RAAF Celebrates 75 Years of Proud Service

Under the heading “Order by His Excellency the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia”, the proclamation read in part: “…Now therefore I, Henry William, Baron Foster, the Governor-General aforesaid, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, do hereby order that a Force, to be called the Australian Air Force, be constituted as part of the Australian Military Forces as from the thirty first day of March, One thousand nine hundred and twenty-one …” The simple title Australian Air Force didn’t last long. In June 1921 King George V approved the prefix ‘Royal’ and this was officially applied the following August. The formation of the RAAF was not the beginning of Australian military flying. That had all started seven years earlier in March 1914 when a Bristol Boxkite and a Deperdussin were test flown at Point Cook, on the shores of Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay. These flights were the first conducted by the recently established Australian Flying Corps, which like its British counterpart (the Royal Flying Corps) was part of the Army and its personnel carried Army rank names. Investigations into the establishment of an Australian aviation corps had begun as early as 1910 (only a year after Bleriot had flown the English Channel for the first time) and in early 1911 a Bristol Boxkite was demonstrated to Army officials. In December of the same year an advertisement was placed in the Commonwealth Gazette calling for “the appointment of two competent mechanists and aviators”. Things began moving rapidly in 1912. Two BE.2a biplanes and two Deperdussin monoplanes were ordered in July and in August Lt H A Petrie was appointed Australia’s first military aviator. In September the formation of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) and Central Flying School (CFS) was approved by the Minister of Defence and in December a Bristol Boxkite biplane was ordered. Point Cook was then selected as the site for the CFS and until 1992 was the place where trainee RAAF pilots began their flying careers, at least in peacetime. During World War II, the demand for thousands of pilots resulted in the establishment of numerous elementary training schools around the country. The first four CFS students began their training at Point Cook in August 1914 — just two weeks after the start of World War I – all of them Army officers, of which Lt Richard Williams would be the first to qualify for his wings the following November. Williams went on to be appointed the RAAF’s first Chief of Air Staff, a post he held on three separate occasions during his long and illustrious career. Perhaps appropriately, it was also a group of new Army pilots who made up the last flying training course to held at Point Cook, graduating in early 1993.

Into Battle

The Australian Flying Corps was the only Commonwealth air arm separate from Britain to see active service during World War I, the traditions of fighting efficiency beginning in 1915 with the establishment of the famous Half Flight in Mesopotamia (Iraq) in response to a request from the Indian government for assistance. The Half Flight went into action for the first time on May 31 1915 from Basra. Later incorporated into the Royal Flying Corps, the Half Flight flew a variety of aircraft and suffered heavy casualties including the loss of two of the original four CFS students, Lt G P Merz and Capt T W White. Australian Flying Corps squadrons followed the Half Flight ‘over there’ to join battle — No 1 in Egypt and Palestine 1916-18 (under the command of Richard Williams), Nos 2, 3 and 4 in France 1917-18 and Nos 5, 6, 7 and 8 in the United Kingdom. The squadrons operated a variety of aircraft including famous ‘scout’ types of the era such as the Sopwith Camel, Snipe and Pup, the SE.5A and Bristol Fighter. Some Australians made their mark in the Great War. The leading Australian air ace of the 1914-18 conflict was Captain R A Little who scored 47 aerial victories whilst flying Sopwith Triplanes with the Royal Naval Air Service. Some of the other Australian pilots who flew with the British on active service would later become household names in pioneering civil aviation, among them Charles Kingsford Smith, Bert Hinkler and P G Taylor. The top scoring AFC pilot of the war was Captain A H Waddy of No 4 Squadron who flew Sopwith Camels and accounted for 29 enemy aircraft and 13 observation balloons. No 1 Squadron’s Lt F H McNamara won Australia’s only air Victoria Cross of the war for his heroic rescue of a downed comrade. His story was like on of those ‘ripping yarns’ from a boys’ own annual. In March 1917, AFC units were engaged in the bombing of the Turkish railway at Tel-El-Shiria preparatory to an allied attack on Gaza. During one of these raids, Capt D W Rutherford’s BE.2e was hit by anti aircraft fire and forced down close to Turkish troops. McNamara (who was already badly wounded in the leg) landed his Martinsyde G.100 near the downed BE.2e and picked up Rutherford. A takeoff was attempted but McNamara’s leg was so badly injured he had insufficient strength in it to control the aircraft, and it crashed. Both escaped from the wreckage and set fire to it before returning to Rutherford’s BE.2e, managing to start its engine, all the while under intense fire from the Turks. Disregarding this, his injuries and the damage to the BE.2e, McNamara flew the aircraft 70 miles (110km) back to base with Rutherford as his passenger. A total of 460 officers and 2234 other ranks served with the Australian Flying Corps in World War I, along with another 200 pilots and observers who flew with other flying services. The die had been cast.

