Mapping Victoria's Second World War defensive air power and early warning system

Abstract

<p>With the outbreak of the Second World War in the Pacific beginning in December 1941, came the legitimate threat of an aerial offensive by Japan upon Australia. The Melbourne area had been overflown by a Japanese aircraft as early as February 1942. To combat the threat, a network of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) radar stations and a series of Volunteer Air Observer Corps (VAOC) observation posts were established. This intricate system was co-ordinated by the No. 7 Fighter Sector, RAAF, whose headquarters were located in the Melbourne suburb of Preston. From there, RAAF fighter aircraft could be ordered to 'scramble' and intercept any enemy attackers if and when required. However, in addition to its defensive purpose, the web of VAOC observation posts were also used to help friendly aircraft which had become lost, with such facilities across Australia being credited for helping 2,000 aircraft in 1944 alone. This paper presents details of the Victorian components of a current research project that involves mapping Second World War aviation sites across Australia, to gain a greater understanding of the country's air power capabilities at the time. The preliminary results of this study indicate that a state-of-the-art early warning system was in place across Victoria, yet despite this, analysis of historical records suggest that if any enemy aerial attack on Melbourne was made during December 1942 it would have gone almost completely unchecked.</p>