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We Envy No Man on Earth Because We Fly. the Australian Fleet Air

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We Envy No Man On Earth Because We Fly. The Australian Fleet Air Arm: A Comparative Operational Study. This thesis is presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Murdoch University 2016 Sharron Lee Spargo BA (Hons) Murdoch University I declare that this thesis is my own account of my research and contains as its main content work which has not previously been submitted for a degree at any tertiary education institution. …………………………………………………………………………….. Abstract This thesis examines a small component of the Australian Navy, the Fleet Air Arm. Naval aviators have been contributing to Australian military history since 1914 but they remain relatively unheard of in the wider community and in some instances, in Australian military circles. Aviation within the maritime environment was, and remains, a versatile weapon in any modern navy but the struggle to initiate an aviation branch within the Royal Australian Navy was a protracted one. Finally coming into existence in 1947, the Australian Fleet Air Arm operated from the largest of all naval vessels in the post battle ship era; aircraft carriers. HMAS Albatross, Sydney, Vengeance and Melbourne carried, operated and fully maintained various fixed-wing aircraft and the naval personnel needed for operational deployments until 1982. These deployments included contributions to national and multinational combat, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. With the Australian government’s decision not to replace the last of the aging aircraft carriers, HMAS Melbourne, in 1982, the survival of the Australian Fleet Air Arm, and its highly trained personnel, was in grave doubt. This was a major turning point for Australian Naval Aviation; these versatile flyers and the maintenance and technical crews who supported them retrained on rotary aircraft, or helicopters, and adapted to flight operations utilising small compact ships. Oral testimony of those men who served aboard Australia’s aircraft carriers, and those who have served on small helicopter-capable ships, allows for a comparison of operational modes and an assessment of the value of the Australian Fleet Air Arm. Employing these two operational modes the Australian Fleet Air Arm have made small but valuable contributions to various world conflicts, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. With little recognition or appreciation the Australian Fleet Air Arm continue to be deployed in national and multinational global security operations in which they play a vital role within Australian military operations. Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to thank each of the members of the Australian Fleet Air Arm, the Birdies, who are listed below. They have always been graciously accepting of my invasiveness and unstinting in sharing their precious memories of their unique and unforgettable service. Always encouraging, their generosity of time and spirit have made this study possible and I remain forever indebted. Adams, Anthony; Arnold, John; Andrews, Grant; Auld, Alistair; Bamfour, Richard; Bolton, John; Brown, John; Burns, Lou; Bushe-Jones, Colin; Bushe-Jones Theo; Campbell, Fred; Campbell, Mark; Campbell, Sean; Champion, John; Cifala, Charlie; Cleary, John; Coulter, Roy; Courtnay, Dion; Curren, Andrew; Dadswell, Toz; Dalton, Tony; Davis, Ron; Dowsing, Brett; Duperouzel Jack; Farthing, David; Ferguson, Ian; Ferguson, Kim; Gale, Bob (Windy), (dec); Gilmore, Bob; Greenup, Zeek; Harrison, John; Herbert, John; James, Winston; Jose, Ryan; Jost, Joe; Kelson, Greg; Keogh, Mike; Knappstein, Noel; Kroeger, Joe; Leggo, Trevor (dec); Lorimer, Don; Matterson, Les; Mathews, Bryan; May, John; Mayo, Clive; Mead, John Meehan, Rick; Nixon, Dennis; Norris, Dennis; Opie, Raymond; Orr, David; Poole, Brian; Poole, Max; Powell, Andy; Rassmussen, Doug; Rogers, Des; (dec); Sarti, Ross; Selsmark, John; Sevier, Jake; Shand, Mathew; Smith, Phil; Sparn, Mike; Stanfield, Ian; Summers, Chadd; Suriano, Jack; Tate, Ron;(dec) Taylor, Keith; Tiffin, Maurice; Todd, Barry; Vickridge, Geoff; Walters, Pancho (dec); Warren, Ian; Webster, Ernest Harry (Blue); Wills, Anthony; Winchcombe, Alan. A special thank you to the wives and partners of the Birdies who have very generously welcomed me into their fold and offered me their friendships. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the social occasions we have shared and eagerly look forward to those to come. To my university family whose love, support and encouragement have kept me moving forward, I offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks. To Ann, Helen and Jane I owe much more than I can say. My sincere thanks to my supervisor, Professor Michael Durey for his patience, support and reassurance during this amazing journey. His experience, knowledge and advice have played a major role in my timely completion. Thanks also go to Professor Michael Sturma for his input. To my daughters Yasmin and Dion whose enthusiasm and determination to see me begin my university life proved impossible to ignore. As this wonderful journey has exceeded my dreams and expectations I offer you both