Target practice and hot stew: RAAF Base Torpedo Unit during the Second World War

Early in the Second World War, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) recognised the need to quickly prepare for a new kind of war, and new ways of training to fight it. Inspections by the RAAF’s Directorate of Training showed that the Nowra and Jervis Bay area, on the southern coast of New South Wales, offered promise as a training area for aerial torpedo warfare. It was a convenient distance from Sydney, had space available for expansion, and the surrounding coastal waters were ideal for torpedo-warfare training. The selected area became RAAF Base Nowra, home to the RAAF’s Base Torpedo Unit (BTU) which was raised on 7 May 1942.

Expansion of early base

Before 1942, there was a basic airfield at Jervis Bay, but hardly any facilities. The RAAF’s selection of the area led to major expansion of the airfield to accommodate bigger American planes, more equipment, personnel, and workshop facilities. The BTU brought rescue and salvage boats to the nearby coastal waters. The US Navy helped to supply early finance, equipment, and pre-trained personnel. As the war progressed, the RAAF assumed increasing general direction of base activities and the specialised training and facilities for trainees.

Training issues

Training for aircrew and ground crew had major elements in common: standards, available equipment (or lack of it), weather conditions, and the numbers of trainers and instructors. The RAAF established training quotas to reliably produce graduates in adequate numbers. As the war progressed, trainees and instructors gained valuable experience in adapting to various conditions, and were recognised as experts. There were substantial improvements in training methods, and use of available resources such as retrieving unarmed torpedoes used in target practice. 

The demands of specialised torpedo work led to various administrative changes to assist in the management of general base work and the torpedo programs. Maintaining the aircraft was a big job, and problems in servicing led to delayed and cancelled training sessions.

As the base evolved, some course graduates returning as instructors, and the Base Torpedo Unit often managed to produce enough skilled graduates to contribute to the RAAF’s war work.

Where did the course graduates go?

An RAAF unit that particularly benefitted from BTU training was No. 100 Squadron. Based in New Guinea for much of the war, this squadron flew Beauforts and depended on both combat and ground-crew. Other graduates went to RAF units using Beauforts for search and rescue work in England, or stayed at the Nowra base and transferred to new roles. Some experienced ex-BTU pilots and ground crew became instructors at their original unit. 

Life on and near the base:

For personnel posted to BTU, wartime life included routine jobs and time off duty. There were inspection tours by visiting senior officers and civilians. Daily orders gave some element of regular planning and directions. The mix of training and research work eventually required the base’s expansion, and it could take at least 15 minutes to walk from accommodation to a work area. There were various forms and standards of accommodation for a mix of ranks, for male and female personnel.

At the height of wartime operations, daily catering served more than 200 people.  Even with chances to make supply trips to Sydney, and exemptions from civilian rationing, getting regular food supplies involved negotiating wartime shortages and available transport.  Food and dining quarters were unglamorous: a Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) member recalled eating hot stew on a hot day in an uninsulated hut.

A basic cinema and some recreational rooms provided for off-duty recreation, plus any trips to Nowra or Sydney that could be arranged.  There were also chances to use airfield space for outdoor games, though other units rarely came to BTU for inter-service sports.

Given the wide range of personnel and jobs at BTU, it could be difficult to cultivate a strong specific sense of unified workplace life beyond surviving the war. While being in Australia instead of a distant overseas base was beneficial for some, those who had enlisted to serve abroad could experience frustration at the routine. Attending funerals at a nearby cemetery could bring some personnel together through a shared sense of loss during service. By the time BTU operations started winding down in 1944, though, there were at least some who recalled that life at the base was their best wartime experience.

Winding down operations

By mid-1944, there were fewer enemy threats along the east coast, and maintaining the base was no longer critical. Beauforts were not amongst of the most heavily used planes, so the value of flight training was substantially reduced. RAAF Nowra operations ended on 15 September 1944, and in 1945 other Australian-based RAAF units – such as No. 3 Mobile Torpedo Unit in Darwin – started sending leftover torpedoes to BTU for disposal by specialists. BTU continued, as part of Eastern Command, and functioned until the end of war, when it too was disbanded.

Conclusion

While BTU decreased operations, it had performed creditably in training and supplying skilled air and ground crews for Allied operations. Personnel had proved they could quickly utilise new training methods and equipment, and effectively improvise in order to train with limited resources. The unit’s personnel had provided valuable signals and communications assistance, aided Australian–American relations, and made connections between the RAAF and the Women’s Australian Auxiliary Air Force (WAAAF).

The Operations Record Book for BTU and No. 6 Operational Training Unit, which operated at same base, is online and available to read at:

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2709728