151-806: The Air Board , also known as the Administrative Air Board , or the Air Board of Administration , was the controlling body of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from 1921 to 1976. It was composed of senior RAAF officers as well as some civilian members, and chaired by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). The CAS was the operational head of the Air Force, and the other board members were responsible for specific areas of
302-588: A Naval Board had controlled the armed services in Australia. The Chief of the Naval Staff , Rear Admiral Sir Percy Grant , objected to the AAC being under Army control, and argued that an air board should be formed to oversee the AAC and any permanent Australian air force. The Navy further proposed that the new air service include army and naval support wings , each controlled by their respective boards, leaving
453-608: A Royal Air Force officer, Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman , was brought out to Australia to become Chief of the Air Staff. He reorganised the RAAF into three commands: Home Command , Maintenance Command , and Training Command . Five years later, Home Command was renamed Operational Command , and Training Command and Maintenance Command were amalgamated to form Support Command . In the Malayan Emergency , from 1950 to 1960, six Avro Lincolns from No. 1 Squadron RAAF and
604-704: A Commander in Chief", ignoring the Air Board's role in controlling the RAAF. Henry Wrigley , AMP from 1940 to 1942, contended in a 1986 interview that Burnett had "never held a post in which he was a member of a corporate body like our Air Board or the Air Council in Britain ;... he was very prone to try and override members of the Air Board ;... And the duties and responsibilities of members of
755-1070: A bombing raid. The wreckage of the aircraft was recovered in April 2009, and the remains of the crew were found in late July 2009. The other was shot down by a surface-to-air missile , although both crew were rescued. They dropped 76,389 bombs and were credited with 786 enemy personnel confirmed killed and a further 3,390 estimated killed, 8,637 structures, 15,568 bunkers, 1,267 sampans and 74 bridges destroyed. RAAF transport aircraft also supported anti-communist ground forces. The UH-1 helicopters were used in many roles including medical evacuation and close air support. RAAF casualties in Vietnam included six killed in action, eight non-battle fatalities, 30 wounded in action and 30 injured. A small number of RAAF pilots also served in United States Air Force units, flying F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers or serving as forward air controllers. In September 1975,
906-537: A campaign to undermine the status of the Air Force. On Williams' departure, Goble was appointed acting CAS. On the eve of World War II, the RAAF comprised twelve flying squadrons, two aircraft depots, and a flying school, situated at five air bases in Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia , all directly administered and controlled through Air Force Headquarters in Melbourne. The Air Board consisted of
1057-640: A composite RAAF formation, No. 90 Wing , owing to the personal intervention of the CAS, Air Marshal Jones, who was mindful of repeating the experience of World War II, when RAAF units and personnel based in Britain had been absorbed by the RAF, rather than operating as a national group led by high-ranking Australian officers. He informed the British Air Ministry of this requirement—without consulting
1208-643: A flight of Douglas Dakotas from No. 38 Squadron RAAF took part in operations against the communist guerrillas (labelled as "Communist Terrorists" by the British authorities) as part of the RAF Far East Air Force . The Dakotas were used on cargo runs, in troop movement and in paratrooper and leaflet drops within Malaya. The Lincolns, operating from bases in Singapore and from Kuala Lumpur, formed
1359-655: A further consequence of Tange's plan, in 1976 the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs were given individual responsibility to command their respective services, under the direction of the newly inaugurated Chief of the Defence Force Staff . This made the service boards redundant. The Air Board held its final meeting on 30 January 1976, and was dissolved on 9 February, along with the Military and Naval Boards. The incumbent CAS, Air Marshal James Rowland , became
1510-756: A group of 44 civilians, including armed supporters of the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT), commandeered an RAAF Caribou, A4-140 , on the ground at Baucau Airport in the then Portuguese Timor , which was in the middle of a civil war. The Caribou had landed at Baucau on a humanitarian mission for the International Committee of the Red Cross . The civilians demanded that the RAAF crew members fly them to Darwin Airport (also RAAF Base Darwin ) in Australia, which they did. After
1661-427: A high-level government official, could devote "an inordinate amount of meeting time" to administrative minutiae, rather than concentrating on higher policy, major purchases, or operational aspects. Stephens contrasted this situation with the board's achievements in more substantial matters, such as the "educational revolution" it oversaw between 1945 and 1953, when programs such as RAAF College , RAAF Staff College , and
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#17327807757751812-585: A letter from Mary Bell , wife of an RAAF officer, regarding a women's auxiliary in November 1939 but took no action at the time. In June 1940, Burnett invited Bell to produce a proposal for the women's service. Wrigley recalled that Burnett wanted his elder daughter, a veteran of Britain's Women's Auxiliary Air Force , to take charge of the WAAAF. As AMP, with responsibility for the new branch, Wrigley told Burnett that there had already been "enough public outcry" over
1963-436: A low altitude of 500 feet (150 metres). This list includes aircraft on order or a requirement which has been identified: Deputy Chief of Air Force (Australia) Deputy Chief of Air Force (DCAF) is the second most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Air Force , responsible to the Chief of Air Force (CAF). Before 1997 the position was entitled Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS). The rank associated with
2114-466: A new Department of Defence and the board again reported to the Minister for Defence. The Air Board's composition changed several times over the years; the only constant, from October 1922, was the position of CAS. According to Air Force regulations, the board was collectively responsible for administering the RAAF, not the CAS alone. In February 1976, along with the other service boards, the Air Board
2265-610: A non-Australian being named CAS, and there would be "a further public outcry" if anyone other than an Australian was appointed WAAAF Director. Instead, Wrigley selected a Sydney-based corporate executive, Clare Stevenson . RAAF forces in the Middle East and Europe were fully integrated into the RAF chain of command. In contrast to the Canadians, who attempted to gain a place on Britain's Air Council and were able to establish No. 6 Group RCAF as part of RAF Bomber Command ,
2416-472: A post-war RAAF reserve contingent, including CAF squadrons for home defence so that permanent forces were able to deploy overseas as necessary. From September 1950 to January 1961, the Air Board was augmented by a CAF Member. Wackett sought to establish technical services as a distinct department within the RAAF, rather than forming part of the Supply Branch as in previous years. In March 1946 he gained
2567-565: A proposal by Goble at the first board meeting, held over at the time but subsequently approved, upon its formation the Air Force adopted the RAF's rank structure. The board's three officers, along with their staff of ten, were based at the newly raised Air Force Headquarters co-located with the Department of Defence at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne . In July 1921, the Air Board recommended engaging Australian Aircraft & Engineering to manufacture six Avro 504 trainers, as much to encourage
2718-707: A short illness in February 1951, and Hewitt took over as AMSE. Despite the major reductions in personnel and equipment in the immediate post-war period, the Air Force was soon committed to a series of overseas ventures in concert with its Cold War allies. In March 1946, No. 81 (Fighter) Wing deployed to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Air Group (BCAIR), the air component of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force . No. 81 Wing's commander
