9 Operational Group

In May 1944 Fl Lt (later Sqn Ldr) A. T. Bath, who had been in charge of the Port Moresby meteorological station, succeeded Sqn Ldr McRae as command meteorological officer of Northern Command into which 9OG had been absorbed. Advanced operational headquarters of Northern Command were established at Milne Bay, where the weather station that had been closed in December 1943 was reopened. Shortly afterwards the headquarters of Northern Command was transported forward to Madang. There a new meteorological office came into operation, providing a weather service for 4 Squadron, 8 Com Flight, the Martin Mariner flying boat service to Sydney and the courier service to Milne Bay. New weather sections quickly followed at Tadji, Lae, Dobodura and Jacquinot Bay, while at Torokina on Bougainville Island two Australian weather men worked in conjunction with American and New Zealand meteorologists. In addition to these stations, mobile meteorological flights were in action with the Army over the wide area of land operations.

Sqn Ldr C. J. Wiesner replaced Sqn Ldr Bath as command met officer in February 1945. Midway through that year a RAAF weather section came into operation at Middleburg Island and subsequently Australian weather men took over from American met men at Hollandia, Finschhafen and Merauke. Except in a few cases, where the advance of operational units rendered their continuance unnecessary, all these stations were in operation when the Japanese surrender came on 15 August 1945.

For services in 9 Operational Group, Sqn Ldr J. N. McRae was mentioned in despatches.

Bureau of Meteorology