At Last. . . He Full Story Of Australia’s Proud Naval Aviation Heritage

From the first diminutive Sopwith Baby seaplane, embarked aboard the light cruiser HMAS Melbourne in 1917, naval aviation experienced rapid development through two world wars, a depression, a ‘police action’ in Korea and many years of prosperity. Peace also brought with it the all too familiar call for a decrease in defence funds ultimately affecting the navy afloat and in the air.

But the greatest tragedy of all to face the RAN and its Fleet Air Arm was not to be fully realised until the early 1980s, when plans for a new aircraft carrier, already approved, were abandoned due to lack of funds. Thus, Australia’s last carrier, HMAS Melbourne, and her squadrons of Skyhawk fighter bombers and Tracker anti-submarine aircraft were withdrawn from service.

This year the RAN celebrates seven decades of naval aviation and 40 years of its own Fleet Air Arm. From its modest beginnings in the Great War, Australia would later build the first purpose designed seaplane carrier and provide the main drive behind the construction of the world’s most successful light amphibian, the Seagull V.

“Wings Across the Sea” is a factual account of the development of the Fleet Air Arm in Australia. It is spiced with personal reminiscences and war exploits in addition to the humorous and often ‘red tape’ development of shipborne aviation.

Special appendices are devoted to a complete chronology of major events, and for the aviation historian, completetechnicallists describe the origin, fate and official numbers of all aircraft. The Royal Australian Navy has been flying from ships at sea since 1917 and in 1988 celebrates the 40th Anniversary of its own Fleet Air Arm. During the past 40 years, and in the decades preceding, the Navy’s involvement in flying was highlighted by both aviation prowess and wartime achievements.

From the early years aboard the Town class light cruisers HMA Ships Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, and the flagship and battlecruiser HMAS Australia, naval aviation developed and then peaked in 1929, with the commissioning of the seaplane carrier HMAS Albatross.

As well, one of the most successful aircraft of the period, the Seagull V amphibian was designed for service specifically from Albatross and the mid-war cruiser force. During the Second World War no fewer than nine RAN cruisers very effectively operated the Seagull V.

Naval aviation lapsed temporarily during the post-1945 era, but in 1948 took a quantum leap forward with the formal commissioning of the Naval Air Station, HMAS Albatross at Nowra, NSW and the introduction into service of what would eventually become three light fleet aircraft carriers; the last of which remained in active duty until 1982.

Since then the Navy’s Air Arm has further developed and accepted new roles as primarily a helicopter force, operating from the flight decks of new generation guided missile frigates and support ships. The futureis also secure with the introduction into service of a new generation of light frigates, all of which will be capable of state of the art rotary wing operations.

“Wings Across the Sea” documents the history of Australian naval aviation since its earliest times. The book is sub-divided into eras of activity and in five of the chapters the experiences of a naval aviator of the time are recalled with great interest to pilot, historian and enthusiasts alike.

A large selection of over 250 black and white illustrations depict the aircraft and the ships which embarked them, and for the complete record, 34 colour photographs highlight most of the post-1948 aircraft which have flown from afloat and ashore.

Throughout the book, each aircraft is described individually and supported in the appendices by a complete listing of all serial numbers, when the aircraft were received and deleted and by which means. Brief squadron histories are also included, plus a list of the surviving historical naval aircraft of the RAN Naval Aviation Museum.

Produced by Aerospace Publications Pty Limited, the publishers of bi-monthly Australian Aviation magazine, this specially produced publication documents the complete history of Australian NavalAviation from the embryonic days of the First World War to the present. Every period is covered in depth while each major aircraft type is fully detailed with the individual aircraft’s serial number, service history and relevant disposal data recorded. This very readable book is illustrated with more than 290 photos including 34 in glorious colour, the vast majority of which have never before been published.