I thus left Kingsford-Smith (Mascot) for the first time, and others joined Arthur White to handle the ever-increasing business. As it happens I was to return to Mascot in late 1945 as OIC and I was demobilised there in May 1946 from No 3 Communication Unit RAAF Mascot and became a civilian again, in a much bigger concrete upstairs office with more than four times the staff and hugely increased business since the days of 1939. In the intervening wartime years the OICs had included George Rutherford; and Arthur White had become (civilian) area met officer Eastern Area, having also been the Air Force equivalent based at HQ Eastern Area RAAF Point Piper.

And during these intervening years 1940 to 1945 (the year at the end of which I returned to Mascot) I served with the RAAF Meteorological Service at many places including Port Moresby, the Far East (Singapore and Sumatra), Brisbane, Broome, Darwin and Townsville.

In 1947 I was transferred from Mascot to Sydney Divisional Office as the first Senior Meteorologist (Meteorologist Class III) to be appointed to Sydney.

The trans-Tasman flying boat service continued for a comparatively short time and then was replaced by a land service from Mascot to Auckland. I am not sure of the year this occurred but it was well established by 1945 when I returned to Mascot.

Bureau of Meteorology