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| History |
| The
Story of No.9 Elementary Flying Training School at Cunderdin, Western
Australia.
Soon after the beginning of World War 2, it was obvious that control of the skies would have a major impact on the outcome of the war. The British Commonwealth of Nations promptly decided to inaugurate a major scheme for training aircrew. It was named the Empire Air Training Scheme or later referred to as E.A.T.S. When
E.A.T.S. was inaugurated in 1940, Cunderdin was chosen as the site for
No 9 Elementary Flying Training School and in the early stages of construction
it was a common site to see Road Board equipment and hosts of farmers
with their tractors working industriously to prepare the flying field
in the shortest possible time. Whilst this was happening there was a
large team of Public works staff building hangars, operational huts,
administration buildings and living quarters . After the completion of the site preparation, there was a hectic four weeks of administration preparation. All this was under the command of Squadron leader C.H. Simpson who had graduated from Royal Military College Duntroon. In 1920 he was commissioned in the Staff Corps and served with several British Regiments. He returned to Australia in 1923 and obtained his wings at Pt Cook. Left the service for some years and rejoined in 1940. Was adjutant at 7 EFTS Tasmania before being posted to Cunderdin. Tiger
Moth Aircraft had been ferried over from the east and flying instructors
and ground staff had already taken residence on 9th Jan' 1941. The first
intake of sixty trainee pilots commenced (it was no 8 course) The graduation of the first course of pilots took place on March 6th proving how efficient the preparations had been. The Air Commanding Officer. Air Commodore H.F De la Rue attended the graduation, as did Mr J McEwan (Minister for Air) Air Commodore H.N Wrigley (Air Member for Personnel and Group Captain Hewitt (Director of Personal Services) They all expressed admiration for the rapid progress of the school. From that time on a new intake of sixty very raw trainees arrived each month for pilot training. They had come from a very intense Initial Training School. (In the early days it was at Pearce and later at Clontarf Orphanage which had been seconded by the R.A.A.F There they were trained in Parade Drill, R.A.A.F. Law, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Navigation Signals, Physical Training and vaccinated against a whole lot of diseases and complaints. Morse Code was a very important ingredient of the course. The working dress was "Goon Skins" In other words drab overalls and the rank of trainee was the very lowest in the R.A.A.F.-A.C. 11 (Aircraftsmen Second Class) Of about one hundred trainees who attended I.T.S. only about sixty were selected as pilot trainees. The others were selected as navigators, gunners, wireless operators etc. On graduating after the two months of training, they were all promoted from A.C.11's to L.A.C's (Leading Aircraftsmen) and were posted to the appropriate training schools. Of course the theoretical training continued at Cunderdin as well as the pilot training. Also included was R.A.A.F. drill and discipline (How to conduct oneself in front of senior ranks etc. But it was the flying that was the favourite activity. The De Havilland 82 or Tiger Moth was a very docile, forgiving if under-powered bi-plane. The pupil, with his parachute bumping behind his knees as he waddled to the machine & climbed awkwardly into the back cockpit was in for a new & exciting beginning to his flying career. Some took to it like a duck to water but there were those who did not come up to the required standard within the mandatory fifteen hours dual instruction. Then the dreaded 'Scrubbo' was brought into effect and they became navigators or radio operators etc elsewhere. It was then the time the pupil really got to know the instructor who quite often was not much older than the student but had become selected as instructors because of their above average flying skills. Some of these instructors would have preferred to have been posted to operational duties. So it really wasn't that surprising that at times instructors could be a bit short tempered. But the first experience in flying in a Tiger Moth was unforgettable. The roar of the Gipsy Major engine, the rumble of wheels on the ground and the blast of air from the prop' wash and it was soon in the air. Being airborne was magic and the feel of having control of the aircraft in the air was superb. The big test came on landing. How to judge the approach with the engine cut and in a glide. Either levelling out too high or too low and the instructor suddenly shouting out 'TAKING OVER'. The time in the air was real fun. Learning to turn, spin, do aerobatics, stall turns inverted flying etc was exhilarating, but hour after hour of 'circuits & bumps' was by far the hardest. But then when wondering whether one could ever get it right, after perhaps a not so good landing the instructor would unpin his joy stick and hold it up and say something like "For several hours you have tried to kill us both, now go off and kill yourself." So for several years that procedure was re-enacted many times. It was serious business and when on duty there was no excuse for inefficiency but there had to be time for relaxation and there were so many people on the station at that time to be considered. Apart
from the trainees and instructors there were fitters, engineers, mechanics,
transport drivers, police, technical instructors, administration staff,
catering staff and so on. Amounting to at least 1,000 people in total.
It was all having an enormous effect on the local community, business
wise and socially. |
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