No. 5 Volunteer Air Observers Corps RAAF

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Brief History

TI1c Volunteer Air Observers Corp> was devised by th~ RAAF Directorate of hllcllij;cncc during the latter months of 1941, with the purpose of sighting and reporting ~nem)' aircraft over Australian territory. On 22 December 1941, the Air Board ordl'rt>d tha t the Volunteer A1r Observers Corps be organised and the first observation station bt.•c.1me npcraticmal at Baintsdale, Victoria, on 25 December 9~1.

th~ Or)lanisatlon covet(.'\] a 150-mile band inland from Pori Dougl.1s, Quccnsl.md. to Pori Lincoln, South Au>lralia, and from Albany to Northampton, Weslent 1\ustr .. llia. Tasmnnia was cov~rcd by the l'St~,bhshment of tlbscrvahon p<>Sis in .1 50-100 mj](' radius annmd industrial cenlrt•s. T

Observation post;. were manned by nbl>Crvcrs, under till' .:<mtrolof a chief observer, and linked to control posts under a cwilian commandant Con trol posts ust>d existing Civil Defence ~nd Volunteer Defence Force f,m lilil!'> wherever possible. TI1c>c fed Jat" diwct to the n1.1in contml po>ts in the State capital cities.

Vnluntl-er Air Observer Corps per-;onnd were controlled by th1• RAAF and rccruated from lc>eal arc.ts-

For SIX"Uritv •• md ,,, r.l('lllt.tll' hJISIIO wllh hghter S.oclur Stations and Main Conlrol Post, tlw Air 1.\o.ud appn>~ ,.._, lht• wnlrul plhls commg under direct RAAI wntrnl on 2/1 :-1arrh 1'1·12.

From October 1943 The volunteer.; were to be supervised by t•xpericnced RAAF personnel. Tile Corps peaked on manpower on 19-14, wiUl approxnnatcly 24 000 members manning 2656 observa lion posts and 39 control posts

14 310 vuluoHe...rs n•maoncd acti••e. BetWl't'll january 19~3 and Augu~l l'l'-15, till' ur!i.mi,atlon had 'deflnitt'ly' s.wccl 78 .oircraft, '>ub::.tantially' .:~idt•cl 7111 .md ',Jssish:d' a further 10'1!1. A

On II O..'C\'mber 19~5, the S.ocrct~ry, LX•p.~rlm••nt of Aor (Mr \II.C. l~1ngslnw) r,..;omm~ndl'<l that th<' org;mi.,lhlln ~ plolH-..1 on a nuci<'U' b.'"' ollld "" 10 April 1946 il '"' ' r,..;ommcndt'\1 that th~ Vulunltw Atr Ob-.•rw" Corps be di<b,lndi'd lorlhwilh

Unit personnel

External Links

TI1c Volunteer Air Observers Corp> was devised by th~ RAAF Directorate of hllcllij;cncc during the latter months of 1941, with the purpose of sighting and reporting ~nem)' aircraft over Australian territory. On 22 December 1941, the Air Board ordl'rt>d tha t the Volunteer A1r Observers Corps be organised and the first observation station bt.•c.1me npcraticmal at Baintsdale, Victoria, on 25 December 9~1.

BetWl't'll january 19~3 and Augu~l l'l'-15, till' ur!i.mi,atlon had 'deflnitt'ly' s.wccl 78 .oircraft, '>ub::.tantially' .:~idt•cl 7111 .md ',Jssish:d' a further 10'1!1. A