RAAF Unit History Sheets (Operations Record Book) RAAF Command

20 Apr 42
On 20 April 1942, the Commander-in-Chief of the Southwest Pacific Area (General Douglas MacArthur, of the United States Army) appointed Lieutenant General George H. Brett as Commanding General, Allied Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Area, vide A.A.F., S.W.P.A. General Order No. 1.

30 Apr 42
Effective from 30 April 1942, the operational control of the Royal Australian Air Force was exercised by Allied Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Area, pursuant to an agreement between the Commander-in-Chief, Southwest Pacific Area, and the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Honourable John Curtin, vide Annex No. 1 to A.A.F. General Order No. 1

2 May 42
Upon assuming his command, the Commanding General, Allied Air Forces, made the following senior appointments of R.A.A.F. officers to the staff of Headquarters, Allied Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Area, by the issue of A.A.F General Order No. 4

Air Vice-Marshal W.D. Bostock, C.B., O.B.E. Chief of Staff
Air Commodore J.E. Hewitt, O.B.E., Director of Intelligence
Group Captain F.R.W. Scherger, A.F.C., Director of Defence
Group Captain C.S. Wiggins, C.B.E., Director of Communications
Group Captain V.E. Hancock, O.B.E., Director of Plans
Group Captain A.L. Walters, A.F.C., Asst. Director of Operations.

Headquarters, Allied Air Forces, were located in Victoria Barracks, Melbourne, Victoria. Certain members of the Directorate of Signals of R.A.A.F. Headquarters were detailed for duty with Headquarters, Allied Air Forces.

11 May 42
The Headquarters Staffs of Areas (North Eastern, Southern, Western and North Western) consisted of combined R.A.A.F. and United States Army Air Corps personnel, and were under the operational control of Headquarters, Allied Air Forces, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 6.

The administrative control of the Royal Australian Air Force remained unchanged.

15 May 42
Headquarters, Eastern Area, R.A.A.F., was formed on 15 May 1942, and came under the operational control of Allied Air Forces, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 11.

23 May 42
The territorial boundaries of the operational Areas were defined as detailed in Annex No. 1 to A.A.F. General Order No. 11.

4 Jun 42
The functional control of the R.A.A.F. Meteorological Organisation was announced as the responsibility of Allied Air Forces, and Group Captain G.C. Warren was appointed as Director of Meteorological Services, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 16.

5 Jun 42
Group Captain U.E. Ewart was appointed Staff Officer Administration effective 11 May 1942, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 17.

24 Jun 42
On 24 June 1942, the designations of Areas were announced, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 21.

15 Jul 42
On 15 July 1942, Group Captain A.L. Walters, A.F.C., was announced as Director of Operations, Allied Air Forces, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 29.

16 Jul 42
Orders were issued by General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area, and on 20 July 1942, Headquarters, Allied Air Forces, moved to Brisbane, Queensland, operating from the A.M.P. Building, together with General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 30.

18 Jul 42
On 18 July 1942, the territorial boundaries of the five (5) operational Areas were revised, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 32.

4 Aug 42
On 4 August 1942, under authority of General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area, Special Order No. 97, dated 31 July 1942, Major General George C. Kenney, of United States Air Air Corps, relieved Lieutenant General George H. Brett as Commanding General, Allied Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Area, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 37. and it was decided to abandon the combined staffs at the Area Headquarters, and to constitute Fifth Air Force and R.A.A.F. Coastal Command.

9 Aug 42
General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area, General Order No. 28, constituted the Fifth United States Air Force.

5 Sep 42
On 5 September 1942, A.A.F. General Order No. 47 constituted the Coastal Command, Allied Air Forces, designated Air Vice-Marshal W.D. Bostock, C.B., O.B.E., as the Air Officer Commanding, and specified the composition of the Coastal Command.

9 Sep 42
Instructions were despatched by Signal G20 dated 9 September 1942 to all Areas and repeated R.A.A.F. Headquarters and 5th Air Force announcing reorganisation of Allied Air Forces and the constituting of Coastal Command. Copy attached as Appendix.

15 Sep 42
Air Vice-Marshal W.D. Bostock, C.B., O.B.E., was relieved as Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Allied Air Forces, effective 15 September 1942, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 50.

20 Sep 42
On 20 September 1942, the undermentioned R.A.A.F. officers were relieved of their appointments on the staff of Headquarters, Allied Air Forces, and were absorbed into the staff of the Coastal Command:-

Group Captain F.R.W. Scherger, Director of Defence
Group Captain U.E. Ewart, Senior Administrative Staff Officer
Group Captain A.L. Walters, Senior Air Staff Officer
Group Captain C.S. Wiggins, Chief Signals Officer
Group Captain V.E. Hancock, Director of Plans

21 Sep 42
On 21 September 1942, the designation of the Coastal Command was changed to R.A.A.F. Command, Allied Air Forces, without other change, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 53.

1 Oct 42
On 1 October 1942, assignments of Allied Air Force Units within the Southwest Pacific Area to the respective operational commands of the Fifth Air Force and R.A.A.F. Command were detailed in A.A.F. General Order No. 54, and Annexes No. 1 and No. 2 thereto.

14 Oct 42
On 14 October 1942, the assignment of units as detailed in Annex No. 1 to A.A.F. General Order No. 54 was amended, vide A.A.F. General Order No. 58.

8 Nov 42
On 8 November 1942, A.A.F. General Order No. 16 appointing Group Captain H.N. Warren as Director of Meteorological Services, Allied Air Forces, was revoked, and the organisation for the Meteorological Services was detailed by A.A.F. General Order No. 61.

On 8 November 1942, the operational control of Air Defence Units and Air Warning systems in the Southwest Pacific Area was assigned between R.A.A.F. Command and Fifth Air Force, as detailed in A.A.F. General Order No. 62.

11 Nov 42
On 11 November 1942, A.A.F. General Order No. 54 was rescinded. All units of the R.A.A.F. Command, Allied Air Forces, stationed in New Guinea, were placed under the operational control of the Deputy Air Force Commander, Advanced Echelon of the Fifth Air Force, and the assignments and operational control of units of the Allied Air Forces were as indicated in Annex "A" to A.A.F. General Order No. 63.

24 Nov 42
On 24 November 1942, A.A.F. General Order No. 61 (Appendix "W" attached hereto) was amended by A.A.F. General Order No. 65.

28 Nov 42
On 28 November 1942,

amendments to Annex "A" of A.A.F. General Order No. 63 (Appendix "Y" attached hereto) were amended by the issue of A.A.F. General Order No. 66.

Operation instructions issued from the date of formation of Allied Air Forces up to date of formation of Coastal Command are attached as Appendix.

Headquarters Coastal Command did not issue as Operation Instructions.

Operation Instructions issued by Headquarters R.A.A.F. Command from date of formation to 30 November 1942 are attached as Appendix.

It is to be noted that on the formation of Allied Air Forces, the post of Director of Intelligence was filled by the appointment thereto of Air Commodore J.E. Hewitt. With the formation of R.A.A.F Command, A.A.F., the appointment of Air Commodore J.E. Hewitt to the additional post of Senior Intelligence Officer, R.A.A.F. Command, was made and the Officer concerned carried out the duties of both appointments.

Personnel Strength of Headquarters, R.A.A.F. Command, A.A.F. as at 30 November 1942 was

Officers            114
Other Ranks     486