2869-605: A significant increase in manpower and units, the Air Board decided to decentralise command and control of the RAAF. Goble proposed in January 1940 to organise the Air Force along functional lines with Home Defence, Training, and Maintenance Commands, as well as an Overseas Command. The Air Board supported the plan but the Australian government chose not to implement it. Goble was replaced in February 1940 by Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett , RAF, who focused on rapidly expanding
3020-553: A single E-7A Wedgetail . This aircraft, and the associated 100 personnel - mainly from 2 Squadron , would operate from Ramstein Air Base for a six month deployment under Operation Kudu. The stated objective of the deployment was to "help ensure that vital support flowing to Ukraine by the international community is protected." Trainer aircraft As of June 2018, the RAAF had 14,313 permanent full-time personnel and 5,499 part-time active reserve personnel. The RAAF established
3171-563: A single commander senior to both Jones and Bostock, a move supported by the Commander-in-Chief Australian Military Forces, General Blamey, who noted that a similar arrangement was already in place for the Army, but this never eventuated. Meanwhile the Air Board, with the approval of the Minister for Air, Arthur Drakeford , ordered that Bostock be removed from RAAF Command and replaced with Air Commodore Joe Hewitt . Prime Minister John Curtin vetoed
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#17327807757753322-549: A small part of the operation, the RAAF contribution was significant, flying 2,062 sorties and carrying 7,030 tons of freight and 6,964 passengers. In the Korean War , from 1950 to 1953, North American Mustangs from No. 77 Squadron RAAF , stationed in Japan with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force , were among the first United Nations aircraft to be deployed, in ground support, combat air patrol, and escort missions. When
3473-475: A source of irregularities owing to the many temporary and acting promotions granted during the war; this left several officers of senior rank demoted as many as three levels, such as group captain to flight lieutenant , in the first post-war List released in June 1947. Despite acknowledging that the employment of women in the Air Force was an important factor in reducing "antagonism and prejudice" against them in
3624-462: A spectrum of operations such as air superiority, precision strikes, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, air mobility, space surveillance , and humanitarian support. The RAAF has 252 aircraft, of which 84 are combat aircraft. The RAAF traces its history back to the 1911 Imperial Conference that was held in London, where it was decided aviation should be developed within the armed forces of
3775-666: A statement by Australian Prime Minister Joseph Lyons , "the Air Board cannot be absolved from blame for these conditions and ... the main responsibility rests on the Chief of the Air Staff". In what became a public slanging match with the government, the Air Board questioned Ellington's use of statistics to compare the safety record of the RAAF with the RAF's. Goble, who as AMP since January 1938 might have been considered responsible for safety standards, maintained that Williams had personally overseen air training since 1934. Williams believed that Generals Sir Harry Chauvel and Sir Brudenell White had influenced Ellington's thinking as part of
3926-605: A total of 216,900 men and women served in the RAAF, of whom 10,562 were killed in action; a total of 76 squadrons were formed. With over 152,000 personnel operating nearly 6,000 aircraft it was the world's fourth-largest air force. During the Berlin Airlift , in 1948–49, the RAAF Squadron Berlin Air Lift aided the international effort to fly in supplies to the stricken city; two RAF Avro York aircraft were also crewed by RAAF personnel. Although
4077-778: Is commanded by the Chief of Air Force (CAF), who is subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). The CAF is also directly responsible to the Minister for Defence , with the Department of Defence administering the ADF and the Air Force. Formed in March 1921, as the Australian Air Force , through the separation of the Australian Air Corps from the Army in January 1920, which in turn amalgamated
4228-752: Is now north-east New Guinea . However, these colonies surrendered quickly, before the planes were even unpacked. The first operational flights did not occur until 27 May 1915, when the Mesopotamian Half Flight was called upon to assist the Indian Army in providing air support during the Mesopotamian Campaign against the Ottoman Empire , in what is now Iraq . The corps later saw action in Egypt , Palestine and on
4379-531: The AN/TPS-77 radar assigned the responsibility to co-ordinate coalition air operations. A detachment of IAI Heron unmanned aerial vehicles has been deployed in Afghanistan since January 2010. In late September 2014, an Air Task Group consisting of up to eight F/A-18F Super Hornets , a KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft and 400 personnel
4530-754: The Australian Army until 1919, when it was disbanded along with the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Although the Central Flying School continued to operate at Point Cook, military flying virtually ceased until 1920, when the interim Australian Air Corps (AAC), with a wing each for the Army and the Navy, was formed as a unit of the Army. The AAC was succeeded by the Australian Air Force which
4681-583: The Battle of Milne Bay . As a response to a possible Japanese chemical warfare threat the RAAF imported hundreds of thousands of chemical weapons into Australia. In the Battle of the Bismarck Sea , imported Bristol Beaufighters proved to be highly effective ground attack and maritime strike aircraft. Beaufighters were later made locally by the DAP from 1944. Although it was much bigger than Japanese fighters,
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4832-595: The Berlin Airlift , Korean War , Malayan Emergency , Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation , Vietnam War , and more recently, operations in East Timor , the Iraq War and subsequent intervention, and the War in Afghanistan . The RAAF operates the majority of the ADF's fixed wing aircraft, although both the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy also operate aircraft in various roles. The RAAF provides support across
4983-580: The Brewster Buffalo , and Lockheed Hudsons , the Australian squadrons suffered heavily against Japanese Zeros. During the fighting for Rabaul in early 1942, No. 24 Squadron RAAF fought a brief, but ultimately futile defence as the Japanese advanced south towards Australia. The devastating air raids on Darwin on 19 February 1942 increased concerns about the direct threat facing Australia. In response, some RAAF squadrons were transferred from
5134-673: The British Empire . Australia implemented this decision, the first dominion to do so, by approving the establishment of the "Australian Aviation Corps". This initially consisted of the Central Flying School at Point Cook, Victoria , opening on 22 October 1912. By 1914 the corps was known as the "Australian Flying Corps". Soon after the outbreak of war in 1914, the Australian Flying Corps sent aircraft to assist in capturing German colonies in what
5285-424: The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Member for Personnel (AMP), Air Member for Technical Services (AMTS), Air Member for Supply and Equipment (AMSE), and Secretary of the Department of Air . The board essentially retained this form until its dissolution in 1976. The CAS was responsible for the operational side of the RAAF, from policy and plans to overall combat command. As chairman of the Air Board, he controlled
5436-597: The Department of Supply , and the central Department of Defence to be riven with "tribalism and entrenched attitudes", and the service boards, each reporting to their own minister, to be "laws unto themselves". The Air Board became responsible to the Minister for Defence, and the civilian member of the Air Board, the Secretary of Air, became the Special Deputy of the Permanent Head, Defence (Air Office). As
5587-684: The North American NA-33 trainer as the CAC Wirraway ; the British government vigorously opposed the choice of a US design but the Australian government stuck by the decision. In February 1939, Williams was dismissed from his position as CAS and posted to the UK following publication of a report by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Edward Ellington that criticised air safety in the RAAF. According to
