Glimpse of the RAAF Meteorological Service
Preface
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: Growing Up
Chapter 2: Port Moresby Before Pearl Harbour
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
1788
1822
1840
1841
1850
1853
1855
1857
1859
1863
1873
1879
1887
1894
1901
1903
1904
1908
1910
1914
1918
1916
1917
1919
1920
1921
1928
1932
1933
1934
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940–1944
1940
1941
Dec 1941–Jan 1942
1942
1943
1944
1944–1945
1945
1946
Appendix 3: Papers Published in Tropical Weather Research Bulletins
Appendix 4: Radiosonde Observations 1941–46
Index
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Help
Contact us
1939
Conference of representatives of Army, Navy and Air Force and Bureau of Meteorology recommends to Cabinet that operational control of Bureau be transferred to Air Board.21 Mar: RAAF No 11 Squadron (formerly No 50 Squadron) formed at Rathmines with two unarmed Short S 23 'C' Class Empire flying boats (formerly with Qantas on Sydney-London air service) and two obsolete 'Seagull' Class 5 flying boats (single-engine pusher biplanes).
May: Capt P. G. Taylor (WW I pilot with AFC) flies Archbold expedition's US Consolidated PBY-2 flying boat 'Guba' from Sydney to Mombasa, Kenya with landings on west coast of Australia and islands in Indian Ocean, total distance 14,500km.
Aug: RAAF stations operating at Point Cook, Laverton, Richmond. Other bases in course of construction at Darwin, Townsville and Port Moresby.
Sep: Australia declares war on Germany.
28 Sep: RAAF No 11 Squadron (flying-boats) arrives Port Moresby with Flt Lt J. Alexander as CO, 15 ex-Qantas pilots and technicians and 16 RAAF personnel.
6 Nov: W. J. Gibbs joins Bureau of Meteorology as Meteorological Assistant.
1940–1944
RAAF Squadrons Nos 10, 452, 456, 457, 461 in operation over North Atlantic, Europe North Africa and Middle East (Nos 10 & 451 Squadrons operating Sunderlands in Coastal Command). At this time many Australians in uniform of RAF (Royal Air Force) in England.Because of pressing RAF requirements for European theatre British unable to meet obligations to provide aircraft for RAAF. CAC presses ahead with manufacture of US NA-15, NA-33 trainers as RAAF front-line Wirraway fighter, and US Lockheed Hudsons as RAAF reconnaissance/low level bomber aircraft UK also advises unable to honour contract to supply Short Sunderland flying boats ordered for RAAF No 11 Squadron. RAAF No 10 Squadron already equipped with Sunderlands remains in UK for North Atlantic anti-submarine duty. Australia orders PBY-5 flying boats from US Consolidated Company. RAAF adopts aircraft designation 'Catalina' (already in
use by RAF which had also purchased PBYs).
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© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
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