ALLIED AIR INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2

visits since 8 December 2004

In April 1942, Lt. Gen George H. Brett became the Commander of Allied Air Forces in Australia. The Allied Air Force Headquarters, SWPA was established on 20 April 1942 and was located in Victoria Barracks, in Melbourne. Air Commodore J.E. Hewitt was appointed as Director of Allied Air Intelligence.

When General Douglas MacArthur took on his role of Supreme Commander, SWPA (South West Pacific Area) in Melbourne on 18 April 1942, he introduced combined air and intelligence staffs. Air Commodore J.E. Hewitt was appointed as the Director of Allied Air Intelligence (DAAI) in command of the new Allied Air Intelligence Organisation (AAIO) which remained stationed at Victoria Barracks. 

AAIO received significant support from Major General Charles Willoughby, MacArthur's Chief of Intelligence. Gerry Packer, the Director of Intelligence at RAAF Headquarters also provided assistance to Hewitt at AAIO. The staff positions in AAIO consisted of:-

Accommodation for AAIO at Victoria Barracks was very crowded. On 20 July 1942, Allied Air Force Headquarters, SWPA relocated to the AMP Building in Queen Street, Brisbane, Queensland where General MacArthur had re-established his GHQ, SWPA.

AAIO settled into the AMP Building in a short time and established their Air Intelligence Centre which had a briefing room and some adjoining offices on the 4th floor. Roles were assigned as follows:-

 On 28 July 1942, General George Kenney arrived in Brisbane and took over command of Allied Air Forces, SWPA from General Brett on 3 August 1942. Kenney told Hewitt he wanted him to continue as DAAI and told him to let him know what he might need in the way of equipment and staff. Hewitt took him up on his offer and before long they had acquired a huge map of the SWPA raised at an angle across the floor of their briefing room. Commanders would sit in a raised platform along the edge of the map during the briefings.

On 14 February 1943 Hewitt was posted to be Air Officer Commanding No. 9 Operational Group which had its headquarters at Port Moresby. The Group had been formed by Group Captain Garing.

The December 1942 Military Telephone Directory for Brisbane shows the following:-

ALLIED AIR FORCE

DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE

    Director:
        Wing Commander Charlton, A.D.    Room 413 AMP

     RAAF Executive Officer:
         S/Ldr Wreford, R.H.    Room 420 AMP

     Assistant Director:
         Lt. Col. Cain, B.B.                Room 413 AMP

     Fifth Air Force Executive:
         Major McCoy, Jr., F.T.         Room 209 AMP
         Capt. Gilbert, L.                  Room 209 AMP

    ALLIED AIR INTELLIGENCE CENTRE:   (all in Room 420 AMP)
        S/Ldr. Dawson, J.H.        
        F/Lt. Lonie, P.M.
        Capt. Dabrenchuck, G.
        Capt. Minahan, J.C.
        Capt. Boot, W.F.
        F/Lt. Bernays, P.C.
        Lt. Sudduth, G.M.
        Lt. Crowley, F.J.
        Lt. Fowler, L.W.R.
        Lt. Conant, D.
        Flt./O Heard, S.F.
        S/O Hohnen, G
        S/O Bloch, M.E.
        A/S/O Whittingham, M.D.C.

    CENTRAL INTERPRETATION UNIT (Old Courier Building):
        Major Owen, E.W.             Room 7 Old Courier Bldg.
        F/Lt. Vroland, R.N.            Room 7 Old Courier Bldg.

    Photo Interpretation Section:
        Capt. Simmons                 Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        Capt. Hyslop, A.J.             Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Fowlkes, T.                  Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        F/O Pettifer, H.C.              Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Axelrod, D.I.                Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Thompson, H.D.          Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        F/O Smith, T.L.                Room 25 Old Courier Bldg
        F/O Mackay, C.               Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Benson, R.G.              Room 31 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Anderson, R.E.           Room  7 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Page, G.M.                 Room  7 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Peacock, J.H.             Room 31 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Putman, D.L.              Room  7 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Giebelhaus, W.           Room 31 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Sprague, J.S.              Room 31 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Murphy, D.                  Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Wright, R.M.               Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        S/O Naylor, A.                 Room 31 Old Courier Bldg

    Objective Data Section:
        F/O Weir, A.H.                 Room 36 Old Courier Bldg
        F/O Williams, H.M.           Room 36 Old Courier Bldg
        F/O Fairbridge, R.W.         Room 36 Old Courier Bldg
        F/O De Verteuil, P.           Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Cheney, W.D.              Room  7 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Walker, H.H.                Room  7 Old Courier Bldg
        Flt/O Colvin, M.                 Room 39 Old Courier Bldg
        S/O Cook, M.                   Room  7 Old Courier Bldg

    Intelligence Map Section:
        F/Lt Burr, I.L.                   Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
        F/O Furneaux, W.J.          Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
        F/O Barrass, C.               Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
        F/O Moir, J.                     Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
        Capt. Fraser, H.E.            Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Crofts, F.M.                Room 24 Old Courier Bldg
        Lt. Marshall, W.               Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
        S/O Aldritt, C.                  Room 29 Old Courier Bldg
        A/S/O Elvins, N.E.           Room 29 Old Courier Bldg

    Liaison Officer:
        Major Ankeny, J.C.          Room  7 Old Courier Bldg

    Enemy Appreciation:
        S/Ldr Feltham, P.            Room 420 AMP
        F/Lt Dryhurst, G.R.          Room 420 AMP
        Lt. Priceman, M.             Room 420 AMP

    Evaluation:
        S/Ldr Davoren, T.A.F.       Room 206 AMP
        F/Lt. Sheldon, W.S.         Room 206 AMP
        Lt. Zyskind, H.                 Room 206 AMP

    Japanese Information:
        F/Lt. Heyting, W.J.           Room 208 AMP
        F/Lt Tindale, N.B.             Room 208 AMP
        Capt. Macfarlane, D.L.M.  Room 207 AMP
        F/O Ritchard, G.F.           Room 208 AMP
        P/O Wiadroski, M.A.A.    Room 208 AMP
        S/O Taylor, P.                 Room 208 AMP

    Message Center                  Room 215 AMP

    Operational Intelligence Section:
        Major Deverall, G.G.        Room 414 AMP
        Capt. Amsden, S.C.        Room 414 AMP

    Production & Distribution:
        F/Lt. Leicester, K.M.        Room  4 Old Courier Bldg
        Clerk                              Room  4 Old Courier Bldg

    Technical Intelligence Unit:
        Major McCoy, Jr., F.T.     Room 209 AMP
        F/O Millar, N.                  Room 211 AMP
        Lt. Mahoney, C.A.           Room 211 AMP
        Lt. Fournet, Jr., D.J.         Room 211 AMP

    Technical Intelligence Unit (Eagle Farm):
        Lt. Gessel, C.D.              Hangar No. 7

Can anyone help me with more information?

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"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 8 December 2004

This page last updated 09 December 2004