John McCauley (RAAF officer)
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Sir John Patrick Joseph McCauley, KBE, CB (18 March 1899 – 26 January 1989) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1954 to 1957. A Duntroon
graduate, McCauley spent four years in the Australian Military Forces
before transferring to the RAAF in 1924. He was Director of Training from 1936 to 1938, and commanded engineering and flying training schools for the first eighteen months of World War II. Having been promoted to group captain
in 1940, he was posted to Singapore
in June 1941 to take charge of all RAAF units defending the area. He earned praise for his efforts in attacking invading Japanese forces before the fall of Singapore, and for his dedication in evacuating his men. After serving as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
in 1942–44, he was appointed to a senior operational role with the Royal Air Force
's 2nd Tactical Air Force
in Europe, where he saw out the rest of the war.
Following the end of hostilities, McCauley again became Deputy Chief of the Air Staff. In 1947 he was promoted to air vice marshal and appointed Chief of Staff
at British Commonwealth Occupation Force Headquarters
in Japan. Returning to Australia in June 1949, he served as the last Air Officer Commanding
(AOC) Eastern Area and the inaugural AOC of Home Command (now Air Command
). Raised to air marshal, he took up the position of Chief of the Air Staff in January 1954, and was knighted a year later. During his tenure in the RAAF's senior role, McCauley focussed on potential deployments to Southeast Asia—particularly Vietnam
—and threats from the north, commencing redevelopment of RAAF Base Darwin
and recommending purchase of a light supersonic
bomber to replace the Air Force's English Electric Canberra
. After retiring from military life in March 1957, he chaired various community and welfare organisations, serving as Federal President of the Air Force Association for ten years. He died in Sydney
in 1989, aged 89.
on 18 March 1899, McCauley went to school at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, before entering the Royal Military College, Duntroon
, in 1916. He graduated as a lieutenant
in 1919, and spent the next four years in staff positions with the Permanent Military Forces
, including a posting to Britain. In January 1924, he transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force
as a flying officer
, undertaking the pilots' course at RAAF Point Cook
, Victoria. He was nicknamed "Black Jack" in tribute to his dark looks, but a "shaky reputation" as an aviator also earned him the epithet "Crasher". On 10 November 1925, he married Murielle Burke; the couple had a son and two daughters. By 1926, McCauley was back in Britain, studying at the Royal Navy College, Greenwich
, and the RAF Armament and Gunnery School. He returned to Australia in 1928, and was assigned to the staff of RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne
.
Promoted to squadron leader
, McCauley was posted a third time to Britain in 1933, graduating from RAF Staff College, Andover
, and qualifying as a flight instructor
at Central Flying School
, Wittering
. The following year he was attached to the Air Ministry
in London. Returning to Australia in 1935, McCauley joined the RAAF's Directorate of Training. That September, he initiated a requirement for all air bases to draw up plans for local defence. He also inaugurated development of operational-level policy for the Air Force, ordering units to draft doctrine relevant to their combat roles, such as "Striking" for No. 1 Squadron
and "Army Co-operation" for No. 3 Squadron
. Described as "a great leader, with a great deal of force", McCauley took over as Director of Training in 1936. He gained his Bachelor of Commerce
degree at Melbourne University
the same year, having studied part-time since 1929. His tertiary qualification was unusual for a general duties officer in the pre-war Air Force, whose pilots were generally said to have "valued little beyond flying ability". By 1939 he had been raised to wing commander
and was commanding officer and chief flying instructor of the cadet wing at Point Cook.
McCauley's seniority and instructional experience kept him in Australia on training assignments for the first eighteen months of World War II. From March to October 1940, he served as the inaugural commander of No. 1 Engineering School at Ascot Vale
, Victoria. Promoted to group captain
, he then took over No. 1 Service Flying Training School
at Point Cook until July 1941, when he handed over to Wing Commander Elwyn King
. During McCauley's tenure, the number of aircraft operated by the school doubled from its initial complement of 52, and monthly flying hours increased from under 1,000 to over 1,800.
