Harry Ashton Retires

Harry, whose lean and well-groomed frame has occupied the ADF post since its creation in 1969, admits to looking forward to a life now that will enable him to pursue further his chief interests: travel, sociology (with special reference to China) and what he calls a 'bit of pottering' research in synoptic met. and climatology.

Harry's long association with meteorology stretches back to early 1940, when he was accepted for a RAAF met. training course. Held earlier applied for service with the RAAF in 1939, but was knocked back as aircrew material when they found he was slightly colour-blind. When a call for science graduates to do RAAF met work went out the following year, Harry was in the queue with people like DIR Bill Gibbs, ANMRC chief Reg Clarke, RD QLD Arch Shields, STOT Bill Brann and A/SRTA Andy Garriock. When they came off-course in August 1940, these met, men went their separate ways—Harry to Richmond RAAF base, where he served under Arthur White. Next stop was Townsville and then Nadzab in New Guinea as met officer for the First Tactical Air Force (RAAF), the famous 1 TAFRAAF that island-hopped with the Americans during the Pacific campaign. Harry went to Aitape, Numfoor Island and the Halmaheras, returning to Australia in 1944 before the move to Borneo.

As a squadron leader, he 'cooled his heels' at Parafield in South Australia until his discharge in 1946. Harry's prewar employment had been as a maths and physics teacher at Adelaide High School, but now he went straight into the Met. Bureau, working in head office in the Analysis area. He soon moved to the training section (which in those days occupied the old Horticultural Hall across the road from Drummond Street). Early in the 1950s, he did a stint as ADR while the then-incumbent, Bill Gibbs, was in the United States. This coincided with the first atomic bomb tests in the Australian region, and so Harry, accompanied by Henry Phillpot sailed from Fremantle with the Royal Navy Task Force to spend three months on site at the Monte Bello Island group. In preparation six months had been spent researching the weather safety reactor involved in the tests.

Twelve months later, a similar exercise occurred with the first land tests at Emu Claypan near Maralinga. Again, Henry Phillpot accompanied Harry, while observers for these tests were Kev Lomas and John Longton. The inimitable Reg Stout was the logistics man.

Bureau of Meteorology