Difference between revisions of "No. 3 Bombing & Air Gunnery School RAAF"

	AWM Photo P00869.057
	1944 The gunnery range at No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School RAAF showing the mobile target and gun turrets equipped with camera guns used by trainee air-gunners. AWM photo VIC1979 during their course.
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Latest revision as of 02:12, 18 February 2024

Brief History

On 30 Dec 1941 the advanced party for the No. 3 Bombing & Gunnery School arrived at West Sale in Victoria, with the unit forming over January 1942. With the airfield little other than a runway and early construction of the buildings. Water had to be carted, and there were no sanitary arrangements.

The School was formed to carry out the function of completing the training of air gunners with a course of instruction in gunnery, and to train air observers in bombinng and gunnery. The unit's first aircraft, a Fairey Battle, arrived on 2 Feb 1942 from No. 1 Aircraft Park RAAF. Training commenced on 8 Mar 1942 with 43 trainees arriving from Mount Gambier. A group of Americans were fortunate that the unit was operational when on 13 Feb 1942, 14 Americans and their Kittyhawk aircraft were forced to land at West Sale after becoming lost while travelling from the north down to Laverton.

The first fatality at the School occurred in the first week of training when an aircraft dived into Glen Maggie Weir near Muddra on 14 March 1942. This accident followed an emergency landing at the aerodrome the day before due to engine trouble. The aircraft were to cause the same difficulties for 3 Bombing and Gunnery School as for the other two bombing and gunnery schools. The casualty rate could actually have been a lot worse than it was. Normally in an aircraft accident, both the pilot and crew (or trainees) would have been killed. But on several occasions the crew were able to avoid death either because the pilot sacrificed himself in trying to land the aircraft, or because the trainees were able to parachute out of the aircraft. On those occasions a number of injuries were sustained by the surviving aircrew and trainees.

No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School continued to operate fairly smoothly unti1 9 Dec 1943 when it became Air Gunnery School. The strength of aircraft for the unit at this time was: Fairey Battle 67, Avro Anson 24, Airspeed Oxford 33, Ryan five. and Moth Minor one.

Ground Crew

Vernon Wallace Marsh 4 May - 11 Sep 1942

Trainees

Tom Shelley Griffiths 1 Jun - 4 Jul 1942
Edward Watling 29 Jun - 28 Jul 1942
Henry Frederick Wills 15 Sep - 9 Oct 1944

Notes

Content has come from Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A Concise History - Volume 8 Training Units - Australian Government Publishing Service - 1995

