Allied Air Transport Operations South West Pacific Area in WWII
by Robert H. Kelly

List Price: $54.95  Hardback: 414 Pages
Publish Date: 2003

Review by Brian Williams  

It has been a great joy to read Robert H. Kelly's Allied Air Transport Operations South West Pacific Area in WWII - Volume One Development of air transport 1903-1943 .  Mr. Kelly is a retired RAAF Squadron Leader who served in WWII and later as a radio operator on Dakotas and Neptunes (among other airframes) and also served in Indochina, including Vietnam and Malaya.

The book itself is hard bound with 414 pages of incredible detail.  It has been extensively researched as is evidenced by the voluminous amount of information on the various airframes.  In short, it is like having a small Janes - All the World's Transport Aircraft at your disposal.

I think the foreword by David Evans speaks much about this book.  That is, Kelly "has set about in a very practical way, to show that the transport air elements elements of both the axis and allied forces played a major part in operations on every front".  What this means is that once you start reading, you realize that not only were transport operations essential to major campaigns, but that they can be incredibly interesting to read about.  Although this book has much in regards to logictics and airframes used, it also includes troop movement via air, airborne operations, glider operations, airborne supply and relief, air evacuation, etc.

There is so much in this book, that the best thing to do is to give a short idea of what is contained in the chapters:

One – Development of air transport.   The book begins with a short history of aviation and the "First Transport Services", goes into "Aircraft Engines", "Aircraft Trends and Performance Improvements", the "Effects of WWI", and then into the individual country airframes.  These include Germany, Great Britain, Holland, France, Russian, USA, and Italy to name a few.  Airlines of the world are also detailed so the reader gets a good overview (in detail, actually) of the aircraft used.

Two – Development of military air transport 1907–1944.  The next chapter deals with the early years of the USAAF by providing a history, listing of transport aircraft (again the amount of detail is in-depth).  Then we deal with Great Britain (still dealing with the early years Post World War I and Pre-World War II) and the Kabul airlift (which I found particularly interesting), Russia, Germany, Spain (the Spanish Civil War is detailed), Austria, Poland, Denmark, Norway, the Lowlands (Eben Emael), Balkans, and Crete (where paratroop forces were used).  The book then moves onto Italy (including Abyssinia) and then onto Japanese air transport operations in WWII.

Three – Civil air operations South West Pacific Area pre-World War Two.  This chapter is where the book gets into the war itself and more into structure.  Here the Philippines, Netherlands East Indies, New Guinea, and Australia are covered.

Four – Purchase of DC-2 aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force.  Covers purchase of DC-2 aircraft for the RAAF and their histories.

Five – The DC-3 enters RAAF service.  The DC-3 enters RAAF service (emphasis on Squadron formation and operations in Australia).

Six – Advent of RAAF Air Transport Service.  History, Squadron breakdown, flying statistics, sorties, operations in New Guinea.

Seven – Air Corps Ferrying Command.  B-24's arrive.

Eight – The USAAF 374th Troop Carrier Group 1942.  Transport aircraft strength, formation of Troop Carrier Commmand, Air Carrier Service, reinforcements arrive, Buma-Gona-Sanananda.

Nine – Supply dropping—the early days.  Air resupply of Kokoda and Wau, early problems, Kokoda recaptured.

Ten – RAAF Special Transport Flight.  Ground situation of Buna-Gona, construction of advance airfields, Japanese air intervention. 

Bibliography
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Index

I was quite surprised at the amount of information contained in this book.  Kelly has obviously compiled voluminous amounts of information in this book in the form of histories and tables and listings.  The beginning of the book includes Explanatory Notes and Conversion tables and at the end Abbreviations and Acronyms and a large Index.  The maps are well-drawn and photos are well-labeled and both appear in good quantity.   For those with an interest in aviation and specifically aviation history in the South West Pacific, this book is a must read.  Kelly takes the time to get the reader up-to-speed by including short histories of aviation and the world's aircraft and then it becomes the bible for transport operations the South West Pacific.  There are a huge number of tables and listings in this book to make any aircraft aficionado very happy.  I'm looking forward to the next volumes!

Review by Brian Williams (militaryhistoryonline@hotmail.com)

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