George Mackinolty
Encyclopedia
Air Vice Marshal George John William Mackinolty OBE
(24 March 1895 – 24 February 1951) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). Commencing his service in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) as a mechanic during World War I, he rose to become the RAAF's chief logistics
officer for more than twenty years. Mackinolty was born in Victoria
and joined the AFC in 1914. He first saw active duty the following year in the Middle East
with No. 30 Squadron
Royal Flying Corps
(formerly the Mesopotamian Half Flight
). In 1916 he was mentioned in despatches and posted to No. 2 Squadron AFC
. By the end of the war he had been commissioned a second lieutenant
.
Joining the newly formed RAAF in August 1921, Mackinolty established himself as the service's senior logistician between the wars, first as Director of Transport and Equipment from 1929 to 1935, and thereafter as Director of Equipment. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1937. Soon after the outbreak of World War II, he became Director of Supply and was promoted to group captain
. In June 1942 he was raised to acting air commodore
and appointed the Air Member for Supply and Equipment (AMSE). Promoted to air vice marshal in 1948, Mackinolty continued to serve as AMSE until his sudden death from cancer in February 1951, aged fifty-five.
, Victoria, Mackinolty was the son of labourer James Mickleburg Mackinolty and his wife Mary. He went to public schools, obtaining his merit certificate before undertaking formal engineering and business courses in Melbourne
. Commencing his working life as a coach and motor-body builder, he enlisted in the Australian Military Forces
on 17 August 1914, soon after the outbreak of World War I. His experience in motor transport resulted in a transfer as an air mechanic to Central Flying School
(CFS) at Point Cook. Having gained a reputation for his skill with timber, he was promoted sergeant
and given command of CFS's woodworking team.
On 1 August 1915, Mackinolty transferred to the Australian Imperial Force
, to lead a team of thirteen other mechanics as reinforcements for an Australian Flying Corps contingent serving in the Mesopotamian campaign
. He departed Melbourne ten days later aboard RMS Persia, and arrived at Basra
on 1 September. Mackinolty's team immediately joined No. 30 Squadron
Royal Flying Corps
(originally the Mesopotamian Half Flight AFC
), which moved into the city of Kut
after its capture by British Empire troops in the Battle of Es Sinn
. The unit took part in the Battle of Ctesiphon
in November, and organised supply drops to the British and Indian garrison in Kut during the siege
that lasted from December 1915 until the following April.
Promoted to flight sergeant
, Mackinolty was mentioned in despatches on 19 October 1916. When the Australian members of No. 30 Squadron were dispersed, he was posted to Kantara, Egypt, where he joined the newly established No. 2 Squadron AFC
(also numbered No. 68 Squadron RFC by the British). Commanded by Major Oswald Watt
, the unit relocated to England in January 1917. Following his service with No. 2 Squadron, Mackinolty was assigned to No. 5 (Training) Squadron AFC
, which formed at Shawbury
, Shropshire, in June 1917. Praised for his organisational and leadership abilities, he was commissioned as an equipment officer in March 1918, with the rank of second lieutenant
. The following month he was given command of an aircraft repair unit in Minchinhampton
, Gloucestershire, home of two squadrons of the AFC's 1st Training Wing
.
, near London, from December 1919 to September 1920. In this role he was responsible for crating and shipping to Point Cook the 128 aircraft and associated spares, weaponry, vehicles, hangars and other equipment that made up Britain's post-war "Imperial Gift" of Royal Air Force
surplus to Australia, which eventually filled 19,000 cases. Mackinolty also completed formal training in aeronautical engineering
before returning to Melbourne in October 1920. Discharged from the AIF in January 1921, he worked in the automotive industry and took a correspondence course on internal combustion engines.
