Radar Winds and Radar Weather Watch (continued)

Max heard of a scheme in the PMG's Department in which bright young secondary school students were offered cadetships with financial support and time-off to attend university lectures. When he applied for a cadetship H. N. Warren told him that the Bureau would have similar cadetships. He, Col and Pat were among the first Bureau cadets. Another Bureau identity, Des Halsted, was also a cadet about this time.

Max graduated with first class honours in natural philosophy (physics) in December 1941 and was awarded the Dixson Scholarship (Meteorology). Col Hounam graduated later and Pat Ryan opted to withdraw from his cadetship but remain with the Bureau.

All three had continued working in the Bureau during their university courses, becoming well acquainted with the staff and procedures of meteorological work. Max's reminiscences paint an interesting picture of the Bureau.

His first assignment after graduation was to staff an observing station at Forrest on the Nullarbor Plain for a few months early in 1942 after which he joined Pat Squires in AMFA in the Bureau's Central Office at 2 Drummond Street. His work with Pat Squires included preparation of a radiosonde manual for operation of radiosonde airborne and ground station equipment and construction of a diagram on which to plot the observations.

He joined the RAAF Meteorological Service with the rank of pilot officer in July 1943 and continued his work in AMFA until Pat Squires and Henry Phillpot (who had joined AMFA that year) moved to Brisbane late 1944 or early 1945 to join our RAAF Command meteorological section. Max remained in Melbourne and after demobilisation in April 1946 was transferred to the Victorian forecasting section under Jack Johnston.

In 1948 Max transferred to the Instrument Section under Bill Brann and was given the task of working with engineers of DCA in installing one of the less-battered 277 radars at Bowes Avenue near the Essendon aerodrome. This reached the operational stage by December 1948 but for some reason routine observations did not commence in Melbourne until a 277 was installed at Laverton in 1953. The most likely reason is that the Bowes Avenue 277 was regarded as a prototype rather than an operational unit.

Working with DCA Max drew up an action plan which indicated the critical path required priority to be given to site selection and the construction of towers and offices to house the 277 equipment.

Bureau of Meteorology