The Empire Air Training Scheme: Identity, Empire and Memory

memoirs in more recent years, these have chosen to ignore EATS and concentrate onthe adventure of aerial combat, representing the pleasure culture of war. 5In the only complete volume devoted to EATS John McCarthy suggested, inLast Call of the Empire, the need for further work. 6 The title of his study suggests thedecline of the importance of Empire in Australia, but the application of his textremains on military organization outlining obvious problems with the structure neededfor the large scale technology. 7 Hank Nelson, in Chased by the Sun, focused onBomber Crew using personal reminiscences from the Australian men in BomberCommand. While placing EATS within an individual context, and acknowledging thelack of recognition given to the institution, he has not positioned EATS within abroader cultural context of rupture and consequent discontinuity, which is one of theaims of this research. This thesis will argue that at the end of the 1930s Australia wason the cusp of transition embracing the past, of loyalty to Empire and traditions, andthe new attraction of air technology, yet about to confront the future that would shatterthe stability of values embodied by this loyalty. EATS was formed within this culturalcontext with set attitudes towards the world and the place Australia occupied. Suchattitudes would be contested in the course of the aerial war that would end in thereworking of individual and collective images around EATS. To follow the position ofEATS in the Australian cultural scene allows a survey of some of the themes thattransformed the identity of both Australia and the veterans of EATS in the post wardecades. In writing this thesis I hope to contribute to an understanding of these culturalchanges that explain the marginalization of EATS in Australian history.To contextualise the Scheme a brief outline of the background of EATS isnecessary. The original idea of Empire co-operation to train a reserve of airmensurfaced in the imperial conference of 1926 but little was heard again of the suggestionuntil 1937.8At this time, aware of the disparity of the power between the Luftwaffe5 These texts will be examined later in the thesis.6 John McCarthy, viii.7 The need for airfield construction and maintenance crew, apart from flying crew was extensive andrequired technical skills and training.8 J.L. Granatstein, Canada at War: The Politics of the Mackenzie King Government, 1939-1945 2 ndedition. Toronto: Oxford University Press 1975 43. James S. Corum ‘The RAF in imperial defence,3