On 8 August 1921, Mackinolty was commissioned as a flying officer
in the newly formed Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). A member of the Stores and Accounting Branch, he commenced service with No. 1 Aircraft Depot at Point Cook in December. He was assigned to the staff of RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne, in 1924. On 20 November that year, he married Eileen Moore at Christ Church, South Yarra
; the couple had a son and a daughter. In 1925, Mackinolty was posted as Equipment Officer to No. 3 Squadron
at the recently established RAAF Station Richmond
, New South Wales. Promoted flight lieutenant
, he was appointed Director of Transport and Equipment at RAAF Headquarters in 1929, effectively making him the Air Force's senior supply officer, a role he would occupy for the next twenty-two years. His continuous tenure in essentially the one post was comparable to the RAAF's other chief logistician, Squadron Leader (later Air Vice Marshal) Ellis Wackett
, who served as its senior engineer for twenty-four years, from 1935 to 1959.
Mackinolty's position became Director of Equipment in April 1935. At around this time, he collaborated with Squadron Leader George Jones
, then Director of Training, on an investigation into the state of aircraft production in Australia to highlight shortfalls in local defence in the face of possible future conflict with Japan. Though the report was reviewed enthusiastically by the Air Member for Personnel, Wing Commander Bill Anderson
, it apparently went no further in the chain of command and thus was effectively ignored. Raised to squadron leader
, Mackinolty was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Coronation Honours
on 11 May 1937, in recognition of his achievements in stores and accounting. In February the following year he was promoted to wing commander
. The punctilious Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Richard Williams, sometimes complained that Mackinolty did not pay enough attention to his personal appearance, but never failed to acknowledge his "professional excellence".
in June that year. With the formation in 1942 of Allied Air Forces Headquarters, which assumed the operational functions of the Chief of the Air Staff, the Air Board was reorganised. The office of Air Member for Organisation and Equipment, once held by Air Marshal
Richard Williams, was dissolved and replaced by that of the Air Member for Supply and Equipment (AMSE). Promoted to acting air commodore
, Mackinolty became the inaugural AMSE in June. Air Commodore Ellis Wackett became Air Member for Engineering and Maintenance at the same time. Norman Ashworth, in How Not to Run an Air Force!, observed that splitting the logistical functions of the Air Board in this manner appeared to be a "uniquely Australian" experiment, and it was not inconceivable that the organisation had been "tailored" to suit these "two very capable officers". Serving as AMSE for the remainder of the war, Mackinolty was credited with successfully managing the supply requirements of personnel and aircraft for an organisation that by 1945 had grown by a factor of fifty from its pre-war size, to become the world's fourth largest air force.
Following the end of hostilities, Mackinolty was personally responsible for disposing of surplus equipment up to an original value of £500, and jointly responsible (with the Business and Finance Members of the Air Board) for disposing of equipment valued between £500 and £10,000. His duties as AMSE extended to setting the peacetime rations for RAAF personnel. In May 1946, he joined the Australian Battlefields Memorial Committee, convened to advise the Federal government regarding commemoration of the armed forces for their wartime achievements. Later that year, Mackinolty visited British Commonwealth Occupation Force
(BCOF) headquarters in Japan, and subsequently organised for the RAAF to assume responsibility for the supply of spare parts to its air component, British Commonwealth Air Group (BCAIR). He was raised to acting air vice marshal in January 1947 (substantive in October 1948). By this time, Mackinolty and the Chief of the Air Staff, No. 4 Squadron AFC
veteran Air Vice Marshal George Jones, were the only remaining RAAF officers who had served in both world wars. Other senior commanders and veterans of the Australian Flying Corps had been summarily retired in 1946, a "purge" that was ostensibly designed to make way for the advancement of younger and equally proficient officers.
During 1947, the RAAF prepared for the introduction of an apprentice engineering scheme. Against a harsh post-war economic climate, Mackinolty personally intervened to improve the planned accommodation for trainees, arguing that the youths could not be expected to live in the austere conditions to which other members of the Air Force were used. He further noted in his submission to the Minister for Air, Arthur Drakeford
, that "the parents of apprentices will, from time to time, be permitted to visit their sons and it would be in the interest of both the Apprentice Scheme and the Service generally if all reasonable efforts were made to create a favourable impression in the minds of the parents". Shortly after the first intake of engineer apprentices in January 1948, Mackinolty formally proposed that a similar scheme be set up for apprenticeships in the supply and clerical trades. Although initially rejected by the Minister, after some refinements the plan eventually came to fruition three years later as the Junior Equipment and Administrative Training Scheme.
