RAAF in Somerset Somerset played an important role with the RAAF in world war II.

Somerset and the RAAF

Amberley which is Australia’s biggest RAAF Base is approximately 20 km from the Somerset Region and a large number of current and ex serving RAAF personnel live in the Somerset Region A large number of current and ex serving RAAF personnel live in the Somerset Region.

The RAAF has a long term history with the Somerset Region. During world war II the RAAF had airfields at

• Lowood (Mt Tarampa)
• Toogoolawah
• Coominya
• Wivenhoe

LOWOOD 620 acres of land was acquired by the Commonwealth at an estimate cost of 4,000 pounds to establish Lowood airfield. The Queensland Main Roads Commission commenced building the new airfield in September 1941 for a total estimate expenditure of 149,274 pounds. Clearing, grubbing and grading provided a landing field with a 6,000 feet by 150 feet runway, taxiways, dispersal strips and hardstand areas. At the peak of the project there were 181 Main Road Commission staff employed to build Lowood airfield. The aerodrome was constructed at the foot of Mt Tarampa six miles from Lowood. RAAF Lowood was selected in 1941 under the Empire Air training Scheme with No 12 Elementary Flying Training School (12EFTS) being the first unit to arrive 12-1-1942. The aircraft of the unit was Tiger Moths. No 12 Elementary Unit was operational for 3 months . Due to arrival of the United States Army Air Corp in March the unit was disbanded on 18-4-1942 with aircraft, staff and trainees allocated to other units. RAAF Lowood became part of Australia’s front-line defences. In 1942 the Lowood facility was upgraded to an operational base and intelligence to monitor and prevent Japanese activities in the region. The complex comprised 138 individual installations of buildings and sports fields, including guard house, armoury, petrol tanks, workshops, photography unit, Post Office, garage, boiler house and laundry, rifle range hut, living quarters, mess huts, instructional buildings, theatre, radio bacon shed, radar hut, visual beacon, fumigation unit, tennis courts, oval and chaplain’s hut. There was accommodation for up to 540 personnel, later increased to about 700. In 1943 two barracks were converted for use by the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) Relief landing grounds were also established at nearby Wivenhoe and Coominya for training purposes. In March 1942 USAAF 36th and 80 Fighter Squadron with their P-39 Aeracobras were deployed via Amberley to Lowood. US Army 101st Coastal Artillery Battalion and 94th Coastal Regiment provided anti-aircraft protection and machine gun batteries and seachlights. Apparently Lowood’s single unpaved runway and limited facilities did not suit the Americans. The airfield was visible from a considerable distance, with few options to hide or disperse aircraft in the event of an attack. By May 36th Squadron had transferred to Antill Plains (Townsville) and 80th Squadron to Petrie (Brisbane) In June 1942 the Citizens Air Force No 23 Squadron RAAF was transferred from Amberley to Lowood flying reconnaissance and anti- submarine patrols. In January 1943 71 Squadron RAAF (maritime patrol) was formed at Lowood, flying anti-submarine and convoy escort patrols. On 17 March 1943 a No 71 Squadron aircraft attacked what was believed to be a Japanese submarine. 11 days later the same crew were fired on by another submarine. On 5 May a No 71 Squadron Anson was patrolling over a convoy when the merchant ship SS Fingal was torpedoed and sunk. The crew spotted the torpedo tracks but could not locate the submarine. A few weeks later an aircraft from Lowood on anti-submarine patrol spotted a lifeboat containing survivors from the hospital ship AHS Centaur which had been sunk by a Japanese submarine on May 14. The loss of the ship and 268 of its 322 personnel were unknown at the time and this was the first sighting of survivors. No 71 Squadron took part in the subsequent intense search for further survivors and for the submarine responsible, but found only empty life rafts. On 16 June an Anson encountered two ships torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The aircraft ran low on fuel and had to return to base without sighting the submarine. Between 1942 and 1945 five RAAF aircraft from Lowood crashed during exercises with the loss of a least 12 crew. Two Ansons crashed patrols in 1943 with the loss of their crews. In December 1943 No 71 Squadron’s headquarters moved to Coffs Harbour and the fight at Lowood followed in June. Other RAAF Units used RAAF Lowood at various times during WW2. These were either in transit or detachment. The aerodrome and its bunkers remained in use by the RAAF until the base was decommissioned in 1946. Parts of bunkers and wartime buildings are still visible on the slopes of Mt Tarampa and adjacent farmland. The main runway is now one of the local roads and some houses on either side of the road have bitumen for front lawns. The partly underground bunker that was used as an Operations Building can still be seen on the northern slopes of nearby Mt Tarampa. The associated Lowood Transmitting Building which operated in conjunction with this Operations Buildings is another slightly smaller bunker located behind the Tarampa Baptist Cemetery on the way back towards Lowood.

A brass plaque on a monument near the site of the original Lowood airfield indicates the units based at Lowood airfield. The monument was unveiled on the 50th Jubilee for Lowood airfield on 28 September 1991 Lowood airfield was used as a motor sports race track after the war. Continued pressure from a local religious group lead to racing being discontinued on Sundays. Many race meetings were held between 1948 and 1952. The Air Ministry finally decided to close the ex-airfield for racing. However in1956 the area was purchased by the Queensland Racing Drivers’ Club. The 25th Australian Grand Prix was hosted at Lowood on 12 June 1960. The Queensland Racing Drivers’ Club sold the track in 1966 and moved all its races to Lakeside just north of Brisbane.

The area was then subdivided for small acreage.

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