Southern Area Command (RAAF)

{{short description|Royal Australian Air Force command}} {{Good Article}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}} {{Infobox military unit |unit_name=Southern Area Command |image=upright=1.5|alt=Map of Australia showing state borders, with RAAF area command boundaries superimposed |caption={{nowrap|Provisional RAAF area command boundaries, February 1940}} |allegiance=Australia |branch=Royal Australian Air Force |battles=World War II |command_structure= |garrison=Melbourne |dates=1940–53 |role= Air defence Aerial reconnaissance Protection of adjacent sea lanes |notable_commanders=Henry Wrigley (1940) Adrian Cole (1940–41) Frank Bladin (1941) Ian McLachlan (1944–45) Charles Eaton (1945) Allan Walters (1948–50) Alan Charlesworth (1951–53) }}

'''Southern Area Command''' was one of several geographically based commands raised by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during {{nowrap|World War II}}. It was formed in March 1940, and initially controlled units located in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and southern New South Wales. Headquartered in Melbourne, Southern Area Command was responsible for air defence, aerial reconnaissance and protection of the sea lanes within its boundaries. From 1942 its operational responsibilities excluded New South Wales.

The area command continued to operate following the end of the war, becoming the hub of Air Force training services. In October 1953, the RAAF began reorganising its command-and-control system from one based on geography to one based on function; Southern Area was re-formed as Training Command, which in 2006 became Air Force Training Group, a component of RAAF Air Command.

==History==

===World War II=== thumb|left|upright=0.9|Air Commodore Wrigley, inaugural AOC Southern Area, March 1940|alt=Head-and-shoulders portrait of man in light-coloured military uniform with ribbons and pilot's wings on chest, wearing dark peaked cap Prior to World War II, the Royal Australian Air Force was small enough for all its elements to be directly controlled by RAAF Headquarters in Melbourne. After war broke out in September 1939, the RAAF began to decentralise its command structure, commensurate with expected increases in manpower and units.<ref name=Stephens111>Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 111–112</ref><ref name=Pathfinder121>{{cite magazine |title = Organising for war: The RAAF air campaigns in the Pacific | magazine = Pathfinder |issue= 121| date = October 2009| url = http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/APDC/media/PDF-Files/Pathfinder/PF121-Organising-for-War-The-RAAF-Air-Campaigns-in-the-Pacific.pdf|publisher=Air Power Development Centre|access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref> Its initial move in this direction was to create Nos. 1 and 2 Groups to control units in Victoria and New South Wales, respectively.<ref>Gillison, [https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070476/document/5519759.PDF ''Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 66–67]</ref> Then, between March 1940 and May 1941, the RAAF divided Australia and New Guinea into four geographically based command-and-control zones: Central Area, Southern Area, Western Area, and Northern Area.<ref name=Gillison91>Gillison, [https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070724/document/5520006.PDF ''Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 91–92]</ref> The roles of these area commands were air defence, protection of adjacent sea lanes, and aerial reconnaissance. Each was led by an Air Officer Commanding (AOC) responsible for the administration and operations of all air bases and units within his boundary.<ref name=Pathfinder121/><ref name=Gillison91/>

No. 1 Group, which had been established on 20 November 1939, was re-formed as one of the first two area commands, Southern Area, on 7 March 1940. Headquartered in Melbourne, Southern Area Command was given control of all Air Force units in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the southern Riverina district of New South Wales.<ref>Ashworth, ''How Not to Run an Air Force'', pp. xix–xx, 27–29</ref> Its inaugural AOC was Air Commodore Henry Wrigley, who had also led No. 1 Group.<ref name="Ashworth pp. 302–304">Ashworth, ''How Not to Run an Air Force'', pp. 302–304</ref> His senior administrative staff officer was Group Captain Joe Hewitt.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40862568 |title=Many Air Force promotions appointments |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |date=25 April 1940 |access-date=16 March 2019|page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Wrigley handed over command to Air Commodore Adrian "King" Cole, formerly AOC Central Area, in November 1940.<ref name="Ashworth pp. 302–304"/>