In January 1951, Mackinolty was struck down suddenly with cancer and admitted to hospital at RAAF Station Laverton, Victoria. He died there on 24 February, survived by his wife and children. At the time of his death, he had served for a decade as honorary treasurer of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmens' Imperial League of Australia
. He was succeeded as AMSE by Air Vice Marshal Joe Hewitt
. Described by Air Force historian Alan Stephens as "the most significant logistics officer in the history of the RAAF", Mackinolty was accorded an Air Force funeral with full honours at Bathurst Memorial Chapel, Elsternwick
, and cremated at Springvale
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(24 March 1895 – 24 February 1951) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF). Commencing his service in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) as a mechanic during World War I, he rose to become the RAAF's chief logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
officer for more than twenty years. Mackinolty was born in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and joined the AFC in 1914. He first saw active duty the following year in the Middle East
Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
The Middle Eastern theatre of World War I was the scene of action between 29 October 1914, and 30 October 1918. The combatants were the Ottoman Empire, with some assistance from the other Central Powers, and primarily the British and the Russians among the Allies of World War I...
with No. 30 Squadron
No. 30 Squadron RAF
No. 30 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the second generation C-130J Hercules from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. The squadron operates alongside No. 24 Squadron and No. 47 Squadron all flying the Hercules.-History:...
Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(formerly the Mesopotamian Half Flight
Mesopotamian Half Flight
The Mesopotamian Half-Flight, or Australian Half-Flight was the first Australian Flying Corps unit to see active service.At the start of World War I, the air forces of the Allied forces were small and primitive. Most of the available aircraft and pilots were assigned to the Western Front...
). In 1916 he was mentioned in despatches and posted to No. 2 Squadron AFC
No. 2 Squadron RAAF
No. 2 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. From its formation in 1916, it has operated a variety of aircraft types including fighters, bombers, and Airborne Early Warning & Control.-World War I:No...
. By the end of the war he had been commissioned a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
.
Joining the newly formed RAAF in August 1921, Mackinolty established himself as the service's senior logistician between the wars, first as Director of Transport and Equipment from 1929 to 1935, and thereafter as Director of Equipment. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1937. Soon after the outbreak of World War II, he became Director of Supply and was promoted to group captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
. In June 1942 he was raised to acting air commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
and appointed the Air Member for Supply and Equipment (AMSE). Promoted to air vice marshal in 1948, Mackinolty continued to serve as AMSE until his sudden death from cancer in February 1951, aged fifty-five.
Early life and World War I
Born on 24 March 1895 at LeongathaLeongatha, Victoria
Leongatha is a town in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria, Australia, located south-east of Melbourne. The town is the commercial, religious, educational and civic centre of the region. At the 2006 census, Leongatha had a population of 4,504.The Murray...
, Victoria, Mackinolty was the son of labourer James Mickleburg Mackinolty and his wife Mary. He went to public schools, obtaining his merit certificate before undertaking formal engineering and business courses in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Commencing his working life as a coach and motor-body builder, he enlisted in the Australian Military Forces
Australian Military Forces
The Australian Military Forces was the official name of the Army of Australia from 1916 to 1980. This encompassed both the "regular army", and the forces, variously known during this period as the Militia, the Citizen Military Forces and the Australian Citizen Military Force .Initially this...
on 17 August 1914, soon after the outbreak of World War I. His experience in motor transport resulted in a transfer as an air mechanic to Central Flying School
Central Flying School RAAF
The Central Flying School RAAF is a Royal Australian Air Force training establishment, based at RAAF Base East Sale. It was formed in March 1913, and during the First World War it trained over 150 pilots, who fought in Europe and the Middle East....
(CFS) at Point Cook. Having gained a reputation for his skill with timber, he was promoted sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
and given command of CFS's woodworking team.
