No. 5 Fighter Sector RAAF
Encyclopedia
No. 5 Fighter Sector RAAF (5FS) was a Royal Australian Air Force
unit formed at Sandfly Gully, Darwin, Northern Territory
, on 25 February 1942. It was responsible for fighter aircraft
control and coordination in the Darwin region.
5FS plotted and relayed the positions of enemy aircraft to put Allied fighters in an optimum position for interception, in cooperation with RDF
and anti-aircraft
defences. It was manned twenty-four hours a day.
Initially set up in tents near Sandfly Gully, south of the RAAF Darwin
runway in early 1942, 5FS's position was deemed to be too exposed and the unit relocated to Berrimah, Northern Territory
, near No. 119 Australian General Hospital, where an operations room had been constructed.
5FS was renamed No. 105 Fighter Sector on 24 October 1943, and again to No. 105 Fighter Control Unit (105FCU) on 7 March 1944.
The Fighter Sector complex encompassed 87 buildings by the end of World War II
.
105FCU was disbanded at Darwin on 21 January 1945. It was reformed as Air Defence Headquarters (Darwin) on 21 January 1945, which disbanded on 18 April 1946.
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...
unit formed at Sandfly Gully, Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, on 25 February 1942. It was responsible for fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
control and coordination in the Darwin region.
5FS plotted and relayed the positions of enemy aircraft to put Allied fighters in an optimum position for interception, in cooperation with RDF
Radio direction finder
A radio direction finder is a device for finding the direction to a radio source. Due to low frequency propagation characteristic to travel very long distances and "over the horizon", it makes a particularly good navigation system for ships, small boats, and aircraft that might be some distance...
and anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
defences. It was manned twenty-four hours a day.
Initially set up in tents near Sandfly Gully, south of the RAAF Darwin
RAAF Base Darwin
RAAF Base Darwin is a Royal Australian Air Force base located in the city of Darwin, Northern Territory. The base shares its runway with Darwin International Airport.-History:...
runway in early 1942, 5FS's position was deemed to be too exposed and the unit relocated to Berrimah, Northern Territory
Berrimah, Northern Territory
Berrimah is an Eastern Suburb in the city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia.-History:Before World War II, in 1941 the Military authorities had decided on a number of locations in the north to identify strategic "camps" on ‘the road to the North’ - "Berrimah", "Noonamah" and...
, near No. 119 Australian General Hospital, where an operations room had been constructed.
5FS was renamed No. 105 Fighter Sector on 24 October 1943, and again to No. 105 Fighter Control Unit (105FCU) on 7 March 1944.
The Fighter Sector complex encompassed 87 buildings by the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
105FCU was disbanded at Darwin on 21 January 1945. It was reformed as Air Defence Headquarters (Darwin) on 21 January 1945, which disbanded on 18 April 1946.
Commanding officers
- Wing CommanderWing Commander (rank)Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
H.W. Miller - 25 February 1942 - Squadron LeaderSquadron LeaderSquadron 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...
T. Primrose AFCAir Force Cross (United Kingdom)The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
- 27 April 1942 - Squadron Leader L.W. Law - 5 June 1942
- Flight LieutenantFlight LieutenantFlight 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"...
F.H. Waters - 6 June 1942 - Squadron Leader T. Primrose AFC - 15 August 1942
- Squadron Leader C.E. Woodman - 19 May 1943
- Squadron Leader P. JeffreyPeter Jeffrey (RAAF officer)Peter Jeffrey DSO, DFC was a senior officer and fighter ace in the Royal Australian Air Force . Born in Tenterfield, New South Wales, he joined the RAAF active reserve in 1934, and transferred to the Permanent Air Force shortly before World War II...
DSODistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, DFCDistinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
- 3 September 1943 - Squadron Leader C.E. Woodman - 9 September 1943
- Squadron Leader J.D. Galvin - 14 November 1943
- Wing Commander R.H. Cox AFC - 15 June 1944
- Squadron Leader C.C. Loxton - 14 December 1944
- Group CaptainGroup CaptainGroup 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...
B.R. Walker - 21 January 1945 - Squadron Leader B.L. Bracegirdle - 27 October 1945
- Wing Commander R.F. Wiley - 1 February 1946