MILDURA BRANCH
(South Australia)

President
Bill Newman

Vice President
Bert Castle

Museum Curator
Doug Mitchell

Museum Historian
Ken Wright OAM

Secretary
Dan MacFarlane, AM
PO Box 3416
Mildura  3502
ph: (03) 5024  2929

Treasurer
Noel Meyer

Members
Clem Bell
Mack Wright
Jose Mathews

The Mildura Branch was formed in 1990 and has gradually grown in membership  since that time.
The Branch now has approximately 30 active members and is responsible for operation of the new  No. 2 Operational Training Unit  RAAF Air Museum.

The Committee meets on the third Tuesday each month. General meetings are held quarterly at the museum in the form of an informal meeting and BBQ. The branch holds two formal dinners each year.

A brief history of No. 2 Operational Training Unit RAAF Base Mildura

Shortly after the outbreak of the second world war the existing Mildura Aerodrome was secured by the RAAF. The decision to sell 362 acres of land to the RAAF was taken at a shire Council  meeting on the 7^th of December 1939.
Further steps in the development of RAAF Base Mildura were taken in early 1941 when the Aerodrome was inspected by Department of Air representatives to assess it’s suitability as a site for an operational training unit.
On the 16^th of September a further 108 acres was taken over by the Commonwealth under the National Security regulations to permit the extension of the two existing runways and to build a further two runways.
The base at Mildura was one of many such training establishments that were built at around the same time.
On the 6^th April 1942an independent fighter OTU, with a flight of Wirraways from 1OTU, was formed at Port Pirie,
On the 27^th April, Wing Commander Peter Jeffrey DSO, DFC, MID, assumed command of the new Unit.
Port Pirie had only been a temporary home for No. 2OTU.
The Unit’s equipment and personnel then moved by rail to the newly constructed RAAF Base at Mildura, Victoria, On the 14^th May 1942, the Wirraways, Kittyhawks, and Battles flew from Port Pirie on the same day.
The following day six Officers and 25 Airmen arrived to begin the first course conducted at Mildura, No. 7 Wirraway Course. At this time the personnel strength on the unit was 23 Officers and 113 Airmen.
The Unit stayed operational until October 1945 and in that time approximately 1147 Airmen graduated on Wirraways, Boomerangs, Kittyhawks, Spitfires and Mustangs.
Unfortunately 52 pilots lost their lives in Mildura during training.