5738-720: The Pacific War —and the rapid advance of Japanese forces—threatened the Australian mainland for the first time in its history. The RAAF was quite unprepared for the emergency, and initially had negligible forces available for service in the Pacific. In 1941 and early 1942, many RAAF airmen, including Nos. 1, 8, 21 and 453 Squadrons , saw action with the RAF Far East Command in the Malayan , Singapore and Dutch East Indies campaigns . Equipped with aircraft such as
5889-620: The Royal Australian Navy by Captain Wilfred Nunn and Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Goble , a former member of Britain's Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) then seconded to the Navy Office . Williams was given responsibility for administering the AAC on behalf of the board. The permanent Air Board was instituted on 9 November 1920 to oversee the day-to-day running of the proposed Australian Air Force that would succeed
6040-740: The Southern Cross over the RAF roundel . After the Air Council requested the opinion of the British Air Ministry , the RAF's Chief of the Air Staff , Sir Hugh Trenchard , expressed a desire to see all Dominion air forces employ the RAF ensign. The Air Council concurred, and the Air Force did not adopt a uniquely Australian ensign that included the Southern Cross until 1948. The AAF pursued its own course in relation to
6191-402: The Vietnam War , from 1964 to 1972, the RAAF contributed Caribou STOL transport aircraft as part of the RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam, later redesignated No. 35 Squadron RAAF , UH-1 Iroquois helicopters from No. 9 Squadron RAAF , and English Electric Canberra bombers from No. 2 Squadron RAAF . The Canberras flew 11,963 bombing sorties , and two aircraft were lost. One went missing during
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6342-701: The Vietnam War , the RAAF fighters became responsible for protection of the American assets, in effect subjecting them to USAF tasking, despite the Air Board's ostensible authority. Between 1965 and 1967, the Australian government committed three Air Force units for service in Vietnam : RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam (later No. 35 Squadron ), operating DHC-4 Caribou transports; No. 9 Squadron , operating UH-1 Iroquois helicopters; and No. 2 Squadron , operating English Electric Canberra bombers. The Air Board selected Air Commodore Jack Dowling as deputy commander of Australian Forces Vietnam (AFV) and Group Captain Peter Raw as RAAF task force commander, choices
6493-511: The Western Front throughout the remainder of the First World War. By the end of the war, four squadrons— Nos. 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 —had seen operational service, while another four training squadrons— Nos. 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 —had also been established. A total of 460 officers and 2,234 other ranks served in the AFC, whilst another 200 men served as aircrew in the British flying services. Casualties included 175 dead, 111 wounded, 6 gassed and 40 captured. The Australian Flying Corps remained part of
6644-426: The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) in March 1941, which then became the Women's Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF) in 1951. The service merged with the RAAF in 1977; however, all women in the Australian military were barred from combat-related roles until 1990. Women have been eligible for flying roles in the RAAF since 1987, with the RAAF's first women pilots awarded their "wings" in 1988. In 2016,
6795-403: The invasion of the Japanese mainland , along with some of the RAAF bomber squadrons in Europe, which were to be grouped together with British and Canadian squadrons as part of the proposed Tiger Force . However, the war was brought to a sudden end by the US nuclear attacks on Japan. The RAAF's casualties in the Pacific were around 2,000 killed, wounded or captured. By the time the war ended,
6946-423: The northern hemisphere —although a substantial number remained there until the end of the war. Shortages of fighter and ground attack planes led to the acquisition of US-built Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks and the rapid design and manufacture of the first Australian fighter, the CAC Boomerang . RAAF Kittyhawks came to play a crucial role in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands campaigns, especially in operations like
7097-422: The official history of Australia in the war , air officers commanding the headquarters could only attempt to "retard the centrifugal forces affecting Australian disposition, and repair the worst administrative difficulties arising from wide dispersion". Supporting General Douglas MacArthur 's "island-hopping" campaign in the Pacific demanded an airfield construction capability that the Air Force did not possess at
7248-428: The "A series" of aircraft numbering: "A" (for Australia), then a figure designating the model, and then the individual aircraft's three-digit identifier. Williams submitted proposals for the creation of a reserve force to the Air Council in November, and these were approved, although it was not until March 1925 that the Air Board announced that the first Citizen Air Force (CAF) squadrons were to be formed. In August 1926
7399-534: The AAC from 22 November. The Air Board's first official meeting, which took place on 22 December 1920, prepared the groundwork for the new air service. Williams proposed among other things an organisation consisting of seven squadrons —two for air defence, two for army cooperation, and three for naval cooperation—as well as a flying training school, a recruit depot, a stores depot, a liaison office in London , an overarching headquarters, and two wing headquarters. The Air Council approved these plans in principle
7550-504: The AAC, had used the Army's rank structure. In November 1920 it was decided by the Air Board that the RAAF would adopt the structure adopted by the RAF the previous year. As a result, the RAAF's rank structure came to be: Aircraftman, Leading Aircraftman, Corporal, Sergeant, Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer, Officer Cadet, Pilot Officer, Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader, Wing Commander, Group Captain, Air Commodore, Air Vice-Marshal, Air Marshal, Air Chief Marshal, and Marshal of
7701-445: The AFC and Australia's senior airman, was the Army's choice, and Goble, the RNAS veteran, was the Navy's. A superior policy-making and budgetary control body, the Air Council, was formed the same day as the Air Board and consisted of the Minister for Defence , the Chief of the General Staff , the Chief of the Naval Staff, the Controller of Civil Aviation, and two members of the Air Board (Williams and Goble). This arrangement ensured that
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#17327807757757852-485: The Air Board considered the findings of a Defence working party reviewing conditions for women in the armed services. As a result, the board decreed that a common rank structure should apply in the RAAF and the WRAAF, and that WRAAF members should have the same powers of command and discipline over male as well as female air force personnel; previously WRAAF members (and WAAAF members during World War II) had powers of command only over other servicewomen. The board also expanded
8003-453: The Air Board was reorganised to comprise the CAS, AMP, Air Member for Organisation and Equipment (AMOE), Director-General of Supply and Production (DGSP), and FM; a Business Member (BM) was added in December. Like the FM, DGSP and BM were civilian positions. DGSP superseded the position of AMS. Williams, promoted to acting air marshal, was recalled from Britain to take up the position of AMOE. According to Williams, Burnett acted "as though he were
8154-423: The Air Board were definitely laid down in the Air Force regulations ..." Burnett did gain credit for pushing for the establishment of the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF), formed in March 1941 as the first uniformed women's branch of an armed service in the country. He did so in the face of opposition from within the RAAF, as well as from both sides of Federal politics. The Air Board had considered
8305-438: The Air Board's "collective wisdom" had been generally beneficial to the RAAF, and believed the new arrangements led to " 'paralysis and arrogation of decision making', and empire building in the Public Service component". Conversely, Rowland's successor as CAS, Air Marshal Sir Neville McNamara , endorsed the demise of the Air Board, finding that it had, in Stephens' words, "tended to perpetuate Branch enmities and divisions within