an enduring thank you. Thanks also go to my son Kade for his understanding, along with apologies for all the late or missed dinners. This wonderful experience would not have been possible without the love and support of my husband Greg. This fantastic life we share just gets better and better. Thank you. Glossary of Terms AFAAA Australian Fleet Air Arm Association AHC Assault Helicopter Company ANZAM Australia New Zealand and Malaya ANZUS Australia New Zealand United States ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam ASW Anti Submarine Warfare AVGAS Aviation Gasoline (Petrol) BEM British Empire Medal CAG Carrier Air Group CAP Combat Air Patrol CB Companion of the Order of the Bath CBE Companion of the Order of the British Empire C&C Command and Control CNS Chief of Naval Staff COMAFV Commander of Australian Forces Vietnam DFC Distinguished Flying Cross DFDC Defence Force Development Committee DFM Distinguished Flying Medal DMZ De-Militarised Zone DPRK Democratic People’s Republic of Korea DSC Distinguished Service Cross DSO Distinguished Service Order DSM Distinguished Service Medal EMU Experimental Military Unit FAA Fleet Air Arm FESR Far East Strategic Reserve HMAS His/Her Majesty’s Australian Ship JINDIVIK Remote Piloted Aerial Vehicle KALKARA FLIGHT Remote Piloted Aerial Vehicle KILLICK Leading Seaman LADS Laser Airborne Depth Sounder MBE Member of the Order of the British Empire MEDIVAC Medical Evacuation MK46 Air launched missile torpedo MFO Multinational Force of Observers MVO Member of the Royal Victorian Order NAMAE Mechanic Airframes and Engines M16 Colt Rifle used by United States Military Forces M60 Heavy Machine Gun used by United States Military Forces NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NKPA North Korean People’s Arm NULKA Defensive missile decoy OBE Order of the British Empire OIC Officer in Charge PR Public Relations PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder RAAF Royal Australian Air Force RAF Royal Air Force RAN Royal Australian Navy RANHFV Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam RAR Royal Australian Regiment R&R Rest and Recreation RN Royal Navy ROK Republic Of Korea RPG Rocket Propelled Grenade RVN Democratic Republic Of Vietnam SAR Search and Rescue SEATO South East Asian Treaty Alliance SLR Self Loading Rifle used by Australian Forces STOVL Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing 2IC Second in Charge UN United Nations USN United States Navy VC Viet Cong Contents 1. Introduction: 1 2. Tracing the Evolution of Military Aviation, and its Roots and Trajectory in the Australian Navy 1914-2015 29 3. Recruitment and Training 65 4. Carriers and Fixed-wing Aircraft; Small Ships and Helicopters 99 5. The Australian Fleet Air Arm and the Korean Conflict. 135 6. The Vietnam War and the Emus. 158 7. It’s a Birdie’s life 213 8. Conclusion 240 Appendix A. 248 Appendix B. 251 Bibliography 255 8 1. Introduction: The end of the FAA? Well I can remember it quite clearly because we were tied up in Auckland harbour, it was most devastating for us all and that’s probably when I decided that I was going to get out and join an airline. There didn’t appear to be much future in the Fleet Air Arm although subsequently they did have a good future but at that particular time it was all doom and gloom.1 In the 1950’s my father, Theo Bushe-Jones, joined the Royal Australian Navy and volunteered to become a member of the newly established Australian Fleet Air Arm (FAA). As there were vacancies for armourers in this small aviation branch he underwent a specialised training program before joining a Squadron, after which he was posted to Her Majesty’s Australian Ship, Sydney, an aircraft carrier. As a Korean War veteran my father’s service in the FAA has remained a defining one and in 1975 he, and several other retired Western Australian members, instigated the formation of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia and he currently occupies the position of Welfare Officer for Western Australia. As a consequence of his lifelong commitment to the aims of the organisation, one of which is to ‘foster the preservation of the history of Aviation in the RAN’, the FAA was proposed as the focus of this thesis. As an associate member of the Fleet Air Arm Association I have access to retired and serving members throughout the organisation; either through my father’s contemporaries, by direct contact, or through the Association’s quarterly journal, Slipstream, which is available to all financial members. This journal has been in constant publication since 1957 and invites veterans to share memories of their service, their deployments, Squadrons’ histories and technical information on the various aircraft and ships which have operated in the FAA. This publication is the source of many reminiscences of camaraderie and mateship that are qualities which continue to underpin this branch of the navy. The existence of an aviation component in the Australian Navy remains largely unknown in the wider community and in some instances, the military fraternity. From the introduction of flight capability in the Australian Navy, FAA operated purpose-built ships whose modified decks became floating airfields.
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