RAAF Meteorological Service
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Weather Factor in Warfare
Chapter 2: Establishing and Developing the RAAF Directorate of Met. Services (D.Met.S)
Chapter 3: Recruiting and Training of Personnel
Chapter 4: Meteorology in Aviation
Chapter 5: The Met. Retreating
Papua New Guinea and New Britain
The Netherlands East Indies and Malaya
Escape from Timor
Northern Australia—1942
Chapter 6: The Met. Advancing
Chapter 7: The Met With the Army and the Navy
Chapter 8: Divisional Offices of the Bureau of Meteorology During the War
Chapter 9: Research and Instrumental Development
Chapter 10: The End, Aftermath, and Beyond
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
References
Index
Search
Help
Contact us
The Netherlands East Indies and Malaya (continued)
Andy Murfett was one Met. man who was called upon to help fight a rearguard action at the RAAF aerodrome at Palembang during February 1942. The defence consisted of a small anti-aircraft unit and armed RAAF personnel under the command of Group-Captain (later Air-Marshal) J. P. J. McCauley, RAAF. With 35 serviceable aircraft, mostly Blenheims, supported by a small ground force, the isolated defenders inflicted dreadful casualties and damage on the Japanese invasion force before withdrawing. Bad weather compelled the abandonment of a top cover of Hurricane fighter aircraft for the bombers, which carried on nevertheless.Met. officers were placed in charge of parties of airmen to get them to a safe destination as expeditiously as possible. So desperate was the general situation that members of the Met. didn't get to stay in one place long enough to function effectively, or to learn more about challenging tropical meteorology. These were exciting, but humiliating times, with the Australian and Allied forces on the run.
The famous Australian Sparrow Force on Timor harrassed the enemy in the face of enormous odds. Many members fought to the last, some were evacuated—mainly on submarines—and found their way back to Australia.
The 15,000 strong 8th Division AIF had been captured and imprisoned in Singapore. Morale was battered but still alive. Orders to the retreating Allies were to board ships or aircraft, to walk, swim back to Australia, to get there by any means. Many epic events occurred in the process.
People in Bright Sparcs - Murfett, A. M. (Andy)
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Bureau of Meteorology |  |
© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
Published by Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, using the Web Academic Resource Publisher
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/0266.html