| No. 14 Squadron RAAF | |
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Members of No. 14 Squadron RAAF |
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| Active | 6 February 1939 – 10 December 1945 |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Role | Maritime patrol |
| Garrison/HQ | RAAF Base Pearce |
No. 14 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron of World War II. The Squadron was based in Western Australia throughout the war and was disbanded in 1945.
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No. 14 Squadron was formed at RAAF Base Pearce near Perth, Western Australia on 6 February 1939.
Operating in conjunction with No. 25 Squadron, No. 14 Squadron began flying patrols over the Indian Ocean and West Australian coastline following the outbreak of war in September 1939. In this role the Squadron provided anti-submarine escort for the convoys carrying Australian troops to the Middle East during 1940 and 1941. During November 1941 the Squadron was heavily involved in the unsuccessful search for HMAS Sydney, which had been sunk with the loss of all hands on 19 November.
Following the outbreak of the war in the Pacific,No. 14 Squadron continued in its important, if unspectacular, role of providing anti-submarine patrols along the West Australian coastline. While the number of patrols was increased, the Squadron did not sight any enemy submarines during the war. No. 14 Squadron's only encounter with the enemy was the loss of a Hudson destroyed on the ground at Broome in northern West Australia during a Japanese air raid on 3 March 1942.
Following No. 25 Squadron's conversion to a heavy bomber squadron in March 1944, No. 14 Squadron assumed sole responsibility for providing anti-submarine patrols in the West Australia area. As the Squadron was under-strength this task was almost beyond its capacities and the Squadron did not make contact with the German submarine U-862 during its passages along the West Australian coast in late 1944 and early 1945.
No. 14 Squadron ceased flying anti-submarine patrols on 23 May 1945 and was disbanded on 10 December 1945 without having engaged the enemy in combat. The Squadron was unique among RAAF Squadrons in that it was based at only a single air base, RAAF Pearce, during its existence, though detachments were maintained at other air bases during the war.
From late 1943 the Commanding Officer of No. 14 Squadron was Wing Commander Charles Learmonth DFC and bar, aged 26 years. On 6 January 1944 he led a formation of three Bristol Beauforts on an exercise off Rottnest Island with ships of the US Navy. At a height of 1,000 feet and about 18 miles north-west of Rottnest Island his Beaufort began to shake violently. The Australian-built Beauforts were plagued by a mysterious problem that had destroyed over 90 aircraft and killed many crews, including many under training at RAAF East Sale. Learmonth recognised that the violent shaking was driven by the tail of his aircraft and he called Flight Lieutenant Ken Hewitt, the pilot of one of the other Beauforts, to fly in close and observe his tail. Hewitt could see the control rod to the elevator trim tab on Learmonth’s Beaufort, hanging down. It had separated from the tab, allowing the tab and elevator to oscillate and drive the violent shaking of the whole aircraft. Learmonth used his radio to advise the crews of the other two Beauforts what he was observing. Shortly afterwards, the trim tab flicked to the extreme up position, over-powering Learmonth and forcing the aircraft to descend rapidly. After less than a minute Learmonth’s Beaufort crashed into the sea, killing Learmonth and his three crew members. The wireless operator on one of the other Beauforts reported sighting a parachute on the surface of the water.[1][2][3]
With the information obtained from Learmonth’s radio commentary the problem plaguing the Australian-built Beauforts was traced to a component in the elevator trim tab actuating unit. All the RAAF Beauforts were grounded until they were modified to eliminate the problem. Learmonth is credited with supplying the vital information that was necessary to identify the problem and eventually solve it. A secret World War II landing field at Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, known only by the code-name Potshot, was eventually developed into a permanent military base and named RAAF Learmonth in honour of Wing Commander Charles Learmonth.[2]
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