Combat Support Unit Pearce
Role
Combat Support Unit Pearce (CSUPEA) is the home unit for RAAF Base Pearce, 50 km north-east of Perth in Western Australia. CSUPEA provides command, control, management, coordination and service delivery to enable flying operations to be conducted at or from Pearce.
CSUPEA supports joint (with Navy and Army units) and combined (with international forces) Air Force and Defence operations. On a daily basis, CSUPEA provides operations support to three flying training units (No. 2 Flying Training School, No. 79 Squadron and Republic of Singapore Air Force's No. 130 Squadron), permanent Wing and Squadron detachments, civilian and military service providers, and the Australian Air Force Cadets. Employed within CSUPEA are Service personnel, Defence civilians and contractors. CSUPEA works closely with Corporate Services and Infrastructure Group, which is the Defence entity responsible for overseeing commercial contractor services delivery at Pearce. CSUPEA also works with Western Australian representatives of the Defence Community Organisation and the Defence Housing Authority and with members of the local Bullsbrook community.
CSUPEA has a small Headquarters element that includes the Officer Commanding, the Business and Resources Managers, the Base Warrant Officer Disciplinary (WOD), the Base Chaplain and the Executive Support Officer. A more extensive organisation is overseen by the Commanding Officer CSUPEA including the Senior Administrative Officer / Base Military Adviser, the Legal Officer, the Public Affairs Officer, the Visits and Protocol Coordinator, the Search and Rescue Officer, the Base Ground Safety Officer, the Base Armaments Adviser and the Airfield/Operations/Exercise Coordinator. The Officer Commanding is the senior RAAF representative in Western Australia and has significant representational duty in the State, while the Commanding Officer also acts at the Base Executive Officer, overseeing day-to-day operations at Pearce.
CSUPEA has operational command over the Pearce Base Security Flight (which includes Physical Security, Military Working Dog Handlers, Ground Defence and Physical Training Instructor personnel), the Information Systems Flight (which includes Information Systems, Regional Maintenance Facility and Regional Communications Element), and the Mechanical Equipment Operational Maintenance Flight. The Commanding Officer CSUPEA has operational control over No. 44 Wing Detachment Pearce, No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron Pearce and the Health Services Flight.
Changes to Unit Name
6 February 1939 Station Headquarters, Pearce Aerodrome 1 May 1952 Base Squadron Pearce 1 July 1988 Base Support Wing Pearce 1 July 1994 No. 306 Air Base Wing 2 August 1998 Combat Support Force Pearce 1 January 2002 Combat Support Unit Pearce
Evolution of Combat Support Unit Pearce
11 October 1937 | First permanent RAAF presence at Bullsbrook, Western Australia, by an advance party of No. 23 Squadron members |
10 March 1938 | No. 23 Squadron (renamed No. 25 Squadron from 1 January 1939) transferred from RAAF Station, Laverton, Victoria |
6 February 1939 | Station Headquarters, Pearce, established from No. 25 Squadron |
13 September 1948 | Station Headquarters, Pearce, amalgamated with Western Area |
31 May 1952 | Station Headquarters, Pearce, disbanded |
1 June 1952 | Western Area assumes Station Headquarters Pearce's role and Base Squadron Pearce established from Station Headquarters, Pearce |
10 December 1956 | Western Area disbanded, Headquarters Pearce activated from Western Area |
1 July 1994 | No. 306 Air Base Wing established from the amalgamation of Headquarters Pearce and Base Squadron Pearce |
1 January 1999 | Combat Support Force Pearce established from No. 306 Air Base Wing |
1 January 2002 | Combat Support Unit Pearce established from Combat Support Force Pearce |
History
Combat Support Unit Pearce traces its origins back to late 1937 when the first RAAF members arrived to prepare support for the first RAAF aircraft to be permanently stationed in Western Australia. At that time, support for aviation operations was provided from within the resources of Pearce's founding Squadron - No. 25 Squadron (then numbered No. 23 Squadron). Members of the original party who travelled from RAAF Station, Laverton, Victoria, and arrived at Bullsbrook on 11 and 18 October 1937, were Flying Officer G.H. Kelly (who was appointed the Barracks Officer in 1939), Sergeant Morewood, Corporal Allen, Corporal Sansum, Leading Aircraftsman Rae, Aircraftsman 1 Doak, and Aircraftsman 1 Terry.
