The Army Air Forces in World War II, Vol. 1 (archived PDF)

T H E A R M Y A I R F O R C E S I N W O R L D W A R I 1
Herbert F. Leary, Commander of Allied Naval Forces; Lt. Gen.
Jonathan M. Wainwright, Commander of Forces in the Philippines;
and Maj. Gen. Julian F. Barnes, Commander of U.S. Army Forces in
Australia.’
General Brett assumed command of the Allied Air Forces on 2 0
April, with assignment to his command of the control of all AAF
tactical units and associated service elements of the U.S. Army then
in Australia, and operational control, except for training, of the
RAAF and the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air F ~ r c e . ’ ~The
necessity of adapting his plans to the existing defensive organization
of Australia, a shortage of American staff personnel, an unavoidable
dependence upon the RAAF for communications and administrative
facilities, and a purpose to merge the several components into a truly
unified force were reflected in a balance between Australian and
American officers in the air staff announced on 2 May as follows: Air
Vice Marshal William D. Bostock, RAAF, chief of staff; Col. Edwin
S. Perrin, deputy chief of staff; Brig. Gen. Ralph Royce, senior air
staff officer; Col. Eugene L. Eubank, director of plans; Col. Ross G.
Hoyt, director of operations; Air Commodore Joseph C. Hewitt,
RAAF, director of intelligence; Group Capt. F.R.W. Scherger,
RAAF, director of defense; and Group Capt. Carn S. Wiggins, RAAF,
director of communications.43
Actually, the extent of Australian influence was considerably greater
than at first glance would appear. General Brett a t no time held ad-
ministrative control of RAAF units, and AAF dependence on the
Australians gave to them a substantial degree of administrative and
even operational control of the American units. Australian administra-
tive forms, unfamiliar and frequently confusing to the Americans,
were used; Australian officers by virtue of rank filled a majority of
the key command positions at the bases from which the Americans
operated; operational control, moreover, would be implemented
through the five military areas into which Australia was divided, each
of which was commanded by an Australian ~fficer.~’Indeed, one of-
ficial report went so far as to describe Australian control as extending
to “every echelon of American Air Forces and every airfield at which
they are stationed.” ‘‘ Personal and official relations remained good,
but it was natural that General Brett should seek the assignment to
his command of American staff officers of sufficient experience and
rank to provide a better balance.
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