats to augment No. 14 Squadron's Hudsons, but none were made available.[11]
By mid-1941, RAAF Headquarters had decided to form training units in the southern and eastern states into semi-geographical, semi-functional groups separate to the area commands. This led to the establishment in August of No. 1 (Training) Group in Melbourne, covering Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, and No. 2 (Training) Group in Sydney, covering New South Wales and Queensland. At the same time, Central Area was dissolved and its responsibilities divided between Southern and Northern Areas, and No. 2 (Training) Group.[12][13] Western Area, uniquely among the area commands, retained responsibility for training, as well as operations and maintenance, within its boundaries.[13] In November 1941, all available aircraft from Nos. 14 and 25 Squadrons, as well as eight Avro Ansons from No. 4 Service Flying Training School, took part in the search for HMAS Sydney after it was sunk by the German raider Kormoran; a Hudson and an Anson each located lifeboats bearing Kormoran's crew.[14][15]
In January 1942, Northern Area was split into
No. 35 (Transport) Squadron, operating de Havilland Fox Moth and DH.84 Dragon aircraft, was raised under Western Area's control at Pearce on 4 March 1942.[22][23] No. 77 Squadron, equipped with P-40 Kittyhawks, was formed at Pearce on 16 March; it was at this time the only fighter squadron available to defend Perth and Fremantle, and De La Rue worked assiduously to prepare it for operations.[24] No. 6 Fighter Sector Headquarters, Perth, became operational on 2 May.[25][26] The same month, the Air Board proposed raising No. 3 (Training) Group and No. 8 (Maintenance) Group to control training and maintenance units in Western Australia but, though approved by the Federal government, this did not take place.[27] By 31 May, Western Area headquarters staff numbered 247, including 76 officers.[28]
As of 20 April 1942, operational authority over RAAF combat infrastructure, including the area commands, was invested in the newly established Allied Air Forces Headquarters under
By April 1943, Western Area controlled four combat units: No. 14 Squadron, flying
Having converted to
Post-war activity and disbandment
On 2 September 1945, following the end of the Pacific War, South West Pacific Area was dissolved and the Air Board again assumed full control of all its operational elements.[52] Hannah handed over Western Area to Group Captain Douglas Wilson in October.[53] The Air Force shrank dramatically with demobilisation; wartime units were scheduled for dissolution in several stages, including reconnaissance-bomber squadrons by the end of 1945, and other bomber units by September 1946.[54] No. 14 Squadron was disbanded at Pearce in December 1945.[55] No. 25 Squadron's Liberators repatriated former prisoners of war from the Dutch East Indies to Australia until January 1946; the unit was disbanded in July that year.[56] Wilson was placed on the retired list in February 1946, and Hannah again assumed temporary command of Western Area until posted to Britain that October.[57][58] Group Captain Bill Garing took over as Officer Commanding Western Area the following month, by which time headquarters staff numbered 117, including 31 officers.[59]
In September 1946, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal George Jones, proposed reducing the five extant mainland area commands (North-Western, North-Eastern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Areas) to three: Northern Area, covering Queensland and the Northern Territory; Eastern Area, covering New South Wales; and Southern Area, covering Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. The Australian Government rejected the plan and the wartime area command boundaries essentially remained in place.[60][61] No. 25 Squadron re-formed as a Citizen Air Force unit at Pearce in April 1948, operating P-51 Mustangs and, later, de Havilland Vampire fighters.[62] As well as training reservists, the squadron was responsible for Western Australia's air defence.[63] Garing handed over command in November 1948; by the end of the month, Western Area headquarters staff numbered fourteen, including seven officers.[64]
Group Captain (later Air Commodore) Bill Hely took command of Western Area in October 1951.[65][66] During Operation Hurricane, the British atomic test in the Montebello Islands in October 1952, Hely coordinated air support including supply and observation flights by Dakotas of No. 86 (Transport) Wing.[67] He completed his term as AOC Western Area in September 1953, by which time headquarters staff numbered thirty-one, including fifteen officers.[68][69]
Beginning in October 1953, the RAAF was reorganised from a geographically based command-and-control system into one based on function. In February 1954, the newly constituted functional organisations—
Order of battle
As at 30 April 1942, Western Area's order of battle comprised:[25]
- RAAF Station Pearce
- No. 6 Fighter Sector Headquarters, Perth
Notes
- ^ a b Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 111–112
- ^ a b c "Organising for war: The RAAF air campaigns in the Pacific" (PDF). Pathfinder. No. 121. Air Power Development Centre. October 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ a b Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 91–92
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 92
- ^ a b Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, p. 1
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. 28–29
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, p. 294
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, pp. 1–2
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Bomber Units, p. 43
- ^ "No. 25 (City of Perth) Squadron". Units. Royal Australian Air Force. Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ^ Wilson, The Eagle and the Albatross, pp. 72–73
