No. 10 Repair and Salvage Unit RAAF

Brief History

Formed at RAAF Amberley, No. 10 Repair and Salvage Unit moved to Lowood, Queensland, on 1 Sep 1942. The Unit was then advised that it would be moving further north, to take over work of a detachment of No. 12 Repair and Salvage Unit at Macrossan near Charters Towers in Queensland. Two mobile sections departed on 29 Oct 1942, and the main party commenced its move on 21 November. Almost immediately, on 5 Dec 1942, the Unit was warned that it would be required to move by sea to Milne Bay. The advance party departed by air for Milne Bay on 4 Feb 1943, with the main body arriving on 13 February.

The Unit serviced and salvaged Curtis P-40 Kittyhawk, Bristol Beaufort, Airspeed Oxford and Douglas Dakota C-47 aircraft. In addition it undertook monthly inspections of motor transport and, on 1 May 1944, as an additional task, 200 personnel assisted with the salvaging of technical equipment from a flood affected No. 17 Stores Depot. Detachments of 10 Repair and Salvage Unit were established at Kiriwinan and Goodenough Island. The former was raised on 1 March 1944 with 54 airmen. The Goodenough detachment commenced operations on 9 Jul 1944.

Instructions were received on 13 Jul 1944 that the unit was to move to Nadzab, and form the base for a new aircraft repa1r depot. On 24 July, 121 airmen were posted from 15 Aircraft Repa1r Depot to the Nadzab detachment of 10 Repair and Salvage Unit. On 26 July, the unit was advised to move as much equipment and personnel as possible from Milne Bay to Nadzab by 14 Aug 1944. However, even though five Dakota aircraft and the ship Betsy Joan were allotted to the Unit for the task, this timing was not met. Headquarters 10 Rcpa1r and Salvage Unit closed on 13 Nov 1944, and re-opened at Nadzab next day. The Unit and its equipment were loaded aboard the USS Simon Benson on 14 November and disembarked at Lae on 24 November, proceeding to Nadzab in December. They then moved back to Lae on 1 Aug 1945.

The Goodenough detachment was withdrawn, moving back at Milne Bay on 1 Mar 1945, to await movement to Nadzab. On 18 Jul 1945, a party of 25 travelled to Morotai to form the Forward Recovery Section of No. 10 Repair and Salvage Unit, which became operational on 21 Aug 1945. A Madang detachment was disbanded and absorbed by the parent unit on 2 Nov 1945. No. 10 Repair and Salvage Unit was disbanded on 24 Nov 1945.

Unit personnel

• Raymond George Bunney 9 Apr - 15 Nov 1945
• Frederick Matthew Howlett 20 Jun - 17 Nov 1945

Individual Honours

Notes

Content has come from Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A Concise History - Volume 9 Ancillary Units pp 144 & 145- Australian Government Publishing Service - 1995