About This Unit
Flying Boat Repair Depots - Lake Boga (Vic) and Rathmines (NSW)
No. 1 Flying Boat Repair Depot (Lake Boga, Vic)
Following the Japanese attacks on Broome in 1942, 16 flying boats were destroyed causing a huge amount of consternation about RAAF operations. Those lost were a mixture of RAAF and Netherlands East Indies airframes. The establishment of a safe haven for flying boats and amphibians was deemed “Essential to the Defence of Australia.” Work began to provide a facility against two key criteria; “South and inland” were prerequisites.
Inspections of Lake Boga and Kangaroo Lake in Victoria were made, Lake Boga being the preferred site as it was an ideal stretch of water for the flying boats and amphibious aircraft because it was almost circular (offering unlimited choice of landing/take off direction) and free of obstructions.
The required infrastructure was already in place, vacant land around its foreshore, an adjacent railhead and highway, electricity from Swan Hill and telecommunication.
In June 1942 the Royal Australian Air Force established the No.1 Flying Boat Repair Depot (1FBRD) on the shore at Lake Boga, near Swan Hill in Victoria. The southern Australian location was selected because it was considered to be beyond the range of Japanese aircraft advancing on Australia from the north. The nearby Swan Hill aerodrome was used by military land-based aircraft visiting the Lake Boga RAAF Station.
n the five years of Depot life, more than 1050 aircraft arrivals/departures took place. An estimated 800 test flights (plus associated “unofficial aerobatics”). In addition to RAAF aircraft, many allied flying boats used the Lake Boga Depot for repairs, including those of the United States of America and the Netherlands.
The nearby Swan Hill aerodrome was used by military land-based aircraft visiting the Lake Boga RAAF Station.
At peak operation 39 Officers, 802 Airmen and 102 WAAAF’s staffed the depot.
No. 2 Flying Boat Repair Depot (Rathmines, NSW)
Following the Japanese attacks on Broome in 1942, the establishment of a safe haven for flying boats and amphibians was deemed “Essential to the Defence of Australia.” Work began to provide a facility against two key criteria; “South and inland” were prerequisites. As described above Lake Boga became the major site, but a base already existed at Rathmines on the NSW Central Coast. Although it was considered vulnerable to Japanese air or naval attack (as happened at nearby Newcastle in mid 1942), the alternate site at Lake Boga (see above) was available to provide some redundancy.
A second repair base was established at RAAF Rathmines on Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney, which had been a flying boat base since 1939. No.2 FBRD at Rathmines worked in association with 1FBRD for the duration of the war, although Lake Boga received the majority of flying boats for repair, rebuilds and routine major overhauls. These included RAAF, Netherlands and United States aircraft.
Forward maintenace units were established closer to the Area of Operations including No.1 Flying Boat Maintenace Unit at Bowen in Queensland.
Compiled from a range of sources - Steve Larkins Jan 19
1. Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A Concise History - Vol 7 Maintenance Units Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995
2. Lake Boga Aviation Museum. https://www.flyingboat.org.au/about/history.html
3. https://www.goodall.com.au/ Geoff Goodall Aviation History Site