No. 5 School of Technical Training RAAF

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Brief History

It appears that the No. 5 School of Technical Training was formed at Pearce sometime before 31 Jul 1940, as on that date a detachment from Pearce took over from the Commonwealth Works Department, a site in Mounts Bay Road. Then on 1 Aug 1940 the first 76 trainees attended the Technical School, which was administered by No. 5 Embarkation Depot staff. Officers from the School also acted in the embarkation depot and undertook escort duties for drafts posted overseas.

In November 1941, courses undertaken at the School were of 16 weeks duration, with only two courses being run at any one time. Training was provided by civilian teachers from the Perth Technical College. On 23 July 1944, a party of WAAAFs were given flight experience in a No. 35 Squadron aircraft. This activity was repeated for the female members of the School on later dates. On 23 August 1945, all basic trainee fitter courses ceased, and the un1t was disbanded on 27 Sep 1945.

Unit Personnel

• Maxwell Kenneth Ottaway 18 Aug 1942 - 29 Jul 1945
• Dorothy Betsy Thorne 20 Aug 1942 - 12 Oct 1943
• Alwyn Raymond Liddell 29 Apr 1944 - 30Jan 1945

Trainees

1940

• Warwick Geoff Samuel Savage 26 Aug - 13 Dec 1940

1941

• John Thomas Thomson 30 Jun - 23 Sep 1941
• Raymond George Bunney 25 Aug - 7 Nov 1941 - No. 107 Trainee Technical Fitter Course

1942

• Arthur George Berry 12 Jan - 9 Mar 1942 - Group II Fitters Course
• Eric William Mills 8 Feb- 31 Apr 1942 - Group II Fitters Course No 31
• Keith Robert Mills 8 Feb - 5 May 1942 - No 38 Trainee Fitter Course
• Frederick Matthew Howlett 14 Jun - 7 Aug 1942 - No 74 Group II Fitters Course
• Millie Elizabeth Treloar 13 Jul - 10 Aug 1942
• Edgar John Gale 14 Jun - 7 Aug 1942 - No 74 Group II Fitters Course
• Harold Morgan 26 Jul - 22 Sep 1942 - No 90 Group II Trainnes Course
• William Kenneth Watson 5 Oct - 2 Dec 1942
• Stanley Neil Butcher 9 Nov - 29 Dec 1942
• Maurice Raymond Lawson 15 Nov 1942 - 26 Jan 1943
• Francis Neal McGurk 30 Nov 1942 - 10 Feb 1943 - No 148 Fitter General Course

1943

• Bernard Francis McGarry 25 Jan -27 Apr 1943 - Trainee Fitter Course
• Stewart Chandler Mack 24 Dec 1943 - 12 May 1944

1944

• Leslie Douglas Waller 8 Jan - 17 Apr 1944
• Edward John Williams 31 Mar - 8 Jul 1944
• Kevin David Anderson 1 Apr - 18 Jun 1943
• Alan Godfrey Barry 7 Apr - 28 Jul 1944
• Frederick George Thornton 29 Apr - 4 Aug 1944
• Sydney Roy Smith 25 Sep 1944 - 11 Jan 1945
• Helen Catherine Henderson 27 Nov 1944 - early 1945

1945

• Trevor Pavy 8 Jun - 9 Sep 1945

Notes

Content has come Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A Concise History - Volume 8 Training Units - Australian Government Publishing Service - 1995.