During the Malayan Campaign in 1941–42, McCauley was in charge of RAAF units under Britain's Far East Air Force (FEAF). As station commander at RAF Sembawang in north-east Singapore
from August 1941, he personally supervised the training and operations of Nos. 1
and 8 Squadrons
, flying Lockheed Hudson
light bombers. He also warned Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham
, the FEAF's Commander-in-Chief, of the weaknesses of the Allied air defences. Deployed to forward bases on the Malay Peninsula
, McCauley's Hudsons were the first Allied aircraft to spot Japanese troop transports converging off Indochina
on 6 December, and they attacked the fleet in the face of heavy defensive fire. By Christmas, as the Allies retreated from Malaya, Sembawang was "the busiest airfield on Singapore island", with two Dutch Glenn Martin bomber squadrons in addition to the remnants of the Hudson units, along with Nos. 21
and 453 Squadrons
(merged due to losses as No. 21/453 Squadron), operating obsolescent Brewster Buffalo
s. On 29 January 1942, McCauley took over airfield P.2 near Palembang
in Sumatra
, commanding all Commonwealth air operations emanating from the base. With his available aircraft augmented by Hawker Hurricane
s and Bristol Blenheim
s, he conducted attacks on enemy convoys before evacuating the area on 15 February 1942, the day that Singapore surrendered. After communications between himself and local RAF group headquarters were cut, McCauley was left to his own devices to make final arrangements for the demolition of equipment and departure of staff. He had earlier intervened to prevent RAF headquarters from dissolving No. 21 Squadron and using its personnel as a labour force on Sumatra, instead arranging their transport as a unit to Batavia
, where they subsequently embarked for Australia. McCauley led the last party to depart Palembang, and was praised for organising the safe passage back to Australia of many Commonwealth air force personnel.
After his return to Australia late in February 1942, McCauley briefly served as Senior Air Staff Officer at North Western Area Headquarters in Darwin
, Northern Territory. He took up the position of Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
(DCAS) in May, and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1943 King's Birthday Honours, promulgated on 2 June. The honour recognised the "courage, ability, and qualities of leadership" he displayed under "trying and difficult conditions during a period of service in the Far East". The following month, he was promoted to temporary air commodore
. During an inspection of No. 10 Group
at Nadzab
in March 1944, McCauley learned that unless the Australian formation was able to increase its operational rate of effort, its units would be withdrawn from their forward airfields. As a result, RAAF Headquarters increased the supply of pilots and equipment to the group, which was then able to meet, and later exceed, the rate of effort achieved by comparable US Fifth Air Force
units. At around this time, he also instigated a research program to determine a suitable formula for rotating and relieving ground staff
, as well as aircrew
, in the tropics.
Completing his term as DCAS, McCauley was posted to the European theatre
in November 1944, serving for the remainder of the war as Air Commodore (Operations), 2nd Tactical Air Force RAF
(2nd TAF). The British had actively sought him for this particular appointment, which he commenced in December at the formation's Brussels
headquarters. The role involved him in the direction of over 70 Commonwealth and European squadrons in operations against Germany, and was "unique" for an RAAF officer during the war. He left 2nd TAF in July 1945 and returned to Australia later that year.
Among a small coterie of wartime RAAF commanders earmarked for further senior roles, McCauley retained his rank of air commodore following the cessation of hostilities. He served again as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff in 1946–47. Promoted to air vice marshal, he was Chief of Staff
to Lieutenant General Horace Robertson
at British Commonwealth Occupation Force
Headquarters in Japan, from June 1947 to June 1949. Upon his return to Australia, McCauley was made Air Officer Commanding
Eastern Area Command. During the Malayan Emergency
, he formed RAAF aircraft assigned for deployment into No. 90 (Composite) Wing, as directed by Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal George Jones
, to ensure that they would operate autonomously rather than be dispersed throughout other Allied groups. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1951 Birthday Honours.
