81ST AIR DEPOT GROUP
5TH AIR FORCE, USAAF
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII
81st ADG Badge
81st Air Depot Group Insignia
Lt. Col. Ralph Lewis Fry O-117388, Commanding Officer,
81st Air Depot Group
Final Test flight of a F-4
Lightning (Recce)
over Moreton Bay, southern Queensland
Under authority in War Department Radiogram No. 1563, date 1 May, 1942, General Orders No. 4, 11 May, 1942, by command of Major General Lincoln, the 81st Air Depot Group was activated.
The Units in the 81st Air Depot Group were as follows:-
455th Service Squadron
11th Service Squadron
898th Signal Company Depot Aviation
1124th Military Police Company Aviation
1616th Ordnance M.M. Company
1799th Ordnance M.M. Company
194th Ordnance Depot Company Detachment
1912th Q.M. Company T. Detachment
The various Sections established in the 81st Air Deport Group were as follows:-
Engineering Section
Supply Section
Signal Section
Ordnance Section
Transportation Section
Medical Section
Utilities Section
C.W.S.
"Neville Court" was used as the residence for Lt. Colonel Ralph Lewis Fry while they were based in Brisbane.
The 81st Air Depot Group relied on many civilian companies to meet its objectives:-
From 11 May 1942 until 11 May 1943, the 81st Air Depot Group in Brisbane carried out the following aircraft component overhauls:-
The following is a report from the 81st Air Depot Group at Eagle Farm Airfield:-
SECRET
Monthly Aircraft Erection Totals
Eagle Farm
Period Jan. - Dec. 1943
| Month | L-4B | Gliders | P-70 | A-20 | P-40 | UC-61A | P-39 | F-4 | UC-43 | P-47 | F-5 | P-38 |
Monthly |
| January | 9 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9 |
| February | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 23 | 26 |
| March | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | 25 | 30 |
| April | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 4 | - | 6 |
| May | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 |
| June | 1 | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 9 | 16 |
| July | - | - | - | 1 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 107 | - | 71 | 187 |
| August | 9 | - | 1 | 16 | - | - | - | 3 | 4 | - | 41 | 74 | |
| September | 2 | 5 | - | 9 | 5 | - | 50 | - | 1 | 5 | - | 56 | 133 |
| October | - | 2 | - | - | 30 | - | - | - | 1 | 16 | - | 2 | 51 |
| November | - | - | 2 | 2 | 44 | - | - | - | - | 38 | - | 3 | 89 |
| December | - | - | 7 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 89 | - | 29 | 127 |
| TOTAL | 15 | 19 | 9 | 13 | 105 | 5 | 50 | 4 | 5 | 259 | 7 | 260 | 751 |
The 81st Air Depot Group also assembled a total of thirty one gliders at Eagle Farm airfield.
Crash
of an A-20 Havoc from 81st ADG
on North Stradbroke Island in about October 1942
Crash
landing of a B-22 at Eagle Farm airfield
on 25 November 1942
Crash
of an A-20 Havoc between
Amberley and Eagle Farm on 17 July 1943
Emails from Fred Chew
member of the 44th Depot Repair Squadron
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank Fred Chew of the 44th Depot Repair Squadron for his assistance with this home page.
I'd like to thank Lt. Col. Burke Von Wald and his wife Sue for his assistance with this home page.
I'd like to thank Gordon Birkett, Jeff Thomas and Bob Livingstone for their assistance with this home page.
REFERENCE BOOKS
"The 81st A.D.G."
Can anyone help me with more information?
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
|
|
© Peter Dunn OAM 2020 |
Please
e-mail me |
This page first produced 1 February 2001
This page last updated 21 January 2024
