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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 2095.PDF
OCTOBER 12TH, 1944 b Australia's most important river, the Murray, white it winds down from the Australian Alps, dividing the States of New South Wales and Victoria. It was known only to duck-shooters for its abundance of Mallee water-hen before the Japanese swept south in 1942. To-day it is known to hundreds of men— U S.A.A.F. and U.S. Navy flying-boat crews, many of which have put down on the smooth, clear waters of the lake in the last two years. In June, 1942, when the Australian seaboard was grimly threatened by the advancing Japanese, when American aid was being rushed "down under" by every available means, the Australian Government decided that a flying- boat base was needed in the south, where air craft could put in for repairs and servicing, in case the enemy seized the vulnerable bases of the northern mainland. Necessity for a Repair Base At that time Australia's defence was, in large measure, dependent on the gallant crews of the Catalinas, then flying thousands of miles to the north of the vulnerable mainland, keep ing track on advancing convoys and evacuating troops from the islands in their path. They were setting new range figures on these recon naissance sorties and also had the task of pro tecting the Australian convoys carrying rein forcements to New Guinea. Many a Catalina and Mariner was literally riddled by^ciijmon firr m-rrrrnnntrTi with Jap fightersTothers were severely damaged by ack- ack in daring night reconnaissance missions over bases the Japanese had already seized. A flying-boat repair depot was needed where these boats could be repaired and put back in service as fast as possible. It was decided to establish a Royal Aus tralian Air Force flying-boat repair depot on the shores of Lake Boga, with the sandy drifts of the Mallee desert on one side and, a few miles away, the limitless expanse of Riverina flatness, to carry out major repairs on the flying boats of the American, Dutch and Australian Air Forces operating in the South- West Pacific area. Lake Boga was chosen because of the ideal nature of the lake, which is adjacent to main rail and road facilities. It was 14ft. deep and, most important, it was free of snags. In June, 1942, at a cost of £250,000, slipways, hangars, workshops, power-houses and fuel stores were built, arid a town.to accommodate more than 1,000 men and women of the R.ANA.F. was grafted on to the village of Lake Boga, The simple triangulated strutting of the Catalina's'port wing-tip float is here shown with an agile attendant. The retraction mechanism and geometry would appear to be very straightforward where, for 30 years before, the population had never changed. Instead of obvious army huts, weatherboard cottages were built in streets, with fencing posts, clothes lines and vacant allotments between them, so that, from the air or the ground the new inland flying-boat depot resembled nothing so much as just another isolated Australian country town. Around the lake, about 10 miles from Swan Hill, the A lightly ruffled surface on Lake Boga provides ideal take-off conditions for this Unitrd States Navy Catalina. The machine shown has had a complete overhaul at the base and 's starting off back to operational duty in the northern area
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