- RAAF Bradfield Park
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RAAF Bradfield Park was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) station located at Lindfield, New South Wales during World War II.
Contents
History
The station was built on the grounds of Bradfield Park in 1940 and housed a number of RAAF and WAAAF units. During World War II, more than 200,000 members of the RAAF and the WAAAF received training on their way to service in World War II.
After World War II the base was utilised as a migrant hostel for new arrivals in Australia and for Australian families in urgent need of accommodation due to the acute housing shortage.
The site has been cleared and reclaimed for housing. A RAAF Memorial was officially opened to commemorate the former base on 29 October 2006.
Units based at RAAF Bradfield Park
No. 2 Initial Training School
No. 2 Initial Training School was formed as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. New recruits were posted to an Initial Training School to learn the basics of military life. They were taught subjects such as mathematics, navigation and aerodynamics.
No. 6 Initial Training School
No. 6 Initial Training School was also formed as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme.
No. 2 Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force Training Depot
No. 2 WAAAF Training Depot was relocated to Bradfield Park as a lodger unit on 7 March 1942. It was disbanded on 18 February 1943 and its personnel incorporated into No. 5 WAAAF Training Depot.
No. 5 Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force Training Depot
No. 5 WAAAF Training Depot was formed at Bradfield Park on 4 February 1943 to provide skilled and semi-skilled signals and maintenance personnel to fulfil RAAF commitments for local defence in Australia. The unit relocated to Penrith, New South Wales on 31 July 1944.
No. 2 Embarkation Depot
At the end of their courses of training aircrew and ground staff were posted to embarkation depots, where they were appropriately kitted and given final medical examination before going to operational theatres.
No. 3 RAAF Hospital
No. 3 RAAF Hospital was transferred from RAAF Base Richmond in 1941 and was a repatriation hospital for injured aircrew and ground staff.
References
Coordinates: 33°46′40.92″S 151°8′55.99″E / 33.7780333°S 151.1488861°E
Categories:- Royal Australian Air Force bases
- Australian military stubs
- Military aviation stubs
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