Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

My tribute to the Old Man this ANZAC Day:

My father,James Peter Foley volunteered to join the RAAF in 1943 during World War 2. He was 19 years old. He initially volunteered to join the air crew ( ie. as a gunner / wireless operator) hoping to partake in the Empire Air Training Scheme in Canada and then ultimately join the RAF Bimber Command in England to fight in the air war over Europe.

The flight Lieutenant processing his application found that he was a University of Queensland Science student, and convinced my father that he would be better utilised in the war effort in the new field of radar detection warning systems.
Rather than Europe he soon found himself in the ‘South West Pacific Area’ due to the fighting in the islands , to the north of Australia.

The Allies had a significant technological edge over their adversaries in the use of radar. My father was one of thousands of airmen who made up a network of specialists that operated what was then top secret technology. Their role was to detect enemy aircraft ( and sometimes surface vessel - including submarine,)plot their movement/ direction; and then report that information to air operation controllers. They would then direct Australian or American fighters or bombers to that location.

This radar network was highly effective in locating and disposing of the enemy. The Radar network, supported the Allied counter offensive. They hadn’t the end of 1944, greatly assisted in rendering the threat of Japanese air power to be practically non- existent in th skies above New Guinea. Their contribution was best summed up in the final paragraph of the ‘Story of RAAF Radar’ published in Wings Magazine, Vol.6 No. 3, January 1946:

“The names and heroes of the early squadrons are immortalised in the landing strips in the islands: but when the full story is told of how the tide of battle was turned in the Pacific, from the widest possible Allied view. One of the brightest and most inspiring chapters will be that on the RAAF Radar Units.’

These RAAF personal often operated in primitive and very hot humid conditions, struggling with regular technical break downs. Sometimes operating in remote areas away from camp amenities; they provided their own protection, and were subject to a myriad of jungle diseases. (In fact my father suffered for years after the war from recurring bouts of Malaria and Dengue fever.) in some cases they operated in the forward areas not far from the actual ground fighting - a few of them were killed in action.

Dad served in various places during the war , both in New Guinea (Finschaffen, Port Moresby, Cape Ward Hunt, Milne Bay, Dobadura, Ponpondetta, Oro Bay and Buna.) He also served in Australia ( Richmond NSW, Stradbroke Island and at Sandgate in Queensland.)

This was my dad’s small part in Tojo’s downfall…


Sean Foley
ANZAC Day 2014