In January 1952, Air Marshal Jones was succeeded by Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman
of the Royal Air Force
. The decision by Prime Minister Robert Menzies
to appoint a British officer as CAS caused controversy in Australia, compounded by his stated reason that there was "no RAAF officer of sufficient age, or operational experience, to take the post of Chief of the Air Staff", which ignored the wartime records of figures like McCauley. Hardman changed the structure of the Air Force from one based on geographical area to one based on function, hence McCauley's Eastern Area Command evolved into Home Command (now Air Command
) in 1953. Promoted to air marshal
, McCauley took over from Hardman as Chief of the Air Staff when the latter's two-year appointment ended in January 1954. According to official RAAF historian Alan Stephens, McCauley was "just as ready to become CAS in 1952 as he was in 1954", while a contemporary observer declared that "seldom has a better-equipped officer led a branch of the Australian services". He was the first of four former Duntroon cadets to successively head up the Air Force between 1954 and 1969, followed by Air Marshals Frederick Scherger
, Valston Hancock
, and Alister Murdoch
.
McCauley was raised to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1955 New Year Honours
. In October 1956, he gave a presentation on air power concepts that was attended by Prime Minister Menzies, as well as the other Australian service chiefs. McCauley identified Malaya and Indochina, particularly Vietnam
, as likely areas for future RAAF deployments, advocating a continued presence in Singapore
in view of its stategic importance to the defence of Australia, as he had witnessed first-hand during World War II. He also recommended that a supersonic
light bomber replace the straight-winged and obsolescent English Electric Canberra
, primarily for interdiction
in Southeast Asia
. McCauley's tenure as CAS saw the beginning of a trend for the RAAF to equip with US aircraft types in preference to British types, with recommendations being put forward for the F-104 Starfighter (though in the event the French Dassault Mirage III was purchased) and C-130 Hercules. This stemmed partly from his inspection of Allied air force units during the Korean War
, when he observed that those employing American hardware were far better served with spare parts and replacement aircraft than those with British equipment. Some of his senior commanders had urged replacing the Canberra with Avro Vulcan
heavy bombers, but McCauley did not pursue this option, preferring to concentrate in the short term on new fighter technology. He also made a point of supporting the Australian aircraft industry wherever feasible.
McCauley instigated the redevelopment of RAAF Base Darwin
in the Northern Territory
as the first stage of a forward defence strategy. He aimed to make Darwin the "main Australian base for war" and a launching point for deployments to Southeast Asia, rather than simply a transit station. Over the next ten years, No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron
transformed the base's runways, buildings and other infrastructure into a modern facility capable of handling major operations. This concept was taken another step by McCauley's successor as CAS, Air Marshal Scherger, who conceived a series of front-line "bare bases"
across Northern Australia
, beginning with plans for RAAF Base Tindal
in 1959. Alan Stephens later described McCauley and Scherger as "among the RAAF's better chiefs".
, Freedom From Hunger
, the Royal Humane Society
, and the Cancer Council
in the late 1950s and early 1960s. From 1964 until 1974, he served as Federal President of the Air Force Association. In this role he endorsed the initial proposal, featuring monumental statues of airmen and ground crew, for the Royal Australian Air Force Memorial to be located on ANZAC Parade, Canberra
. The design ultimately approved by the final selection panel, however, was an abstract sculpture that was subsequently described as reflecting a "comprehensive failure to understand the nature of air force service". McCauley visited RAAF units in Vietnam
in October 1966. In 1970, he played a leading role in organising the Australian Services Council (later the Australian Veterans and Defence Services Council) to coordinate lobbying
efforts for various veterans' groups, and became its first chairman. He was also President of the Good Neighbour Council of New South Wales from 1966 to 1975. Aged 89, McCauley died in Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital
on 3 February 1989, following a stroke
. He was survived by his three children; his wife had died two years earlier.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir John Patrick Joseph McCauley, KBE, CB (18 March 1899 – 26 January 1989) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1954 to 1957. A Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
graduate, McCauley spent four years in the Australian Military Forces
Australian Military Forces
The Australian Military Forces was the official name of the Army of Australia from 1916 to 1980. This encompassed both the "regular army", and the forces, variously known during this period as the Militia, the Citizen Military Forces and the Australian Citizen Military Force .Initially this...
