The official opening of the Empire Air Training Scheme Memorial at Wagga’s RAAF Base took place at Wagga last week, conjuring up many memories for towns like Narrandera which were part of this scheme.
Photo: Narrandera Argus
Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack helped to officially open the memorial project a dedicated space at the base’s entrance featuring a mural created by Sam Brooks (Sam Brooks Commission Art) paying tribute to Riverina and Central West communities involved in the Empire Air Training Scheme.
This memorial commemorated the significant contribution and sacrifices of the Australian men and women to support the WW11 war effort and the Riverina communities that welcomed these people from across the country.
These towns included Narrandera, Wagga Wagga, Deniliquin, Tocumwal, Temora and Cootamundra.
No 8 Elementary Flying Training School (No 8 EFTS) was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilot training unit that operated during World War II. It was one of 12 elementary flying training schools employed by the RAAF to provide introductory flight instruction to new pilots as part of Australia’s contribution to the Empire Air Training Scheme.
No 8 EFTS was established in September 1940 at Narrandera and training ceased in December 1944 when the school was reduced to maintaining base infrastructure and aircraft. It was officially disbanded in June 1945 and renamed Care and Maintenance Unit (CMU) Narrandera. The CMU was disbanded in December 1947.
The school occupied the site of the Narrandera Leeton airport, as well as surrounding government land.
Its inaugural commanding officer was Flying Officer G F Hughes. Despite primitive accommodation and lack of infrastructure at Narrandera, the first 60 students arrived at the school on the day of its establishment, but flying training did not get completely under way until mid November.
The school’s strength at month’s end was 469 staff, including 36 officers.
In later years a cyclone hit the airfield, destroying 22 de Havilland Tiger Moth trainers in a matter of minutes and damaging others.
During another catastrophic event an instructor was killed and three other men were injured when a Tiger Moth crashed while flying at low level over one of Narrandera’s satellite airfields on January 4 1941.
Two of the school’s Tiger Moths collided at 3000 feet (910 m) on March 8 and while the instructor and student of one plane bailed out, the other two pilots crash landed their aircraft but there were no injuries.
On December 31 1941, the school had 28 instructors, 123 students under training and 37 serviceable aircraft. By April 30 1942, the figures had risen to 58 instructors, 211 students and over 70 aircraft. Strength remained at a similar level for the remainder of the year.
September 8 1942 saw a No 8 EFTS Tiger Moth dive to the ground soon after take off from a satellite airfield and collide with a tender; one man in the tender was killed and several others, as well as both pilots, were injured.
Four pilots were killed and two Tiger Moths destroyed after a mid-air collision at 600 feet (180 m) over another of Narrandera’s satellite air fields on March 9 1943.
A pilot from the school was killed in a crash near Junee on March 24 and another No 8 EFTS pilot was killed and his crewman badly injured on August 17 after their Tiger Math failed to recover from a spin.
When flying training at No 1 Elementary Flying Training School in Tamworth ceased in September 1944, several of the pilots still undergoing instruction were posted to No 8 EFTS.
Flying training was suspended in December 1944 when the school was among several to be reduced to “nucleus” and continued to function primarily for the upkeep of base infrastructure and equipment under a reorganisation of EATS establishments in Australia.
By this time No 8 EFTS had 83 Tiger Moths.
Owing to the surplus of trained aircrew in Australia, No 8 EFTS was officially disbanded on June 16 1945 and reformed as a Care and Maintenance Unit (CMU) Narrandera.
CMU Narrandera was one of many such units that the RAAF raised for the storage and maintenance of surplus aircraft prior to their disposal after the war. It was disbanded on July 5 1947.
The No 8 EFTS Tiger Moth Memorial at Marie Bashir Park was dedicated at Narrandera by retired Air Chief Marshal Sir Neville McNamara on October 2 1988.
This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 16 June 2022.
