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109-512: No. 1 TAF was formed as No. 10 Operational Group (No. 10 OG) on 13 November 1943, under the command of Group Captain Frederick Scherger . The group consisted of No. 77 Wing , operating A-31 Vengeance dive bombers, and No. 78 Wing , operating P-40 Kittyhawk fighters, as well as various ancillary units. It was to act as a mobile strike force capable of supporting Allied ground and naval units as they advanced against

218-464: A Hudson light bomber on a reconnaissance mission, though there was no further contact with Japanese forces. I was unemployed for one month, which isn't very encouraging in the middle of a war. Fred Scherger on his removal from North-Western Area Command in the wake of the February 1942 air raids As well as the loss of civil and military infrastructure, twenty-three aircraft and ten ships, and

327-468: A bus rapid transit system which connects the entire city. In addition, there are angkot s (shared taxis) and online motorcycle taxi services provided by firms like Gojek and Grab , and conventional taxis. There is a plan to build a bridge connecting the island to mainland Kalimantan, which is currently delayed because of the government refocusing fund allocations from development and infrastructure to COVID-19 pandemic mitigation. The city

436-430: A growing sector, with around 227,638 tourists visiting the city in 2019. There are 33 registered banks in the city as of 2020, consisting of 23 public banks and 10 private banking institutions. The city is divided into four districts ( kecamatan ), tabulated below with their land areas and their populations at the 2010 census and 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023. The table also includes

545-604: A message to a woman at Port Melbourne before she departed on a steamer. After doing so, Scherger illegally flew his S.E.5 fighter between ship and wharf before heading back to Point Cook, only to be hauled into Cole's office the next morning to find the CO brandishing a photograph taken by a member of the public, catching the young pilot in the act. Sent for a dressing down to the Air Member for Personnel, Group Captain Jimmy Goble , Scherger

654-962: A position much invigorated and respected by the service chiefs and the government, and contributing to a more cohesive Australian defence organisation. In 1973, the single-service ministries were abolished in favour of an all-encompassing Department of Defence ; by 1984, the Chairman COSC position had evolved to become the Chief of the Defence Force , directly commanding all three armed services through their respective chiefs. Rayner described Scherger as "the most quoted and best known of contemporary military leaders" in Australia from 1957 to 1966, recognised and admired by civilian and soldier alike. Detractors accused him of cunning and excessive politicking, Air Marshal Williams declaring that Scherger favoured his friends in

763-506: A proposed Australian Services Staff College, later being subsumed by the Australian Defence College . Scherger was also an early advocate for "one Australian Defence Force " comprising three branches, under one Minister for Defence, rather than three competing services, each with its own minister. According to his biographer, Harry Rayner, he bequeathed to his successor as Chairman of COSC, Lieutenant General Sir John Wilton ,

872-480: A strong contender for the RAAF's senior role, Scherger was described by Air Marshal Hardman as "easily the best material on offer". He declared that as an administrator he was "not going to allow myself to be bogged down with minor matters of detail ... Broad policy comes from the top. These decisions have to be implemented in the commands—and that's the way it's going to be." As CAS, one of Scherger's first tasks

981-512: A unit of No. 1 FTS operating Bristol Bulldogs . As one of the leading pilots of the Bulldog, then regarded as the peak of military technology, and in what was generally thought of as the RAAF's elite formation, he gained popular exposure that may have helped his later rise to senior leadership. In October 1931, he won an Aero Club derby at Adelaide in a Bulldog, clocking a top speed of 160.98 mph (259.07 km/h). In August 1934, Scherger

1090-544: Is also the only international-class hospital in the province and is the province's referral hospital. There is also a navy hospital, owned by the Indonesian Navy , located in West Tarakan district. There are 27 kindergartens, 65 elementary schools, 21 junior high schools and 12 senior high schools. There are also five institutions of higher education in the city, the most notable being Borneo Tarakan University , which

1199-473: Is also the only public university in the city and the province. There are also seven vocational high schools. School participation rate is around 99% as of 2020. There are 235 mosques, 93 churches, four Chinese Buddhist temples , and one Hindu temple . One of the biggest mosques, Al-Ma'arif Grand Mosque, was constructed in 1961 and is located in the Central Tarakan district. The only Hindu temple in