Between The Wars

After the cessation of hostilities and the return of personnel to Australia, the Australian Flying Corps was disbanded and replaced with a temporary expedient, the Australian Air Corps, still controlled by the Army. This period witnessed a virtual end to military flying in Australia apart from the activities of the Central Flying School at Point Cook. Plans to establish a permanent air force nevertheless continued and after numerous Air Board and Air Council meetings, Prime Minister Billy Hughes announced in parliament in September 1920 that an independent air arm would be established as part of Australia’s armed forces. A sum of 500,000 pounds (1,000,000 dollars, although today probably 50 times this in relative value) was granted. As noted above, the Australian Air Force formally came into being on March 31 1921. At that point the AAF was in the seemingly unbelievable situation of having more aeroplanes than personnel! Manpower strength comprised 21 officers and 130 other ranks whilst the number of aircraft on strength was 157. These comprised 12 Avro 504K trainers and 11 Sopwith Pup scouts along with 128 other aircraft – DH.9A bombers, DH.9 army co-operation aircraft and SE.5A fighters which had been presented to the Australian Government by Britain as gifts in appreciation of Australia’s contribution to the 1914-18 war. Point Cook remained the RAAF’s only flying base in those very early days. Gradual expansion followed in the 1920s, particularly from 1925 on when Nos 1 and 3 Squadrons were formed as full units. 1 Squadron moved to the new base at Richmond NSW the same year and No 3 went to Laverton Vic in 1928. The 1920s also saw the introduction of several new types including the Westland Wapiti, various of the de Havilland Moth family, the Supermarine Southampton flying boat, the Supermarine Seagull III amphibian and Fairey IIID flying boat, one of the latter surveying the entire Australian coastline in 1924 for defence planning. Survey flights generally were an important part of the RAAF’s duties in the 1920s. With the 1930s came the Great Depression and severe cost cutting, and in the early part of the decade the very future of the RAAF was in doubt. Common sense prevailed and some expansion was indulged in, new types entering service between 1935 and 1939 including the Hawker Demon, Seagull V (Walrus) and Avro Anson.

By the time the war with Germany began in September 1939 the RAAF comprised 310 officers and 3179 other ranks in 12 squadrons based at six airfields. Aircraft strength was 246 of which just 164 were operational types. Despite the modest expansion programme of the mid and late 1930s, the RAAF’s frontline aircraft were at best obsolescent and certainly not what could be considered modern combat types. That situation was being helped to some extent with orders for Lockheed Hudson medium bombers and Short Sunderland maritime patrol flying boats while local manufacture of the Wirraway general purpose trainer and Tiger Moth basic trainer was in hand. Lacking was any sort of modern fighter. In 1939 the chances of Australia itself being attacked seemed remote to many, but when Japan entered the war in late 1941 and directly threatened Australia, defensive capability was found lacking. At the time of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour the RAAF had a total of 177 aircraft on first line strength (plus four squadrons in Malaya under RAF control) with another 306 in reserve. Numbers 21 and 453 were the only squadrons equipped with anything even faintly resembling a modern fighter — the unsuccessful Brewster Buffalo — and they were in Malaya about to be decimated by the advancing Japanese. Of the front line aircraft available to the by then 17 RAAF home squadrons (three of which were actually in New Guinea) 101 were Wirraways, 53 were Hudsons, 12 were Catalina flying boats and 11 were Seagull amphibians. The reserve force comprised Fairey Battle single engined light bombers, Avro Ansons and more Wirraways.

