Achievements of the Warren Years

Group Captain Warren controlled the destiny of the RAAF Meteorological Service during the war. In a letter of 21 August 1945 to the Secretary, Department of Air, with a copy to the Secretary of the Department of the Interior (copy of which I hold) he wrote of the RAAF Meteorological Service saying "with its transfer to the Department of Air in 1940 its major objective has been the development of efficient operational services for RAAF, Army and Navy and for Allied forces in this and adjoining theatres. Concurrently with this objective, services to the civil population have been increased and improved. Research, laboratory and workshop facilities have been enlarged and developed and modern radiosonde and radar wind techniques have been introduced. The personnel expansion to meet the heavy operational requirement has been effected by enlistment of 'duration' officers and airmen trained for their war tasks by the Directorate training organisation. From its pre-war total of 156 permanent personnel manning 34 stations in the continental area, the service now includes 807 personnel manning 75 stations in the continental area and 23 operational bases in the areas of active operations. It early provided services from Malaya through the NEI and Solomons to Noumea and its activities have again extended as the forces have advanced in the South-west Pacific area".

The Training School of the RAAF Meteorological Service in Melbourne was a major achievement. The Instrument Section under Allan Cornish also achieved a great deal, developing a system of soundings of the upper air by radiosonde, a system of generating hydrogen for inflating the balloons which carried the radiosondes aloft and cooperating with a local Australian company in the manufacture of balloons for this purpose. During the war a network of some 14 radiosonde stations was established at which ground equipment was installed to receive the transmissions of the balloon borne radiosondes.

Bureau of Meteorology