An organisation to provide support for aviation operations at Pearce, but separate from the organisation that undertook the flying operations, came into existence on 6 February 1939 when personnel and equipment from No. 25 Squadron was taken to establish Station Headquarters, Pearce, and also to form No. 14 Squadron. Station Headquarters consisted of 5 Commissioned Officers and 99 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and Airmen. The Commissioned Officers were Wing Commander R.J. Brownell MC MM to Command, Flying Officer A.D. Garrisson for Administrative Duties, Flying Officer I. Yeaman for Equipment and Accounting Duties, Flight Lieutenant E.J. Green for Medical Duties and Flying Officer G.H. Kelly for Barracks Duties. Station Headquarters assumed command of Nos. 14 and 25 Squadrons, though both Squadrons flew their own aircraft and provided flight-line maintenance for those aircraft from within their respective organisations. Through 1938 and 1939, Station Headquarters staff were located in the offices of Hangar 95, but moved to the Station Headquarters Administrative and Signals Building (Building 80) when it was completed in 1940.
At the start of World War II, with Pearce being the only RAAF establishment in Western Australia, the role of Station Headquarters radically expanded to meet the local demands of a rapidly mobilising nation. A number of new units were raised at Pearce and then moved to other locations in the Perth area and country Western Australia, due largely to space limitations on the Station. To facilitate the command and control of these dispersed units, a new Headquarters, Western Area, was raised in Perth and Station Headquarters subsequently reverted largely to the command and control of Pearce-based units. The war era was one of rapid expansion and change, and the nature of Pearce Station operations services provided under the command of the Station Headquarters varied through this period. On 24 September 1944, Pearce assumed the full function of a RAAF Station.
Towards then end of World War II, the Station Headquarters became involved in the demobilisation task that continued through the mid-1940s. On 19 June 1946, Station Headquarters was moved from Building 80 to the Aeronautics Building (Building 83) which had been constructed for Citizen Air Force pilot training in the late 1930s and was located opposite Hangar 93. On 21 June 1946, Western Area Headquarters was moved from Perth to Pearce and was accommodated in the former Station Headquarters Building (Building 80) and in the offices of the former No. 14 Squadron Hangar (Hangar 95). On 13 September 1948, the function of the Commanding Officer, RAAF Station Pearce, was amalgamated with the command of Western Area. However, the Station Headquarters and Western Area staff organisations remained separate, with the majority of positions remaining with the Station Headquarters establishment. This arrangement remained in place until 31 May 1952 when Station Headquarters, Pearce, was disbanded and on 1 June 1952 Western Area assumed the command of RAAF Base Pearce.
On 1 June 1952, a major RAAF-wide reorganisation of bases occurred, with the title RAAF Station being replaced with RAAF Base and the establishment of Base Squadrons at each of the major RAAF bases including Pearce. Base Squadron Pearce was established from the former Station Headquarters to include all aviation operations support services and a wide range of other tasks, including the provision and maintenance of on- and off-base accommodation for appropriately entitled Service members. To undertake this wide range of activity, Base Squadron Pearce took over almost all Station Headquarters personnel, with only a small number transferred to the Western Area organisation. Base Squadron Pearce Headquarters was established in Building 83. The first and second Commanding Officers of Base Squadron concurrently served as Air Officers Commanding Western Area, but it was not until the appointment of Wing Commander E.C. Saunders, MBE, on 3 November 1953, that the Base command and Base operations support command roles were separated.
