Port Pirie largest South Australia RAAF base in World War II, training thousands of bombers, gunners and navigators
The ceremony at Port Pirie cemetery in 2021 to mark the the 80th anniversary of the start of the local Royal Australian Air Force training base at the mid north South Australian city during World War II. Insets: The Battle Mk1 aircraft (left) used for bombing and gunnery training and a parade at the base.
Main image by Corporal Brenton Kwaterski, Australian defence department. Inset images by Langdon Badger, courtesy South Australian Aviation Museum
Twenty-two men, 13 of them still teenagers, were killed in flying accidents among 3,262 aviators trained at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) station at Port Pirie in South Australia’s mid north during World War II.
Formed in 1941, Port Pirie was home to No.2 bombing and gunnery school and, later, No.3 air observers school. making it South Australia’s largest wartime RAAF base. From 1941-1943, No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School (2BAGS) used Fairey Battle bombers as training aircraft, with 119 Battle aircraft at the base.
Under the empire air training scheme agreement 1939, the RAAF would train air crew for the rapidly expanding Royal Air Force (RAF). Specialised training for these positions was to be by wireless air gunners schools (WAGS) and bombing and gunnery schools (BAGS).
The Port Pirie 2BAGS site was ideal for practice bombing and gunnery exercises with nine separate ranges ranged over 32 miles. Six ranges were overland and three over water (two for bombing, one for aiming at moving surface targets). A portion of the 2BAGS personnel were responsible for operating the range. This included a marine section operating several water craft.
By November 1941, the Port Pirie base's reported strength of was 32 officers and 1,069 men (including 179 trainees). Generally, the courses were for eight weeks , with 2BAGS graduating airmen at around 100 per month. The principal aircraft type operated was the Fairey Battle Mark 1. This could train men in bombing or gunnery (a few were also equipped for wireless instruction). The fuselage was large enough to accommodate up to three trainees who could each take turns in either the rear gun or bomb aimers position.
The Mark 1 Battles were ex-RAF machines, some having served during the Battle of France in 1940. These were used for the bombing and gunnery training missions. The latter were flown against targets on the water (air-ground gunnery) or against towed aerial targets (air-air gunnery). The Fairey Battle was regarded as a reliable and tough aircraft, well suited to training, but its Rolls Royce Merlin cooling couldn’t cope with summer at Port Pirie, where the runway temperatures might be 50° Centigrade. Forced landings were common.
Another risky role performed by 2BAGS Battles was towing targets over Whyalla for the benefit of the 3.7-inch AA gun battery that protected the steelworks there. In February 1942, American pilot Richard Pingree was among a group of USAAF P-40E fighters to stop over at Port Pirie. Pingree, after having his engine fixed, made a test flight that ended as Port Pirie’s first fatality. While turning in to his landing approach, his luggage door opened and the P-40E crashed into the swamp area at the end of the runway.
During 1942, 2BAGS suffered two fatal accidents both involving Battle TTs and a mid-air collision between a Battle TT and Battle Mk1 in 1943 killed six airmen.
In December 1943, Ansons aircraft started replacing the Battles at Port Pirie as 2BAGS was formally redesignated 3 aerial observers school. (3AOS) mainly providing navigation training. By the end of 1944, 833 trainees had passed out of 3AOS.. The safety record of the unit had been excellent, with no fatal accidents until the last day of the year when an Anson crashed near Port Pirie, killing three of the crew.
Training ended at Port Pirie in October 1945. By month's end, personnel strength was down to 610, and all base radio had ceased operating. Aircraft strength was 22 Ansons, five Tiger Moths and two Oxfords, with 52 Ansons in storage.