External Links

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+| caption        = AWM Photo P00869.057
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+|   image2       = [[File:1_BAGS_2.jpg]]
-| caption2       =
+| caption2       = 1944 The gunnery range at No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School RAAF showing the mobile target and gun turrets equipped with camera guns used by trainee air-gunners. AWM photo VIC1979 during their course.
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 ==Brief History==
+On 30 Dec 1941 the advanced party for the No. 3 Bombing & Gunnery School arrived at West Sale in Victoria, with the unit forming over January 1942. With the airfield little other than a runway and early construction of the buildings. Water had to be carted, and there were no sanitary arrangements.
-The advance party for the fonn:~llon of 3 Bombmg and Gunnery School
+The School was formed to carry out the function of completing the training of air gunners with a course of instruction in gunnery, and to train air observers in bombinng and gunnery. The unit's first aircraft, a [[Fairey Battle]], arrived on 2 Feb 1942 from No. 1 Aircraft Park RAAF. Training commenced on 8 Mar 1942 with 43 trainees arriving from Mount Gambier. A group of Americans were fortunate that the unit was operational when on 13 Feb 1942, 14 Americans and their Kittyhawk aircraft were forced to land at West Sale
-arrived at West Sale. five miles west of Sale, Vidoria, on 30 December
+after becoming lost while travelling from the north down to Laverton.
-J and consisted of one officer, Fhght L1cutcnant )acl<son. and one
-ainnan. They arrived to what was bil!tlcally " runway and nothing else. In
-days the unit w:~s fonned under the command of I (Traming) Croup.
-Croup Captain Summers arrived on 14 January 1942 to take up his
-posting as the unit's Commandmg Officer.
-When the School began, West Sale was m the midst of construction,
-with no water supply except for water tankl;, a few bmldings. and w1th
-the main work in hand involving organi!>-1tion and the supply of
-equipment. No snnitnry arrangements exbted at the lime, and a 'pan
-service' had to be arranged to meet the umt'• growmg rcqulfements.
-During the unit's first weeks at West S.1lc, v•rious inspections were
-carried out by the Dcpnrtment of Interior and Army Co-ordination in
-respect of rationing, sanlt.uion and building.~. with much attention being
-paid to aerodrome defence.
-TI1e School wa:. fonned to carry out the function of completing the
-training of air gunners with a course of iru.truction in gunnery, and to
-!'rain <1ir observers in bomb1.ng and gunnery. The unit's first aircraft, a
-Fairey Battle, arrived on 2 February t942 from I A1rcraft Park. Training
-commcnC(.'Ci on 8 March 1942 with 43 trall1l'CS amving from Mount
-Gambier.
-Even before the start of tra1ning at the School, a group of Americans
-were fortunate that the un1l was operahon:~l On 13 February 1942, 14
-Americans and their Kittyhawk aircraft were forced to l.lnd at West Sale
-afte.r becommg lost while travelling from the north down to Laverton.
-After bedding down for the n1ght and refuelling. they were off agam the
-next morning. 13
-Titc first fatality at th<' School occurred in the fi rst week of training
-when Sergeant Giddings dived into Glen Maggie Weir ncar Muddra on
-•1 March 19·12. This accident followed an emergency lnndmg at the
-aerodrome the day before by Sergeant Giddings due to cngme trouble.
-'lllc aircraft were to cause the same dilficultics for 3 Bombing and
-Gunnery School a5 for the other two bombing and gunnery schools. The
-casualty rate could actually have been a lot worse than it was. Normally
-in an alrcrn!t accident. both the pilot and crew (or trainees) would have
-bt't>n killed. But on several occas•o•1S th~ crew wen. able to esG>pt> death
-cither beG>use the pilot sacrificed himself m trying to land the a~rcra!t, <1r
-bt-cause the trainees were able to parachute out of the mrcraft. On those
-occasi01ts a number of injuries were sustained by the sur\'iving aircrcw
-and trainee...
-Bombmg and Gunnery School conllnuc>d to operate lalfly smoothly
-unti19 December 1943 when it b<--came Air Gunnery SchooL 11>e strength
-of aircraft for the unit at this time was: Fairey Baltk'-67, Avro Anson24, Airspeed Oxford-33, Ry.tn-5. and Moth Minor-!.
-COMMAND ING OFF ICERS
+The first fatality at the School occurred in the first week of training when an aircraft dived into Glen Maggie Weir near Muddra on 14 March 1942. This accident followed an emergency landing at the aerodrome the day before due to engine trouble. The aircraft were to cause the same difficulties for 3 Bombing and Gunnery School as for the other two bombing and gunnery schools. The casualty rate could actually have been a lot worse than it was. Normally in an aircraft accident, both the pilot and crew (or trainees) would have
+been killed. But on several occasions the crew were able to avoid death either because the pilot sacrificed himself in trying to land the aircraft, or because the trainees were able to parachute out of the aircraft. On those occasions a number of injuries were sustained by the surviving aircrew and trainees.
+No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School continued to operate fairly smoothly unti1 9 Dec 1943 when it became Air Gunnery School. The strength of aircraft for the unit at this time was: [[Fairey Battle]] 67, [[Avro Anson]] 24, [[Airspeed Oxford]] 33, Ryan five. and Moth Minor one.
+===Ground Crew===
+* [[Vernon Wallace Marsh]] 4 May - 11 Sep 1942
+===Trainees===
+* [[Tom Shelley Griffiths]] 1 Jun - 4 Jul 1942
+* [[Edward Watling]] 29 Jun - 28 Jul 1942
+* [[Henry Frederick Wills]] 15 Sep - 9 Oct 1944
 ====Notes====
+Content has come from ''Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A Concise History - Volume 8 Training Units'' - Australian Government Publishing Service - 1995
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