before transferring to the RAAF in 1924. He was Director of Training from 1936 to 1938, and commanded engineering and flying training schools for the first eighteen months of World War II. Having been promoted to group captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
in 1940, he was posted to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in June 1941 to take charge of all RAAF units defending the area. He earned praise for his efforts in attacking invading Japanese forces before the fall of Singapore, and for his dedication in evacuating his men. After serving as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
Deputy Chief of Air Force (Australia)
Deputy Chief of Air Force is the second most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Air Force, responsible to the Chief of Air Force . The rank associated with the position is Air Vice Marshal . DCAF acts as the manager of the Air Force Headquarters , which provides oversight of activities in...
in 1942–44, he was appointed to a senior operational role with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
's 2nd Tactical Air Force
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...
in Europe, where he saw out the rest of the war.
Following the end of hostilities, McCauley again became Deputy Chief of the Air Staff. In 1947 he was promoted to air vice marshal and appointed Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
at British Commonwealth Occupation Force Headquarters
British Commonwealth Occupation Force
The British Commonwealth Occupation Force , was the name of the joint Australian, Canadian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 21 February 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952...
in Japan. Returning to Australia in June 1949, he served as the last Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
(AOC) Eastern Area and the inaugural AOC of Home Command (now Air Command
RAAF Air Command
Air Command is the operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force . It is headed by the Air Commander Australia, whose role is to manage and command the RAAF's Force Element Groups , which contain the operational capability of the Air Force...
). Raised to air marshal, he took up the position of Chief of the Air Staff in January 1954, and was knighted a year later. During his tenure in the RAAF's senior role, McCauley focussed on potential deployments to Southeast Asia—particularly Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
—and threats from the north, commencing redevelopment of RAAF Base Darwin
RAAF Base Darwin
RAAF Base Darwin is a Royal Australian Air Force base located in the city of Darwin, Northern Territory. The base shares its runway with Darwin International Airport.-History:...
and recommending purchase of a light supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
bomber to replace the Air Force's English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
. After retiring from military life in March 1957, he chaired various community and welfare organisations, serving as Federal President of the Air Force Association for ten years. He died in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1989, aged 89.
Early career
Born in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 18 March 1899, McCauley went to school at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, before entering the Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
, in 1916. He graduated as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1919, and spent the next four years in staff positions with the Permanent Military Forces
Australian Military Forces
The Australian Military Forces was the official name of the Army of Australia from 1916 to 1980. This encompassed both the "regular army", and the forces, variously known during this period as the Militia, the Citizen Military Forces and the Australian Citizen Military Force .Initially this...
, including a posting to Britain. In January 1924, he transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
as a flying officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
, undertaking the pilots' course at RAAF Point Cook
RAAF Williams
RAAF Williams comprises the two bases of Point Cook and Laverton. Both establishments previously existed as separate RAAF Bases until 1999 when they were amalgamated to form RAAF Williams...
, Victoria. He was nicknamed "Black Jack" in tribute to his dark looks, but a "shaky reputation" as an aviator also earned him the epithet "Crasher". On 10 November 1925, he married Murielle Burke; the couple had a son and two daughters. By 1926, McCauley was back in Britain, studying at the Royal Navy College, Greenwich
Old Royal Naval College
The Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as being of “outstanding universal value” and reckoned to be the “finest and most...
, and the RAF Armament and Gunnery School. He returned to Australia in 1928, and was assigned to the staff of RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Promoted to squadron leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
, McCauley was posted a third time to Britain in 1933, graduating from RAF Staff College, Andover
RAF Staff College, Andover
The RAF Staff College at RAF Andover was the first Royal Air Force staff college to be established. Its role was the training of officers in the administrative, staff and policy apects of air force matters.-Foundation:...
