No. 72 Wing RAAF
Encyclopedia
No. 72 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) wing of World War II. It was formed in April 1943 at Townsville, Queensland as part of North Eastern Area Command. Led by Group Captain Charles Eaton
, the wing soon deployed to Merauke
, Dutch New Guinea, where it comprised three squadron
s flying CAC Boomerang
and P-40 Kittyhawk fighters, and A-31 Vengeance
dive bombers. No. 72 Wing took part in the defence of Torres Strait
, undertaking interception, patrol and occasional ground-attack and anti-shipping duties. By July 1944, its original squadrons had all disbanded or been transferred to other operational formations.
. Soon afterwards, its headquarters deployed to Merauke
, described by the official history of the RAAF in World War II as "a desolate marshy little port in Dutch New Guinea". Controlling No. 84 Squadron
(flying CAC Boomerang
fighters), No. 86 Squadron
(P-40 Kittyhawk fighters), and No. 12 Squadron
(A-31 Vengeance
dive bombers), the wing's purpose was to assist in the defence of the Torres Strait
. The Boomerangs, operating out of Horn Island, undertook air defence and patrol tasks in and around western New Guinea, first making contact with enemy forces on 16 May; they exchanged fire with three Japanese bombers, but the latter escaped into cloud. Merauke airfield was only completed in late June, and Nos. 86 and 12 Squadrons began arriving early the next month; by then the wing had also acquired No. 44 Operational Base Unit and its own medical receiving station and mobile fighter sector headquarters. Eaton's relations with North Eastern Area Command in Townsville had meanwhile became strained. In his opinion, "the problems of Merauki were not understood from there ... mountains were made out of molehills", and he was posted that July to lead a bombing and gunnery establishment in South Australia. Later in the year he would form No. 79 Wing
at Batchelor, Northern Territory.
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Group Captain Allan Walters
, formerly in charge of No. 1 (Fighter) Wing
in Darwin, assumed command of No. 72 Wing following Eaton's reassignment. Enemy contact was generally sporadic and inconclusive, but on 9 September 1944 a force of over thirty Japanese bombers and escorting fighters heading for Merauke were intercepted by fourteen of No. 72 Wing's Kittyhawks and four of its Boomerangs; although most of the Kittyhawks' guns failed to fire through oil clogging, and none of the Boomerangs made contact, the Australian aircraft claimed one bomber and two fighters destroyed without loss. No. 12 Squadron became fully operational at Merauke in September, but was mainly given patrol duty and only rarely saw enemy activity. The following month, No. 84 Squadron converted to Kittyhawks and transferred to a new formation, No. 75 Wing. During late 1943 and early 1944, No. 86 Squadron was actively engaged in air defence, enjoying some success against Japanese bombers and their escorts, as well as participating in attacks on infrastructure and shipping in Dutch New Guinea.
No. 86 Squadron departed Merauke on 25 April 1944; the squadron was subsequently reduced to a cadre and its Kittyhawks transferred to Nos. 78
and 81 Wings
of No. 10 Operational Group
on Noemfoor Island. It was replaced by the Dutch-Australian No. 120 Squadron, which arrived from Canberra
in early May and became operational on the 9th of the month. Walters handed over command of the wing to Group Captain Bill Hely in May. No. 12 Squadron was withdrawn to Strathpine
, Queensland in July, where it was reduced to cadre status ahead of converting to B-24 Liberator heavy bombers and eventually serving with another new formation, No. 85 Wing
. In September 1944, Hely departed to establish an army cooperation formation, No. 84 Wing
, at Cairns. Most of the RAAF units at Merauke were redeployed in late 1944 but No. 120 Squadron remained there until February 1945, when it was declared non-operational. The squadron returned to operational status and departed for eventual service at Biak
in April that year.
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) wing of World War II. It was formed in April 1943 at Townsville, Queensland as part of North Eastern Area Command. Led by Group Captain Charles Eaton
Charles Eaton (RAAF officer)
Charles Eaton OBE, AFC was a senior officer and aviator in the Royal Australian Air Force , who later served as a diplomat. Born in London, he joined the British Army upon the outbreak of World War I and saw action on the Western Front before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917...
