No. 1 Radio Installation & Maintenance Unit RAAF

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Brief History

Six radio installation and maintenance units were formed to install and maintain radio, radar and telecommunication equipment. In particular, the units undertook the calibration of radio direction finding equipment, testing of radar beacon equipment, the installation of towers, arrays and transmitting stations, modification and testing of Identification Friend or Poe (IFF), Air-to-Surface Vessel (ASV) radar equipment, and High Frequency (HF) radio installation.

The units' area of operations covered a large area of Australia and the South West Pacific. No. 1 was the largest unit of its type, and served for the longest period. It was formed at Croydon, New South Wales in July 1942. It carried out operational work in New South Wales and, to a lesser degree, Queensland and Victoria. Due to the nature of work carried out in this Unit, in January 1945, the name of the Unit was changed to the Radio Development and Installation Unit and, in March 1945, a Melbourne detachment was formed. On 17 Sep 1945 the Croydon headquarters was closed but reopened on 24 Sep 1945 at Somers, Victoria. This included the Melbourne detachment. In July 1946 the Unit became a Care and Maintenance Unit and proceeded to disband. The final disbandment on 7 Nov 1946 took place at No. 4 Maintenance Group Headquarters.