On 1 August 1915, Mackinolty transferred to the Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
, to lead a team of thirteen other mechanics as reinforcements for an Australian Flying Corps contingent serving in the Mesopotamian campaign
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
. He departed Melbourne ten days later aboard RMS Persia, and arrived at Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
on 1 September. Mackinolty's team immediately joined No. 30 Squadron
No. 30 Squadron RAF
No. 30 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the second generation C-130J Hercules from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. The squadron operates alongside No. 24 Squadron and No. 47 Squadron all flying the Hercules.-History:...
Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(originally the Mesopotamian Half Flight AFC
Mesopotamian Half Flight
The Mesopotamian Half-Flight, or Australian Half-Flight was the first Australian Flying Corps unit to see active service.At the start of World War I, the air forces of the Allied forces were small and primitive. Most of the available aircraft and pilots were assigned to the Western Front...
), which moved into the city of Kut
Kut
Al-Kūt is a city in eastern Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris River, about 160 kilometres south east of Baghdad. the estimated population is about 374,000 people...
after its capture by British Empire troops in the Battle of Es Sinn
Battle of Es Sinn
The Battle of Es Sinn was a military engagement during the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I. The battle was fought to determine control of the lower Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was also viewed, by the British and Indian governments, as a test of the Ottoman forces and...
. The unit took part in the Battle of Ctesiphon
Battle of Ctesiphon (1915)
The Battle of Ctesiphon was fought in November 1915 by the British Empire and British India, against the Ottoman Empire, within the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I....
in November, and organised supply drops to the British and Indian garrison in Kut during the siege
Siege of Kut
The siege of Kut Al Amara , was the besieging of 8,000 strong British-Indian garrison in the town of Kut, 100 miles south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. Its known also as 1st Battle of Kut. In 1915, its population was around 6,500...
that lasted from December 1915 until the following April.
Promoted to flight sergeant
Flight Sergeant
Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure...
, Mackinolty was mentioned in despatches on 19 October 1916. When the Australian members of No. 30 Squadron were dispersed, he was posted to Kantara, Egypt, where he joined the newly established No. 2 Squadron AFC
No. 2 Squadron RAAF
No. 2 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. From its formation in 1916, it has operated a variety of aircraft types including fighters, bombers, and Airborne Early Warning & Control.-World War I:No...
(also numbered No. 68 Squadron RFC by the British). Commanded by Major Oswald Watt
Oswald Watt
Walter Oswald Watt OBE was an Australian aviator and businessman. The son of a Scottish-Australian merchant and politician, he was born in England and came to Sydney when he was a year old. He returned to Britain at the age of eleven for education at Bristol and Cambridge...
, the unit relocated to England in January 1917. Following his service with No. 2 Squadron, Mackinolty was assigned to No. 5 (Training) Squadron AFC
No. 5 Squadron RAAF
No. 5 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force training, army co-operation and helicopter squadron. The Squadron was first formed in 1917 and was disbanded in December 1989.-Squadron history:...
, which formed at Shawbury
Shawbury
Shawbury is a village and civil parish in the English county of Shropshire. The village is north east of the town of Shrewsbury, north west of Telford and north west of London. The village straddles the A53 between Shrewsbury and Market Drayton...
, Shropshire, in June 1917. Praised for his organisational and leadership abilities, he was commissioned as an equipment officer in March 1918, with the rank of second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. The following month he was given command of an aircraft repair unit in Minchinhampton
Minchinhampton
Minchinhampton is an ancient market town, located on a hilltop south-south-east of Stroud, Gloucestershire, England, in the Cotswolds. The town is twinned with Nkokoto, in Tanzania....
, Gloucestershire, home of two squadrons of the AFC's 1st Training Wing
No. 1 Wing RAAF
No. 1 Wing was an Australian Flying Corps and Royal Australian Air Force wing active during World War I and World War II. The wing was established on 1 September 1917 as the 1st Training Wing and commanded the AFC's pilot training squadrons in England until April 1919, when it was...