8456-483: The Air Board's approval for a Technical Branch, which was formed under his leadership in September 1948. This led to a separate listing of engineering personnel, as opposed to the earlier Technical List subgroup under the General Duties Branch. Wackett was disappointed by the limits imposed by the Air Board on career advancement for his personnel: the General Duties Branch in the late 1940s was permitted to maintain thirty-seven officer positions of group captain and above, but
8607-406: The Air Board, from April 1921 Williams was known as First Air Member, the fledgling Air Force initially not being deemed suitable for a chief of staff appointment equivalent to the Army and Navy. Often referred to as the "Father of the RAAF", Williams became the first Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) in October 1922. At the same time, as a cost-cutting measure, the Air Board was reduced to three members:
8758-447: The Air Force had provided all-through training for 18,000 technical staff, and further education for 35,000 more schooled initially outside the service. Following the end of the Pacific War in August 1945, SWPA was dissolved and the Air Board regained full control of all its operational formations. The board was once more the final authority for RAAF matters, exercising control through Air Force Headquarters. The Air Board's prime task in
8909-417: The Air Force to the Army. The RAAF underwent major organisational change under Jones' replacement as CAS, Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman , RAF, between October 1953 and February 1954, when it transitioned from the wartime area command structure to a functional control system. This resulted in the establishment of Home (operational), Training , and Maintenance Commands . Some on the Air Board were unsure of
9060-419: The Air Force". Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia , a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army . Constitutionally the Governor-General of Australia is the de jure Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal Australian Air Force
9211-459: The Australian government did not press for control of its own assets in the air war against Germany. The Air Board established RAAF Overseas Headquarters , London, in December 1941, to look after the interests of aircrew stationed in Europe and the Middle East, but the headquarters had little influence on the deployment of Australian personnel, who were subject to RAF policy and strategy even when they belonged to ostensibly RAAF squadrons. According to
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#17327807757759362-442: The Australian government—and the Air Ministry acceded. RAAF squadrons in the Korean War were also grouped into a composite formation, No. 91 Wing . The Gloster Meteor jets flown in Korea were the first type in Australian service to be fitted with ejector seats ; the Air Board soon ordered their employment in all high-performance RAAF aircraft. The RAAF had sought swept-wing North American F-86 Sabres for Korea in preference to
9513-621: The Beaufighter had the speed to outrun them. The RAAF operated a number of Consolidated PBY Catalina as long-range bombers and scouts. The RAAF's heavy bomber force was predominantly made up of 287 B-24 Liberators , equipping seven squadrons, which could bomb Japanese targets as far away as Borneo and the Philippines from airfields in Australia and New Guinea. By late 1945, the RAAF had received or ordered about 500 P-51 Mustangs , for fighter/ground attack purposes. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation initially assembled US-made Mustangs, but later manufactured most of those used. By mid-1945,
9664-402: The CAS role was intended to be "first among equals", decisions being arrived at collectively and members able to submit dissenting opinions to the Minister for Defence, but Williams dominated the board to such an extent that in 1939 Goble complained that his colleague appeared to consider the Air Force his personal command. Nor did the Air Council exercise any control over the board from 1925, when
9815-451: The CAS, AMP, AMS, and FM. Each of these members was responsible for their own branches within the RAAF, and each branch consisted of several directorates. Officer staff across all board members' branches at Air Force Headquarters numbered thirty-eight. In October 1939, following the outbreak of war , and without consulting the Air Board, the Australian government agreed to participate in the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS). The next month,
9966-511: The CAS, the Chief of the Administrative Staff, and the FM. The CAS continued to be known alternatively as First Air Member, and the Chief of the Administrative Staff—Air Member for Personnel (AMP) after 1927—as Second Air Member, for most of the decade. Goble took over as CAS from Williams in December 1922, and for the next seventeen years the pair alternated in the position, an arrangement that "almost inevitably fostered an unproductive rivalry" according to Alan Stephens. Under Air Force regulations,
10117-422: The Caribou arrived there, the Australian government detained the civilians for a short period, and then granted refugee visas to all of them. The Guardian later described A4-140 as "the only RAAF plane ever hijacked", and the incident as "one of the more remarkable stories in Australia's military and immigration history". Military airlifts were conducted for a number of purposes in subsequent decades, such as
10268-480: The Engineering Branch in 1966. In the immediate post-war period, the Air Board was responsible for determining which of its aircraft and other equipment was surplus to requirements. The official post-war history notes that this included such things as "ten kilometres of fur fabric (used to line flying suits), three hundred kilometres of hessian, four hundred kilometres of canvas, 53,539 mosquito nets, 3,800,000 razor blades and 20,711 pairs of corsets". As AMSE, Mackinolty
10419-408: The Flying Females Mentoring Network. Men and women are required to undergo the same basic fitness tests to become a pilot; however the standards are lower for females. For some roles, the requirement cannot be adjusted for safety reasons. The rank structure of the nascent RAAF was established to ensure that the service remained separate from the Army and Navy. The service's predecessors, the AFC and
10570-477: The Persian Gulf and North Arabian Sea in support of Coalition warships and boarding parties, as well as conducting extensive overland flights of Iraq and Afghanistan on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and supporting counter-piracy operations in Somalia. From 2007 to 2009, a detachment of No. 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit RAAF was on active service at Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan . Approximately 75 personnel deployed with
10721-421: The RAAF apprentice scheme were introduced. The remnants of the wartime Australian Flying Corps (AFC) were disbanded in December 1919 and succeeded the next month by the Australian Air Corps (AAC), which was, like the AFC, part of the Australian Army . The AAC was an interim organisation intended to remain in place until the establishment of a permanent Australian air service. Since 1905, a Military Board and
10872-545: The RAAF provided helicopter support for Australian troops during the Battle of Long Tan in August 1966 in spite of these directives. Although the RAAF Iroquois established a high level of safety and efficiency after their teething issues, the early problems remained in the forefront of Army thinking, and probably contributed to the Australian government's decision in 1986 to transfer control of battlefield helicopters from
11023-427: The RAAF roundel was proposed, including the Southern Cross , a boomerang , a sprig of wattle , and a red kangaroo . On 2 July 1956, the current version of the roundel was formally adopted. This consists of a white inner circle with a red kangaroo surrounded by a royal blue circle. The kangaroo faces left, except when used on aircraft or vehicles, when the kangaroo should always face forward. Low visibility versions of
11174-416: The RAAF to meet the needs of EATS and believed that Australia's huge land mass would make a functional command system unwieldy. He reorganised the Air Force into a geographically based "area" system . The air officer commanding (AOC) each area was delegated operational and administrative authority within their sphere of responsibility, while the CAS and Air Board determined high-level policy. In March 1940,
