Labuan Island (continued)

At the Labuan headquarters of 1st TAF Sqn Ldr A. J. Shields (subsequently mentioned in despatches) filled the position of staff meteorological officer, having succeeded Sqn Ldr H. T. Ashton in April 1945, while the 47OBU weather section was under Fl Lt D. G. McIntyre. At—Tarakan, where the weather officer's duties included forecasts for the construction of an airstrip—a task much hindered by heavy rainfall and the unsuitable water-logged terrain—Fl Lt D. E. Halsted was stationed and at Balikpapan Australian meteorological staff worked in conjunction with Netherlands East Indies Army weather men.

With the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945 the end of the war came to all the island stations.

Disbandment for demobilisation commenced shortly afterwards at many units, but arrangements were made for a party of volunteer weather men, headed by a veteran RAAF tropical meteorologist in Fl Lt R. J. McConnell, to move to Japan as the meteorologists for 81 Wing in Tokyo. Back to Koepang, which he had evacuated in February 1942, went Sqn Ldr Bryan Rofe and, at about the same time Fl Lt McIntyre, another veteran forecaster whose long service throughout the Pacific area serviced by the RAAF meteorological organisation is exceeded only by that of Fl Lt McConnell, left on attachment to the RAF at Singapore. This airport was then handling a considerable traffic of Australian aircraft from Labuan.

Thus the cycle of meteorological retreat and advance was completed on 7 September 1945 when Australian weather men accompanied the first RAAF aircraft to return to Singapore from which the original Australian weather party had been evacuated early in 1942. One RAF representative, Sqn Ldr Lee, recalled with pleasure his association with Sqn Ldr Mackey, Sqn Ldr Hannay and others who comprised the first Australian detachment.

Bureau of Meteorology