, the wing soon deployed to Merauke
Merauke
Merauke is a town considered to be one of the easternmost towns in Indonesia, located in Merauke Regency, Papua province, Indonesia. It is next to Maro River.In 2006 it had a population of 71,838....
, Dutch New Guinea, where it comprised three squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
s flying CAC Boomerang
CAC Boomerang
The CAC Boomerang was a World War II fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia between 1942 and 1945. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation produced Boomerangs under the production contract numbers CA-12, CA-13, CA-14 and CA-19, with aircraft supplied under each subsequent contract...
and P-40 Kittyhawk fighters, and A-31 Vengeance
Vultee A-31 Vengeance
The Vultee A-31 Vengeance was an American dive bomber of World War II, built by Vultee Aircraft. The Vengeance was not used in combat by US units, however it served with the British Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, and Indian Air Force in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific.The...
dive bombers. No. 72 Wing took part in the defence of Torres Strait
Torres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
, undertaking interception, patrol and occasional ground-attack and anti-shipping duties. By July 1944, its original squadrons had all disbanded or been transferred to other operational formations.
History
No. 72 Wing was formed in April 1943 at Townsville, Queensland, under the command of Group Captain Charles EatonCharles Eaton (RAAF officer)
Charles Eaton OBE, AFC was a senior officer and aviator in the Royal Australian Air Force , who later served as a diplomat. Born in London, he joined the British Army upon the outbreak of World War I and saw action on the Western Front before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917...
. Soon afterwards, its headquarters deployed to Merauke
Merauke
Merauke is a town considered to be one of the easternmost towns in Indonesia, located in Merauke Regency, Papua province, Indonesia. It is next to Maro River.In 2006 it had a population of 71,838....
, described by the official history of the RAAF in World War II as "a desolate marshy little port in Dutch New Guinea". Controlling No. 84 Squadron
No. 84 Squadron RAAF
No. 84 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron of World War II.-History:No. 84 Squadron was formed at RAAF Base Richmond on 5 February 1943 and was the first RAAF Squadron to be equipped with the Australian-designed Boomerang fighter. In April 1943 No...
(flying CAC Boomerang
CAC Boomerang
The CAC Boomerang was a World War II fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia between 1942 and 1945. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation produced Boomerangs under the production contract numbers CA-12, CA-13, CA-14 and CA-19, with aircraft supplied under each subsequent contract...
fighters), No. 86 Squadron
No. 86 Squadron RAAF
No. 86 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron of World War II. The Squadron was formed in March 1943 and was disbanded in December 1945 after seeing action in the South West Pacific Theatre of the war.-History:...
(P-40 Kittyhawk fighters), and No. 12 Squadron
No. 12 Squadron RAAF
No. 12 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force general purpose, bomber and transport squadron. The squadron was formed in 1939 and saw combat in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. From 1941-1943, it mainly conducted maritime patrols off northern Australia...
(A-31 Vengeance
Vultee A-31 Vengeance
The Vultee A-31 Vengeance was an American dive bomber of World War II, built by Vultee Aircraft. The Vengeance was not used in combat by US units, however it served with the British Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, and Indian Air Force in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific.The...
dive bombers), the wing's purpose was to assist in the defence of the Torres Strait
Torres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
. The Boomerangs, operating out of Horn Island, undertook air defence and patrol tasks in and around western New Guinea, first making contact with enemy forces on 16 May; they exchanged fire with three Japanese bombers, but the latter escaped into cloud. Merauke airfield was only completed in late June, and Nos. 86 and 12 Squadrons began arriving early the next month; by then the wing had also acquired No. 44 Operational Base Unit and its own medical receiving station and mobile fighter sector headquarters. Eaton's relations with North Eastern Area Command in Townsville had meanwhile became strained. In his opinion, "the problems of Merauki were not understood from there ... mountains were made out of molehills", and he was posted that July to lead a bombing and gunnery establishment in South Australia. Later in the year he would form No. 79 Wing
No. 79 Wing RAAF
No. 79 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force wing of World War II. It was formed in December 1943 at Batchelor, Northern Territory, as part of North Western Area Command. Led by Group Captain Charles Eaton, the wing comprised four squadrons on its establishment, flying Beaufort and B-25 Mitchell...
at Batchelor, Northern Territory.
