raaf area commands area commands major operational administrative formations royal_australian_air_force raaf established response outbreak world war air_force geographically based command control system duration conflict early years cold war superseded functional control system home training area commands responsibilities evolved time according changing circumstances raaf established commands begin oversaw operations training maintenance boundaries concession functional control occurred air_force formed groups assumed training role southern eastern states disbanded units taken northern newly formed training group area structure revised following outbreak pacific war split new command created making total commands year raaf formed functional groups assumed maintenance role area commands operations end hostilities new area command covering raaf units new_guinea formed dissolved soon war early 1950s operational units based air_force training controlled maintenance responsibility area command structure longer considered appropriate delivering concentration force necessary combat federal government decided replace functional command control system formed controlling operations formed designated maintenance command remaining area commands ceded authority functional commands disbanded end history origin purpose eve world war raaf comprised flying squadrons aircraft depots flying school situated air bases air force size require large scale operational formations wings groups commands units directly administered controlled melbourne onset war september decided implement form command envisioned increase manpower units raaf initial direction create nos groups november based melbourne control units victoria sydney control units new_south_wales january chief air staff air vice marshal proposed organising raaf functional lines training federal government plan replaced february royal_air_force raf officer air chief marshal sir rapid expansion raaf meet needs empire air training scheme believed australia huge land mass functional command system proceeded air_force geographically based area system roles area command air defence protection adjacent sea lanes aerial reconnaissance area led air officer commanding responsible administration operations bases units boundary exceptions policy included aircraft depots trained flying instructors range responsibilities crossed area boundaries came direct control static area system primarily defensive nature considered suited training new pilots instructed flying schools initial squadron geographical region evolution control raaf planned area commands initially covering units victoria tasmania south australia southern district new_south_wales covering units new_south_wales southern north state covering units western_australia covering units northern new_south_wales queensland northern territory commands established march essentially took role headquarters group melbourne evolved group sydney western eventually followed january respectively pending formation units queensland temporarily controlled western_australia came direct control determined form training units southern eastern states semi geographical semi functional groups separate area commands led establishment august training group melbourne covering victoria tasmania south australia training group sydney covering new_south_wales queensland disbanded responsibilities divided convenient according official history war training group retained responsibility training operations maintenance boundaries outbreak pacific war december split following month counter distinct japanese threats new_guinea respectively considered appropriate subdivision owing size established control operational units new_south_wales southern queensland arrangements number area commands necessity northerly commands primarily responsible bombing air defence commands maritime patrol anti submarine warfare convergence command control responsibilities semi geographical semi functional lines took place june september authority maintenance units transferred area commands newly formed maintenance group melbourne maintenance group sydney area boundaries occurred august given responsibility portion western_australia north line drawn south east border queensland adjacent exercised complete operational administrative control area commands april year headquarters established general operational authority raaf combat infrastructure including area commands september new commander major general formed majority flying units australian counterparts led air vice marshal exercised control australian air operations area commands continued hold overarching administrative authority meaning area commanders ultimately dependent chief air staff air vice marshal melbourne supplies equipment help overcome static nature area command system september raaf created large mobile formation known operational group self contained tactical air force pace allied advances north new_guinea japan april garrison force new_guinea lost mobile function operational group later australian tactical air force formed dedicated area command covering air units new_guinea recommended calling settled august year proposed training maintenance groups formed return functions control area commands action taken month recommended carving new considered large controlled headquarters proposed responsible units southern queensland war cabinet deferred decision similar concept raised october near end war group formed static command headquartered dutch_east_indies elements freed garrison duties following liberation borneo recommending garrison establishment explained shared static characteristic area command differed area commands permanent structure air_force situated borders australia mainland overseas territories new formation temporary wartime measure headquartered foreign territory post war organisation following end pacific war august dissolved melbourne assumed control operational formations including area commands nos training groups maintenance group sydney disbanded january march having designated december disbanded february area commands continued function essentially boundaries war longer covered dutch_east_indies 1950s geographically based area command system considered calls came replace system based function area commands judged adequate organisation air_force early years world war rapid response times concentration force necessary properly prepare attacks australia following start pacific war conducting offensive operations onwards retained position chief air staff following war resisted pressure replace area structure persuaded staff set conference discuss possibility change participation satisfied wartime structure area commanders positions line half hearted best jones suggest reducing number area commands cover queensland cover new_south_wales encompass western_australia south_australia victoria tasmania larger proposal post war raaf federal government retired jones replaced raf officer functional command system employed britain believed restructuring air_force remove permit commanders greater autonomy allowing effective concentration strength potential combat situation declared raaf force quickly strike australia commonwealth defence end identified major functions operations covering home defence mobile task forces training including permanent reserve national service recruitment instruction maintenance responsible supply equipment logistical services functions duly constituted october home training respectively formed existing considered facto operational organisation owing forces boundaries training command formed hub training services controlling new_south_wales queensland victoria south australia formed extant headquarters melbourne transition functional system completed february new commands assumed control operations training maintenance western area commands remained existence remote control points disbanded june november december aftermath functional commands established revised renamed training merged renamed years later split training command logistics management responsibility air force raaf component defence wide later training command formed force element group sole command level organisation raaf summary area commands formed raaf raised area commands course world war continued operate 1950s
RAAF area commands