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1308-558: Is located between 0–110 metres (0–361 ft) above sea level. According to legends, native Tidungs established their kingdom in Tarakan around 1076 CE. After moving their capital several times over the centuries, in 1571 CE they settled their kingdom on the eastern coast of Tarakan, apparently already under the influence of Islam . The name Tarakan comes from the Tidung language: tarak (meeting place) and ngakan (to eat); thus Tarakan

1417-563: The Battle of North Borneo , where its performance was much improved. During July 1945, when the final Allied offensive of the Borneo Campaign took place as Operation Oboe Two, the Battle of Balikpapan , No. 1 TAF reached a strength of some 25,000 personnel, augmented by the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber squadrons of No. 82 Wing transferring in from North-Western Area Command . It

1526-531: The Battle of Tarakan , was under way; No. 1 TAF's airfield construction teams had been tasked with opening the runway on Tarakan Island within a week of Allied landings but extensive pre-invasion damage and adverse environmental conditions delayed this until the end of June. He then led No. 1 TAF in Operation Oboe Six , the invasion of Labuan , going ashore on the afternoon of the landings on 10 June to establish his command post. By July, when

1635-510: The Battle of Tarakan , was under way; the formation's airfield construction teams had been tasked with opening the runway on Tarakan Island within a week of Allied landings but extensive pre-invasion damage and adverse environmental conditions delayed this until the end of June. Poor planning on the RAAF's part was blamed on its earlier low morale and disruptions caused by the "Mutiny". No. 1 TAF then participated in Operation Oboe Six,

1744-674: The British Commonwealth Occupation Force , determining that substantial work was needed to bring them up to the required capacity. The following year, he attended the Imperial Defence College, London . He was promoted to substantive group captain on 1 January 1947, and was appointed Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) on 1 July. Scherger was raised to substantive air commodore on 23 September 1948, and promoted to temporary air vice marshal on 1 May 1950. He

1853-459: The Dutch East Indies , including Caldwell, protested the missions against what they saw as unimportant targets and tendered their resignations. Cobby was held responsible for the incident and eventually dismissed, being replaced by Air Commodore Scherger, who had recovered from his earlier injuries and who immediately set about restoring morale. He took over No. 1 TAF as Operation Oboe One,

1962-728: The Japanese in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA), as distinct from the RAAF's area commands then based in Northern Australia, which had a static, geographical defence function. No. 10 OG took over the mobile role originally undertaken by No. 9 Operational Group , which by 1944 had itself evolved into a static garrison force in New Guinea and been renamed Northern Command to reflect its new purpose. After establishing headquarters at Nadzab , Papua New Guinea, in support of

2071-805: The Miri oil-field in Sarawak in December 1941, and captured oil-fields and refineries at Balikpapan in Dutch Borneo in January 1942, Sumatra in February, and Java in March. Oil technicians accompanied the invading Japanese troops to maintain production at captured facilities. A team of one thousand additional petroleum engineers and technicians sailed from Japan aboard the Taiyo Maru , but nearly 800 drowned when USS Grenadier sunk

2180-603: The North American NA-16 at Laverton; the evaluation program led to the design being adapted as the CAC Wirraway the following year. He was appointed Director of Training at RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne , in January 1938, and promoted to wing commander on 1 March 1939. As Director of Training at the outbreak of World War II , Scherger's main challenge was to expand the RAAF's pool of flying instructors. Central Flying School , Australia's first military aviation unit,

2289-737: The Royal Military College, Duntroon , before transferring to the Air Force in 1925. He was considered one of the top aviators between the wars, serving as a fighter pilot , test pilot , and flying instructor . He held senior training posts in the late 1930s and the early years of World War II , earning the Air Force Cross in June 1940. Promoted to group captain , Scherger was acting commander of North-Western Area when Darwin suffered its first air raid in February 1942 . Praised for his actions in

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2398-525: The Taiyo Maru southwest of Kyushu on 8 May 1942. Despite this loss, Tarakan crude oil (mixed with lesser quantities of Manchurian oil-shale distillates) became the primary feedstock for Japanese diesel fuel in 1942, while reserve supplies of California crude oil remained the primary feedstock for Japanese gasoline and residual fuels until 1943. Tarakan became a Japanese strategic air-base from which further attacks could be launched following

2507-615: The coast of the province. The city boundaries are co-extensive with the island (including a couple of small islands off the coast of the Tarakan Barat District). Once a major oil-producing region during the colonial period , Tarakan had great strategic importance during the Pacific War and was among the first Japanese targets early in the conflict. It is the sole city within the newly established (in 2012) Indonesian province of North Kalimantan . According to Statistics Indonesia ,

