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Ten Years at the Top an Analysis of the Role of Air Marshal Sir George Jones As Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Australian Air

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Ten Years at the Top an Analysis of the Role of Air Marshal Sir George Jones As Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Australian Air TEN YEARS AT THE TOP AN ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF AIR MARSHAL SIR GEORGE JONES AS CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE 1942 - 1952 PETER HELSON A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY AT THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, 2006 Abstract This thesis sets out to examine the proposition that Air Marshal Sir George Jones’ time as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of the Royal Australian Air force (RAAF) was both beneficial and detrimental to the Service but the benefits gained from his time in office outweighed the detriment. Sir George Jones served as CAS for nearly ten years (1942 - 1952). This was the longest continuous appointment of a CAS to date. Jones was CAS for most of the Second World War and it was during that time that the two events for which he is most remembered occurred, viz the controversy surrounding his appointment and his ongoing conflict with the RAAF Operational Commander (W.D. Bostock). In order to assess his impact on the RAAF, this thesis describes events and incidents that occurred while Jones was CAS. To compile this work, data was drawn from numerous sources including: interviews with family members and ex-RAAF personnel; official records maintained by the National Archives of Australia (NAA), the RAAF Historical Section and the RAAF Museum; Jones’ personal papers held by family members and the Australian War Memorial; and the papers of other RAAF officers and politicians held by the RAAF Museum and the National Library of Australia (NLA). Jones wrote a brief autobiography, which (together with other secondary sources) was used to “fill in the gaps.” This research shows that Jones’ time as CAS was far more eventful and filled with more conflict than he alludes to in his autobiography. He had no say in his appointment as CAS but his personality did not allow him to make the best of the situation with Bostock. Contrary to the views expressed in earlier works, Jones’ appointment was not a mistake but a deliberate move by the Minister for Air. The conclusion reached is that Jones’ time in office was beneficial to the RAAF. He presided over its growth to being the world’s fourth largest air force at the end of the Second World War. He oversaw its post war demobilisation and was responsible for planning the Service’s structure to meet the Australian Government’s needs during the early years of the Cold War. ii Acknowledgements Many people helped me during the years I spent researching and writing this thesis and I would like to acknowledge their assistance. First, thanks to Professor John McCarthy of the Air Power Development Centre for helping me select the subject and for the advice, guidance and enthusiasm he provided over the years. Thanks to Associate Professor Robin Prior of the Australian Defence Force Academy for his guidance as thesis supervisor. Thanks also to Ms Bernadette McDermott of the ADFA History department who arranged meetings, answered requests and put up with my complaints. A lot of people helped me with data collection. In this regard I owe my greatest thanks to Mrs Anne Jones of East Bentleigh, Victoria. She is the person who made this thesis possible. She kindly loaned me papers, photographs, video and audio tapes and spared hours of her time for interviews. Without the wonderful assistance that she, and other members of the Jones family provided my task would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible. Thanks also to the current and former staff of the RAAF Historical Section - Ms Mollie Angel, Ms Janet Beck, Dr David Wilson and Mr Michael Nelmes. The people working at various historical and cultural repositories also deserve a great deal of thanks, especially Ms Valerie Helson and other staff members of the National Library of Australia; Ms Monica Walsh at the RAAF Museum; the people at the Australian War Memorial library and those at the reading room of the National Archives of Australia. I am extremely grateful to the ex-RAAF members who wrote to me or gave me their time for interviews, especially Sir Richard Kingsland AO, CBE, DFC, Air Marshal J.W. Newham AC (rtd) and Wing Commander Dick Cresswell DFC (rtd). Thanks also to those people who knew Sir George and were prepared to give me details of their contacts with him. There were many other people who gave me all