raaf geographically based commands raised royal_australian_air_force raaf world war formed march initially controlled units based victoria tasmania south australia southern new_south_wales headquartered melbourne primarily responsible air defence aerial reconnaissance protection sea lanes boundaries operational responsibilities excluded new_south_wales area continued operate following end war formed october raaf new functional command control system history world war prior world war royal_australian_air_force small elements directly controlled melbourne war broke september raaf began command structure expected increases manpower units initial direction create nos groups control units victoria new_south_wales respectively march raaf divided australia new_guinea geographically based command control zones roles area commands air defence protection adjacent sea lanes aerial reconnaissance led air officer commanding responsible administration operations air bases units boundary group established november formed area commands march headquartered melbourne given control air_force units victoria tasmania south australia southern district new_south_wales inaugural led group senior administrative staff officer group captain handed command adrian king cole november august raaf expanding program necessitated establishment overarching training organisations semi functional semi geographical basis accordingly august training group formed melbourne assume responsibility training units boundaries training group formed sydney training units disbanded control units divided convenient southern northern area commands held command september december april operational authority raaf combat infrastructure including area commands invested newly established headquarters considered large yielded responsibility operational maintenance units new_south_wales new area command control maintenance units transferred newly established maintenance group melbourne september september saw formation led air vice marshal oversee majority australian flying units exercised control air operations area commands continued hold overarching administrative authority australian units april operating combat units squadron flying maritime reconnaissance anti submarine missions raaf station victoria squadron flying fighters south_australia group captain commanded area march january handed group captain german submarine operated southern australia months combat units heavily engaged anti submarine patrols attempting unsuccessfully locate boats vicinity led command surrender japan september december post war reorganisation following end pacific war august dissolved assumed control operational formations including area commands september chief air staff air vice marshal proposed reducing extant mainland area commands north western eastern southern western areas covering queensland covering new_south_wales covering western_australia south_australia victoria tasmania proposal larger plan post war raaf federal government rejected plan wartime area command boundaries essentially remained place established victoria august area later included officer command area federal government retired jones replaced raf proceeded organise raaf command control system functional lines establishing home operational training formed existing considered facto operational organisation owing combat forces sphere second formed hub training services controlling new_south_wales queensland victoria south australia final functional command formed extant headquarters melbourne transition functional system completed february new commands assumed control operations training maintenance western aftermath functional commands established revised renamed training merged renamed years later split training command training command formed force element group order battle april order battle comprised
Southern Area Command (RAAF)