New Gallery

Representing the works of John Stewart-Jones and other quality Australian aviation artists. Open Mon to Sat 9am to 4pm. Other times by appointment (telephone ahead). 512 Miles Street, Bankstown Airport, NSW 2200 Australia Phone (02) 791 0386 Fax (02) 790 1913 Mobile: 015 206 406 The Aeroplane Art Company 46 Australian Aviation March 1996

The Raaf In World War Ii

The RAAF witnessed massive expansion during World War II. By the conclusion of hostilities no fewer than 75 squadrons were operational, 17 of which fought their way entirely in the northern hemisphere against Germany and Italy. Of these, 15 were established as Australian squadrons under RAF control using increasing proportions of Australians who had trained under the Empire Air Training Scheme, a massive Commonwealth undertaking designed to provide 50,000 trained aircrew annually. Australia’s contribution was the training of 27,387 aircrew as well as providing elementary training for an additional 10,351 pilots, navigators and wireless-air gunners. To meet this need, large numbers of Tiger Moths and Wirraways were manufactured locally and other aircraft (for example some 1000 Avro Ansons and nearly 400 Airspeed Oxfords) were imported. No 10 Squadron remained in Britain almost by accident. A detachment of its personnel was there to collect its new Sunderland flying boats when war broke out. The squadron remained in Britain for the remainder of the war, operating under RAF control. No 3 (Fighter) squadron was sent to North Africa in 1940 where it fought before moving to Italy for the remainder of the war. 3 Squadron flew Gloster Gladiator biplanes initially but quickly moved onto more modern Tomahawks, Kittyhawks and then Mustangs. Two of the Australian squadrons formed in Britain (Nos 452 and 457, both equipped with Spitfires) later returned to Australia to help with the fight against Japan. Australian airmen were involved in every theatre of operations in the northern hemisphere whether as part of the ‘Australian’ squadrons or regular RAF units. Bomber Command in particular received a huge contribution from Australia albeit at a price, with 3486 killed on bomber operations. One of them, Flt Sgt R H Middleton, was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. When severely wounded, he nursed his badly damaged Stirling bomber across Europe to England where five of his seven crew were able to parachute to safety. Two others drowned in the sea and Middleton died when the aircraft crashed. In the last two years of the bombing offensive against Germany, Australian squadrons alone dropped 66,000 tonnes of ordnance during the course of 692 raids against 241 targets. To these figures must be added the efforts of the 6000 Australian airmen who served with RAF units. Of the Australian fighter pilots in Britain and the Middle East, several became very famous and later in the war returned to Australia to fight in the Pacific. Among them were Australia’s top scoring ‘ace’ of WWII, Clive Caldwell plus Bobby Gibbes, Ray Thorold-Smith and Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott. Japan’s strike on Pearl Harbour in December 1941 and its subsequent very rapid advance through the Philippines, Malaya, Singapore, New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) made Australia suddenly very vulnerable. The lack of fighter aircraft was now a critical factor, and this point was rammed home on February 19 1942 when Darwin suffered the first of 64 air raids it would endure between then and the end of 1943. Other Australian towns and cities would also be bombed by the Japanese, among them Townsville, Broome and Katherine. The first raid on Darwin cost 238 killed and 355 wounded as well as damaging or destroying numerous ships, aircraft and buildings. The only air defence was provided by 10 US Army Air Force Curtiss P-40s which were enroute to Java but had returned to Darwin because of bad weather. Fighters for the RAAF became the priority and the Australian built CAC Boomerang was hurriedly designed and flown as insurance against more capable aircraft failing to arrive from overseas. As it happened, fighters did arrive in the shape of Curtiss Kittyhawks initially and Supermarine Spitfires later on. Offensive aircraft were also in short supply for the RAAF’s Pacific activities and some imaginative planning and a huge industrial effort which resulted in the establishment of the Department of Aircraft Production saw Bristol Beaufort light/medium bombers coming off production lines in Melbourne and Sydney from late 1941. These were followed by Beaufighters in 1944 in addition to other Beaufighters which were imported from Britain. Aircraft production during World War II was an important part of the overall effort in that it saved overseas resources as well as giving the RAAF some independence as to its choice of equipment. Of longer term benefit was the fact that it provided Australia with a modern, high tech industry and the beneficial spinoffs which came from that. Local aircraft manufacturing programmes of the period included the Beaufort (700 built), Beaufighter (365), Tiger Moth (1070), Wirraway (755), Wackett Trainer (200), Mosquito (212, some of them postwar) and Boomerang (250). Other production programmes instigated during the war but coming to fruition too late to play a part included the Mustang (200 from 1945) and Lincoln (73 from 1946). As the war progressed, so did serious problems of overseas supply disappear and the RAAF operated most of the major allied types in the Pacific war — Kittyhawks, Spitfires, US built Mustangs (from mid 1945), English built Beaufighters, Mitchells, Bostons,