2616-711: The emergency . Scherger deliberately sited his headquarters, which had been based in Singapore when he took over, next to the offices of the Director of Operations in Kuala Lumpur , to more closely align air tasking with overall military planning. He expanded the use of helicopters for troop delivery and casualty evacuation, and presided over a change in tactics that saw an earlier policy of indiscriminate saturation bombing of jungle areas replaced by one of precision strike against enemy camps. He also pioneered psychological warfare in

2725-727: The speed of sound . He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1958 Queen's Birthday Honours. An advocate of helicopters since his experience in Malaya, Scherger influenced purchase of the UH-1 Iroquois for Australia. He also played a key role in the acquisition of the C-130 Hercules transport in 1958, over the Federal treasury's "bureaucratic hand-wringing";

2834-408: The 1920s Tarakan yielded over five million barrels a year, a third of the total oil production in the whole of the Dutch East Indies . The oil produced here had a paraffin base instead of the usual asphalt base. Tarakan oil fields produced a light , sour crude oil with an unusually low pour point . By 1940, the island had an oil refinery with four petroleum loading piers, and was one of

2943-529: The Air Force from its wartime area command structure into a more modern service organised along functional lines; this radical change would await Jones' successor, Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman . You always got a straight answer from Scherger, even when you didn't like it. He was very pro-Australian, and why not? Major General Sir William Oliver , Chief of Staff to General Sir Gerald Templer , Malaya After completing his tour as DCAS in July 1951, Scherger

3052-569: The Air Force's Sabres. Scherger also oversaw introduction of Bloodhound surface-to-air missiles to the RAAF's arsenal. Towards the end of his term as CAS, he expressed interest in Britain's supersonic BAC TSR-2 as a replacement for the Canberra, but noted that it was "many years" from production. Scherger became Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), the senior Australian military position at

3161-593: The Air Staff , Head of the Australian Joint Services Staff in Washington, D.C. , and commander of Commonwealth air forces during the Malayan Emergency . In 1957, he was promoted to air marshal and became Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), presiding over a significant modernisation of RAAF equipment. Completing his term as CAS in 1961, he was the Air Force's first appointee to the position of Chairman of

3270-783: The Australian military to acquire a nuclear capability. Scherger died in Kew , Melbourne, on 16 January 1984, having been ill following a stroke the previous year. He was given a military funeral with a flypast , and cremated. Scherger was the first to go to the CAS post with a bit of class; the others approached it in a registered, a pedestrian fashion. There was a strain of ruthlessness in Scherger; he would not spare you if his interests and yours conflicted. Air Vice Marshal Ellis Wackett Described by Alan Stephens as one of "the outstanding officers of

3379-659: The Canberras with Mark 7 nuclear bombs , the same type that the British Canberras used. For a time, Scherger championed the purchase of a force of British-built Vulcan heavy bombers but excessive cost and a governmental determination to remain "under the shelter of the American nuclear umbrella" put paid to the proposal. Instead, in 1963, the decision was taken to purchase the General Dynamics F-111 swing-wing bomber "on

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3488-732: The Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC). As Chairman of COSC, Scherger became Australia's first air chief marshal in 1965, and played a leading role in the commitment of troops to the Vietnam War . Leaving the military the following year, he was appointed chairman of the Australian National Airlines Commission and, from 1968, of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation . Popularly known as "Scherg", he retired in 1975 and lived in Melbourne until his death in 1984 at

3597-718: The Dutch surrender. Tarakan's inhabitants suffered under Japan's occupation. The large number of Japanese troops stationed on the island led to food-shortages and many civilians suffered from malnutrition . During the occupation, the Japanese transported some 600 labourers to Tarakan from Java . The Japanese also forced an estimated 300 Javanese women to work as " comfort women ". Tarakan oil-field production reached 350,000 barrels per month by early 1944, but Japan no longer had enough oil tankers to transport this volume to Japanese refineries. Without adequate supplies of refined residual fuel-oil for

3706-659: The F-111 as the aircraft best suited to supplant the Canberra. During the Indonesia–Malaysia Konfrontasi , Scherger acted as military liaison between the British and Australian governments. Openly sceptical about the cease-fire announced by President Sukarno on 25 January 1964, he supported British requests for Australian combat forces in Borneo but was in the short term "overruled by 'political cross-currents'". Towards