.
Between the wars
Mackinolty remained in England following the end of hostilities, serving as "officer in charge of Australian packing" at RAF HendonHendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in Hendon, north London, England that, between 1908 and 1968, was an important centre for aviation.It was situated in Colindale, seven miles north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became "the Charing Cross of the UK's international air routes", but for the...
, near London, from December 1919 to September 1920. In this role he was responsible for crating and shipping to Point Cook the 128 aircraft and associated spares, weaponry, vehicles, hangars and other equipment that made up Britain's post-war "Imperial Gift" of Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
surplus to Australia, which eventually filled 19,000 cases. Mackinolty also completed formal training in aeronautical engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
before returning to Melbourne in October 1920. Discharged from the AIF in January 1921, he worked in the automotive industry and took a correspondence course on internal combustion engines.
On 8 August 1921, Mackinolty was commissioned as a flying officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
in the newly formed Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF). A member of the Stores and Accounting Branch, he commenced service with No. 1 Aircraft Depot at Point Cook in December. He was assigned to the staff of RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne, in 1924. On 20 November that year, he married Eileen Moore at Christ Church, South Yarra
South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
; the couple had a son and a daughter. In 1925, Mackinolty was posted as Equipment Officer to No. 3 Squadron
No. 3 Squadron RAAF
No. 3 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. It was first formed in 1916 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales.-World War I:...
at the recently established RAAF Station Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond is one of Australia's oldest and largest air force bases. It is located within the City of Hawkesbury in the north-western fringe of Sydney, New South Wales, between the towns of Windsor and Richmond. The base is home to the Royal Australian Air Force's transport headquarters,...
, New South Wales. Promoted flight lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
, he was appointed Director of Transport and Equipment at RAAF Headquarters in 1929, effectively making him the Air Force's senior supply officer, a role he would occupy for the next twenty-two years. His continuous tenure in essentially the one post was comparable to the RAAF's other chief logistician, Squadron Leader (later Air Vice Marshal) Ellis Wackett
Ellis Wackett
Air Vice Marshal Ellis Charles Wackett CB, CBE was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Its chief engineer from 1935 to 1959, he served on the RAAF's controlling body, the Air Board, for a record 17 years, and has been credited with infusing operations with new standards of...
, who served as its senior engineer for twenty-four years, from 1935 to 1959.
Mackinolty's position became Director of Equipment in April 1935. At around this time, he collaborated with Squadron Leader George Jones
George Jones (RAAF officer)
Air Marshal Sir George Jones KBE, CB, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He rose from private soldier in World War I to Air Marshal in 1948, and served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1942 to 1952, the longest continuous tenure of any RAAF chief...
, then Director of Training, on an investigation into the state of aircraft production in Australia to highlight shortfalls in local defence in the face of possible future conflict with Japan. Though the report was reviewed enthusiastically by the Air Member for Personnel, Wing Commander Bill Anderson
William Anderson (RAAF officer)
Air Vice-Marshal William Hopton Anderson CBE, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He flew with the Australian Flying Corps in World War I, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Belgian Croix de guerre, and leading Nos. 3 and 7 Squadrons...
, it apparently went no further in the chain of command and thus was effectively ignored. Raised to squadron leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
, Mackinolty was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Coronation Honours
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
on 11 May 1937, in recognition of his achievements in stores and accounting. In February the following year he was promoted to wing commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
. The punctilious Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Richard Williams, sometimes complained that Mackinolty did not pay enough attention to his personal appearance, but never failed to acknowledge his "professional excellence".
