RAAF Base Pearce
From Our Contribution
Brief History
The area, 35km north-east from Perth, was selected as the site for the base in 1928. Built between 1936 and 1939, Pearce was officially granted station status on 6 February 1939. It was (and remains) the major military air base in Western Australia. Initial squadrons were Nos 14 and 25 (City of Perth). In addition it housed No. 5 Initial Flying Training School, part of the Empire Air Training Scheme.
Following the war, Pearce housed many varied operations, but in 1958, with the arrival of No 1 Advanced Flying Training School and the Vampire jet trainer, the base took on its current role as the home of advanced training for the RAAF's Pilots.
Personnel
- Nicholas Keating 13 Oct 1940 - 21 Oct 1941
- Reginald William Jordan 12 Apr 1940 - 26 May 1942
- † Greer Winton Ottaway 30 Apr 1941 - 22 Mar 1942
- John Arthur Wainwright 13 Oct 1941 - 8 Jul 1942
- Frederick Mervyn Cross 15 Jan - 10 Aug 1942
- John Newell Ellis 3 - 27 May 1942
- Gerald Kingsley Denny 12 - 26 Feb 1943
- Edward Harry Tasker 19 Feb - 26 Mar 1943
- Stanley Gordon Devereux 16 Oct - 17 Dec 1943
- Joseph Charles Colton 3 Feb - 1944 - 15 Jun 1945 & 2 Jul 1946 - 24 Nov 1947
- Philip Stanley Buckingham 11 Nov 1945 - 8 Mar 1946
- James Brian McGurk 19 Feb 1947 - 19 Feb 1948
- Dorothy Mavis Bettenay
- Helen Catherine Henderson
- Marguerite Isabella (Peg) Stevens
Notes