3815-572: The Northern Territory and north-west Western Australia. In Wilson's absence at ABDA Command Headquarters in Java, Scherger was acting AOC NWA on 19 February 1942 when Darwin suffered its first aerial attacks by the Japanese . Driving into town to meet Air Marshal Richard Williams , who was in transit on his way to England, Scherger first became aware of the assault after he heard anti-aircraft fire and counted twenty-seven enemy aircraft in

3924-515: The US Far East Air Force , as "energetic, efficient and very impatient", Scherger started improving the operational readiness of the base and its surrounds without waiting for specific orders from RAAF Headquarters. The following January, he was appointed senior air staff officer to Air Commodore Douglas Wilson , Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of North-Western Area Command (NWA), which administered RAAF Station Darwin and other airfields in

4033-465: The US Fifth Air Force , No. 10 OG's first sorties took place on 13 January 1944, when Kittyhawks of No. 78 Wing launched patrols and bombing missions near Madang . By March 1944, No. 77 Wing's Vengeances had been withdrawn from operations due to their inferiority to newer equipment. Three RAAF squadrons—one each flying Bostons , Beaufighters , and Beauforts —were assigned to

4142-445: The US Fifth Air Force . Though able to launch No. 78 Wing's first mission that same month, he had to deal with several organisational problems to bring all his squadrons to combat readiness, including lack of training in tropical conditions, and shortcomings in aircraft maintenance and staff rotation that resulted in the RAAF's operational rate of effort being inferior to similar USAAF formations. These issues were overcome later in

4251-630: The US military, presaging closer defence ties with the Americans that he pursued as CAS. Among other things this manifested itself in the purchase of more and more US equipment for the Air Force, and far less from the United Kingdom. Once elevated to the position of Chairman of COSC, he further severed ties with Britain by removing senior Royal Australian Navy officers from the Royal Navy List , and dropping

4360-636: The United States and the United Kingdom four months later in December 1941 in preparation for seizing alternative sources of petroleum in the East Indies. Japan declared war on the Netherlands East Indies on 10 January 1942; and Japanese troops landed on Tarakan the following day. The Netherlands had declared war on Japan a month earlier. Dutch forces sabotaged the Tarakan oil-field and refinery prior to surrender. Japan had captured

4469-711: The Wing as replacements. Following his promotion to air commodore , Scherger led No. 10 OG in Operation Persecution , the assault on Aitape , New Guinea , in April 1944. With airfield construction elements of No. 10 OG going ashore shortly after the attack, Aitape airstrip was repaired and No. 78 Wing was operating from it within three days. This operation was followed by the attack on Noemfoor , commencing in June, by which time No. 10 OG's combat strength consisted of Nos. 71 , 77, 78 and 81 Wings RAAF. Scherger

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4578-729: The aftermath of the attack, he went on to lead the RAAF's major mobile strike force in the South West Pacific , No. 10 Operational Group (later the Australian First Tactical Air Force ), and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in September 1944 for his actions during the assaults on Aitape and Noemfoor in New Guinea . After the war, Scherger served in senior posts, including Deputy Chief of

4687-504: The age of seventy-nine. Frederick Rudolph William Scherger was the third child of farmer Frederick Scherger and his wife Sarah Jane, née Chamberlain, both native Victorians . Born on 18 May 1904 in Ararat , young Fred was educated to junior certificate level at his local high school. His paternal grandparents were immigrants from Germany, and his family was the object of xenophobia in his childhood during World War I. This carried on into

4796-440: The beginning of large-scale Australian involvement in the Vietnam War . By mid-1964, Australia had already sent a small team of military advisors, plus a detachment of newly acquired DHC-4 Caribou transports, to the region at the request of the South Vietnamese government. At a joint US, Australian and New Zealand conference from 30 March to 1 April 1965, and with instructions only to ascertain America's objectives in

4905-469: The boards of other firms including electronics companies Plessey Pacific and International Computers (Australia) Limited . His wife Thelma died in a car accident in 1974. On 3 March 1975, aged seventy, he married Joy Robertson, a widow he had known three months. At the time, he was quoted as saying, "In the Air Force you have to move quickly or someone else will shoot you down". In retirement he attracted some controversy by continuing to advocate for

