Difference between revisions of "No. 2 Air Observers School RAAF"

	Aerial view 1942 courtesy SA Aviation Museum
	AWM P08233.004
	v; t; e;

Latest revision as of 18:01, 31 May 2024

Brief History

No. 2 Air Observers School was formed at Mount Gambier, South Australia on 6 Feb 1941 and the first of the Anson aircraft with which the School was to be equipped arrived on the 25th. The first course of trainees commenced training on 8 March using the Anson and a DH-84 Dragon. During May, 8 Battle aircraft arrived from Laverton for the units use from Laverton until they moved to Port Pirie on 28 Jun 1941 to establish No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School.

An attachment of ground staff, 50 trainees and 8 aircraft moved to Nhill to take advantage of the fine weather there compared with that being experienced at Mt Gambier. There were a number of aircraft accidents and deaths of trainees and instructors alike. During November and December 1944 the unit flew bushfire patrols, and the unit was closed in January 1946

Trainees

† Thomas Douglas (Dougie) Ellis 17 Sep - 12 Dec 1941
† Maxwell Wellman Marsh 22 Jul - 16 Oct 1942
† Ernest Ronald William Oliver ?? Jan - 1 Apr 1943
John Chadwick Meachem 27 Dec 1943 - 27 Apr 1944
Emlyn George Howell 5 Jul - 28 Aug 1945

Notes

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

External Links

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 ==Brief History==
-No. 2 Air Navigation School was formed at Mount Gambier, South Australia on 1 Jul 1941 and five of the Anson aircraft with which the School was to be equipped arrived on the 12th. The first course of trainees commenced training on 28 July.  On 15 September, 3 officers and 50 airmen traveled by road to Nhill in Victoria, with the rest joining them by 19 Sep 1941.
+No. 2 Air Observers School was formed at Mount Gambier, South Australia on 6 Feb 1941 and the first of the Anson aircraft with which the School was to be equipped arrived on the 25th. The first course of trainees commenced training on 8 March using the Anson and a DH-84 Dragon.  During May, 8 Battle aircraft arrived from Laverton for the units use from Laverton until they moved to Port Pirie on 28 Jun 1941 to establish No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School.
-The first Nhill course began three days later, and graduated on 16 November. Each trainee averaged 31.25 hours flying time. The school was required to form No. 97 (Reserve) Squadron and the unit had 18 [[Avro Anson]]s. On 18 Sep 1943, six pilots from Australian National Airlines, Guinea Airlines and MacRobertson and Miller Airline participated in the astro-navigation course. Flying incidents were not common, with one fatal and several minor accidents only. No. 2 Navigation School closed its doors on 9 Dec 1943 having graduated 2,002 trainees.
+An attachment of ground staff, 50 trainees and 8 aircraft moved to Nhill to take advantage of the fine weather there compared with that being experienced at Mt Gambier. There were a number of aircraft accidents and deaths of trainees and instructors alike. During November and December 1944 the unit flew bushfire patrols, and the unit was closed in January 1946
 ===Trainees===
+* † [[Thomas Douglas (Dougie) Ellis]] 17 Sep - 12 Dec 1941
+* † [[Maxwell Wellman Marsh]] 22 Jul - 16 Oct 1942
 * † [[Ernest Ronald William Oliver]] ?? Jan - 1 Apr 1943
+* [[John Chadwick Meachem]] 27 Dec 1943 - 27 Apr 1944
+* [[Emlyn George Howell]] 5 Jul - 28 Aug 1945
 ====Notes====