Dakotas, Liberators, Catalinas, Hudsons, Vengeances and so on. Initially, Australia’s fight with Japan was a defensive one — particularly in the heroic defence of Port Moresby and other parts of the New Guinea area, but as the allies began to gain the upper hand from 1943, defence turned to attack as the Japanese were turned around and gradually forced back in the direction from which they had come. In combination with American, British, New Zealand, Australian and other allied ground, sea and air forces, the RAAF played a significant role in all of this. Only one Australian airman was awarded the Victoria Cross in the Pacific, Flt Lt William Newton of 22 Squadron, flying Bostons against Japanese targets in and around New Guinea. Newton received his VC as a result of an action on March 16 1943. On that date, Newton and his crew (Flt Sgt B Lyon and Sgt B Eastwood) were flying Boston A28-7 in company with six other 22 Squadron aircraft on a raid against fuel dumps,

stores and buildings on the foreshore of Salamaua. Despite intense antiaircraft fire the raid was successful, with several large fires being started. Bill Newton was prominent in this action, leading the attack and choosing not to evade the ground fire but to press straight on to his target from 800m out. A28-7 received four direct hits, taking out one engine and causing substantial damage to the Boston’s wings, fuselage, systems, control surfaces and fuel tanks. Newton pressed on regardless and successfully delivered his bombs from low altitude, starting fires which would eventually consume two 182,000 litre (40,000 gallon) fuel tanks along with the stores dumps and buildings. The Boston was then flown the 290km (180 miles) back to Port Moresby over the Owen Stanley ranges on one engine and with holes everywhere. Unhappily, Newton’s VC had to be awarded posthumously as two days later he was shot down during another raid on Salamaua, his Boston coming down on the water just offshore. Newton and Lyon escaped from the aircraft before it sank but Eastwood did not. The two surviving airmen swam ashore but evaded capture for only one day. Both were executed by the Japanese in an act of barbarism unfortunately typical of them. By the end of the fighting in August 1945 the RAAF was engaging Japanese forces in New Britain, Borneo, New Guinea and Bougainville. Disappointing to many was the fact under the direction of the Supreme Allied Commander in the South West Pacific Area, US General Douglas MacArthur, the RAAF was not involved in the push further north. The RAAF enlisted 189,700 men and 27,000 women during the war. Of these, 10,562 were killed (half of them in the European theatre) and 3192 injured. The cost of freedom can be high.

