No. 4 School of Technical Training RAAF

Exhibition Building, North terrace, Adelaide in 1885

Brief History

On 1 Apr 1940 the school was established at the Headquarters of Southern Area, before moving to the Exhibition Building in North Terrace, Adelaide. by June 1942, the total strength of the unit including staff was 1,273. The facilities at the Exhibition Building were inadequate for this number of personnel, and so on I Sep 1942, the Implement Company Building was taken over for the advanced electrician course. In early October, the Dunlop Building and St Marks College were occup1ed by airmen and WAAAF respectively. This enabled accommodation tents on the Exhibition Building oval to be evacuated. Courses were offered at the school for riggers, service police, welders, storekeepers, trainee technicians, cooks, mess stewards, recruit drill, filter armourer, fitter IIA, dental orderly and dental technician.

During September 1942, there was an epidemic of measles, mumps, and influenza. There was a daily average of 103 patients in hospital and four cases of meningitis (two fatal), were recorded. During October the same sickness rate prevailed, but in November the daily average was down to 78 patients. In December 1943. the cases reported included scarlet fever, pharyngitis, and tonsillitis, reflecting the age of the trainees.

Training ceased at No. 4 School of Technical Training on 5 Oct 1945, by which time 21,913 trainees had passed through the school.

Trainees

• John Harold Garnett 15 Apr - 14 Aug 1940
• Vernon Wallace Marsh
• Robert (Mick) Bunney 26 Jul - 18 Oct 1941
• Alfred Ensor Hand 20 Aug - 14 Nov 1941
• John Francis George Collins 3 Mar - 25 Apr 1942
• Francis Neal McGurk 1 Apr - 22 May 1943

Notes

Source of information - Units of the Royal Australian Airforce - A Concise History - Vol 8 Training Units - Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995