, and qualifying as a flight instructor
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
at Central Flying School
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 it is the longest existing flying training school.-History:...
, Wittering
RAF Wittering
RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Although Stamford in Lincolnshire is the nearest town, the runways of RAF Wittering cross the boundary between Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire....
. The following year he was attached to the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
in London. Returning to Australia in 1935, McCauley joined the RAAF's Directorate of Training. That September, he initiated a requirement for all air bases to draw up plans for local defence. He also inaugurated development of operational-level policy for the Air Force, ordering units to draft doctrine relevant to their combat roles, such as "Striking" for No. 1 Squadron
No. 1 Squadron RAAF
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based at RAAF Amberley. The squadron is currently being re-equipped with F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.-World War I:...
and "Army Co-operation" for No. 3 Squadron
No. 3 Squadron RAAF
No. 3 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. It was first formed in 1916 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales.-World War I:...
. Described as "a great leader, with a great deal of force", McCauley took over as Director of Training in 1936. He gained his Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in commerce and related subjects. The degree is also known as the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, or BCA...
degree at Melbourne University
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
the same year, having studied part-time since 1929. His tertiary qualification was unusual for a general duties officer in the pre-war Air Force, whose pilots were generally said to have "valued little beyond flying ability". By 1939 he had been raised to wing commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
and was commanding officer and chief flying instructor of the cadet wing at Point Cook.
World War II
Ascot Vale, Victoria
Ascot Vale is a suburb 7 km north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley. At the 2006 Census, Ascot Vale had a population of 12,398....
, Victoria. Promoted to group captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
, he then took over No. 1 Service Flying Training School
No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF
No. 1 Flying Training School was a flying training school of the Royal Australian Air Force . It was one of the Air Force's original units, dating back to the service's formation in 1921, when it was based at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. The school underwent a number of reorganisations during its...
at Point Cook until July 1941, when he handed over to Wing Commander Elwyn King
Elwyn King
Elwyn Roy King DSO, DFC was a fighter pilot and ace in the Australian Flying Corps during World War I. He scored twenty-six victories in aerial combat, making him the fourth highest-scoring Australian aviator of the war. King entered service as a Lighthorseman in 1915, before transferring to the...
. During McCauley's tenure, the number of aircraft operated by the school doubled from its initial complement of 52, and monthly flying hours increased from under 1,000 to over 1,800.
During the Malayan Campaign in 1941–42, McCauley was in charge of RAAF units under Britain's Far East Air Force (FEAF). As station commander at RAF Sembawang in north-east Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
from August 1941, he personally supervised the training and operations of Nos. 1
No. 1 Squadron RAAF
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based at RAAF Amberley. The squadron is currently being re-equipped with F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.-World War I:...
and 8 Squadrons
No. 8 Squadron RAAF
No. 8 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force flying training squadron of World War I and medium bomber squadron of World War II. The Squadron was first formed in October 1917 and was disbanded in January 1946 after seeing action during the Pacific War....
, flying Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
light bombers. He also warned Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham
Robert Brooke-Popham
Air Chief Marshal Sir Henry Robert Moore Brooke-Popham, GCVO, KCB, CMG, DSO, AFC, was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. During World War I he served in the Royal Flying Corps as wing commander and senior staff officer...
, the FEAF's Commander-in-Chief, of the weaknesses of the Allied air defences. Deployed to forward bases on the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
, McCauley's Hudsons were the first Allied aircraft to spot Japanese troop transports converging off Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
on 6 December, and they attacked the fleet in the face of heavy defensive fire. By Christmas, as the Allies retreated from Malaya, Sembawang was "the busiest airfield on Singapore island", with two Dutch Glenn Martin bomber squadrons in addition to the remnants of the Hudson units, along with Nos. 21
No. 21 Squadron RAAF
No. 21 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force general reserve squadron. It saw action as a fighter, dive bomber and heavy bomber unit during World War II.-History:...
and 453 Squadrons
No. 453 Squadron RAAF
No. 453 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force air traffic control unit. It was first was formed at Bankstown in New South Wales on 23 May 1941 during World War II and was disbanded in March 1942 after suffering heavy losses in combat during the Battle of Malaya...
