War History of the Australian Meteorological Service
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: D.Met.S.—Australia's Wartime Weather Service
Chapter 2: The Weather Factor in Warfare
Chapter 3: Met in the Retreat
Chapter 4: Met in the Advance
Chapter 5: Meteorology in Aviation
Chapter 6: Central Forecasting Services
General Reorganisation for War
Security and Censorship
Code and Cipher Development
National Synoptic Broadcasts
Services to Armed Forces
Services to Private Industry
Chapter 7: Met With the Army
Chapter 8: Research and Personnel Training
Chapter 9: Instrumental Development and Maintenance
Chapter 10: Scientific Developments in the RAAF Meteorological Service
Chapter 11: Divisional Bureaux and Their Work
Appendix 1: List of Reports Provided by D.Met.S. for Advances Operational Planning and Other Purposes
Appendix 2: List of Service Personnel RAAF Meteorological Service
Appendix 3: List of Civilian Personnel Who Worked Together with Service Personnel of the RAAF Meteorological Service
Appendix 4: List of Locations at which RAAF Meteorological Service Personnel Served
Index
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General Reorganisation for War
When the Australian synoptic weather and forecasting services were completely reorganised in the year before outbreak of war, a three-hourly reporting network was initiated and international code forms replaced the earlier Australian word code. International codes also were introduced into the national broadcast services. The observing and reporting station network had been increased and strengthened by additional upper air observations, and the forecasting centres at Melbourne and Sydney had been staffed for continuous service to civil and marine interests. Thus, when war came, the central forecasting section of the Directorate of Meteorological Services in Melbourne was in a position to meet the immediate essential demand of the headquarters of the Services. Under war conditions these included: forecasting and advisory weather services to the headquarters of Army, Navy and RAAF; provision of synoptic weather and fleet broadcast messages for the fleet and their coordination with overseas services; supervision of reporting networks; liaison with the Postmaster-General's Department on matters concerning channels for collection and distribution of weather reports; preparation and distribution of ciphers and recoding tables; distribution of advisory air-mass and frontal analysis statements to divisional weather bureaux and field stations and attention to the many aspects of meteorological censorship associated with security.Before hostilities began the staff of the forecasting section at headquarters comprised the supervising meteorologist, Mr H. E. Camm, four duty forecasters, the same number of meteorological assistants, two general assistants and a messenger, but, in order to meet the heavy demands of service formations and essential industries, the establishment was increased during the war by the addition of one senior forecasting officer, a meteorological assistant and three other persons. In 1940, also, a small subsection was formed to attend to preparation and distribution of weather ciphers and recoding tables. It was placed under the control of a former Commonwealth Meteorologist in Mr W. A. Watt, who volunteered to return from retirement for the purpose.
People in Bright Sparcs - Watt, William Shand
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© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
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