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 112
- ^ a b Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. xx, 38
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 134
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Training Units, pp. 105–106
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 311
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. xxi, 134–135
- ^ a b Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 144–145
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 186
- ^ "Sargo I (SS-188)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Wilson, The Eagle and the Albatross, pp. 95–101
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 481
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, p. 36
- ^ Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 19
- ^ a b Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, p. 299
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, p. 68
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. 134–135
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, p. 89
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 473
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 15–16
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 588
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 585–588
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 4–6
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Introduction, Bases, Supporting Organisations, p. 62
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 66
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. 302–304
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, p. 187
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 140–141
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 154
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 136–139
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 349–350
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 264–265
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, pp. 359–360
- ^ Eather, Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force, p. 63
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 279
- ^ Waters, Oboe, pp. 18, 78, 135
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 454–455
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 475–476
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 353
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, pp. 261, 304
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, p. 478
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force, p. 262
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, p. 496
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 11–12
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Bomber Units, p. 45
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Bomber Units, p. 83
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, pp. 523, 531
- ^ "For staff school". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 25 October 1946. p. 8. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, pp. 587, 593
- ^ Helson, The Private Air Marshal, pp. 321–325
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 68, 462
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Bomber Units, pp. 82–83
- ^ Eather, Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force, pp. 63–64
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, pp. 668–670
- ^ "New air chief on citizen training". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 24 September 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ "Promotion in RAAF". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 2 July 1952. p. 7. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ "Atomic Weapon Tested". Benalla Ensign. Benalla, Victoria: National Library of Australia. 27 November 1952. p. 11. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ "Changes in RAAF commands". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 2 September 1953. p. 2. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ Western Area Headquarters, Operations Record Book, p. 774
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 73–76, 462–463
- ^ "Battle 'nerve-centre' goes north: RAAF fighting control shifted from here". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 21 May 1954. p. 5. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ "Headquarters". Order of Battle – Air Force. Department of Veterans' Affairs. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
References
- Ashworth, Norman (2000). How Not to Run an Air Force! Volume 1 – Narrative (PDF). Canberra: RAAF Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-26550-X.
- Eather, Steve (1995). Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1-875671-15-3.
- 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.
- Odgers, George (2008). Mr Double Seven: A Biography of Wing Commander Dick Cresswell, DFC (PDF). Tuggeranong, Australian Capital Territory: Air Power Development Centre. ISBN 978-1-920800-30-7.
- 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 8: Training Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42800-7.
- Stephens, Alan (1995). Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971 (PDF). Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42803-1.
- 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.
- Waters, Gary (1995). Oboe: Air Operations Over Borneo 1945 (PDF). Canberra: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-22590-7.
- Western Area Headquarters (1941–1956). Operations Record Book. RAAF Unit History Sheets. Canberra: National Archives of Australia.
- Wilson, David (2003). The Eagle and the Albatross: Australian Aerial Maritime Operations 1921–1971 (Ph. D thesis). Sydney: University of New South Wales.