5014-484: The citation noting that he "operated his air forces with great skill and success" and praising the way he placed himself "in the forefront of the landing of the ground troops", where "his personal courage and leadership proved an inspiration to all personnel". A jeep accident in August left Scherger with a fractured pelvis, necessitating his evacuation to Australia for rehabilitation. In his absence, Air Commodore Harry Cobby took command of No. 10 OG; two months later

5123-432: The city center. The airport handles domestic flight routes to Balikpapan , Jakarta , Surabaya , Denpasar and Makassar , as well as an international route to Tawau, Malaysia. On 2016, the airport terminal was expanded to provide for more than 2,000 passengers per day. There are 281.911 kilometres (175.171 mi) of road in the city of which 201.571 kilometres (125.250 mi) have been paved with asphalt. The city has

5232-417: The city had a population of 193,370 at the 2010 Census and 242,786 inhabitants at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 249,960 (comprising 129,365 males and 120,595 females). The city is located on Tarakan island (off the east coast of Kalimantan), which composed of 8,635 hectares (21,340 acres) of land. 27.5% of the city is composed of podzol soil and 57.63% latosol soil. The city

5341-584: The city is IndiHome , which is state-owned under Telkomsel . The city has fiber optic cables connected to Balikpapan and Samarinda , which also serve other regencies of North Kalimantan province. Several ferries serve Tarakan, linking it to other cities of eastern Borneo : Nunukan in North Kalimantan , Berau and Balikpapan in East Kalimantan , and Tawau in Sabah . The port also provides links to cities on other Indonesian islands— Sulawesi and Java . Tarakan has an airport , Juwata International Airport , located 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) from

5450-425: The city, Pura Giri Jagat Nata, was inaugurated on 1994, and is used mostly by Balinese migrants. The Tarakan Islamic Center functions not only as a mosque but is also used for Islamic learning and various Islamic events. A popular local tourist spot, it was inaugurated in 2012. The city has access to 4G and other telecommunication services. As with most Indonesian cities, the only fiber optic service provider in

5559-433: The conflict gradually shifted further north, however, No. 1 TAF was relegated—in the absence of a Japanese air presence—to patrol, reconnaissance and some ground attack duties, including the Philippines campaign in 1944 and the Borneo campaign in 1945. By early 1945, there was widespread dissatisfaction among the fighter squadrons of No. 1 TAF due to its new focus on close air support duties. The underlying cause

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5668-412: The conflict, Scherger indicated that Australia would be prepared to commit a sizeable ground force, of around battalion size. Within a week, Prime Minister Robert Menzies ' Federal cabinet had ratified the proposal, which was formally announced on 19 April. The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment deployed to Vietnam in May 1965, and two squadrons of the RAAF were committed by mid-1966. With

5777-461: The death of some 250 people, 278 RAAF personnel had deserted Darwin in an exodus that became known as the " Adelaide River Stakes". "There was", in Scherger's words, "an awful panic and a lot of men simply went bush ". Praised for his "great courage and energy", he was one of the few senior Air Force officers in the region to emerge from Commissioner Charles Lowe 's inquiry into the debacle with his long-term career prospects undamaged. In

5886-414: The decade 2010-2020. The city population has increased rapidly which is thought to be caused by high urbanization rate with people moving in from neighbouring regions. The sex ratio as of 2020 was 100:109—100 females for every 109 males. The city is dominated by a young and reproductive age population above the age of 15, which accounts around 64.53% of city's population. Life expectancy in the city as of 2020

5995-433: The decision of which airline would land the first DC-9 in the country came down to the toss of a coin, which Scherger won. He augmented his role at ACAC with chairmanship of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) from 1968, and joined an Australian defence industries mission to the US the following year. Scherger continued to lead ACAC and CAC until retiring to live in Melbourne in 1975. He also served as director on

6104-410: The distance. He arrived at the civil airfield to witness a Curtiss P-40 crash land on the runway, before his car was strafed by fighters. In a lull after the initial attack that day, he made contact with Williams before the two men were forced to take shelter in a makeshift trench that was straddled by falling bombs as a second raid got under way. Afterwards, Scherger began to restore order and launched

6213-491: The early part of his military career and beyond; as late as 1941, the author of an anonymous letter from RAAF Station Wagga to Prime Minister Robert Menzies stated that his "blood ran cold" at the notion of someone called "Scherger" commanding trainee Australian pilots. Scherger entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon , in 1921 and graduated as a lieutenant in 1924, winning the King's Medal . Two days before graduation, he volunteered for an Air Force secondment, which

