No. 4 Repair & Servicing Unit RAAF

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Brief History

No. 4 Repair and Salvage Unit was established at RAAF Laverton on 18 May 1942. After several weeks working on repair and salvage tasks around the Laverton and Werribee areas, the advance party, comprising two officers and 61 airmen moved out on 20 Oct 1942 to North-Western Area (NWA), installing itself at Pell Field. For the next three years the Unit remained in the NWA recovering lost aircraft and either repairing them or reducing them to parts. In the course of this activity, many small parties of men, or individuals, spent lengthy periods in the bush away from settled camps, living rough while searching for, and working on, crashed aircraft. The types of aircraft recovered or reduced by the Unit included virtually every type operated by the RAAF in the NWA during this period, and the work required a sound knowledge of the different engineering requirements of the various aircraft involved. Often during these activities, the only link between the temporary camps and the main Unit was the Unit's own aircraft which flew in replacement personnel, needed repair materials, food, water and the accommodation requirements of the salvage team.

By 31 Jan 1943 the Unit comprised II officers and 353 other ranks, all of whom became accustomed to 'the wet'. The Unit engaged in various airfield defence exercises and construction of fire breaks during this period, involving training for preventative measures should the airfield be attacked by the enemy using gas. On 21 Aug 1943, the alarm was sounded at 0300 hours, and aircraft were sighted overhead proceeding south at 0315. The aircraft were sighted returning at 0330 and one machine was observed to peel off and come down to attack. It dropped three anti-personnel bombs and an incendiary, causing superficial damage to an empty sentry box. There were no casualties, although telephone communication was temporarily cut. By the end of November 1943 the Unit comprised 10 officers and 520 other ranks.

In January 1945 the Unit's name was changed to No. 4 Repair and Servicing Unit and in May the unit moved to Winnellie and established itself there. From this period on, as war activities moved north away from Australia, the strength of the Unit slowly declined and by the end of August the strength was 11 officers and 385 other ranks. By October the unit was reporting the confusion which reductions and postings had thrown the Unit. 4RSU moved from Darwin on 15 Dec 1945 by road and rail via Alice Springs. Quorn, Mildura and Tocumwal, to Parkes. Most of the convoy arrived at Parkes between 26 and 29 December, and the Unit moved on to Amberley on 15 Apr 1946. The last notation in the Unit History Record is a handwritten note indicating that this unit was renamed 482 Maintenance Squadron on 10 May 1946.

Unit Personnel

• Bernard Francis McGarry

Notes

Content has come from Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A Concise History - Volume 7 Maintenance Units - Australian Government Publishing Service - 1995 pages 88 & 89