War History of the Australian Meteorological Service
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: D.Met.S.—Australia's Wartime Weather Service
Chapter 2: The Weather Factor in Warfare
Chapter 3: Met in the Retreat
Chapter 4: Met in the Advance
Chapter 5: Meteorology in Aviation
Functions and Wartime Development
Service at RAAF Training Schools and Stations
Cooperation with US Personnel
Operational Expansion
Movement into Borneo
Chapter 6: Central Forecasting Services
Chapter 7: Met With the Army
Chapter 8: Research and Personnel Training
Chapter 9: Instrumental Development and Maintenance
Chapter 10: Scientific Developments in the RAAF Meteorological Service
Chapter 11: Divisional Bureaux and Their Work
Appendix 1: List of Reports Provided by D.Met.S. for Advances Operational Planning and Other Purposes
Appendix 2: List of Service Personnel RAAF Meteorological Service
Appendix 3: List of Civilian Personnel Who Worked Together with Service Personnel of the RAAF Meteorological Service
Appendix 4: List of Locations at which RAAF Meteorological Service Personnel Served
Index
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Service at RAAF Training Schools and Stations
After field surveys had proceeded to establish requirements and facilities, new aviation sections were established late in that year at Richmond (NSW), Laverton (Vic), Rathmines (NSW), Pearce (WA), Darwin (NT) and Cootamundra (NSW), adding to those already in existence at various civil aerodromes taken over by the RAAF, and not long afterwards followed by others at many new air force stations and instructional schools. Amongst these were the Pacific advanced operational bases at Tulagi, Vila and Noumea which commenced operation in 1941, using a network of radio channels based on Townsville, but soon had to be evacuated in the face of the Japanese advance—a fate also shared by the forward aviation weather sections established in Koepang, Namlea and Ambon-Laha and by the party of Australian weather men who were attached to Malaya. The story of these bases has already been told.By 1942 the basis of aviation weather services at elementary air training schools of the RAAF had been established in liaison with the Directorate of Training, with sections located at all service flying training, air observers' and air navigation schools, while later they were also attached to operational training units. At all of these schools many problems were placed before the aviation met sections, since weather plays an important part in flying training for safety reasons, and certain meteorological conditions are necessary for such types of exercise as astro-navigation. Thus the task of providing forecasts for local safety of aircraft and for training exercises sometimes extending to continental and seawards routes was coupled at these stations with that of providing instruction in courses that included meteorology.
Liaison between officers in charge of these aviation weather sections and the instructional authorities was always close and efficient, with the result that thousands of former aircrew members gained a valuable knowledge of meteorology.
Organisations in Australian Science at Work - Directorate of Meteorological Services (D.Met.S)
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Bureau of Meteorology |  |
© 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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