Maryborough Airport - a military training facility

John Ronald Shafto Adair (1893-1960), aviator and businessman, was born on 22 May 1893 at Maryborough, Queensland. He attended Maryborough Grammar School.He attained sergeant's rank in the Australian Military Forces. In 1916 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and was posted to No.1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, as a fitter (Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13, 1993) . 

Did you know that Maryborough Airport Maryborough played an important role in training recruits for the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II?

The Maryborough Airport is Heritage listed (no. 602556). The Second World War buildings were constructed during the early 1940s as part of the facilities of a military aerodrome serving Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No 3 Wireless Air Gunner School and No 3 Air Navigation School (Heritage Register).

The Heritage Register outlines the significance of the site:

The Empire Training Scheme (EATS) was set up in December 1939 and was an agreement between Britain and the Dominions, particularly Canada, Australia and New Zealand, for aircrews to be trained in those countries for service with the Royal Air Force. Australia agreed initially to provide 28,000 personnel over three years; a time span later extended, and eventually trained some 37,000 airmen. All Australian trainees did their initial training in Australia; 7/9ths completed their training here and 2/9ths doing advanced training overseas before being posted to squadrons involved in the defence of Britain and the conduct of the war in Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean. The EATS scheme was conducted through 49 airfields in Australia, Queensland having EATS units at Amberley, Archerfield, Bundaberg, Kingaroy, Maryborough and Sandgate. Maryborough was chosen as a base for a Wireless Air Gunner School (3 WAGS) and an Air Navigation School (3 ANS).
From April 1942, Maryborough's activities included Recruit Training. No 3 Recruit Depot operated at Maryborough until July 1943 and No 6 Recruit Depot from November 1944 to June 1945. These units gave basic training to about 4000 recruits. Women (WAAFs) were also stationed at Maryborough.
The surviving RAAF buildings at Maryborough airport are important in illustrating the measures taken for the training of aircrew during the Second World War under the Empire Training School scheme. The Bellman hangar and field hospital are now uncommon in Queensland as examples of their type still in their original locations.

To recognise this history, the Maryborough Military Aviation Museum Association was founded in November 2016.
The Maryborough Military Aviation Museum has been established as a component of the Fraser Coast Military Trail and it sources, acquires, researches, exhibits and interprets objects and ideas for commemoration, education, study and enjoyment relating to the history and heritage of the Maryborough. The Museum has pop up displays. The next is 10th November, 2018 at Maryborough Airport commencing at 11am.

First Plane to land in Maryborough. This site is now the end of Neptune Street, near the Golf Course.

References:
Queensland Heritage Register retrieved from https://environment.ehp.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=602556 on the 28th August, 2018.

Tags #Military #museum #maryborough #airport #planes