Postwar, But Little Peace

Inevitably, the end of World War II saw a massive reduction in the strength of the RAAF and other branches of the armed forces. At its peak, in 1944, the RAAF had 164,341 personnel on strength. In the two years following the end of the war the numbers dropped dramatically to 10,000 by early 1947 and just over 8000 a year later with the prospect of a rise to 14,000 as a result of a government plan to establish an efficient and effective postwar RAAF. The plan called for an establishment of 16 squadrons operating 144 aircraft. Of these 16, three were to be heavy bomber squadrons, two long range fighter squadrons, one heavy bomber reconnaissance squadron, one tactical reconnaissance squadron, four Citizen Air Force fighter squadrons, one search and rescue squadron, one target towing squadron, one survey squadron and two transport squadrons. By 1950 the fleet comprised Lincoln bombers, Mustang and Vampire fighters (the latter was the RAAF’s first operational jet aircraft), Dakota transports, Catalina flying boats, Mosquito survey aircraft and an assortment of aircraft used for training, the Tiger Moth and Wirraway among them. Many new types joined the RAAF in the 1950s — the Meteor jet fighter, the Canberra jet bomber, the Neptune anti submarine/maritime patrol bomber, the Winjeel piston engined trainer, the Sabre jet fighter and right at the end of the decade, the first batch of Hercules transports. Of these, the Canberra, Sabre and Winjeel were built in Australia, as had been the Lincoln and Vampire. The world may have officially been at peace, but Australia and other nations found themselves embroiled in another war (or ‘Police Action’ as it was officially described at the time) — in Korea. At the end of hostilities with Japan three RAAF fighter squadrons (Nos 76, 77 and 82, all equipped with Mustangs) operated in Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. 76 and 82 Squadrons returned to Australia in 1949, but 77 was still in Japan when the Korean War began in June 1950. The squadron was on the verge of coming home itself when hostilities started and instead of embarking for Australia remained to join in the fighting. Flying from bases in both Japan and Korea, 77 Squadron’s Mustangs flew escort and ground support missions. In May 1951 the squadron re-equipped with Gloster Meteor jet fighters and although outclassed by the Soviet built MiG-15s operated by the North Koreans and Chinese (and often flown by Soviet pilots), succeeded in shooting down three of the enemy aircraft. Fitted with underwing rockets, the Meteors’ main role was that of ground attack, and by the time the fighting ended in July 1953 the squadron had carried out 81,872 individual sorties and had destroyed 3700 buildings, 1500 vehicles and 16 bridges. Even before the fighting had started in Korea, the RAAF began its involvement in another South-East Asian conflict, the communist terrorist campaign in Malaya. No 38 (Transport) Squadron and its Dakota’s was the first to go there in early 1950, quickly followed by No 1 Squadron’s Lincoln bombers. Operating from Singapore, this deployment proved to be a lengthy one for the squadron, lasting eight years during which time it dropped approximately 15,000 tonnes of bombs on the terrorists, or 85% of the total allied effort. The Malayan campaign heralded a strong and lengthy RAAF presence in the area, culminating in the building of a permanent RAAF base at Butterworth, Malaya and another at Ubon, Thailand, which RAAF Sabres occupied between 1962 and 1968. This was the period of confrontation with Indonesia when war with Australia’s northern neighbour was not beyond the realms of possibility. Australia’s military planning certainly revolved around that scenario at the time.

The 1960s And Vietnam

The decade of the 1960s saw the RAAF obtain further major items of equipment (spurred on by the threat from Indonesia) including the supersonic Mirage III fighter, another squadron of Hercules transports, the first Orion maritime reconnaissance aircraft, the Caribou short takeoff and landing tactical transport, Iroquois helicopters (the ubiquitous ‘Huey’ of Vietnam fame), the Macchi MB-326 trainer and the placing of an order for the controversial but very effective General Dynamics F-111 bomber, delivery of which was finally affected five years late in 1973. Both the Mirage and Macchi were built under licence in Australia. The 1960s provided yet another conflict in which Australia was involved — Vietnam. All three services fought in this ill starred war. First in and last out for the RAAF were the Caribou transports of the Vietnam Transport Flight, later elevated in status to No 35 Squadron. The first aircraft arrived at their base at Vung Tau near Saigon in July 1964 and were actually diverted from their scheduled delivery flights to Australia. Their duties involved supplying and supporting troops on the ground, often operating in and out of impossibly small airstrips near the frontline and carrying everything from troops to enemy prisoners, fuel, supplies, mail, ammunition, building equipment and livestock. The Caribou operated on a schedule of regular flights (unofficially as ‘Wallaby Airlines’) and in the eight years of operations in Vietnam they carried 700,000 passengers and 41,300 tonnes of freight in 79,739 sorties and 47,000 flying hours.

Twelve of the RAAF’s Caribou fleet served in Vietnam (not all at once) of which three were written off and two more returned to Australia for major repairs. The next RAAF force to go to Vietnam was No 9 Squadron’s Iroquois helicopters, the first of them arriving in June 1966 and serving for more than five years. Their close support of the troops style of operation — usually under enemy fire — was risky and set the scene for numerous acts of heroism on the part of the crews. Six Iroquois were lost in action and 19 others damaged during the course of their time in Vietnam. No 2 Squadron’s Canberra bombers joined the fray in 1967. Technically obsolete, the Canberras in fact proved to be extremely effective and achieved much better results than the Americans with fewer aircraft, largely as a result of accurate bombing from very low altitudes. Vietnam operations cost the RAAF one crew and two Canberras.