(merged due to losses as No. 21/453 Squadron), operating obsolescent Brewster Buffalo
Brewster Buffalo
The Brewster F2A Buffalo was an American fighter aircraft which saw limited service early in World War II. Though the Buffalo won a competition against the Grumman F4F Wildcat in 1939 to become the US Navy's first monoplane fighter aircraft, it turned out to be a big disappointment...
s. On 29 January 1942, McCauley took over airfield P.2 near Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
in Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, commanding all Commonwealth air operations emanating from the base. With his available aircraft augmented by Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s and Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
s, he conducted attacks on enemy convoys before evacuating the area on 15 February 1942, the day that Singapore surrendered. After communications between himself and local RAF group headquarters were cut, McCauley was left to his own devices to make final arrangements for the demolition of equipment and departure of staff. He had earlier intervened to prevent RAF headquarters from dissolving No. 21 Squadron and using its personnel as a labour force on Sumatra, instead arranging their transport as a unit to Batavia
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, where they subsequently embarked for Australia. McCauley led the last party to depart Palembang, and was praised for organising the safe passage back to Australia of many Commonwealth air force personnel.
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, Northern Territory. He took up the position of Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
Deputy Chief of Air Force (Australia)
Deputy Chief of Air Force is the second most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Air Force, responsible to the Chief of Air Force . The rank associated with the position is Air Vice Marshal . DCAF acts as the manager of the Air Force Headquarters , which provides oversight of activities in...
(DCAS) in May, and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1943 King's Birthday Honours, promulgated on 2 June. The honour recognised the "courage, ability, and qualities of leadership" he displayed under "trying and difficult conditions during a period of service in the Far East". The following month, he was promoted to temporary air commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
. During an inspection of No. 10 Group
Australian First Tactical Air Force
The Australian First Tactical Air Force was formed on 25 October 1944 by the Royal Australian Air Force . Its purpose was to provide a mobile force of fighter and ground attack aircraft that could support Allied army and naval units fighting the Empire of Japan in the South West Pacific Area...
at Nadzab
Lae Nadzab Airport
Lae Nadzab Airport is a regional airport located in Lae, Papua New Guinea. It is served by regional aircraft with domestic flight.-Airlines and destinations:-History:...
in March 1944, McCauley learned that unless the Australian formation was able to increase its operational rate of effort, its units would be withdrawn from their forward airfields. As a result, RAAF Headquarters increased the supply of pilots and equipment to the group, which was then able to meet, and later exceed, the rate of effort achieved by comparable US Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
units. At around this time, he also instigated a research program to determine a suitable formula for rotating and relieving ground staff
Groundcrew
In aviation, the groundcrew is the support crew supplying the aircraft with fuel and maintenance, as opposed to the aircrew.In airlines, ground crew members include:*Airframe and powerplant technicians*Avionics technicians*Baggage handlers*Rampers...
, as well as aircrew
Aircrew
Aircrew are the personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of the crew depends on the type of aircraft as well as the purpose of the flight.-Civilian:*Aviator** Pilot-in-command** First officer** Second officer** Third officer...
, in the tropics.
Completing his term as DCAS, McCauley was posted to the European theatre
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
in November 1944, serving for the remainder of the war as Air Commodore (Operations), 2nd Tactical Air Force RAF
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...
(2nd TAF). The British had actively sought him for this particular appointment, which he commenced in December at the formation's Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
headquarters. The role involved him in the direction of over 70 Commonwealth and European squadrons in operations against Germany, and was "unique" for an RAAF officer during the war. He left 2nd TAF in July 1945 and returned to Australia later that year.
Post-war career
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
to Lieutenant General Horace Robertson
Horace Robertson
Lieutenant General Sir Horace Clement Hugh Robertson KBE, DSO was a senior officer in the Australian Army who served in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War...
at British Commonwealth Occupation Force
British Commonwealth Occupation Force
The British Commonwealth Occupation Force , was the name of the joint Australian, Canadian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 21 February 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952...
