Eastern Suburbs Scale Modelling Club

.: This Brilliant 1/72nd Diorama, represents Cootamundra Airfield during WW2. Built as combined effort by Gunnar Berg , Peter McKinnon & Brian Davis.

Due to a shortage of pilots, observers, wireless operators and gunners, the
Dominions of the Commonwealth agreed to establish a co-ordinate scheme to train
28,000 air crew each year to help England fight the war in Europe. It was known
as the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS). The Dominions would supply the trained
aircrew and the mother country would provide the aircraft.

Minister for Air, J.V. Fairbairn and Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, Wing
Commander George Jones attended a meeting in Ottawa, Canada in 1939 to finalise
the arrangements for the Empire Air Training Scheme. Fifty flying schools were
established. Each of the Dominions would carry out their own Elementary Flying
Training and the advanced Service Training would be mostly conducted in Canada
due to its proximity to British aircraft factories and the war in Europe.

The Dominions would generally have first choice of their graduates but the great
majority were expected to fight in Europe for the Royal Air Force.
Australia signed two agreements on 17 December 1939, one with the UK regarding
carrying out training in Australia and the second was between, Australia,
Canada, New Zealand and the UK regarding training in Canada. The two agreements
were set to expire on 31 March 1943, but were both renegotiated and extended.
Under the scheme, the UK was to recruit and train four-ninths of the RAF's
annual aircrew requirements. The remaining five-ninths was to be apportioned
across the Dominions as follows:

Australia 36%
Canada 56%
New Zealand 8%

The Royal Australian Air Force trained 27,899 men through the Empire Air
Training Scheme. Prior to the scheme the RAAF had trained about 50 pilots per
year. Seven-ninths of the RAAF's intake were trained in Australia (all
Elementary and some Advanced) with the remaining two-ninths trained in Canada
(Advanced). The RAAF had to provide airfields, aircraft, instructors etc to
allow this all to happen.

Cootamundra played its part by training Air Observers from 1940 - 1945

Gunnar below left, receives a certificate of appreciation from Andrew on behalf of the Cootamundra Museum.