11325-426: The RAAF was in danger of losing some of its best staff through rapid, unplanned demobilisation, and recommended it stabilise the workforce for two years at 20,000 while it reviewed post-war requirements. Although the Air Board supported Hewitt's proposal, government cost-cutting resulted in the strength of this "Interim Air Force" being reduced more quickly than planned, to around 13,000 by October 1946 and under 8,000 by
11476-456: The RAAF's fiftieth anniversary, which included several air displays, a commemorative book, and the commissioning of an Air Force Memorial in Canberra. The board also decided to do away with the RAAF's dark-blue winter and khaki summer uniforms in favour of an all-purpose blue-grey suit. This proved unpopular and Williams' original winter uniform design was reintroduced in 2000. In October 1975,
11627-553: The RAAF's formation aerobatic display team. They perform around Australia and Southeast Asia, and are part of the RAAF Central Flying School (CFS) based at RAAF Base East Sale , Victoria. The Roulettes operate the Pilatus PC-21 and formations for shows are a group of six aircraft. The pilots learn many formations including loops, rolls, corkscrews and ripple rolls. Most of the performances are done at
11778-619: The RAAF's highest authority. Finding the roles of the board, the headquarters and the department to be blurred, he directed that Air Force Headquarters be absorbed by the Department of Air, through which the Air Board would now control its assets. In 1954, the position of FM was supplanted by the Secretary of the Department of Air. The functional commands were revised in 1959. The board approved renaming Home Command to Operational Command, and merging Training and Maintenance Commands into Support Command . The Air Board reiterated that policies were
11929-569: The RAAF's main operational formation in the Pacific, the First Tactical Air Force (1st TAF), consisted of over 21,000 personnel, while the RAAF as a whole consisted of about 50 squadrons and 6,000 aircraft, of which over 3,000 were operational. The 1st TAF's final campaigns were fought in support of Australian ground forces in Borneo , but had the war continued some of its personnel and equipment would likely have been allocated to
12080-512: The RAAF's operational commander in the SWPA, but administrative authority was still in the hands of the Air Board and the CAS, Air Vice-Marshal George Jones , who had taken over from Burnett in May 1942. The division of operational and administrative command was the source of acute personal tension between Jones, who though de jure head of the RAAF had no say in its operational tasking, and Bostock, who
12231-634: The RAAF. In 1922, the colour of the RAAF winter uniform was determined by Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams on a visit to the Geelong Wool Mill. He asked for one dye dip fewer than the RAN blue (three indigo dips rather than four). There was a change to a lighter blue-grey when an all-seasons uniform was introduced in 1972 by Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Colin Hannah. The original colour and style were re-adopted from 1 January 2000 under direction from
12382-735: The Second World War. About nine percent of the personnel who served under British RAF commands in Europe and the Mediterranean were RAAF personnel. With British manufacturing targeted by the German Luftwaffe , in 1941 the Australian government created the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP; later known as the Government Aircraft Factories ) to supply Commonwealth air forces, and the RAAF
12533-570: The Technical Branch was only allowed fourteen such slots, even though both departments had an almost identical overall strength of just under 400 staff; the anomaly led Wackett to submit a dissenting report on the subject to the Air Board. In October 1949, Wackett's title was changed from Air Member for Equipment and Maintenance to Air Member for Technical Services (AMTS). The board renamed the Technical Services Branch
12684-940: The UN planes were confronted by North Korean Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighters, 77 Sqn acquired Gloster Meteors , however the MiGs remained superior and the Meteors were relegated to ground support missions as the North Koreans gained experience. The air force also operated transport aircraft during the conflict. No. 77 Squadron flew 18,872 sorties, claiming the destruction of 3,700 buildings, 1,408 vehicles, 16 bridges, 98 railway carriages and an unknown number of enemy personnel. Three MiG-15s were confirmed destroyed, and two others probably destroyed. RAAF casualties included 41 killed and seven captured; 66 aircraft – 22 Mustangs and 44 Meteors – were lost. In July 1952, No. 78 Wing RAAF
12835-412: The agency's meetings, agenda, and minutes. According to Air Force regulations, the Air Board as a body was charged with running the RAAF; this power was not invested in the CAS alone. In practice, the CAS's operational and administrative responsibilities allowed him to exert a significant influence. Generally though, decisions were arrived at through collective discussion and consensus; each board member had
12986-465: The air board in direct charge of training only. The Army rejected this notion on the grounds that it recreated the divisions in Britain's wartime air services that were only resolved with the creation of the Royal Air Force (RAF). A temporary air board first met on 29 January 1920, the Army being represented by Brigadier General Thomas Blamey and Lieutenant Colonel Richard Williams , and
13137-483: The air force used the red, white and blue roundel of the RAF. However, during the Second World War the inner red circle, which was visually similar to the Japanese hinomaru , was removed after a No. 11 Squadron Catalina was mistaken for a Japanese aircraft and attacked by a Grumman Wildcat of VMF-212 of the United States Marine Corps on 27 June 1942. After the war, a range of options for
13288-472: The already operational North American A-5 Vigilante as the simplest way to satisfy the requirement. The Air Board and the Minister for Air, David Fairbairn , endorsed Hancock's recommendation but Cabinet over-ruled them and the Minister for Defence, Athol Townley , negotiated a deal for twenty-four F-111s without consulting Hancock or the Air Board; Menzies announced the decision in October. In September 1966
13439-459: The backbone of the air war against the CTs, conducting bombing missions against their jungle bases. Although results were often difficult to assess, they allowed the government to harass CT forces, attack their base camps when identified and keep them on the move. Later, in 1958, Canberra bombers from No. 2 Squadron RAAF were deployed to Malaya and took part in bombing missions against the CTs. During
13590-526: The badge is a wedge-tailed eagle . Per Ardua Ad Astra is attributed with the meaning "Through Adversity to the Stars" and is from Sir Henry Rider Haggard's novel The People of the Mist . The "Eagles of Australia" is the official march of the RAAF and is played as a quick march when the RAAF bands perform public duties in the capital. Composed by the RAAF's Director of Music, Squadron Leader Ron Mitchell (who
13741-491: The board comprised the Director of Intelligence and Organisation, Director of Personnel and Training, Director of Equipment, and Finance Member. Its purview included the Air Force's organisation and dispersal, allocation of aircraft to meet Army and Navy requirements, selection of air bases and buildings, development of training programs and schools, and recruitment. The agency's composition evolved until, in 1954, it included
13892-473: The board considered an array of names—many of them Aboriginal in origin—for the new bomber, eventually deciding that "F-111" ("F-one-eleven") alone had "a certain amount of appeal, enhanced to a good extent by usage". Much of the board's time over the following years was occupied with issues of structural fatigue and losses of USAF aircraft that delayed the F-111's introduction to Australian service until 1973. In
14043-444: The board for finance, administration, and direction of civilian support staff. The minister of the department could choose to chair meetings and was expected to sign off on all decisions made by the board. This sometimes involved the minister in mundane matters, such as the acquisition of furniture and foodstuffs. Historian Alan Stephens observed that the board itself, despite consisting of an air marshal , three air vice-marshals , and