By mid-1941, the RAAF's expanding instructional program necessitated the establishment of overarching training organisations on a semi-functional, semi-geographical basis. Accordingly, on 2 August, No. 1 (Training) Group was formed in Melbourne to assume responsibility for training units within Southern Area's boundaries, and No. 2 (Training) Group in Sydney took over training units then under Central Area, which was disbanded; control of other Central Area units was "divided as convenient", according to the official history of the war, between Southern and Northern Area Commands.<ref name="Gillison p. 112">Gillison, [https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070724/document/5520006.PDF ''Royal Australian Air Force'', p. 112]</ref><ref>Ashworth, ''How Not to Run an Air Force'', pp. xx, 38</ref> Air Commodore Frank Bladin held command of Southern Area from September to December 1941.<ref name="Ashworth pp. 302–304"/>

thumb|right|upright=1.32|alt=Map of Australia showing state borders, with RAAF area command boundaries superimposed|RAAF area commands, December 1941 As of 20 April 1942, operational authority over all RAAF combat infrastructure, including area commands, was invested in the newly established Allied Air Forces Headquarters under South West Pacific Area Command (SWPA).<ref>Gillison, [https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070516/document/5519799.PDF ''Royal Australian Air Force'', p. 473]</ref><ref name=Odgers15>Odgers, [https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070530/document/5519813.PDF ''Air War Against Japan'', pp. 15–16]</ref> On 15 May, Southern Area, which by then was considered too large, yielded responsibility for operational and maintenance units within New South Wales to a new area command, Eastern Area. Control of maintenance units under Southern Area was transferred to the newly established No. 4 (Maintenance) Group in Melbourne on 14 September.<ref>Ashworth, ''How Not to Run an Air Force'', pp. xxi, 134–135</ref> September also saw the formation of RAAF Command, led by Air Vice Marshal Bill Bostock, to oversee the majority of Australian flying units in the SWPA.<ref>Gillison, [https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070519/document/5519802.PDF ''Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 585–588]</ref><ref name=Odgers4>Odgers, [https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070530/document/5519813.PDF ''Air War Against Japan'', pp. 4–6]</ref> Bostock exercised control of air operations through the area commands, although RAAF Headquarters continued to hold overarching administrative authority over Australian units.<ref name="Stephens pp. 144–145">Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 144–145</ref>

Of geographical necessity, the operational responsibilities of the RAAF's southerly areas centred on maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare, while the northern commands concentrated on air defence and offensive bombing.<ref name="Stephens pp. 144–145"/> In February 1943, Southern Area Command began incorporating convoy escorts into the training program of the Beauforts of No. 1 Operational Training Unit at Bairnsdale, Victoria.<ref>Wilson, ''The Eagle and the Albatross'', pp. 79–80</ref> As of April, the area was operating two squadrons: No. 67, flying maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine missions with Avro Ansons out of RAAF Station Laverton, Victoria; and No. 86, flying P-40 Kittyhawk fighters from Gawler, South Australia.<ref name="Air War Against Japan ch.09 p. 141">Odgers, [https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070558/document/5519841.PDF ''Air War Against Japan'', p. 141]</ref> No. 67 Squadron was one of several RAAF reserve formations hastily raised to augment the anti-submarine effort, crewed by staff and students from operational training units.<ref>Odgers, [https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070558/document/5519841.PDF ''Air War Against Japan'', p. 140]</ref><ref>Wilson, ''The Eagle and the Albatross'', pp. 73–74</ref> Group Captain Ian McLachlan commanded the area from March 1944 until January 1945, when he handed over to Group Captain Charles Eaton.<ref name="Ashworth pp. 302–304"/>