6322-458: The effectiveness of the syllabus at RAAF College for meeting the future needs of the Air Force in an age of missiles and nuclear weaponry. This led to a policy of cadets undertaking academic degrees, in line with similar institutions in the other armed services; the College was subsequently renamed RAAF Academy. Promoted air marshal , he became Chief of the Air Staff on 19 March 1957, succeeding Air Marshal Sir John McCauley . Long identified as

6431-616: The end of the Pacific War in August; by January 1946, No. 1 TAF numbered 1,400 personnel compared to its wartime peak of 22,000, and its remaining units were slated for imminent disbandment. No. 1 TAF itself was disbanded at Morotai on 24 July 1946. Upon its establishment on 25 October 1944, No. 1 TAF consisted of: The following units joined No. 1 TAF shortly after it was established: Frederick Scherger Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Rudolph William Scherger , KBE , CB , DSO , AFC (18 May 1904 – 16 January 1984)

6540-463: The end of the year, he advocated bombing Indonesian air bases using RAAF Canberras in Malaya, but in this instance the British held back. Although Australia eventually deployed battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment from March 1965, Scherger's earlier optimistic estimation of the speed and level of his government's readiness to commit troops was said to have confused the British. The latter part of Scherger's tour as Chairman COSC coincided with

6649-429: The final Allied offensive of the Borneo Campaign took place as Operation Oboe Two in Balikpapan , No. 1 TAF had reached a strength of some 25,000 personnel; by the end of hostilities on 14 August this figure had been reduced with the transfer of units to the recently formed No. 11 Group . In October 1945, Scherger led a survey team to Japan to review airfields and other facilities being considered for

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6758-512: The first RAAF officer to attain four-star rank, but also the first Duntroon graduate to do so. Already considered "a particularly assertive Chairman" of COSC, his role was further strengthened by the promotion as he now out-ranked the three service heads. His predecessors in the position had not advanced beyond three-star rank. Scherger remained as chairman until retiring from military life on 18 May 1966, having twice had his term extended by unanimous vote of Federal cabinet. After leaving

6867-481: The five largest petroleum processing centers in the East Indies . Japanese oil-fields in Sakhalin and Formosa provided only about ten percent of the petroleum needed to sustain Japanese industry through the mid-20th century. Reserves of California crude oil at Japanese refineries would have been exhausted in less than two years at the rate of consumption when the United States terminated exports to Japan on 26 July 1941. Japan initiated hostilities against

6976-410: The form of "voice" aircraft broadcasting propaganda, close cooperation between light aircraft spotters and ground forces to aid bombing missions, and defoliation to clear jungle cover. Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 30 April 1954 for his service in Malaya, Scherger joined the Air Board as Air Member for Personnel in March 1955. During his term he commissioned a review into

7085-418: The formation of Australian Forces Vietnam (AFV) at this time, Scherger recommended that Air Force units effectively serve under Army control "to convey an image of all Australian forces fighting together, as one unit". The Minister for Air, Peter Howson , felt that this made Scherger and the Army guilty of "exaggerated national pride". Promoted to air chief marshal on 25 March 1965, Scherger became not only

7194-418: The formation was redesignated the Australian First Tactical Air Force (No. 1 TAF). Still recuperating, Scherger acted in the role of Air Member for Personnel at RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne, from January to May 1945. On 10 May, he was posted back to the Pacific to resume control of No. 1 TAF following Cobby's dismissal in the wake of the " Morotai Mutiny ". He returned as Operation Oboe One,

7303-438: The forthcoming Battle of the Philippine Sea , Japanese aircraft-carriers refueled with unrefined Tarakan crude-oil in June 1944. The un desalted crude-oil damaged boiler tubes, and the unremoved naphtha fraction volatilized to form explosive atmospheres , contributing to the loss of the aircraft carriers Taihō , Shōkaku , and Hiyō . The last Japanese tanker left Tarakan in July 1944; Allied bombing-raids damaged

7412-450: The frightened woman and the enraged husband crying that he would "shoot the bitch", Scherger knocked the man down with a poker . The unconscious husband was placed in the guardhouse, and the woman given shelter off the base; the officer she had slept with promptly resigned his commission. Scherger graduated from Andover in December 1935 and subsequently completed courses at the RAF's School of Air Navigation and Central Flying School . He

