FROM THE GROUND UP The training of RAAF technical ground staff 1948-1993 CoDo Coulthard-Clark FROMTHE GROUNDUP: THE TRAININGOF RAAF TECHNICAL GROUNDSTAFF 1948-1993 C.D. COULTHARD-CLARK Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 1997 This work is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, or review as permitted under the Copyn'ght Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any means without written permission. Inquiries should be made to the publisher. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry CoulthardClark, C .D. (Christopher David, 1951-) . From the ground up: the training of RAAF technical ground staff, 1948-1993 Bibliography Includes Index ISBN 0 642 26509 7. 1. Australia. Royal Australian Air Force - Ground support - History. 2. Australia. Royal Australian Air Force - Aviation mechanics - Training of. 3. Australia. Royal Australian Air Force - Non-commissioned officers - Training of . I. Title. Published and distributed by: Air Power Studies Centre RAAF Base Fairbairn ACT 2600 Australia Telephone: (02) 62876563 Facsimile: (02) 62876382 e-mail: [email protected]~au This is a book which aims to fill a special niche in the historiography of the Royal Australian Air Force. Amid a burgeoning literature in recent years dealing with units on operations andlor the problems of command and administration, it attempts to tell the story of several training schemes used by the RAAF in the fifty-year period after the Second World War specifically to cater for the service's needs for skilled tradesmen. In an organisation as highly technical as an air force, the story of the supporting personnel who effectively keep the service operational on a day-to- day basis is of more than passing interest. Recognition that there was a need for a book on this subject at such a time came from the RAAF itself - with some persistent encouragement from individuals who were ex-members of the service but now outside the system, most notably Group Captain Arthur Skimin (retd.). It is to the RAAF's great credit that it was seen as appropriate to pay tribute to the contribution of its technical airmen, NCOs and officers by placing on the historical record what these various forms of training meant for the service as a whole in the second half of the 20th century. For my part, it was a pleasure working on this project while enjoying the support and assistance of the RAAF Historian, Dr Alan Stephens, and the then- Director of Coordination in the Office of the Chief of Air Force, Group Captain Phil Morrall. Both did their utmost to ensure that, administratively, the project proceeded smoothly and without impediment. Mr David Wilson and the staff of the RAAF Historical Section also have my thanks for their patient efforts to assist wherever possible. Arthur Skimin provided constant advice, contacts and encouragement throughout, while Warrant Officer Ian Butcher acted as an invaluable link-man in Melboume and in particular ensured that maximum benefit was obtained from a research visit there. In Wagga Mr Bob Gnezdiloff was a willing and helpful point of contact with the Aircare organisation, and ensured that a collection of material gathered at earlier apprentice reunions was made available for me to consult. Approaches made to other bodies were, without exception, received walmly and helpfully. Assistance with information or access to records or facilties was readily received from the High Commission for Pakistan in Canberra; the Wagga City Council; the Royal Melboume Institute ot Technology (through both Mr Rod Edwards and Dr Adrian Haas); and Mr Radyn Nolan, chief executive of Global Portfolios Pty. Ltd., who is the current owner of the Frognall mansion in Mont Albert Road, Canterbury. The photographs used in the book came from a variety of sources, including many from individuals who produced items in their possession for copying. Important block of pictorial records were, naturally enough, located in the RAAF Museum Point Cook, the RAM Museum Wagga Wagga, and the Central Photographic Establishment at Laverton. I am grateful to each of these facilitieslunits for their co- operation in obtaining copies of items wanted as illustrations; here I should mention by name MS Monica Walsh at Point Cook and Wing Commander Graham Walton, formerly CO of CPE. In the end, a greater range of material emerged than for which space could be found, but those who made available photogaphs which have not been included are assured that their contributions have not been lost but remain with the RAAF as a supporting collection to the book. iii A great many more people became actively involved in helping to compile the graduate rolls which appear at the end of the hook. Surprisingly, there was no single place to which to turn for this information, and hence a major effort was entailed in drawing together course details from a range of scattered sources. I personally contacted many individuals and obtained assistance in this way, and all those who responded have