Allan Walters
Air Vice Marshal Allan Leslie Walters CB, CBE, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Born in Victoria, he graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, before transferring to the RAAF in 1928...
, formerly in charge of No. 1 (Fighter) 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...
in Darwin, assumed command of No. 72 Wing following Eaton's reassignment. Enemy contact was generally sporadic and inconclusive, but on 9 September 1944 a force of over thirty Japanese bombers and escorting fighters heading for Merauke were intercepted by fourteen of No. 72 Wing's Kittyhawks and four of its Boomerangs; although most of the Kittyhawks' guns failed to fire through oil clogging, and none of the Boomerangs made contact, the Australian aircraft claimed one bomber and two fighters destroyed without loss. No. 12 Squadron became fully operational at Merauke in September, but was mainly given patrol duty and only rarely saw enemy activity. The following month, No. 84 Squadron converted to Kittyhawks and transferred to a new formation, No. 75 Wing. During late 1943 and early 1944, No. 86 Squadron was actively engaged in air defence, enjoying some success against Japanese bombers and their escorts, as well as participating in attacks on infrastructure and shipping in Dutch New Guinea.
No. 86 Squadron departed Merauke on 25 April 1944; the squadron was subsequently reduced to a cadre and its Kittyhawks transferred to Nos. 78
No. 78 Wing RAAF
No. 78 Wing is the Royal Australian Air Force's operational training wing. It is headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales, and operates the BAE Hawk 127 lead-in fighter. The wing was formed in 1943 and operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighters in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II...
and 81 Wings
No. 81 Wing RAAF
No. 81 Wing is the Royal Australian Air Force's air superiority wing. Formed during World War II, it operated in the South West Pacific theatre, flying P-40 Kittyhawks. Following the end of hostilities, it converted to P-51 Mustangs and was based in Japan as part of the Allied occupational forces...
of No. 10 Operational Group
Australian First Tactical Air Force
The Australian First Tactical Air Force was formed on 25 October 1944 by the Royal Australian Air Force . Its purpose was to provide a mobile force of fighter and ground attack aircraft that could support Allied army and naval units fighting the Empire of Japan in the South West Pacific Area...
on Noemfoor Island. It was replaced by the Dutch-Australian No. 120 Squadron, which arrived from Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in early May and became operational on the 9th of the month. Walters handed over command of the wing to Group Captain Bill Hely in May. No. 12 Squadron was withdrawn to Strathpine
Strathpine, Queensland
Strathpine is a suburb north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Moreton Bay Region. It is home to the Pine Rivers District offices of the Moreton Bay Region as well as many businesses. The area contains a medium-sized Westfield shopping centre...
, Queensland in July, where it was reduced to cadre status ahead of converting to B-24 Liberator heavy bombers and eventually serving with another new formation, No. 85 Wing
No. 85 Wing RAAF
No. 85 Wing is a Royal Australian Air Force wing. The wing is responsible for planning and coordinating training for the RAAF's Air Lift Group.-History:...
. In September 1944, Hely departed to establish an army cooperation formation, No. 84 Wing
No. 84 Wing RAAF
No. 84 Wing is a Royal Australian Air Force wing. It consists of three air transport squadrons and two training units . No. 84 Wing's headquarters are located at RAAF Base Richmond in Sydney.-References:*...
, at Cairns. Most of the RAAF units at Merauke were redeployed in late 1944 but No. 120 Squadron remained there until February 1945, when it was declared non-operational. The squadron returned to operational status and departed for eventual service at Biak
Biak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
in April that year.