No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School Ballarat (1WAGS)

Features

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

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

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

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 -

WING COMMANDER JAMES ERIC REYNOLDS

" A DISTINGUISHED CAREER of DEDICATED SERVICE"

During the years of WW2 RAAF James Eric Reynolds was involved in top secret Radar unit responsibilities. Due to the nature of his service James’s family were not allowed to know his where abouts and only saw him during brief periods of leave. Meanwhile James was establishing various RAAF Radar units around our shores. Like many ex-servicemen James rarely spoke about his experiences after the war however the importance of his work cannot be underestimated. On the 15th June 1948 James was posted to the Air and Ground Radio School Ballarat as Wing Commander. This school was the former training base for No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School during WW2. He remained in charge of the Ballarat Base with his family until June 1952.