The disbanding of Western Area in 1956 and the activation of Headquarters RAAF Base Pearce made little difference to base command and control arrangements as, by 1956, RAAF Pearce Base was again the only substantial RAAF establishment remaining in Western Australia, following the post-World War II force contraction. On activation on 10 December 1956, Headquarters RAAF Base Pearce assumed command of Base Squadron Pearce, No. 25 (Fighter) Squadron, No. 7 National Service Training Unit, Western Australian Squadron Air Training Corps and Western Australian University Squadron. Headquarters RAAF Base Pearce operated from Building 83, which was later shared with No. 1 Applied Flying Training School (renamed No. 2 Flying Training School on 1 January 1969) when that unit was transferred from RAAF Base Point Cook in 1958. Upon the December 1956 activation of Headquarters RAAF Base Pearce, Headquarters Base Squadron Pearce was moved to Building 80 and remained there until the squadron was dis-established on 1 July 1994 with the formation of No. 306 Air Base Wing.
In the late 1950s, with the transfer of No. 1 Applied Flying Training School from RAAF Base Point Cook to Pearce and under the command of Headquarters RAAF Base Pearce, command of Pearce was transferred from RAAF Operational Command to RAAF Training Command, which was subsumed into RAAF Support Command on 7 September 1959. Command of Base Squadron Pearce followed Pearce Headquarters to under RAAF Training and then Support Commands. The situation remained largely unchanged until the early 1990s when the Base Headquarters Building (Building 83) was demolished to make additional space available near the No. 2 Flying Training School Building, and the Headquarters staff moved to Building 80 to cotenant that building with the Base Squadron Headquarters staff. On 7 February 1990, Air Force Training Command was reformed with RAAF Base Pearce, Base Squadron Pearce, and No. 2 Flying Training School transferred to under its command.
In 1993, Base Squadron Pearce consisted of six flights - Administrative, Equipment, Facilities, Telecommunications, Medical and Air Traffic Control. Services provided covered accommodation, financial and stores accounting, catering, education, defence and security, fire protection, medical and dental, air traffic control, supply and works services, communications, photography, fuel and transport, postal, and chaplaincy.
The Administrative Flight provided administration of the Squadron and personnel services including removals, pay and leave, claims and payments, financial accounting, education services, photographic and security and ground defence.
The Equipment Flight provided catering, supply and transport functions and was divided into five Sections: Catering - providing catering and steward services to the four messes; Stock Control - responsible for issuing and maintaining stores and equipment; Warehouse - stores receipt and dispatch, stock holding, forward supply and operation of the clothing store and tailor services; Stores Accounting; and, Movements - control and operation of motor transport, air movements including freight and passenger operations, and aircraft tankers and refuellers.
The Facilities Flight provided works services for the maintenance of Base infrastructure and engineering services and oversight of major and minor new works.
The Telecommunications Flight operated all fixed and high frequency communications, telecommunications and maintained airfield air traffic communications.
The Medical Flight provided medical and dental care, and fitness and physical training programs for all RAAF members as well as performing quarantine duties for first port-of-entry aircraft.
The Air Traffic Control Flight provided air traffic tower and approach control services and was responsible for Base fire services.
On 1 July 1994, Headquarters Pearce was amalgamated with Base Squadron Pearce and the new organisation was renamed No. 306 Air Base Wing and internally reorganised. This brought the Base command structure almost back to the way it was prior to the establishment of Base Squadron Pearce in 1952. No. 306 Air Base Wing remained under command of Air Force Training Command.
The change to No. 306 Air Base Wing was necessitated by the commencement of an ongoing process of reducing the number of Air Force members at Pearce with the work they had hitherto performed to be undertaken by members of the Australian Public Service or contracted privately. The RAAF was in the process of transformation to an expeditionary air force with air force base organisations restructured to better meet Air Force operations by providing service personnel for deployment where and when needed. This process of transformation, combined with an overall reduction in Air Force personnel numbers, was most noticeable at Air Force Training Command bases, such as Pearce, that experienced larger reductions in Air Force personnel numbers than Air Command air bases.