14194-488: The board ordered the introduction of parachutes to RAAF aircraft. Having inherited World War I-era Imperial Gift aircraft on the RAAF's formation, the Air Board ordered Australia's first modern fighter, the Bristol Bulldog , in January 1929. Later that year, the board requested permission from the British government to use the RAF motto Per ardua ad astra for the RAAF, and this was granted. As senior officer on
14345-589: The board took responsibility for helicopter acquisition. This led to the order in 1946 of a Sikorsky S-51 for rescue and emergency work, but the board also began investigating the helicopter's potential for air-land and air-sea warfare. The Air Board reviewed the findings of the inquiry by Justice John Vincent Barry into the " Morotai Mutiny " of April 1945, when senior pilots of the Australian First Tactical Air Force (No. 1 TAF) attempted to resign their commissions to protest
14496-508: The board was again reorganised: the offices of AMOE and DGSP were dissolved and replaced by those of the Air Member for Supply and Equipment (AMSE) and Air Member for Engineering and Maintenance (AMEM) to focus on the two key logistical functions of supply and engineering, respectively. In June, Air Commodore Mackinolty became the inaugural AMSE and Air Commodore Ellis Wackett the inaugural AMEM. Author Norman Ashworth observed that splitting
14647-552: The colour of its uniform, Williams choosing a unique shade of dark blue in contrast to the blue-grey of the RAF. The Air Council had sought approval from The Crown to use the adjective "Royal" for the AAF before it formed in March; this was granted in May and took effect when the necessary order by the Governor-General was promulgated on 13 August. The same month, the Air Board approved Squadron Leader McBain's proposal for
14798-456: The council ceased meeting. The Air Council was formally dissolved in 1929, making the Air Board equivalent to the Military and Naval Boards under the Minister for Defence. The same year, a new position on the Air Board, Air Member for Supply (AMS), was created. Neither officer who filled this position over the next decade, Bill Anderson and Adrian Cole , had logistics training, and the official post-war history concluded that they relied heavily on
14949-405: The council's dissolution in 1929 the Air Board had equal status with the other service boards, reporting directly to the Minister for Defence . In 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II , the Department of Defence was split and the Air Board came under the purview of the newly created Department of Air , headed by the Minister for Air . In 1973 the service departments merged into
15100-551: The decision on the grounds that such changes in higher command required agreement from the Americans; MacArthur and Kenney subsequently made clear that they did not consider Hewitt "an adequate replacement" for Bostock. In June that year the Air Board initiated inquiries with the Americans regarding helicopter development; following meetings between Jones and the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General John Northcott ,
15251-556: The direction of the USAF as part of the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing . The Iroquois were controlled by the 1st Australian Task Force . The official post-war history described No. 9 Squadron's first three months in Vietnam as "an inter-service disaster" owing to the unit's lack of readiness. Air Board directives, "framed for peacetime flying" according to David Horner , initially precluded the Iroquois from operating in hostile conditions;
15402-956: The director of Rolls-Royce , who recommended using the Avon engine instead, and White subsequently agreed to procure what became the CAC Sabre . When No. 78 (Fighter) Wing deployed to Malta to help garrison the Middle East during 1952–1954, it was under the operational control of the RAF rather than the Air Board, but the British Air Council undertook to inform the board of any plans for combat missions except in emergencies. The Air Board maintained full operational control of No. 79 Squadron when it deployed with Sabres to Ubon , Thailand, under SEATO arrangements in 1962. After United States Air Force (USAF) strike aircraft took up residence at Ubon in 1965 as part of operations in
15553-400: The efficacy of a functional command system given the breadth of the country and the relatively small size of the RAAF, but Hardman had the support of the Minister for Air, William McMahon , and the board eventually ratified the structural changes. Hardman had also observed that the terms "Air Board" and "Air Force Headquarters" (whose staff numbered over 1,300) were used synonymously to describe
15704-481: The end of 1948. With the government's concurrence, the Air Board arranged the summary dismissal of many high-ranking officers including Williams, Goble, and Bostock despite their being well below the mandatory retirement age; they were susceptible to such treatment in part because they were not on the board. Hewitt and the board also rationalised the Air Force List of officers and their seniority that had become
15855-426: The extant AAC. The board's members consisted of Williams as Director of Intelligence and Organisation, Goble as Director of Personnel and Training, Captain (later Squadron Leader) Percy McBain as Director of Equipment, and Albert Joyce as Finance Member (FM). The selection of Williams and Goble was a compromise between the competing interests of the Army and Navy for control of Australia's air arm: Williams, formerly of
16006-526: The fight for an independent air force, received much of the credit for seeing off these threats of merger. Only after 1932, Williams contended, was the position of the RAAF as a separate entity assured. Senior RAAF officers recognised the value of assistance to the civil community in terms of training and public relations, and in the 1920s and 1930s the Air Board authorised participation in a series of photographic surveys, meteorological flights, search-and-rescue missions, aerobatic displays, and air races. The board
16157-687: The first officer to personally command the RAAF in a legal sense. A new Chief of the Air Staff Advisory Committee (CASAC) was set up to develop policy and oversee administration, but there was no requirement for the CAS to accept its advice. Chaired by the CAS, CASAC comprised the Deputy CAS, the Chief of Air Force Plans, the Chief of Air Force Manpower, the Chief of Technical Services, and the Director-General of Supply. According to Alan Stephens, Rowland considered that
16308-461: The government reorganised the Department of Defence into four ministries: the Department of Defence Coordination, headed by Prime Minister Robert Menzies , and the Departments of Air , Army and Navy , each with their own minister ; the Air Board became responsible to the Minister for Air . The board's FM, Melville Langslow, was appointed Secretary of the Department of Air. In anticipation of
16459-493: The heads of their respective branches within the Air Force and had delegated authority to administer those branches. Other officers such as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff might attend meetings, but were not members of the board. The departmental secretary was a senior public servant, the permanent head of the Department of Air from 1939 to 1973 and afterwards a deputy secretary of the Department of Defence , responsible to
16610-443: The immediate post-war period was transforming what was by some accounts the world's fourth-largest air force, numbering approximately 173,000 personnel, into a far smaller peacetime organisation. Much of the responsibility devolved to Hewitt as AMP. The board had wanted a force of thirty-four squadrons and around 34,500 personnel but in January 1946 was instructed by the Australian government to reduce strength to 20,000. Hewitt believed
16761-522: The interim, the Air Board supported a proposal by the Minister for Defence, Malcolm Fraser , to lease twenty-four McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantoms ; the board felt constrained to reiterate its ongoing commitment to the F-111, issuing a statement that the aircraft would "meet the RAAF operational requirement more effectively than the F-4E by a decisive margin". In 1971 the Air Board presided over celebrations for
16912-539: The local aircraft industry as for any practical purpose given the AAF already had many of the type, and the Air Council agreed. The same month, the Air Board selected Richmond , near Sydney , as the site for the AAF's first air base in New South Wales , to augment its extant base at Point Cook in Victoria . Soon after, Williams proposed—and the Air Board approved—an ensign similar to the RAF's but displaying
