No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School Ballarat<br>1940 -1945
No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School Ballarat<br>1940 -1945
No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School Ballarat<br>1940 -1945
No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School Ballarat<br>1940 -1945
No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School Ballarat<br>1940 -1945

Features

Wackett Aircraft 1940 at Ballarat Airfield 1WAGS
People

Over 6,000 RAAF personnel were trained at 1 W.A.G.S Ballarat during WW2. Approximately 20% of the trainees died in action or on active service.

History
History

No. 1 Wireless Air Gunnery School [W.A.G.S] Ballarat was established on the 22nd April 1940 as part of the Empire Training Scheme. This scheme was to support  RAF Bomber Command during WW2.

Courses
Courses

There were 58 Wireless Air Gunner Courses and 12 Navigator Courses conducted from 1940 to 1945.

Main Home Page Graphic

Memorial Roll

The MEMORIAL ROLL commemorates to date 1,182 RAAF 1 W.A.G.S. trainees who were killed in action or on active service during WW2.

Fight Sergeant Dennis Leslie BAULDERSTONE 416112 .Courses 13 and 15

Flight Sergeant Baulderstone was aboard the Avro Anson AW878 when it crashed at Lady Julia Percy Island off Port Fairy, Victoria, Australia.

The aircraft had set off on a navigation sortie from its Mt Gambier base. He, together with 3 other crew members, were killed.

He was 22 years old.

 

 

 

 

Featured Story

The FEATURED STORY pays tribute to a person, and or event, connected to 1 W.A.G.S Ballarat.

The story commemorates the valiant RAAF 1 W.A.G.S trainees who served in WW2 in all theatres of war – those who lost their lives and those who returned.

 

The FEATURED STORY honours  - 

RAAF FLIGHT LIEUTENANT RAYMOND ARNOLD GRAETZ [MC]

Graetz Enlistment photo - 1wags

Raymond Arnold Graetz completed 1 WAGS Course 30 and served with RAAF 100 Squadron in the Pacific. While on a bombing mission at Wewak New Guinea on 20 May 1944, Beaufort A9-571 [with eight other Beauforts] was shot down by enemy ground fire and ditched. Two crew members were killed by ground fire after the ditching, one was last seen swimming away to sea and the fourth crew member was rescued by a USN patrol boat. Flying Officer Graetz who survived the crash, evaded capture behind enemy lines for 10 days, was rescued by a PT boat and returned safely to his unit on 30 May 1944. For his exploits he was awarded the Military Cross  for his 'outstanding courage, initiative and complete disregard for his own safety. His devotion to duty is worthy of the highest praise.' Ray was  one of only seven awarded the Military Cross to RAAF servicemen during WW2. 

 

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Acknowledgements

National Archives of AustraliaUBC Web DesignCity of BallaratAPCO AlfredtonDepartment of Veterans+39 AffairsAustralian War MemorialRSL Virtual War Memorial