Port Pirie Volunteer Air Observers’ Corps

“THEY ALSO SERVE WHO ONLY STAND AND WAIT”

In February 1942 Mr. Reginald Gordon Lambert was appointed Commandant by Flight-Lieutenant Horner, RAAF to establish a Volunteer Air Observers Corps (V.A.O.C.) in Port Pirie. The object of the group was to man an Observation Hut on a continuous watch to detect and report aircraft movement, and to identify aircraft as either hostile or friendly, whenever possible. Observer posts were located at approximately 20 mile intervals in all directions around South Australia, and were linked to the RAAF's regional air control rooms. The State control room was intended to have knowledge and oversight of all aircraft movement and notify fighter aircraft to intercept where necessary.

Recruitment Poster V.A.O.C.

The formation of a 50 person corps in Port Pirie afforded a large number of patriotic citizens otherwise debarred from service, an opportunity to participate in a vital war activity; later this number grew to 90.

Chief Observer Mr. S.J. Parker was responsible for selecting a site on high ground, in a quiet spot, with an unobstructed view in all directions to situate an Observers Post. ʸA tower on Children’s Playground (now Pirie West Primary School Oval) became the Observation Post; after the war it was relocated to Memorial Oval by the Pirie and District Trotting Club for broadcasting purposes on race days. A hut 4 ft. square and 7 ft. high was provided with field glasses, a clock, a telephone, a brazier, a hurricane lamp, a map of the State, a card showing the principal points of the compass, illustrations of planes, a book of plane silhouettes, and a logbook.

The Federal Hotel watchtower was also thought to be used for plane spotting.

Once members of the V.A.O.C. were enrolled and their watching post was established, they were provided with all of the information that helped them to identify aircraft, Japanese, or otherwise. A roster was published in "The Recorder" for three hours watches, where two persons were on duty simultaneously where one kept watch for planes and the other made the necessary reports and filled out a logbook. The Corp were expected to work in conjunction with other Observation Posts within the State.

The observer noted the number of planes, whether it was Australian or foreign, had been seen or only heard, height in general terms, direction in which it was seen, approximate distance, the direction of travel and time. Accurate identification was obtained by studying ‘type silhouettes’ rather than by attempting to sight and record the markings on individual aircraft. Generally aircraft were too high for fuselage markings to be noted with accuracy, even through binoculars, and, in any case, signs could be painted over and altered. Thus, the red disc which was the international marking for Japanese aircraft, could be altered easily.

Sources:

Recorder, Port Pirie, SA Monday 5 January 1942 p 4

Recorder, Port Pirie, SA Wednesday 18 February 1942 p 1

Recorder, Port Pirie, SA Friday 5 June 1942 p 3

Recorder, Port Pirie, SA Monday 7 December 1942 p 4

ʸ Recorder, Port Pirie, SA Wednesday 8 November 1944 p 2

State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/122429