No. 1 Operational Training Unit (1OTU) was an operational training unit of 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...

 formed at Nhill, Victoria

Nhill, Victoria

Nhill is a town in the Wimmera, in western Victoria, Australia. Nhill is located on the Western Highway, half-way between Adelaide and Melbourne. At the 2006 census Nhill had a population of 1915.-History:...

 on 8 December 1941. Advanced operational flying training and instruction began at Nhill on 22 December 1941.

1OTU trained Pilots, Air Observers and Wireless Operator/Air Gunners for multi-engine squadrons. After their preliminary training, pilots went through a six week conversion to Hudsons

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...

 and Beauforts

Bristol Beaufort

The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....

, while Air Observers and Wireless Operator/Air Gunners received instruction in Oxford

Airspeed Oxford

The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:...

 and Anson

Avro Anson

The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...

 aircraft. Training tested bombing and gunnery, shipping recognition and reconnaissance, navigation and searchlight evasion skills.

Nhill was always meant to be a temporary location for 1OTU, whose home was to be RAAF Base East Sale

RAAF Base East Sale

RAAF Base East Sale is one of the main training establishments of the Royal Australian Air Force, including where Australian Air Force Cadets have their annual General Service Training. It is home to the Roulettes aerobatic team. It is also now the home of the RAAF's Officers' Training School ...

. As accommodation at East Sale would not be available until 1 October 1942, it was decided to relocate 1OTU to Bairnsdale in Victoria. Relocation began on 14 June 1942. By July 1942, 1630 personnel, men and women, had relocated to Bairnsdale. After filling all the quarters, recreational buildings and 88 tents there were still beds required for 320 airmen. To overcome this shortfall, the RAAF rented the Victory Guest House and the Albion, Club, Main, Orient, and Vic Hotels in the Bairnsdale.

On 10 December 1942, a Detached Flight of 15 Hudsons and 108 personnel including air and maintenance crews was sent to North Eastern Area to transport troops, arms and equipment to the battle areas in Papua.

On 20 April 1943, the 130 aircraft and 2,411 personnel of 1OTU started to move to its new home at East Sale. 110 tenders made 535 trips along the Princes Highway, covering 50,000 miles over a three day period. At this time 1OTU had 25 Hudsons, 55 Beauforts, 35 Oxfords, 14 Fairey Battle

Fairey Battle

The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...

s and 1 Tiger Moth

De Havilland Tiger Moth

The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...

. Edward Gough Whitlam was a student in the first Hudson training course at East Sale.

1OTU lost a lot of men through aircraft accidents. By the time they had moved to East Sale they had lost 47 Beauforts in accidents. Australian-built Beauforts suffered from a mysterious problem that caused many accidents and fatalities. The heroic efforts of Wing Commander Charles Learmonth immediately prior to his death in a Beaufort are credited with discovering the nature of the problem and ultimately leading to its solution. RAAF Learmonth

RAAF Learmonth

RAAF Learmonth, also known as Learmonth Airport , is a joint use Royal Australian Air Force base and civil airport. It is located near the town of Exmouth on the north-west coast of Western Australia. As an RAAF base, Learmonth is one of the RAAF's three 'bare bases'...

 is named in his honour.

1OTU took part in operational patrols to protect shipping lanes. In April 1944, four Beauforts from 1OTU were deployed to Mount Gambier

Mount Gambier, South Australia

Mount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border....

 to carry out a two escort patrol for the Dutch transport ship Van Ruys.

On one occasion Southern Area ordered Beauforts from 1OTU to locate and destroy a German submarine U-862

Unterseeboot 862

German submarine U-862 was a German Type IXD2 U-boat of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was the only German submarine to operate in the Pacific Ocean during World War II...

, which had shelled the Greek tanker S.S. Illios (4724 tons) at a location of 130 miles south east of Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

on 9 December 1944.

By the end of the war, 1 OTU had suffered 147 aircraft crashes in southern Australia and in New Guinea resulting in 131 aircrew dead or missing presumed dead.

No. 1 Operational Training Unit RAAF was disbanded in December 1945.