By 1999, further changes to organisation and reduction resulted in a name change, from No. 306 Air Base Wing to Combat Support Force Pearce on 1 January 1999. Also at this time, command of No. 2 Flying Training School was transferred from No. 306 Air Base Wing to Headquarters Air Training Wing, located at RAAF Base East Sale, Victoria. Combat Support Force Pearce remained under command of Air Force Training Command.
The ongoing functional rationalisation and personnel reduction process continued through to 2002, resulting in a further unit name change to Combat Support Unit Pearce, reflecting the continuing decline in the number of Air Force members working at Pearce. A situation resulting in a separate but further reduction of the number of RAAF members at Pearce occurred at No. 2 Flying Training School, where aircraft maintenance was contracted out in 1994. These changes, along with the disbanding on No. 3 Telecommunications Unit in 1991, have resulted in the number of RAAF members serving at Pearce reducing from just under 1,000 in 1990 to about 360 in 2005.
Pearce remains a strategic base for operations in the Indian Ocean. The operational air base infrastructure of Pearce remains intact but, in keeping with the expeditionary air force concept, personnel augmentation is required to support levels of aviation activity above the flying training rates for which Pearce is provisioned. Augmentation is also required to provide specialist support for visiting aircraft.
Notwithstanding the substantial reduction in the number of Air Force members serving at Pearce since the early 1990s, the range of services currently delivered by a combination of RAAF personnel, members of the Australian Public Service, and staff from the various contractors encompasses the complete range of tasks required to conduct flying training operations for the three Pearce-based units - No. 2 Flying Training School, No. 79 Squadron and Republic of Singapore Air Force's No. 130 Squadron. However, the current workforce engaged in aviation operations support, numbering just over 300 in total, is substantially larger than the 104 Officers and Airmen in Combat Support Unit Pearce's forerunner organisation - Station Headquarters, Pearce - on 6 February 1939.
The dates, names and postnominals have been taken from the Base Squadron Pearce Record located in the RAAF Base Pearce Headquarters Building. The ranks listed are those held by the respective officers while they were Commanding Officer Combat Support Unit Pearce (or its predecessors). Officers temporarily holding the command appointment have been omitted from the list.
The names of officers who served in World War II are linked to the Department of Veterans' Affairs World War II service records database. Biographical notes of relevance to Pearce-based units are included.
Jul 2005
Wing Commander A.J. Thorpe
(Graduate of No. 134 Pilots' Course, No. 2 Flying Training School, RAAF Base Pearce 13 May - 12 December 1985)
Jul 2002
Wing Commander S.C. Bonney
(Officer of the Air Traffic Control Category Specialisation)
Jan 2002
Wing Commander P.S. Sapwell, CSM
(Previously served at Pearce as Commanding Officer No. 2 Flying Training School January 1995 - March 1998 and as Group Captain P.S. Sapwell CSM ADC, Base Commander Pearce 13 August 1998 - 3 January 1999 and 6 May 2002 - 16 January 2005)
1 Jan 2002 Combat Support Unit Pearce was established and the position of Executive Officer, Combat Support Force Pearce, was retitled to Commanding Officer Combat Support Unit Pearce and the Base Commander role was separated by the creation of the Officer Commanding Combat Support Force Pearce position 8 Jan 2001
Group Captain W.A. Johnston, CSC ADC
(Concurrently served as Base Commander Pearce)
4 Jan 1999 Group Captain S. Walker, ADC