7521-443: The governor of then- East Kalimantan , Awang Faroek Ishak . After North Kalimantan was established as a province in 2012, Tarakan became the sole city within the new province. In 2015, the city witnessed another riot, this time related to the 2015 North Kalimantan gubernatorial election between the candidates' supporters. Tarakan had a population of 193,370 at the 2010 Census, but the 2020 Census this had grown to 242,786, and

7630-402: The immediate aftermath, though, his outspoken criticism of the RAAF's state of preparedness alienated members of the Air Board , the service's controlling body that consisted of its most senior officers and which was chaired by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). He was relieved of his position at NWA by the CAS, Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett , and shunted through a series of postings for

7739-431: The main task force while heavier aircraft from NWA conducted bombing and mining sorties to indirectly support the operation. The landings on 22 April 1944 met little opposition, credited in part to the Allied bombardment in the days leading up to it. With elements of No. 10 OG going ashore on the first day, Aitape airfield was repaired and No. 78 Wing was operating from it within three days. In June, Scherger

7848-613: The military, Scherger became chairman of the Australian National Airlines Commission (ACAC), the controlling body of the Federal government's domestic carrier Trans Australia Airlines (TAA), on 1 July 1966. Considered as bringing to TAA "the dash and leadership the new air age demanded", he presided over delivery of its first Douglas DC-9 twin-jet transport in 1967. The government's Two Airlines Policy , designed to ensure even competition between TAA and Australia's private domestic carrier, Ansett , meant that

7957-492: The number of administrative villages (all rated as urban kelurahan ) in each district, and its postal codes. As with all Indonesian cities , it is a second-level administrative division run by a mayor and vice mayor together with the city parliament, and it has a status equivalent to a regency. Executive power lies in the mayor and vice mayor, while legislative duties are carried out by local parliaments. The mayor, vice mayor, and parliament members are democratically elected by

8066-531: The official estimate as at mid 2023 was 249,960. Indigenous residents include the Tidung , a subgroup of the Dayak people . In addition, the city also has a multi-ethnic population from other parts of Indonesia, such as Bugis , Javanese and Chinese Indonesians . 85% of the city's population is Muslim, around 10% are Christian, 1.3% Hindu, 0.04% Buddhist, and 0.03% Confucianist. Population growth averaged 2.23% per year in

8175-456: The oil-field facilities later that year; and the veteran Australian 26th Brigade Group ended the Japanese occupation of the area with the second Battle of Tarakan (1 May to 21 June 1945). Following the Indonesian revolution in the late 1940s, Tarakan became part of the new republic. It was administered as a district following a Presidential Decree Number 22, 1963. In 1981, Tarakan

8284-467: The people of the city in an election. The heads of districts are appointed directly by the city mayor with recommendations by the city secretary. Tarakan city is part of 1st electoral district for provincial parliament (North Kalimantan People's Representative Council), and have 12 out of 35 representatives there. In city level, it has its own parliament consist of 30 representatives divided into four electoral districts. The last election for parliament

8393-403: The post-war era" and "among the RAAF's better chiefs", Scherger is credited with helping to shift Australia's defence posture to the north by developing the concept of a series of front-line air bases in the continent's top end, beginning with plans for RAAF Tindal in 1959. From the time of his command of No. 10 Operational Group, he had an easy rapport—and worked to foster relations—with

8502-644: The remainder of the year, including commanding officer at RAAF Station Richmond, supernumerary at RAAF Headquarters, Director of Defence at Allied Air Forces Headquarters, South West Pacific Area , and Director of Training at RAAF Headquarters. Seeking restitution, he boldly went over the heads of the Air Board and successfully appealed to the Minister for Air , Arthur Drakeford , supported by Commissioner Lowe. Scherger served as Officer Commanding No. 2 Training Group at RAAF Station Wagga from July 1943 until he

8611-408: The runway at Laverton to effect this, signalling a fundamental shift in the Air Force's "centre of gravity" to the north of Australia. The first edition of RAAF News (now Air Force News ), which had been sponsored by Scherger, appeared in January 1960 and carried a message from the CAS concerning current defence policy, as well as announcing that Sidewinder air-to-air missiles would begin equipping

8720-514: The service and later in TAA and CAC, and Prime Minister John Gorton famously calling him "a politician in uniform". Scherger was also labelled a self-publicist, but argued "... you can't sell your ideas unless you can sell yourself, and if you can sell yourself you're half way to selling the ideas that you've got". The newest of the northern air bases he proposed while CAS, near Weipa in Cape York ,

