RAAF Base Pearce

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
• Dorothy Mavis Bettenay 4 - 11 Feb 1946
• Helen Catherine Henderson 27 Jun - 1 Aug 1946
• James Brian McGurk 19 Feb 1947 - 19 Feb 1948
• Marguerite Isabella (Peg) Stevens 5 Jun 1946 - 12 May 1947