Electrician
Laverton Raaf
Emergency Electrician | EHW Electrician 36 Scrubwren Dr, Williams Landing VIC 3027 (03) 6736 1738
Electrician Laverton Raaf | EHW Electrician
An Electrician in the LAverton RAAF
Peter Laverton was an electrician in the Laverton RAAF. He was stationed at Signals School Laverton, and was married to a nurse.
He served for about four years, and after his OTS he was commissioned as a radio officer. He was later posted to SUPCOM and commanded the electrical, instrument and radio section at 2AD, Richmond.
He and his family later travelled to California and later to HQ OPCOM in Glenbrook.
Peter Laverton was an electrician in the RAAF
Peter Laverton was born on Thursday Island in 1926 and grew up in Cairns.
He attended high school in Cairns and graduated from the 12 RMT in 1968. He was posted to the 481 (M) Sqn in Williamtown and worked on Vampires and Sabres.
He shared a room with radio FSGT Ossie McGuire and SGT John Stumpke.
After his discharge in 1983, he joined the RAAF's local branch in Tassie.
He eventually became the President of the NW Tasmania division and served there for twenty-three years.
In addition to his work in the RAAF, he has a passion for motor racing and he was an avid motorcycle racer. While in the RAAF, he completed a degree in electrical engineering and was awarded the Australian Aviation Medal for his achievements.
Peter and Natalie had a social life while in Malaysia. In 1975, they were married in Butterworth. They had a daughter, Natalie. When Peter returned to Williamtown, Natalie was only six months old.
During his time in the RAAF, Peter also worked on crash boats and COMNAV. Later, he was promoted to Sergeant and worked in the guided missile (Matra) workshop. Later, he married a Newcastle girl named Sue.
Peter Laverton's father, Peter Laverton, was an electrician in the RAAF. He served in the Air Force during World War II and commanded the RAAF's No. 77 Squadron from April 1942 to August 1943. The squadron was based in the North-Western Area of Australia and was awarded the first aerial victory in November 1942.
He was also a wing leader of the No. 81 (Fighter) Wing in New Guinea between May 1944 and March 1945. He was then taken into combat again during the Korean War and took his squadron into action for the third time.
He worked at Signals School at Point Cook
Signals officers were responsible for the development of the radar used to detect enemy aircraft. They trained pilots and other airmen in the art of radar navigation. The Royal Australian Air Force established the Signals School at Point Cook in September 1939. The school was reorganised by Pither.
The Signals School at Point Cook developed from an earlier school at Laverton. It opened in October 1939 and was a result of the need to train large numbers of mechanics and wireless operators for the RAAF.
The school initially consisted of seven officers, 35 instructors, seven administrative staff, and 110 trainees.
In June 1940 the school was renamed No. 1 Signals School at Point Cook.
In 1952 the RAAF Point Cook Museum opened. It houses a good collection of historic aircraft, military photos, and technical publications.
It also has facilities for the restoration of historic aircraft. The museum is open several days a week. Point Cook also serves as a flight training base for RMIT University.
Until the early 1920s, the Point Cook RAAF base was the only military air base in Australia. Point Cook was a popular place for drill training and was home to the Royal Victorian Aero Club. In the 1920s, the RAAF expanded its operations to include Laverton and Richmond in New South Wales. Airmen who graduated from the Signals School at Point Cook included Flight Lieutenant S. J. Goebel, who later became an Air Vice-Marshal. The RAAF base was home to the Australian Flying Corps.
The first training course took place at Point Cook. Group Captain R. Williams, Flight Lieutenant McIntyre and Sergeant Trist were among the members of the first course. In September 1939, a DH9A aircraft was flown by the three members of the RAAF.
They were on a mission to study the flying conditions and geography in the Pacific Islands. They spent three months flying the plane and returned to Point Cook at the end of the training.
He was in Tassie
A Laverton RAAF electrician was in Tassie during World War II. He retired from the RAAF in 1983 and joined the local RAAF branch. He remained active in the organisation for 23 years, including as the President of the NW Tasmania division. While in Tassie, he served on a variety of projects, including the construction of the RAAF's first aircraft.
The RAAF electrician at Laverton was based at a radio transmitting station, and he started the diesel motor for the electrical power supply. After that, he started the emergency power plant at the RAAF Station Laverton. The aircraft then flew to Melbourne on the SS Rotomahana, where it received its ARS.
Peter Dawson worked as a barracks electrician at Laverton before posting to Wagga as an electrician instructor. While at Wagga, he heard about a 'new' radio game. In December 1948, he re-mustered and attended the Air and Ground Radio School, where he studied the Radio Servicing course. He was also posted to 1 Squadron, and attached to Frognall as a temporary shift mechanic.
Peter and Natalie had a social life while in Malaysia. They had a daughter at the Butterworth hospital, and Natalie was six months old when Peter moved back to Williamtown at the end of 1975. During his time at Williamtown, he worked on RAAF crash boats, and in the guided missile workshop. He served under the command of Reg Owen, WOFF of 481.
He married a nurse
In the early 1950s, Peter Laverton RAAF married a woman named Patricia Helen. They lived in a weatherboard bungalow in East Malvern and later in Glen Waverley. Then, in the mid-1970s, they moved to the Mornington Peninsula. They lived in Berkeley Court, Mt Eliza, and 27 Ravenscourt Crescent. These houses were their home for the rest of their lives.
The number of civilian nurses was also increasing rapidly. The RAAF employed 16 civilian nurses. Initially, four were allocated to Laverton and two to Point Cook. But, as the air force grew rapidly, more civilian nurses were needed. Eventually, this increased to twenty-seven civilian nurses.
One of the planes assigned to the RAAF Laverton was the North Australia Survey Flight (NASF). This plane was assigned to the Aerial, Geological and Geophysical Survey of Northern Australia (AGSN). The mission was directed by Commonwealth consultant Sir Herbert Gepp. A five-man ground party was dispatched from Melbourne to Townsville, QLD.
He froze in the snow
In 1978, Bonnie and Brenda walked through the snow three times a day. They were equipped with two pairs of panty hose and two pairs of RAAF issue cardigans. It was cold and they froze. However, they managed to get through the weather.
Bonnie joined the Air Force in April 1972. She went through a four week recruit training course before attending the 6 month Air Photo Plotters Course. In November, she began her career as a Photo Plotter. At that time, she thought she would not be required to muster since she was a woman. As a photo plotter, she thought she would be posted to Laverton.
Point Cook Airfield was established in 1913 as a flying training base. It remained operational until 1992. Today, Point Cook is still a general aviation base, and is considered the RAAF's spiritual home. In addition, Point Cook is now the home of the RAAF Museum.
In 1943, a Royal Australian Air Force aircrew from Laverton, Victoria, flew over three thousand kilometers (about 2,000 miles) to the jungles of Dutch New Guinea. The crew consisted of Flight-Servant J. Caduch and Sergeant N. Lazarus, who had flown over uncharted mountain ranges. The crew had to endure harsh weather conditions and endure many hours of flight.
