On Target Williams Foundation

BRIAN WESTON On Target Williams Foundation The end of Area Commands Combat power through organisation, Part II he RAAF’s introduction of the commands were established, Training No 1 Squadron deployed from operational air group structure Command and Maintenance Command, Amberley to Darwin, CO 1SQN in the South West Pacific theatre which were soon merged into a would report to AOC Operational during World War 2 was a step single command, Support Command. Command through OC RAAF in the evolution of Australian air Command Later, Home Command was retitled Darwin, not OC RAAF Amberley. power. Operational Command. This could result in CO 1SQN TIt was therefore not surprising accountability But the organisational concept of the reporting through a commander who the RAAF included the notion of World War 2 operational air group had may not have flown a jet aircraft, let an operational air group in its post- issues at base been lost as, at base level, the principle alone an F-111C. war plan which was for a force of of functional command had not been In an attempt to simplify 16 squadrons, organised into five level were not followed through. On Operational command chains and save resources, ‘home defence’ area commands, and a Command bases the mobile wings the RAAF also disestablished its ‘mobile task force’ comprising fighter, uncommon. and squadrons of the RAAF reported operational wings, with commanding bomber and transport wings and a to the officers commanding (OCs) officers of flying squadrons reporting reconnaissance squadron, including of their respective bases. The RAAF directly to formation OCs. But the an operational wing headquarters and attempted to rectify this by titling the group captain, who was previously organic maintenance support. officer commanding as a Formation the Wing officer commanding, and But with government prioritising Officer Commanding, such as OC his staff, remained on base and a massive post-war demobilisation, RAAF Williamtown rather than as a morphed into the Air Staff Officer which saw the RAAF downsize from Base Officer Commanding, such as OC (ASO). 191,337 personnel in August 1945 to RAAF Base Williamtown. As a staff officer, the ASO 7,897 personnel at the end of 1948, But with fighter squadrons at reported to the formation OC but, as the RAAF had neither the resources Butterworth and Williamtown, and a staff officer, he had no command nor personnel to implement its plans. maritime squadrons at Townsville authority. The RAAF now had a The RAAF mobile task force remained and Richmond, all reporting ‘staff versus command’ issue, as unfunded, with the organisational through different ‘formation officers ASOs, officers generally of group concept of five area commands commanding’, it was clear there was no captain rank, were effectively becoming the basis of post-war air single commander oversighting either interposed between formation OCs force organisation. An undated image of RAAF the RAAF fighter force or the RAAF and the squadron COs. ASOs and In 1952, the RAAF signalled a small Mirages and Neptunes maritime force. squadron COs worked through departure from its RAF heritage by sharing a hanger. When a A further command discontinuity this staff versus command issue in designating its ‘stations’ as ‘bases’; flying squadron deployed, the occurred when a flying squadron various ways. But with formation stations being a RAF term. But command chain switched deployed, the command chain switched OCs delegating differing degrees of subsequently, and perhaps with a touch from the officer commanding from the officer commanding of authority to their respective ASOs, of irony, it was a RAF officer who went of the squadron’s home base the squadron’s home base to the clarity of command and command on to implement fundamental change in to the officer commanding the officer commanding the squadron’s accountability issues at base level RAAF post-war organisation. squadron’s deployment base. deployment base – ‘chopped’ in the were not uncommon. Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman, DEFENCE jargon of the day. For example, if The introduction of functional a RAF officer of high regard, was chains of command by Sir Donald appointed Chief of Air Staff of the Hardman was a seminal change in RAAF following the 12-year tenure of RAAF organisation, although the Sir George Jones, and it was Hardman principle of functional command who set about organising the RAAF did not fully flow down to RAAF on a functional basis, rather than on bases and operational units until the a geographic basis; the change taking concept of the Force Element Group place on October 1 1953. was introduced. The changes, which coincided with the abolition of Air Force Next issue, On Target will Headquarters and the establishment discuss the evolution from of the Department of Air, saw the five ‘RAAF bases’ into the ‘RAAF area commands folded into a Home Force Element Groups’, Command under one operational introduced on a trial basis on commander. Two further functional February 1 1987. 2 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION NOVEMBER 2017.

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