RAAF has had a remarkable history and chaplaincy has grown and developed alongside and in support. Sky Pilot narrates the development of chaplaincy organisationally and tells stories of RAAF chaplains on whose shoulders and reputation chaplains of today serve.
RAAF grew to be the fourth largest Air Force at one time in WWII (numbering 164,000+ as well as 18,000+ in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force). In parallel, chaplaincy grew from 6 at the beginning of the war to 250 at any one time. There was a total of 370 chaplains over the war including 2 Rabbis and one woman. Over the period of 1926-1990 there have been 700 chaplains. Sky Pilot narrates the influence of chaplains over this period of war and peace. It describes the development of the chaplaincy branch, from the days COs recruited their own chaplains, through to the development of Staff Chaplains and Principal Air Chaplains supported by the Religious Advisory Committee to the Services (RACS). Chaplains began as part-time reservists but over this period many also served full-time (60% part-timers, 24% only full-time, 15% both).
What I most appreciated was reading the diverse ways in which chaplains have served RAAF members. Father Ken Morrison, one of the early chaplains supporting RAAF stations at Laverton and Point Cook, was recruited by Archbishop Mannix, Catholic Bishop of the Armed Services. Mannix sent Morrison with the mandate: “Go and see what you can do.” Chaplains like Father Morrison have traditionally started with a religious role that has guided their pastoral care, provision of religious services, and officiating at funerals and weddings. But their role always broadened to include caring for the sick and detained, support of members’ families including notifications of death and injury, and broader welfare, social and sporting involvement. Chaplains have served also as formal or informal welfare officers and rehab officers.
I was fascinated to read of RAAF chaplains hosting worship services in far-flung bases and outposts, exercising care to liberated POWs in Europe after WWII, and advocating for the recognition of marriages with Japanese women after the post-war occupation of Japan. The book also details the evolution of character training and the RAAF-specific Moral Leadership courses, important given how testing to moral values and character that war can be. It also explains the origin and use of the RAAF Welfare Trust Fund. These are all examples of how chaplains have taken an interest in the holistic care and support of RAAF members – religiously and spiritually but also socially and physically.
The author asserts that morale is about pursuing a right cause but also knowing someone cares. A key contribution of chaplains has often been demonstrating to scattered members that they are cared for with a listening ear and other practical support or advocacy. The book illustrates how chaplains have offered this support through Malaya, WWII, Korea and Vietnam, and in peacetime and in training and other bases in Australia. It explains the unique role of chaplains who support without Command authority themselves but as uniformed officers – exercising initiative for the wellbeing of those they served while sharing the lot of those around them with all of its pressures and anxieties.
Interspersed in the history are anecdotes of initiative in procuring support and humour of not taking themselves too seriously. For example, Chaplain Chris Debenham got lost in the jungle trails of Goodenough Island, so sung out “Ho! Ho! Ho! Can you hear me?” The words followed him in future units and even at his funeral. And Chaplain John Pierce stopped an Australian Rules game to tell the Vice-Captain of the opposing side he was going to charge him for his language. After the game he delivered the promised charge, finding him guilty and decreeing the penalty as a beer for his captain, one for him, and if he had money left one for himself.
Sky Pilot is an informative overview of the historical development and characters of RAAF Chaplaincy.
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Notes
Publisher details: Peter A. Davidson, Sky Pilot: A History of Chaplaincy in the RAAF 1926-1990 (Newport: Big Sky Publishing, 1990, 2021)
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About the Reviewer
Darren Cronshaw is a Chaplain who has served at Army School of Transport, Puckapunyal, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Kapooka and Defence Force School of Signals. In the civilian world he is also Professor of Practical and Intercultural Theology with the Australian College of Ministries (Sydney College of Divinity). His hobby is pushing the boundaries of resilience in Ironman triathlons.