Glimpse of the RAAF Meteorological Service
Preface
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: Growing Up
Chapter 2: Port Moresby Before Pearl Harbour
Sydney to Port Moresby by DH-86
First Impressions of Port Moresby
Meteorological Office Routine
Flight to Kokoda
Tropical Meteorology
John (Doc) Hogan
Setting up House
We Join the RAAF
A Contrast in Attitudes
Some RAAF History
RAAF No 10 Squadron
RAAF No 11 Squadron
The Catalina Story
Construction of the Seven-mile Airstrip and Reclamation Area
Meteorological Service for the RAAF
Unexpected Vistitors
Our State of Readiness
Our Domestic Situation
A Japanese Surprise Packet
What Had We Meteorologists Achieved?
Chapter 3: Port Moresby After Pearl Harbour
Chapter 4: Allied Air Force HQ and RAAF Command, Brisbane
Chapter 5: Japan Surrenders and We Are Demobilised
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Appendix 1: References
Appendix 2: Milestones
Appendix 3: Papers Published in Tropical Weather Research Bulletins
Appendix 4: Radiosonde Observations 1941–46
Index
Search
Help
Contact us
Some RAAF History
This is an appropriate juncture to describe some of the early history of the RAAF, the circumstances leading to the establishment of the RAAF base in Port Moresby, the aircraft which were flown by Nos 11 and 20 Squadrons and how the RAAF base at Port Moresby developed. My sources for much of this material are the publications of Baff, Gillison, Odgers, Parnell and Lynch, Vincent and Wilson listed in Appendix 1.No 1 Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps was formed at Point Cook in February 1914, six months before the outbreak of World War I. A detachment of the Squadron accompanied an Australian expeditionary force which occupied Rabaul, then part of German New Guinea. The Squadron saw service in Europe and the Middle East between 1915 and 1918. Many Australians had a distinguished record as members of the Royal Flying Corps and other UK units during World War I. The Australian Flying Corps was disbanded in 1919, but after a short interim, the RAAF was formed in 1921. One of the early achievements of the RAAF was the first round Australia flight, in 1924, by Wing Cmdr Gable and Fit Lt McIntyre in a Fairey seaplane—a distance of 7190 nautical miles.
By 1936 Qantas and Imperial Airways were operating an air service between England and Australia and there was a growing awareness of the need to upgrade Australia's aerial defence force. Qantas operated the Sydney to Singapore route firstly with De Havilland DH-86s and later with Short Brothers S 23 'C' Class four-engine flying boats, five of which the RAAF later acquired from Qantas with crews and ground staff.
The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) was formed to manufacture aircraft in Australia and, in 1937, a decision was made to build the Wirraway fighter based on the US NA-16, NA-33 trainers. At this time the RAAF's front line aircraft included the Hawker Demon, Westland Wapiti, Bristol Bulldog biplanes, the Avro Anson, the Seagull amphibian, the Supermarine Southhampton and the Gipsy Moth. Coincidentally at this time, an increase in the staff of the Bureau of Meteorology from 92 to 151 was approved as part of an 'aviation plan'.
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© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
Published by Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, using the Web Academic Resource Publisher
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