Headquarters in Japan, from June 1947 to June 1949. Upon his return to Australia, McCauley was made Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
Eastern Area Command. During the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
, he formed RAAF aircraft assigned for deployment into No. 90 (Composite) Wing, as directed by Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal George Jones
George Jones (RAAF officer)
Air Marshal Sir George Jones KBE, CB, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He rose from private soldier in World War I to Air Marshal in 1948, and served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1942 to 1952, the longest continuous tenure of any RAAF chief...
, to ensure that they would operate autonomously rather than be dispersed throughout other Allied groups. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1951 Birthday Honours.
In January 1952, Air Marshal Jones was succeeded by Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman
Donald Hardman
Air Chief Marshal Sir James Donald Innes Hardman GBE, KCB, DFC was a senior Royal Air Force commander. He began his flying career as a fighter pilot in World War I, achieving nine victories to become an ace. During World War II, Hardman held staff and operational posts...
of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. The decision by Prime Minister Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
to appoint a British officer as CAS caused controversy in Australia, compounded by his stated reason that there was "no RAAF officer of sufficient age, or operational experience, to take the post of Chief of the Air Staff", which ignored the wartime records of figures like McCauley. Hardman changed the structure of the Air Force from one based on geographical area to one based on function, hence McCauley's Eastern Area Command evolved into Home Command (now Air Command
RAAF Air Command
Air Command is the operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force . It is headed by the Air Commander Australia, whose role is to manage and command the RAAF's Force Element Groups , which contain the operational capability of the Air Force...
) in 1953. Promoted to air marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
, McCauley took over from Hardman as Chief of the Air Staff when the latter's two-year appointment ended in January 1954. According to official RAAF historian Alan Stephens, McCauley was "just as ready to become CAS in 1952 as he was in 1954", while a contemporary observer declared that "seldom has a better-equipped officer led a branch of the Australian services". He was the first of four former Duntroon cadets to successively head up the Air Force between 1954 and 1969, followed by Air Marshals Frederick Scherger
Frederick Scherger
Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Rudolph William Scherger KBE, CB, DSO, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force...
, Valston Hancock
Valston Hancock
Air Marshal Sir Valston Eldridge Hancock, KBE, CB, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1961 to 1965. A graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Hancock transferred to the RAAF in 1929 and qualified as a pilot...
, and Alister Murdoch
Alister Murdoch
Air Marshal Sir Alister Murray Murdoch KBE, CB was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1965 to 1969. Joining the Air Force in 1930, Murdoch trained as a seaplane pilot, and participated in an Antarctic rescue mission for lost explorers...
.
McCauley was raised to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1955 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
. In October 1956, he gave a presentation on air power concepts that was attended by Prime Minister Menzies, as well as the other Australian service chiefs. McCauley identified Malaya and Indochina, particularly Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, as likely areas for future RAAF deployments, advocating a continued presence in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in view of its stategic importance to the defence of Australia, as he had witnessed first-hand during World War II. He also recommended that a supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
light bomber replace the straight-winged and obsolescent English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
, primarily for interdiction
Interdiction
Interdiction is a military term that refers to the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area. A distinction is often made between strategic and tactical interdiction...
in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. McCauley's tenure as CAS saw the beginning of a trend for the RAAF to equip with US aircraft types in preference to British types, with recommendations being put forward for the F-104 Starfighter (though in the event the French Dassault Mirage III was purchased) and C-130 Hercules. This stemmed partly from his inspection of Allied air force units during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, when he observed that those employing American hardware were far better served with spare parts and replacement aircraft than those with British equipment. Some of his senior commanders had urged replacing the Canberra with Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
heavy bombers, but McCauley did not pursue this option, preferring to concentrate in the short term on new fighter technology. He also made a point of supporting the Australian aircraft industry wherever feasible.
