11 REPAIR AND SALVAGE UNIT
RAAF (11 RSU)
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2
11 Repair and Salvage Unit was formed at Mt. Druitt on 1 December 1942 with Flight Lieutenant A.C. Kerr commencing as the Commanding Officer on 9 December 1942.
11 RSU was initially housed in "The Castle" at Centenary House. They moved to a new camp location in March 1943. Salvage crews from 11 RSU travelled far and wide to places as follows:-
Albion Park
Braidwood
Bulli Pass
Bundaberg
Camden
Coffs Harbour
Forster
Gulgong
Moruya
Rockhampton
Strathpine
Williamtown
A Detachment of No. 11 Repair and Salvage Unit was based at Goolman airfield near Amberley Airfield in the middle of 1943. The Detachment at Goolman airfield travelled to Heron Island on 31 May 1943 to recover an Anson aircraft that had crashed.
11 RSU serviced Boomerang aircraft in primitive workshop conditions at Goolman airfield. Some very rough, canvas covered "Hangars" were erected. Some of the camp buildings at Goolman airfield
were made from old aircraft packing cases. The wreck of No. 2 Aerial Ambulance Unit DH-84 Dragon A34-19 was one of the aircraft they had to attempt to salvage. It was returned to 3 AD for write off. The pilot of this aircraft, F/O Thorley was killed in this accident at Toogoolawah airfield on 17 September 1943.
On 1 July 1943, a party of 12 men from 11 RSU lead by F/O Allen were in a truck that capsized during a night-time drive down the Bulli Pass to the rifle range. Fortunately there were no significant injuries.
BOOK REFERENCES
"Queensland Airfields WW2 - 50 Years
on"
by Roger R. Marks
"Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A
Concise History"
"Volume 7 - Maintenance Units"
compiled by RAAF Historical Section
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"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
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This page first produced 29 September 2002
This page last updated 13 January 2020