The Raaf Today

Happily, the Vietnam War has been the most recent conflict in which the RAAF has been directly involved. There has been involvement with United Nations peacekeeping forces in various parts of the world including the Middle East and on the India-Pakistan border, but fortunately no shooting. Since the 1970s, the emphasis has shifted from overseas deployment to mainly Australian basing of the RAAF’s aircraft. And there have been new aircraft types introduced ~ the F-111s in 1973 (preceded by leased Phantoms as a fill-in), additional Orions and Hercules, Chinook heavy lift helicopters (which were withdrawn from service in 1989 as a result of budget cuts but returned to service in smaller numbers with the Army during 1995 after it became obvious their capability was sorely missed), Boeing 707 tanker/transports, Pilatus PC-9 turboprop advanced trainers, Sikorsky Black Hawk battlefield helicopters (now also operated by the Army) and the replacement for the Mirage fighter, the F/A-18 Hornet. The Hornet and PC-9 were both subject to local production with 75 and 67 delivered, respectively. Recent years have seen two significant changes to the RAAF’s role: the handing over of helicopter operations to the Army in 1989/90 and the allocation of initial flying training and screening to a civilian contractor in 1992. The issue of an independent Army Aviation Corps had long been a point of contention between it and the RAAF Full independence was in effect achieved in the late 1960s but the RAAF remained firmly in control of the battlefield helicopter fleet (Iroquois plus Chinook). This changed in 1986 when it was decided that battlefield helicopters should fly in Army rather than RAAF colours and that the latter’s Iroquois would be handed over. This occurred in late 1989/early 1990. Further, the Iroquois’ replacement, the Sikorsky Black Hawk, was also earmarked for Army service, although the RAAF operated it for a brief time before handing over. In addition, the RAAF’s Squirrel light helicopters went to the Army for service with the Australian Defence Force Helicopter School, while four refurbished and upgraded Chinook medium lift helicopters have returned to service carrying Army markings. The initial training and flight screening contract was awarded to the British

Aerospace/Ansett Flying College at Tamworth NSW in 1992. Intended to weed out the trainee pilots most likely to fail before they embarked on their expensive RAAF training programmes, the move coincided with the final months of service by the CT-4 Airtrainer piston engined basic trainer, and the winding down of flying training operations at Point Cook. The last CT-4s were withdrawn from service in early 1993 and auctioned to civilian buyers, while a point of irony is the fact that new pilots learning at the BAe/Ansett college also start their careers on CT-4s, albeit new production and civil registered examples. As the RAAF passes its 75th anniversary and enters the final years of the 20th century, other projects are in hand to ensure the force’s effectiveness into the next millennium. Major upgrade programmes for the P-3 Orion and F-111 fleets are underway, with the latter’s long term deployment ensured with the purchase of 15 ex USAF F-111Gs (formerly FB-111s), deliveries of which began in 1993. These ‘new’ F-111s will ensure that what is arguably the RAAF’s most effective and important combat aircraft will remain in service to possibly as late as 2020 by allowing the fleet to be rotated and thus spreading the hours flown between them. Meanwhile the RAAF’s transport fleet is set to be updated with the recent order of 12 Lockheed Martin C-130J-30s to replace 37 Squadron’s C-130Es. One important equipment purchase close to being finalised as the RAAF celebrates its 75th anniversary is the lead in trainer competition, which has come down to a choice between the British Aerospace Hawk 100, the Aermacchi MB-339FD and the Hawk’s American

development, the McDonnell Douglas T-45A Goshawk. Another procurement programme underway is a standoff missile for the F-111s and possibly the Hornets (the Rafael Popeye and Rockwell AGM-130 have been shortlisted) while development of the National Air Defence and Airspace Control System (NADACS) is continuing. When complete, this system will comprise elements from all three services and will also incorporate data from civil radar systems. A further re-equipment programme which should be decided not too long after the 75th anniversary is that for a tactical transport to replace the Caribou. The Alenia G222 and CASA-IPTN CN-235 appear to be the front runners, although the Caribou’s remarkable short and rough field performance makes it extremely difficult to effectively replace The result of all this is a modern, compact and efficient air arm charged with the job of “the air defence of Australia”. A major part of that efficiency comes from its past, a history of success, of heroism and worthwhile tradition.