17063-658: The logistical functions of the Air Board in this manner appeared to be a "uniquely Australian" experiment, and it was not inconceivable that the organisation had been "tailored" to suit the talents of the highly regarded Mackinolty and Wackett. In September 1942 the Allied Air Forces commander, Major General George Kenney , formed the majority of his US flying units into the Fifth Air Force , and their Australian counterparts into RAAF Command , led by Air Vice-Marshal Bill Bostock . This effectively made Bostock
17214-434: The longest tenure of any member; his experience and intellect made him, according to the official history of the post-war RAAF, "singularly adept at bringing a committee around to his point of view". The arguably disproportionate sway held by technical services continued with Wackett's successor, Air Vice-Marshal Ernie Hey, who served on the board for twelve years. As well as being members of the board, AMP, AMTS, and AMSE were
17365-457: The new Air Force would be, according to historian Chris Coulthard-Clark, "anything but an independent and co-equal third service". Part of the rationale was the youth of the Air Board's officers—Williams, Goble and McBain were all aged thirty or under—and their relative lack of administrative experience; it also gave the Army and Navy a greater say in how the new service should run. The Air Board and Air Council were made responsible for administering
17516-524: The next day. Public servant and former Army officer Major Patrick Coleman was appointed Secretary to the Air Board—an administrative position—on 1 January 1921. By 15 February, the Air Board had chosen a date for the formation of the Australian Air Force (AAF): 31 March that year. Williams carefully selected this date rather than 1 April, the birthday of the RAF, "to prevent nasty people referring to us as ' April Fools '". In accordance with
17667-435: The official post-war history of the Air Force found wanting as neither officer was experienced in land/air warfare operations. Dowling was responsible to the Air Board for the "local administration" of all RAAF units in Vietnam. The Caribous were tasked for pre-agreed roles by the USAF; the commanding officer was expected to seek permission from the Air Board for any mission outside his normal purview. The Canberras operated under
17818-624: The official post-war history. In June 1963, to counteract a perceived threat from Indonesia out of which the Labor opposition was making political capital in the run-up to a Federal election , Prime Minister Menzies instructed the CAS, Air Marshal Sir Val Hancock , to investigate replacements for the Canberra. Although finding the US TFX , forerunner of the General Dynamics F-111 , the most suitable aircraft, he recommended purchase of
17969-489: The onset of war. In February 1942 the Air Board proposed raising RAAF engineering units to fulfil this requirement, and Cabinet agreed the following month. Allied Air Forces Headquarters was formed in April and assumed the operational responsibilities of the CAS in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). Burnett had recommended the Air Board's abolition but the Australian government rejected the idea. Instead,
18120-738: The outbreak of the Second World War, Australia joined the Empire Air Training Scheme , under which flight crews received basic training in Australia before travelling to Canada for advanced training. A total of 17 RAAF bomber, fighter, reconnaissance and other squadrons served initially in Britain and with the Desert Air Force located in North Africa and the Mediterranean . Thousands of Australians also served with other Commonwealth air forces in Europe during
18271-473: The peacekeeping operations in East Timor from 1999. Australia's combat aircraft were not used again in combat until the Iraq War in 2003, when 14 F/A-18s from No. 75 Squadron RAAF operated in the escort and ground attack roles, flying a total of 350 sorties and dropping 122 laser-guided bombs. A detachment of AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft were deployed in the Middle East between 2003 and 2012. These aircraft conducted maritime surveillance patrols over
18422-574: The position is air vice marshal ( two-star ). DCAF acts as the manager of the Air Force Headquarters (AFHQ), which provides oversight of activities in the raising, training and sustaining of assigned RAAF capabilities. The position provides strategic leadership to the RAAF as a whole, as well as policy guidance in regard to Air Force activities to the rest of the Defence organisation and Government. The current Deputy Chief of Air Force
18573-402: The range of musterings available to women, though it continued to exclude them from combat duties. The Departments of Air, Army and Navy merged with the Department of Defence in November 1973 as part of a rationalisation plan formulated by the Secretary of Defence, Sir Arthur Tange . According to the official history of the RAAF from 1972 to 1996, Tange had found the three service departments,
18724-608: The relegation of RAAF fighter squadrons to strategically unimportant ground attack missions in the South West Pacific. Hewitt, the AMP, recommended that the AOC No. 1 TAF, Air Commodore Harry Cobby , be removed from command, along with his two senior staff officers. The majority of the board saw no reason to take such action, leaving Hewitt to append a dissenting note to its decision. Drakeford supported Hewitt's position, and
18875-532: The remaining restrictions on women in frontline combat roles were removed, and the first two female RAAF fast jet fighter pilots graduated in December 2017. Air Force has implemented several programs to assist women who choose a pilot career. Entry to the Graduate Pilot Scheme is open to women who are currently undertaking a Bachelor of Aviation (BAv). Once qualified, women pilots are able to access
19026-456: The responsibility of the Department of Air, and implementing those policies the responsibility of the commands. The board and its staff progressively relocated from Melbourne to Russell Offices in Canberra between 1959 and 1961. Hardman had stressed to the Air Board in 1954 that "An air force without bombers isn't an air force", a tenet "held just as strongly by his successors" according to
19177-415: The right to table a dissenting report, but such instances were rare. Despite the efforts of some government ministers and at least one CAS, Air Marshal John McCauley , to prevent members serving more than three to five years consecutively on the board, no arbitrary term limits were enforced. Ellis Wackett , the RAAF's senior engineering officer from 1942, maintained his place on the board for seventeen years,
19328-642: The roundel exist, with the white omitted and the red and blue replaced with light or dark grey. The RAAF badge was accepted by the Chester Herald in 1939. The badge is composed of the St Edward's Crown mounted on a circle featuring the words Royal Australian Air Force, beneath which scroll work displays the Latin motto Per Ardua Ad Astra , which it shares with the Royal Air Force. Surmounting
19479-625: The separate aerial services of both the Army and Navy. It directly continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), the aviation corps of the Army that fought in the First World War and that was formed on 22 October 1912. During its history, the Royal Australian Air Force has fought in a number of major wars, including the Second World War in Europe and the Pacific, participated in
19630-589: The service such as personnel, supply, engineering, and finance. Originally based in Melbourne , the board relocated to Canberra in 1961. Formed in November 1920, the Air Board's first task was to establish the air force that it was to administer; this took place in March 1921. The board was initially responsible to the Australian Air Council, which included the chiefs of the Army and Navy ; after
19781-403: The situation for WAAAF members, who were paid two-thirds of the RAAF rates of pay for the same jobs, the board recommended that recruits to the new women's organisation receive the same rates of pay as their male counterparts. The Australian government did not concur, and WRAAF members could not expect to earn more than two-thirds the pay of males. As AMP Hewitt was also responsible for establishing
19932-599: The southern Philippines in response to the Marawi crisis . In 2021, the Royal Australian Air Force commemorated its 100th anniversary. Later that year, on 29 November, the Hornet was officially retired from RAAF service, with a ceremony to mark the occasion taking place that day at RAAF Base Williamtown. In January 2022, two RAAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and one C-130J Hercules departed RAAF Amberley and Richmond to conduct aerial reconnaissance of Tonga in