The {{GS|U-862}} operated off southern Australia in December 1944 and January 1945, and the few combat units in Southern Area were heavily engaged in the search—ultimately unsuccessful—for this submarine and any others in the vicinity.<ref name=Odgers351>Odgers, [https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070395/document/5519683.PDF ''Air War Against Japan'', pp. 351–354]</ref> The Ansons were found wanting when it came to night operations, and Southern Area had to call in aircraft from Eastern Area and from training and maintenance units to buttress its patrol effort.<ref>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 269</ref> In April, Eaton complained to Bostock that intelligence from British Pacific Fleet concerning its ships' movements eastwards out of Western Area was hours out of date by the time it was received at Southern Area Command, leading to RAAF aircraft missing their rendezvous and wasting valuable flying hours searching empty ocean. There had been no U-boat strikes since February, and by June the naval authorities indicated that there was no pressing need for air cover except for the most important vessels.<ref name=Odgers351/> Eaton led the command through to the surrender of Japan in September, and into December 1945.<ref name="Ashworth pp. 302–304"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=1046384|title=Eaton, Charles|work=World War 2 Nominal Roll|publisher=Department of Veterans' Affairs|access-date=16 March 2019|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214613/http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=1046384|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Post-war reorganisation=== thumb|upright=1.32|right|RAAF area command boundaries in 1947. The geographical command organisation was superseded by a functional control system in 1953–54.|alt=Map of Australia showing state borders, with RAAF area command boundaries superimposed On 2 September 1945, following the end of the Pacific War, South West Pacific Area was dissolved and the RAAF again assumed full control of all its operational elements.<ref>Ashworth, ''How Not to Run an Air Force!'', p. 262</ref> The Air Force shrank dramatically as personnel were demobilised and units disbanded; most of the RAAF's bases and aircraft employed in operations after the war were situated within Eastern Area's sphere of control in New South Wales and southern Queensland.<ref>Stephens, ''Going Solo'', pp. 11–12, 72–73</ref> In September 1946, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal George Jones, proposed reducing the five extant mainland area commands (North-Western, North-Eastern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Areas) to three: Northern Area, covering Queensland and the Northern Territory; Eastern Area, covering New South Wales; and Southern Area, covering Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. The proposal was part of a much larger plan to restructure the post-war RAAF; the Federal government rejected the plan and the wartime area command boundaries essentially remained in place.<ref>Helson, ''The Private Air Marshal'', pp. 321–325</ref><ref name=Solo68>Stephens, ''Going Solo'', pp. 68, 462</ref> RAAF College (which became RAAF Academy in 1961) was established at RAAF Station Point Cook, Victoria, under Southern Area Command in August 1947.<ref>Frost, ''RAAF College & Academy'', pp. 6, 45</ref> The area's later AOCs included Air Commodores Allan Walters, from 1948 to 1950, and Alan Charlesworth, the last officer to command the area, from 1951 to 1953.<ref name=AVM>{{cite web|url=http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Contents/About-APDC/About-APDC/Office-of-Air-Force-History/Air-Marshals-of-the-RAAF/137/Air-Vice-Marshals-L-Z.aspx |title=Air Vice-Marshals (L–Z) |work=Air Marshals of the RAAF|publisher=Air Power Development Centre|access-date=20 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110601195011/http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Contents/About-APDC/About-APDC/Office-of-Air-Force-History/Air-Marshals-of-the-RAAF/137/Air-Vice-Marshals-L-Z.aspx|archive-date=1 June 2011}}</ref><ref name=HAVM>{{cite web|url=http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Contents/About-APDC/About-APDC/Office-of-Air-Force-History/Air-Marshals-of-the-RAAF/138/Honorary-Air-Vice-Marshals.aspx |title=Honorary Air Vice-Marshals |work=Air Marshals of the RAAF|publisher=Air Power Development Centre|access-date=20 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110601195948/http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Contents/About-APDC/About-APDC/Office-of-Air-Force-History/Air-Marshals-of-the-RAAF/138/Honorary-Air-Vice-Marshals.aspx|archive-date=1 June 2011}}</ref>

The Federal government retired Jones in 1952 and replaced him with Air Marshal Donald Hardman, RAF, who proceeded to re-organise the RAAF command-and-control system along functional lines, establishing Home (operational), Training, and Maintenance Commands in October 1953. The first was re-formed from the existing Eastern Area Command, which was considered a ''de facto'' operational organisation owing to the preponderance of such forces within its boundaries. The second was re-formed from Southern Area Command, as it was already the hub of training services, controlling those in New South Wales and Queensland as well as Victoria and South Australia. The third and final functional command was formed from the extant Maintenance Group headquarters in Melbourne. The transition to a functional system was completed in February 1954, when the three new commands assumed control of all operations, training and maintenance from Western, North-Western, and North-Eastern Area Commands.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = Sir Donald Hardman's reorganisation of the RAAF| magazine = Pathfinder|issue= 106| date = March 2009| url = http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/APDC/media/PDF-Files/Pathfinder/PF106-Sir-Donald-Hardman-s-Reorganisation-of-the-RAAF.pdf|publisher=Air Power Development Centre|access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="Solo">Stephens, ''Going Solo'', pp. 73–76, 462–463</ref>