World War II and after
In April 1940 Mackinolty became Director of Supply, reporting to the Director-General of Supply and Production on the Air Board, the RAAF's controlling body. Responsible for all stores and equipment, Mackinolty also represented his service at the Federal Contract Board, Department of Supply, and Oil Board. He was promoted to temporary group captainGroup Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
in June that year. With the formation in 1942 of Allied Air Forces Headquarters, which assumed the operational functions of the Chief of the Air Staff, the Air Board was reorganised. The office of Air Member for Organisation and Equipment, once held by Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Richard Williams, was dissolved and replaced by that of the Air Member for Supply and Equipment (AMSE). Promoted to acting air commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
, Mackinolty became the inaugural AMSE in June. Air Commodore Ellis Wackett became Air Member for Engineering and Maintenance at the same time. Norman Ashworth, in How Not to Run an Air Force!, observed that splitting the logistical functions of the Air Board in this manner appeared to be a "uniquely Australian" experiment, and it was not inconceivable that the organisation had been "tailored" to suit these "two very capable officers". Serving as AMSE for the remainder of the war, Mackinolty was credited with successfully managing the supply requirements of personnel and aircraft for an organisation that by 1945 had grown by a factor of fifty from its pre-war size, to become the world's fourth largest air force.
Following the end of hostilities, Mackinolty was personally responsible for disposing of surplus equipment up to an original value of £500, and jointly responsible (with the Business and Finance Members of the Air Board) for disposing of equipment valued between £500 and £10,000. His duties as AMSE extended to setting the peacetime rations for RAAF personnel. In May 1946, he joined the Australian Battlefields Memorial Committee, convened to advise the Federal government regarding commemoration of the armed forces for their wartime achievements. Later that year, Mackinolty visited British Commonwealth Occupation Force
British Commonwealth Occupation Force
The British Commonwealth Occupation Force , was the name of the joint Australian, Canadian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 21 February 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952...
(BCOF) headquarters in Japan, and subsequently organised for the RAAF to assume responsibility for the supply of spare parts to its air component, British Commonwealth Air Group (BCAIR). He was raised to acting air vice marshal in January 1947 (substantive in October 1948). By this time, Mackinolty and the Chief of the Air Staff, No. 4 Squadron AFC
No. 4 Squadron RAAF
No. 4 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron responsible for training forward air controllers. The squadron was previously a fighter and army co-operation unit active in both World War I and World War II.-World War I:...
veteran Air Vice Marshal George Jones, were the only remaining RAAF officers who had served in both world wars. Other senior commanders and veterans of the Australian Flying Corps had been summarily retired in 1946, a "purge" that was ostensibly designed to make way for the advancement of younger and equally proficient officers.
During 1947, the RAAF prepared for the introduction of an apprentice engineering scheme. Against a harsh post-war economic climate, Mackinolty personally intervened to improve the planned accommodation for trainees, arguing that the youths could not be expected to live in the austere conditions to which other members of the Air Force were used. He further noted in his submission to the Minister for Air, Arthur Drakeford
Arthur Drakeford
Arthur Samuel Drakeford was an Australian politician and was the minister responsible for the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II...
, that "the parents of apprentices will, from time to time, be permitted to visit their sons and it would be in the interest of both the Apprentice Scheme and the Service generally if all reasonable efforts were made to create a favourable impression in the minds of the parents". Shortly after the first intake of engineer apprentices in January 1948, Mackinolty formally proposed that a similar scheme be set up for apprenticeships in the supply and clerical trades. Although initially rejected by the Minister, after some refinements the plan eventually came to fruition three years later as the Junior Equipment and Administrative Training Scheme.
In January 1951, Mackinolty was struck down suddenly with cancer and admitted to hospital at RAAF Station Laverton, Victoria. He died there on 24 February, survived by his wife and children. At the time of his death, he had served for a decade as honorary treasurer of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmens' Imperial League of Australia
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
. He was succeeded as AMSE by Air Vice Marshal Joe Hewitt
Joe Hewitt (RAAF officer)
Air Vice Marshal Joseph Eric Hewitt, CBE was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force...
. Described by Air Force historian Alan Stephens as "the most significant logistics officer in the history of the RAAF", Mackinolty was accorded an Air Force funeral with full honours at Bathurst Memorial Chapel, Elsternwick
Elsternwick, Victoria
Elsternwick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira...
, and cremated at Springvale
Springvale, Victoria
Springvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, approximately 20 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Greater Dandenong...
.