20083-484: The specialist knowledge of their experienced subordinate, the RAAF Director of Transport and Equipment, George Mackinolty . The RAAF faced challenges to its status as a service co-equal with the Army and Navy during the 1920s and 1930s. On several occasions the Air Board had to agitate for official representation commensurate with the other services. The Air Board considered RAAF funding so low in mid-1924 that it
20234-526: The straight-wing Meteors but none were available at the time. When the Air Board proposed that CAC build the Sabre under licence in Australia the Minister for Air, Tommy White , initially rejected the notion, partly because he preferred British aircraft and also because he doubted the suitability of the proposed engine, the Rolls-Royce Nene . Jones arranged a phone conference for himself and White with
20385-590: The then CAF Air Marshal Errol McCormack. Slip-on rank epaulettes , known as "Soft Rank Insignia" (SRI), displaying the word "AUSTRALIA" are worn on the shoulders of the service dress uniform. When not in the service dress or "ceremonial" uniform, RAAF personnel wear the General Purpose Uniform (GPU) as a working dress, which is a blue version of the Australian Multicam Camouflage Uniform . Originally,
20536-428: The three senior No. 1 TAF officers were later dismissed from their posts. During the war, the Air Board had overseen the RAAF's expansion from a complement in 1939 of 246 obsolescent machines including Wirraways, Ansons and Lockheed Hudsons , to a strength in 1945 of 5,620 sophisticated aircraft such as Supermarine Spitfires , P-51 Mustangs , de Havilland Mosquitoes , and B-24 Liberators ; to support this force,
20687-662: The time were unable to meet Australian requirements, in addition to British production demands, the Australian government established the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in 1936 and purchased some American aircraft. In September 1939, the Australian Air Board directly controlled the Air Force via RAAF Station Laverton , RAAF Station Richmond , RAAF Station Pearce , No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF at Point Cook, RAAF Station Rathmines and five smaller units. In 1939, just after
20838-485: The wake of the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami . According to Australian Defence News, the flights were to "help determine the extent of the damage [to Tongan infrastructure]… and inform future disaster support requests." In October 2023, the Australian Government announced that, in addition to a further round of A$ 31.6 million for military assistance for Ukraine, it would be sending
20989-422: The war, they accounted for almost twenty percent of those killed in action. This statistic is further illustrated by the fact that No. 460 Squadron RAAF , mostly flying Avro Lancasters , had an official establishment of about 200 aircrew and yet had 1,018 combat deaths. The squadron was therefore effectively wiped out five times over. Total RAAF casualties in Europe were 5,488 killed or missing. The beginning of
21140-486: The workplace in general, Hewitt recommended disbandment of the WAAAF; this was endorsed by the Air Board and by March 1947 all of the service's members had been discharged. Subsequent shortages of male personnel forced Jones and the board to reconsider this decision and recommend the establishment of a new women's service, leading to the formation of the Women's Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF) in November 1950. In contrast to
21291-524: Was able to embark on an expansion program in 1934 thanks to an increase in overall defence spending by the Australian government, acquiring new bases, squadrons, and aircraft, including the Avro Anson , the RAAF's first low-wing monoplane and its first with a retractable undercarriage . In May 1938 the Minister for Defence approved the Air Board's recommendation to engage the recently formed Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) to produce under licence
21442-555: Was also director of the Air Force Band ), it was officially adopted as the RAAF's new march music on 23 March 1983, replacing the Royal Air Force March Past , which had long been the RAAF's march as well as the marchpast of other Commonwealth air forces. Subsequently, journalist Frank Cranston wrote lyrics to the march and a musical score was produced by September of the following year. The Roulettes are
21593-574: Was deployed to Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates as part of the coalition to combat Islamic State forces in Iraq. Operations began on 1 October. A number of C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft based in the Middle East have also been used to conduct airdrops of humanitarian aid and to airlift arms and munitions since August. In June 2017, two RAAF AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft were deployed to
21744-421: Was deployed to Malta in the Mediterranean where it formed part of a British force which sought to counter the Soviet Union's influence in the Middle East as part of Australia's Cold War commitments. Consisting of No. 75 and 76 Squadrons equipped with de Havilland Vampire jet fighters, the wing provided an air garrison for the island for the next two and half years, returning to Australia in late 1954. In 1953,
21895-413: Was dissolved; the CAS was invested with the individual responsibility for commanding the RAAF. The Air Board was succeeded by the Chief of the Air Staff Advisory Committee, but the CAS was not bound by its advice. The Air Board was responsible for control and administration of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), including operations, training, maintenance, and acquisitions. On its establishment in 1920
22046-413: Was eventually provided with large numbers of locally built versions of British designs such as the DAP Beaufort torpedo bomber , Beaufighters and Mosquitos, as well as other types such as Wirraways, Boomerangs, and Mustangs. In the European theatre of the war, RAAF personnel were especially notable in RAF Bomber Command : although they represented just two percent of all Australian enlistments during
22197-465: Was existing on a "hand to mouth" basis and could not maintain its program; Goble told a defence committee meeting with Prime Minister Stanley Bruce that the service had "two machines fit for war". In 1930, and again in 1932, the government of the day seriously considered amalgamating the Air Force with one of the other services. As CAS, Williams, who maintained personal correspondence with successive RAF chiefs, Trenchard and Sir John Salmond , as allies in
22348-410: Was formed on 31 March 1921. King George V approved the prefix "Royal" in May 1921 and became effective on 13 August 1921. The RAAF then became the second Royal air arm to be formed in the British Commonwealth , following the British Royal Air Force . When formed the RAAF had more aircraft than personnel, with 21 officers and 128 other ranks and 153 aircraft. As British aircraft manufacturers at
22499-402: Was responsible for directing the RAAF's operations but was wholly dependent on Jones and the Air Board for the supplies and equipment needed to fight the war. The in-fighting adversely affected command and morale in the RAAF, and hurt the service's reputation with its American allies. In March and April 1943 the government considered dissolving the Air Board and unifying control of the RAAF under
22650-511: Was responsible to BCAIR for duties related to the occupation but could deal directly with Air Force Headquarters on RAAF personnel matters such as pay, postings, and promotions. The ten RAAF transport crews committed to the Berlin Airlift flew British aircraft under the control of No. 46 Group RAF . RAAF combat forces deployed in the Malayan Emergency were directed by the RAF and in the Korean War by United Nations Air Command headquarters. The Australian squadrons in Malaya were deployed as
22801-444: Was solely responsible for disposing of surplus equipment up to an original value of £ 500, and jointly responsible with the BM and FM for disposing of items valued between £500 and £10,000. Equipment worth more than £10,000 required the approval of the full Air Board and the Board of Business Administration in the Department of Defence. The position of Business Member was dropped from the Air Board in January 1948. Mackinolty died after
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