McCauley instigated the redevelopment of RAAF Base Darwin
RAAF Base Darwin
RAAF Base Darwin is a Royal Australian Air Force base located in the city of Darwin, Northern Territory. The base shares its runway with Darwin International Airport.-History:...
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
as the first stage of a forward defence strategy. He aimed to make Darwin the "main Australian base for war" and a launching point for deployments to Southeast Asia, rather than simply a transit station. Over the next ten years, No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron
No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF
No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force construction squadron. The unit was first formed in July 1942 and served in New Guinea and Borneo during World War II. Following the war it formed part of Australia's contribution to the occupation of Japan until it was...
transformed the base's runways, buildings and other infrastructure into a modern facility capable of handling major operations. This concept was taken another step by McCauley's successor as CAS, Air Marshal Scherger, who conceived a series of front-line "bare bases"
RAAF Bare Bases
The Royal Australian Air Force currently maintains three Bare Bases in remote areas of Northern Australia. These bases were developed in the 1980s and 1990s in line with the Defence of Australia Policy in order to enhance the RAAF's ability to conduct combat operations from the Australian mainland...
across Northern Australia
Northern Australia
The term northern Australia is generally known to include two State and Territories, being Queensland and the Northern Territory . The part of Western Australia north of latitude 26° south—a definition widely used in law and State government policy—is also usually included...
, beginning with plans for RAAF Base Tindal
RAAF Base Tindal
RAAF Base Tindal is a Royal Australian Air Force air base located near the town of Katherine in the Northern Territory. The base is currently home to No...
in 1959. Alan Stephens later described McCauley and Scherger as "among the RAAF's better chiefs".
Later life
After his retirement from the RAAF on 18 March 1957, McCauley became active in community welfare organisations, chairing campaigns for the National Heart FoundationNational Heart Foundation of Australia
The National Heart Foundation of Australia is an independent charity established in 1959. Its vision is for Australians to have the best cardiovascular health in the world and its mission is to reduce suffering and death from heart, stroke and blood vessel disease in Australia.Over the past five...
, Freedom From Hunger
Freedom from Hunger
Freedom from Hunger is recognized for fighting hunger with innovative self-help programs. An international development organization working in seventeen countries across the globe, Freedom from Hunger is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, nonsectarian organization classified by the IRS as a 501 charity...
, the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society of Australasia
The Royal Humane Society of Australasia, formerly the Victorian Humane Society, is an Australian charity dedicated to the recognition of those who risk their own lives in saving or attempting to save the lives of others...
, and the Cancer Council
Cancer Council Australia
Cancer Council Australia is a national, not for profit organisation which aims to promote cancer-control policies and to reduce the illness caused by cancer in Australia...
in the late 1950s and early 1960s. From 1964 until 1974, he served as Federal President of the Air Force Association. In this role he endorsed the initial proposal, featuring monumental statues of airmen and ground crew, for the Royal Australian Air Force Memorial to be located on ANZAC Parade, Canberra
ANZAC Parade, Canberra
This article is about the road in Canberra. For other uses, see Anzac Parade .ANZAC Parade, a significant road and thoroughfare in the Australian capital Canberra, is used for ceremonial occasions and is the site of many major military memorials.Named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand...
. The design ultimately approved by the final selection panel, however, was an abstract sculpture that was subsequently described as reflecting a "comprehensive failure to understand the nature of air force service". McCauley visited RAAF units in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in October 1966. In 1970, he played a leading role in organising the Australian Services Council (later the Australian Veterans and Defence Services Council) to coordinate lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
efforts for various veterans' groups, and became its first chairman. He was also President of the Good Neighbour Council of New South Wales from 1966 to 1975. Aged 89, McCauley died in Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital
St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney
St Vincent's Public Hospital, Sydney is located in the inner city suburb of Darlinghurst. Though part of the New South Wales state public health system it remains under the auspices of the Sisters of Charity.-History:...
on 3 February 1989, following a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. He was survived by his three children; his wife had died two years earlier.