(Concurrently served as Base Commander Pearce) 1 Jan 1999 Combat Support Force Pearce was established and the command position was retitled to Officer Commanding Combat Support Force Pearce and amalgamated with the Base Commander Position. The Officer-in-Charge, Operations Support Services Flight, 306 Air Base Wing position was retitled to Executive Officer, Combat Support Force Pearce 13 Aug 1998
Group Captain P.S. Sapwell, CSM ADC
(Concurrently served as Base Commander Pearce)
13 Jan 1997
Group Captain L.C. Roberts
(Concurrently served as Base Commander Pearce)
10 Jan 1995
Group Captain D.G. Green
(Concurrently served as Base Commander Pearce)
1 Jul 1994
Air Commodore N.A. Smith, MBE
(Concurrently served as Base Commander Pearce)
1 Jul 1994 No. 306 Air Base Wing was established and the command position was retitled to Officer Commanding 306 Air Base Wing and amalgamated with the Base Commander position. The Commanding Officer Base Squadron Pearce's position was retitled to Executive Officer, 306 Air Base Wing, and was later abolished Jul 1992
Wing Commander P.J. Lehman
(Officer of the Equipment (now Logistics) Category Specialisation)
Mar 1992
Squadron Leader G. Willis
(Officer of the Administration Category Specialisation)
Jan 1990
Wing Commander G.P. Forbes
(Graduate of No. 73 Pilots' Course, No. 2 Flying Training School, RAAF Base Pearce 7 July 1969 - 31 July 1970)
Dec 1987
Wing Commander R.G. Scotland
(Graduate of No. 72 Pilots' Course, No. 2 Flying Training School, RAAF Base Pearce 8 April 1969 - 29 May 1970)
Jan 1985
Wing Commander D.W. Reynolds
(Graduate of No. 27 Navigators' Course, School of Air Navigation, RAAF Base East Sale 26 August 1964 - 11 September 1964)
Jan 1982
Wing Commander A.W. Gilbert
(Graduate of No. 27 Navigators' Course, School of Air Navigation, RAAF Base East Sale 26 August 1963 - 11 September 1964)
Dec 1979
Wing Commander D.H. Gibbs, AFC
(Graduate of No. 35 Pilots' Course, No. 1 Applied Flying Training School, RAAF Base Pearce 9 November 59 - 29 April 1960)
Dec 1977
Wing Commander W.E. Scott, AFC
(Graduate of No. 35 Pilots' Course, No. 1 Applied Flying Training School, RAAF Base Pearce 9 November 59 - 29 April 1960)
Jan 1975
Wing Commander N. Reidy
(Graduate of No. 4 Navigators' Course, School of Air Navigation, RAAF Base East Sale 11 September 1950 - 25 February 1951)
Dec 1971
Wing Commander T.W. Murphy
(Previously served at Pearce as Commanding Officer, No. 1 Applied Flying Training School September 1962 - December 1965)
Aug 1968
Wing Commander L.B. Brown
(Graduate of No. 1 Pilots' Course, No. 1 Flying Training School, RAAF Base Point Cook 23 February - 26 August 1949)
Feb 1967
Wing Commander H.K. Parker
Oct 1966
Wing Commander R.J. Shadforth
Jan 1965
Wing Commander C.H.D. Browne (previously served April 1955 - May 1957)
Oct 1963
Wing Commander C.A.V. Bourne, MBE
Dec 1960
Wing Commander L. Britt, DFC
Apr 1959
Wing Commander C.D. Murphy
(Previously served at Pearce as Commanding Officer No. 25 Squadron January - April 1959)
May 1957
Wing Commander D.W. McCarthy
(Later served as Group Captain D.W. McCarthy, Officer Commanding RAAF Base Pearce 16 March - 9 August 1964)
7 Apr 1955
Wing Commander C.H.D. Browne (later served January 1965 - October 1966)
3 Nov 1953
Wing Commander E.C. Saunders, MBE
1 Sep 1953
Air Commodore M.O. Watson OBE, MID
(Concurrently served as Officer Commanding RAAF Base Pearce and Air Officer Commanding Western Area)
1 Jun 1952
Air Commodore W.L. Hely, AFC
(Concurrently served as Officer Commanding RAAF Base Pearce and Air Officer Commanding Western Area and later served as Air Vice Marshal W.L. Hely, AFC, Air Officer Commanding Training Command ** link to Units/HQTC ** 23 January 1956 - 5 May 1957)
1 Jun 1952 Base Squadron Pearce established and the command position was titled Commanding Officer, Base Squadron, Pearce 10 Mar 1938 See Pearce Base Commanders This list has been complied with the assistance of Air Commodore (Retired) Norman Ashworth, Officer Commanding RAAF Base Pearce 6 January 1981 - 6 January 1983.