manner of support assistance and encouragement and they deserve my gratitude—Air Commodore Gary Waters (rtd), Air Commodore Mark Lax and the late Group Captain Ian McFarling, who all provided advice and showed interest in the thesis; Commander Daniel Gibbons RAN, Major Phil Parkinson (rtd) and Wing Commander Dayle Thomas who proof read drafts; and Lieutenant Colonel Phill Moses who advised on the thesis’ structure and layout. Then there were those who assisted me in other ways - Ms Dot O’Connor of Campbell ACT, who spent many evenings scanning photographs onto computer discs; and Steve Neilsen of Red Hill ACT and Doug Mann of the SSAA who often asked the encouraging question “Have you got it finished yet?” iii Declaration I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is fully acknowledged. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged. Peter Helson 2006 Dedication To Mary Gerardine Gallo 1 October 1959 — 24 December 2002. iv CONTENTS Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Declaration iv Dedication iv Contents v Abbreviations and Acronyms vii Imperial/Metric Conversion Table x INTRODUCTION xi CHAPTER 1 A VERY COMPLEX MAN 1 The Great War 2 Operational Stress 4 Jones joins the AFC 7 71 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps 11 Marriage and Family Life 14 Jones joins the RAAF 16 A Most Capable, Keen and Conscientious Officer 18 CHAPTER II THE DARKEST OF DARK HORSES 28 RAAF Command Prior to the Second World War 28 A Suitable RAF Officer 38 A Change of Government and the entry of Japan into the War 45 The Foundations of the Divided Command 49 Chief of the Air Staff 54 Cabinet Deliberations and Decisions 57 The Selection Process 65 CHAPTER 111 MANAGING THE WARTIME RAAF 82 Jones’ Tasks as the Chief of the Air Staff 84 Jones and the Management of the RAAF 88 Jones, Kenney and Dissention 92 Jones, Kenney, Bostock and RAAF Command and Control 100 Arrangement The Conflict Escalates 109 CHAPTER IV A TREMENDOUSLY PATIENT MAN 122 Jones and Operational Efficiency: Fighter Sector Headquarters 136 Air Officer Commanding in Chief, RAAF Command 147 CHAPTER V JONES, CURTIN, MACARTHUR AND THE IMPERIAL 160 CONNECTION Promotion? 161 AOC RAAF 165 v CHAPTER VI AN AUSTRALIAN IN RAAF BLUE 184 Air Command South East Asia 186 Aircraft Supply 190 Bomber Acquisition 200 Morotai 202 The Borneo Campaign 215 A Very Busy War 219 2 September 1945 220 CHAPTER VII THE MEANEST PIECE OF SERVICE ADMINISTRATION 223 Demobilisation 224 Newspaper Comments 243 CHAPTER V11 ONE OF OUR BETTER CHIEFS OF THE AIR STAFF 250 Reforming the Service 251 Plan D 255 Jones’ Opposition to the Naval Air Branch 259 US Decoration 265 Jones Adapts to a Change of Government 266 The Berlin Airlift 268 Educating the Service 270 Malaya 272 Korea 275 Jones’ Views of Air Combat Over Korea 280 Re-equipping the Service 282 Retirement 287 CONCLUSION 299 BIBLIOGRAPHY 306 vi ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AAA Anti Aircraft Artillery AAF Allied Air Forces AAU Air Ambulance Unit ABDACOM American, British, Dutch, Australian Command ACH Area Combined Headquarters ACM Air Chief Marshal ACS Airfield Construction Squadron AD Aircraft Depot ADHQ Air Defence Headquarters ADSC Australian Defence Studies Centre AFCO Air Force Confidential Order AGPS Australian Government Publishing Service AIF Australian Imperial Forces AIRCDRE Air Commodore AMF Australian Military Forces AMOE Air Member for Organisation and Equipment AMP Air Member for Personnel AOB Advance Operational Base AOC Air Officer Commanding AOR Air Operations Room AP Aircraft Park APSC Air Power Studies Centre ARD Aircraft Repair Depot ARP Air Raid Precautions ASRF Air Sea Rescue Flight ASV Air to Surface Vessel radar ASW Anti Submarine Warfare AVG American Volunteer Group AVM Air Vice-Marshal AWM Australian War Memorial CAC Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CAS Chief of Air Staff CB Companion of the Order of the Bath CGS Chief of the General Staff CNS Chief of Naval Staff CO Commanding Officer COIC Combined Operational Intelligence Centre COL Colonel CPD Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates CWR Central War Room DAP Department of Aircraft Production DC Defence Committee DCAS Deputy Chief of the Air Staff DFC Distinguished Flying Cross vii EATS Empire Air Training Scheme FBMU Flying Boat Maintenance Unit FBRD Flying Boat Repair Depot FCU Fighter Control Unit FEAF Far Eastern Air Force FLGOFF Flying Officer FLTLT Flight Lieutenant ft foot/feet (distance) GEN General GHQ General Headquarters GOC General Officer Commanding GP General Purpose GPCAPT Group Captain GR/B General Reconnaissance/Bomber HQ Headquarters JPC Joint Planning Committee km kilometres £ pounds (money) lbs pounds (weight) LCDR
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