air vice marshal september september senior commander royal_australian_air_force raaf born tasmania graduated served 2nd light horse regiment queensland transferring air_force pre war flying career spent squadron undertook series survey flights australia earning early wartime commands included squadron western_australia december promoted temporary air commodore following year took north western area darwin control air operations led appointment commander order british empire following end world war retaining wartime rank took charge newly formed assumed command new_south_wales posted japan later year chief staff organised support raaf units involved korean war returning australia raised acting air vice marshal final appointment retiring air_force commanding london leaving military served director recruiting late 1950s later judge associate died home victoria early career born tasmania september son wife youth attended entering won silver trophy awarded college champion athlete years running appointed company sergeant major received sword honour graduating lieutenant later year following service adjutant 2nd light horse regiment queensland transferred royal_australian_air_force raaf flying officer january classmates pilots course victoria fellow graduate training flight march stalled spun field injuring killing instructor recovering subsequently involved accident future lieutenant general governor new south wales plane flipped landing came rest upside fence man badly hurt graduated pilot july posted squadron january took experiments test throwing aircraft flight air_force permanent january promoted flight lieutenant following month april married couple daughter month posted united_kingdom attachment royal_air_force raf attended serving raf survey flight british returning australia posted squadron taking command round australia aerial survey conducted phases association doctor study britain experience raaf leading expert photographic reconnaissance utilised search potential oil fields phase survey took place january february employing seven air_force personnel nos squadrons photograph sites southern queensland despite aircraft damaged gale northern new_south_wales returning base expedition considered success second phase lasting july september team australia new_south_wales queensland western_australia returning final phase december explored tasmania awarded leadership survey described milestone country exploration following survey work appointed staff officer photography melbourne returned final posting squadron september raised temporary command unit overall charge training flight november december ended disaster crashed near new south wales pilot burned death incidents year led questions raised level flying safety raaf march raised wing commander took command squadron operating world war raaf reorganisation following outbreak world war september group formed sydney november appointed senior air staff officer continued serve position group formed march posted western australia command august promoted temporary group captain september senior administration officer newly established perth january following year september took bombing sale victoria handed group captain august briefly taking charge brisbane appointed air officer commanding headquartered park sydney december responsible maritime patrol anti submarine warfare coast new_south_wales southern queensland japanese submarine activity decreased months prior taking command concerned allied ships observed general procedure ships seldom minority merchant ships identify aircraft raaf patrols settled predictable pattern easy submarine captain avoid promoted temporary air commodore august following month appointed north western area nwa darwin replacing air vice marshal adrian king cole stage war allies advancing north tempo operations darwin area decreased immediately raised concerns wing operated squadrons fighters warning higher command morale drop given active role war transferred southern australia rest october wing received orders depart nwa forward base join raaf main mobile strike force leave squadrons disposal including heavy bomber unit squadrons meantime nwa supported assault attacks enemy ports oil facilities shipping dutch_east_indies operations continued november december april sent japanese convoy led cruiser bombers damaged cruiser subsequently sunk allied submarines month nwa attacked targets java lead commenced july area command strength bomber wings transferred postwar career small wartime raaf commanders considered suitable senior roles retained rank air commodore following cessation hostilities appointed commander order british empire king birthday honours conspicuous service operations japanese leading north western area command year relinquished command briefly took charge posted britain undertake course returning australia inaugural commandant april school transferred new_south_wales following year took overall command june year succeeded fellow graduate air commodore chief staff japan workload increased considerably outbreak korean war june need supply raaf contribution conflict chiefly squadron october following death combat squadron leader temporarily transferred tokyo administer squadron composite wing formed task return australia june promoted acting air vice marshal appointed headquartered melbourne end tenure raaf wartime area command system transformed structure based function geography result formed training command october returned command london later life completing term london retired air_force december honorary air vice marshal following year appointed technical advisor committee organising summer olympics melbourne served director recruiting combined services later judge associate retirement home victoria died september survived wife daughter accorded air_force funeral cremated
Alan Charlesworth