==Aftermath== The functional commands established in 1953–54 were revised in 1959. Home Command was renamed Operational Command, and Training and Maintenance Commands merged to become Support Command.<ref>Stephens, ''Going Solo'', pp. 76–77</ref> Operational Command was renamed Air Command in 1987, and three years later Support Command split into Logistics Command and Training Command.<ref name="Oxford150">Dennis et al, ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History'', pp. 150–151</ref> Training Command was re-formed as Air Force Training Group, a force element group under Air Command, in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airforce.gov.au/About_us/Structure_of_the_RAAF/Air_Command/Air_Force_Training_Group/?RAAF-hq2wskEcYXfEfqWNOvO1s4mdhi2R+mo+|title=Air Force Training Group|publisher=Royal Australian Air Force|access-date=10 July 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808195244/http://www.airforce.gov.au/About_us/Structure_of_the_RAAF/Air_Command/Air_Force_Training_Group/?RAAF-hq2wskEcYXfEfqWNOvO1s4mdhi2R+mo+|archive-date=8 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Order of battle== As at 30 April 1942, Southern Area's order of battle comprised:<ref name="Ashworth299">Ashworth, ''How Not to Run an Air Force'', pp. 299–300</ref> {{Div col}} * RAAF Station Laverton ** No. 5 (Army Cooperation) Squadron ** No. 36 (Transport) Squadron * General Reconnaissance School, Cressy * No. 7 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron, Bairnsdale * No. 7 Fighter Sector Headquarters, Melbourne * RAAF Station Richmond ** No. 6 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron ** No. 22 (General Purpose) Squadron ** No. 30 (Long Range Fighter) Squadron ** No. 100 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron * RAAF Station Canberra ** No. 4 (Army Cooperation) Squadron ** No. 18 (Heavy Bomber) Squadron ** Survey Flight * RAAF Station Rathmines ** No. 9 (Fleet Cooperation) Squadron ** Seaplane Training Flight * No. 2 Fighter Sector Headquarters, Newcastle {{div col end}}

==Notes== {{reflist|30em}}

==References== * {{cite book | year = 2000| title = How Not to Run an Air Force! Volume One – Narrative| url = http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/APDC/media/PDF-Files/Heritage%20Series/HTG12-How-Not-To-Run-An-Air-Force!-Volume-1.pdf| last = Ashworth | first=Norman| publisher = RAAF Air Power Studies Centre | location = Canberra | isbn =0-642-26550-X}} * {{cite book|last=Dennis| first=Peter|author2=Grey, Jeffrey |author-link2=Jeffrey Grey|author3= Morris, Ewan|author4= Prior, Robin| year=2008| orig-year=1995| title=The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History| location=South Melbourne| publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-551784-2}} * {{cite book|last=Frost | first=R.E. |year=1991| title=RAAF College & Academy 1947–86 | location=Canberra| publisher=Royal Australian Air Force|url=http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/APDC/media/PDF-Files/Historical%20Publications/HIST31-RAAF-College-and-Academy-1947-86.pdf|isbn=978-0-646-08518-0}} * {{cite book|last=Gillison | first=Douglas |year=1962| title=Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942 | location=Canberra| publisher=Australian War Memorial|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070209/|oclc=2000369}} * {{cite book | last = Helson | first = Peter | title = The Private Air Marshal: A Biography of Air Marshal Sir George Jones, KBE, CB, DFC | publisher = Air Power Development Centre | location=Canberra|year = 2010 | url = http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/APDC/media/PDF-Files/Historical%20Publications/HIST21-The-Private-Air-Marshal-A-Biography-of-Air-Marshal-Sir-Geoge-Jones.pdf|isbn=978-1-920800-50-5}} * {{cite book|last=Odgers | first=George |author-link=George Odgers|orig-year=1957| year=1968| title=Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume II – Air War Against Japan 1943–1945 | location=Canberra| publisher=Australian War Memorial| url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070210/|oclc=246580191}} * {{cite book|last=Stephens| first=Alan| year=1995| title=Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971|location=Canberra|publisher=Australian Government Publishing Service|url=http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/APDC/media/PDF-Files/Historical%20Publications/HIST03-Going-Solo-The-Royal-Australian-Air-Force-1946-1971.pdf|isbn=978-0-644-42803-3}} * {{cite book|last=Stephens| first=Alan|orig-year=2001|year=2006| title=The Royal Australian Air Force: A History| location=London| publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19555-541-7}} * {{cite book|last=Stevens|first=David|title=A Critical Vulnerability: The Impact of the Submarine Threat on Australia's Maritime Defence 1915–1954|year=2005|publisher=Sea Power Centre – Australia|location=Canberra|isbn=0-642-29625-1|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/PIAMA15.pdf}} * {{cite thesis | degree =Ph. D| last = Wilson|first= David | title = The Eagle and the Albatross: Australian Aerial Maritime Operations 1921–1971| location=Sydney| publisher=University of New South Wales | year=2003 |url =http://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/fapi/datastream/unsworks:3183/SOURCE01?view=true}}

Southern Category:Military units and formations established in 1940 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1953 Category:RAAF commands