World War II During World War II, the
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) established several
operational training units (OTUs) to convert recently graduated pilots from advanced trainers to combat aircraft, and to add fighting ability to the flying skills they had already learned. Employing as they did warplanes that were more advanced and more powerful than trainers, and teaching combat techniques that often carried high risk, OTUs generally suffered higher accident rates than other flying training schools. No. 5 Operational Training Unit was formed at
Forest Hill in
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, on 26 October 1942, and initially equipped with two
Bristol Beauforts and five
Bristol Beaufighters. Its inaugural commanding officer was
Squadron Leader Bruce Rose. The first training course ran from 2 November to 12 December 1942. At the end of the month the unit's strength was 170 personnel and sixteen aircraft. The rest of No. 5 OTU transferred to Williamtown during July. The unit commenced photo reconnaissance courses in August, and by October its strength was over 1,000 personnel. November was marred by four fatal accidents in the space of three days. One of his fellow instructors at the time was Flight Lieutenant
Charles "Bud" Tingwell. Leading Aircraftman
Jack Brabham, then an engine mechanic at No. 5 OTU, witnessed Crombie's accident. The end of hostilities in the Pacific saw the dissolution of all the RAAF's OTUs. Trainees were schooled in bombing and gunnery for eventual service with
No. 81 Wing, comprising three RAAF Mustang squadrons, as part of the
British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. Wing Commander
Dick Cresswell served initially as chief instructor and later as commanding officer. The unit was equipped with forty
CAC Sabre jet fighters, some
de Havilland Vampire jet trainers, and eight
Macchi MB-326s previously operated by No. 2 OCU for lead-in fighter training. Vampire operations began winding down in September 1970, and the type was withdrawn in April 1971. Early the following year, the Australian government announced that the Sabres were to be phased out and retired by July 1971. At this time RAAF fighter pilots were trained progressively on the
CAC Winjeel, Macchi, Sabre and Mirage, but after considering the feasibility of direct Macchi-to-Mirage conversion, and the impracticability of maintaining the ageing Sabres, the government determined that it was possible to remove the Sabre from the process and retire the type, on the proviso that more Mirage trainers were made available; it subsequently approved the purchase of six new Mirage IIID dual trainers to augment the ten already in service. No. 5 OTU was disbanded on 31 July 1971, the date the Sabre was retired from RAAF service. The unit's Macchis were transferred back to No. 2 OCU. The aircraft was returned to the RAAF in 1978, and subsequently put on display at
RAAF Bases Richmond, New South Wales, and
Point Cook, Victoria. In 2005 the RAAF loaned it to the
Temora Aviation Museum, New South Wales, where it was restored to flying condition. ==Commanding officers==