my sincere thanks. A special mention must be made of Squadron Leader Ian Stnart and Warrant Officer Rick Lovett who generously undertook a lot of these inquiries too, since without their exertions the lists or apprentices would not have reached anything approaching an acceptable level of completeness. In the case of the Jeats, I have Group Captain Colin Makin and Warrant Officer Lance Doughty to thank for providing me with names in the first instance and for checking the list which I was subsequently able to generate. Thanks also go to Mr Dave Pullen and his staff at the Discharged Personnel Records Section at Queanbeyan for their patient handling of my endless enquiries, and to Corporal Chris Stephens in DPA who made available relevant sections of the roll-book of apprentice certificate holders. Considering the complex nature of the effort involved in pulling together lists of names, often either incomplete or full of discrepancies which needed to be clarified and verified, it seems inevitable that there will still be some errors and omissions in the various rolls. While this may be disappointing for the individuals concerned, it must be said in mitigation that the best effort has been made to check information against official RAM records as the authoritative source. Often, however, it was not apparent that a problem existed unless conflicting information was presented, and where errors already existed in the RAAF's own records there was very little chance of detecting and eradicating any problems. Among those whose contribution should also be specially mentioned are my wife Tina and son Andrew, who spent a great many hours transcribing tapes of oral interviews conducted in conjunction with this project. As the manuscript passed through publication at the Air Power Studies Centre at RAAF Base Fairbairn it came under the capable hands of Mrs Sandra Di Guglielmo. A final acknowledgement goes to Mr John Saunders, a member of No. 4 Apprentice Intake at Forest Hill, for his suggestion of the book's title; many ideas were offered as possibilities in this regard, but in the end it was felt that 'From the Ground up' - apart from being applicable to all three apprentice streams, Jeats, and graduates of the DiplomaIEngineer Cadet Squadron - best conveyed the sense of laying the foundations for youthful careers that would keep the air force flying. Acknowledgments iii Abreviations vi Chapter 1 The approach to training until 1945 1 Chapter 2 Addressing future needs 12 Chapter 3 Engineer apprentices: 1948-1960 29 Chapter 4 Engineer apprentices: 1960-1993 53 Chapter 5 Radio apprentices: 1948-1992 69 Chapter 6 Junior trainees: 1952-1959 90 Chapter 7 Diploma and Engineer Cadets: 1955-1986 105 Chapter 8 Technologist apprentices: 1982-1993 125 Chapter 9 Technical restructuring of the RAAF 139 Appendixes Graduate Rolls 1 Engineering Trade Apprentices 2 Radio Trade Apprentices 3 Junior Equipment & Administrative Trainees 4 Diploma & Engineer Cadets 5 Technologist Apprentices Bibliography Index AC Aircraftman ADFA Australian Defence Force Academy AEU Amalgamated Engineering Union AFC Australian Flying Corps AGRS Air and Ground Radio School AMEM Air Member for Engineering and Maintenance AMP Air Member for Personnel AMSE Air Member for Supply and Equipment AMTS Air Member for Technical Services AOC Air Officer Commanding ATC Air Training Corps CAFP Chief of Air Force Personnel CAFTS Chief of Air Force Technical Services CAS Chief of the Air Staff CO Commanding Officer COT Certificate of Technology DCS Diploma Cadet Squadron ECS Engineer Cadet Squadron FTC Footscray Technical College FTS Flying Training School GTS Ground Training School JEAT Junior Equipment and Administrative Training OTS Officer Training School MTC Melbourne Technical College MTU Melbourne Telecommunications Unit NCO Non-commissio~ledOfficer RAD Radio RADS Radio School RAAF Royal Australian Air Force RAF Royal Air Force RAS Radio Apprentice School RMIT Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force RPAF Royal Pakistan Air Force RSTT RAAF School of Technical Training RTC RAAF Technical College RTU Recruit Training Unit SD Stores Depot SEQEB South East Queensland Electricity Board STT School of Technical Training TAFE Technical and Further Education WAAAF Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force WAIT Western Australian Institute of Technology WRAAF Women's Royal Australian Air Force WIT WirelesslTelegraphy THEAPPROACH TO TRAINING UNTIL 1945 Air services, be they commercial or military in nature, are technically-oriented organisations which critically depend on the capacity of skilled staffs for efficient performance. Not just the personnel who fly the aircraft comprising the operational element of the service must be competent in their task, or be prepared to pay a penalty frequently of the most drastic kind, but the members of the ground-crews who prepare, maintain and support the effort in the air must be able to fully respond to the technical demands of any situation.