Actions

Difference between revisions of "No. 2 Air Observers School RAAF"

From Our Contribution

(Created page with "{{Infobox | name = No. 2 Air Observers School RAAF | title = | above = | subheader = | image = [[File:]] | caption = |...")
 
(Trainees)
 
(7 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 5: Line 5:
 
| subheader      =  
 
| subheader      =  
  
|  image        = [[File:]]
+
|  image        = [[File:2_Air_Observers_School.jpg]]
| caption        =  
+
| caption        = Aerial view 1942 courtesy SA Aviation Museum
|  image2      =  
+
|  image2      = [[File:2_Air_Observers_School_2.jpg]]
| caption2      =  
+
| caption2      = AWM P08233.004
  
 
}}
 
}}
Line 14: Line 14:
  
 
==Brief History==
 
==Brief History==
No. 2 Air Navigation School was formed at Mount Gambier, South Australia on 1 Jul 1941 and five of the Anson aircraft with which the School was to be equipped arrived on the 12th.
+
No. 2 Air Observers School was formed at Mount Gambier, South Australia on 6 Feb 1941 and the first of the Anson aircraft with which the School was to be equipped arrived on the 25th. The first course of trainees commenced training on 8 March using the Anson and a DH-84 Dragon. During May, 8 Battle aircraft arrived from Laverton for the units use from Laverton until they moved to Port Pirie on 28 Jun 1941 to establish No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School.
TI1e first course of trainel!> (4'1 aircrcw members from 2 Bombing and
 
Gunnery School. Port Pirie) commenced training on 28 Ju ly. All, s.wc one
 
(who far led due to illness). graduated
 
On IS September, Flight Lieutenants P.B. jelbart and W.B. Marsh and
 
Flying Officer IZ.H. Edge led 50 personnel by road to Nhill, Vlctoria.
 
All the personnel and aircraft of the School had moved to Nhill by
 
19 Sep ~mber 1941, to enable the first course to be conducted at the new
 
babe (12 (0) course) to commence trau1ing on the 22nd. Titb course
 
graduated on 16 November, with coch trainee averaging 31 hours
 
15 m111utes flying time.
 
1 Operatronal Troining Unit was rais<.-d at Nhill on 8 December 1941,
 
and ~har<!d the b.rS<! with 2 Air Navigation School until movmg to Sale on
 
15 February 19-12. TI1e School was to expnnd its ncllvitics when. on 8 june
 
1942, rt was notifred that 97 (Rcservc) Squadron W3b to be fom1cd from
 
unit personnel, and have IS Anson aircraft on its strength. Only two
 
<.'nlrics in llle School's Unit History R<-<:ord relate to Ure activity of
 
97 Squadron. On 16 September 1942 six aircraft and 71 oHicers and men
 
were allachcd to 2 1\ir Observers School at Mount Gambier. and on
 
16 November 10 aircraft were attached to l.averton and ll•lallacoota.
 
Commencmg on 18 September 1943, six pilots from Australian
 
National 1\J.rhnes, GuiJica Airlines and McRober.ton and Miller Airlin<'S
 
2 participated in the a.stro-navigation course at the School.
 
Flying mcid~nts were not common. On 9 July 19·12.. an Anson nown
 
by Pilot Officer R.K. Filo;eU was reported missing. but located during the
 
next day. Leadang Aircraftman D.O. Thompson sullered a loot mjury
 
when another Anson force-landed lour miles from the austnp on
 
9 September, and Flying Officer LA. Flynn and Ius crew were killed on
 
25 September 1943 when the Anson in which they were nying crashed
 
After graduallllg 2002 ttallleeS, 2 Air Navigation School was
 
disbanded on 9 Occember 1943.
 
COMMANDIN
 
  
 +
 +
An attachment of ground staff, 50 trainees and 8 aircraft moved to Nhill to take advantage of the fine weather there compared with that being experienced at Mt Gambier. There were a number of aircraft accidents and deaths of trainees and instructors alike. During November and December 1944 the unit flew bushfire patrols, and the unit was closed in January 1946
 +
 +
===Trainees===
 +
* † [[Thomas Douglas (Dougie) Ellis]] 17 Sep - 12 Dec 1941
 +
* † [[Maxwell Wellman Marsh]] 22 Jul - 16 Oct 1942
 +
* † [[Ernest Ronald William Oliver]] ?? Jan - 1 Apr 1943
 +
* [[John Chadwick Meachem]] 27 Dec 1943 - 27 Apr 1944
  
 
====Notes====
 
====Notes====
 +
Source of information - ''Units of the Royal Australian Airforce - A Concise History - Vol 8 Training Units'' - Australian Government Publishing Service - 1995
 +
  
 
<references />
 
<references />

Latest revision as of 12:33, 26 February 2024

2 Air Observers School.jpg
Aerial view 1942 courtesy SA Aviation Museum
2 Air Observers School 2.jpg
AWM P08233.004


Brief History

No. 2 Air Observers School was formed at Mount Gambier, South Australia on 6 Feb 1941 and the first of the Anson aircraft with which the School was to be equipped arrived on the 25th. The first course of trainees commenced training on 8 March using the Anson and a DH-84 Dragon. During May, 8 Battle aircraft arrived from Laverton for the units use from Laverton until they moved to Port Pirie on 28 Jun 1941 to establish No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School.


An attachment of ground staff, 50 trainees and 8 aircraft moved to Nhill to take advantage of the fine weather there compared with that being experienced at Mt Gambier. There were a number of aircraft accidents and deaths of trainees and instructors alike. During November and December 1944 the unit flew bushfire patrols, and the unit was closed in January 1946

Trainees

Notes

Source of information - Units of the Royal Australian Airforce - A Concise History - Vol 8 Training Units - Australian Government Publishing Service - 1995



External Links