Australia’s War Diary

At the outbreak of war in September, 1939, there were about 450 Australians serving in the RAF in various parts of the world. Most were operational pilots on special Short Service Commissions.

At the Imperial Conference of 1923, the UK proposed offering four year, short service commissions in the RAF to RAAF officers who had just graduated from Point Cook. By this method, it was reasoned, a reserve of trained pilots would be built up which could be used to reinforce RAF squadrons in an emergency and the RAAF would benefit when the men returned after four years operational training at British expense.

The scheme began in 1927 when the first Point Cook graduates took up their commissions. It was officially suspended in Australia in July, 1938, but commissions in the RAF continued to be advertised in the Australian press and intakes did not cease until mid 1939. These were the first Australian airmen to become embroiled in the war.

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