8829-541: The time, in May 1961, taking over from Vice Admiral Sir Roy Dowling . Keen as ever to see a supersonic bomber replace the Canberra, he visited Britain in April 1963 to investigate progress of the TSR-2. Using back-channel sources of information, he satisfied himself that the RAF's pronouncements on the bomber's development were overly optimistic, and later that year began supporting selection of

8938-529: The time, who "exceeded his brief" by promising a battalion to the Americans before a formal request had been made. Historians Peter Edwards and Gregory Pemberton have written that "no official could have done more to press Australia into a military commitment in Vietnam than its most highly ranked serviceman, Air Chief Marshal Scherger". Reflecting later on Australia's involvement in the war, Scherger said "If you want allies, you've got to support allies ... It

9047-487: The type soon proved itself vital to defence force activity in the region, being described as second only to the F-111 as "the most significant aircraft the RAAF has ever operated". The following year, harking back to his experience in 1942, Scherger proposed a second airfield in the Darwin area, which led eventually to the establishment of RAAF Base Tindal near Katherine . He transferred funding already in place for extension of

9156-584: The understanding that it could carry nuclear weapons". Turning to fighters, Scherger succeeded in reversing a publicly announced decision to purchase the F-104 Starfighter as a replacement for the Sabre, in favour of the Dassault Mirage III , a type better suited for Australia's requirements. During trials he had taken the controls of a Starfighter, reportedly becoming the first Australian to fly at twice

9265-739: The words "... and Chief of the Australian Section of the Imperial General Staff " from the title of Chief of the General Staff in the Australian Army List . As Chairman of COSC, Scherger played a leading role in the large-scale commitment of Australian forces to Vietnam. In an address at the Australian War Memorial in 2005, journalist Paul Kelly referred to him as "Australia's most prominent military hawk" at

9374-409: The year and No. 10 OG units began exceeding the rate of effort of their American counterparts. By March 1944, No. 77 Wing's Vengeances had been withdrawn from operations due to their inferiority to newer equipment. Three squadrons from No. 9 Operational Group —one each flying Bostons , Beaufighters , and Beauforts —were assigned to the Wing as replacements, but No. 10 OG itself

9483-629: Was 4.78 percent. There are 14 companies based in Tarakan as of 2019. As a result, in 2021 it is the 17th richest city in Indonesia. The poverty rate as of 2020 was around 6 percent. The agriculture sector is small, with only 33 hectares (82 acres) being cultivated as paddy fields. It has been declining massively since 2018, with drops as high as 45.81 percent of crop yields. Other agriculture products such as cassava and sweet potatoes are also declining, with each only using around 174 hectares (430 acres) and 10 hectares (25 acres) respectively. Tourism has been

9592-434: Was 74 years, which is considerably higher than both the provincial and national average; it has been increasing consistently. The island's main healthcare infrastructure consists of four hospitals, eight puskesmas (health clinics), and 103 healthcare centers. In addition, there are seven mobile puskesmas , the biggest being Tarakan Regional Hospital, owned by the city government, located in Central Tarakan district. It

9701-556: Was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff , the RAAF's highest-ranking position, from 1957 until 1961, and as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, forerunner of the role of Australia's Chief of the Defence Force , from 1961 until 1966. He was the first RAAF officer to hold the rank of air chief marshal. Born in Victoria of German origins, Scherger graduated from

9810-532: Was appointed AOC of the newly formed No. 10 Operational Group (No. 10 OG) in November. The Air Force's main mobile strike force, No. 10 OG at its formation consisted of No. 77 Wing , operating A-31 Vengeance dive bombers, and No. 78 Wing , operating P-40 Kittyhawk fighters, as well as several ancillary units. Promoted to acting air commodore on 25 January 1944, Scherger established his headquarters at Nadzab , Papua New Guinea, in support of

9919-478: Was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the King's Birthday Honours the same year. As DCAS, Scherger reported to Air Marshal George Jones , whose ten-year term as CAS would the longest of any incumbent in the position. The pair enjoyed a cordial working relationship, and Jones earmarked the younger officer as a leader of the future. Scherger could not persuade his conservative chief to revamp

10028-553: Was forced to admit it was not the first time he had engaged in such stunts. Goble responded, "Good, I'm glad to see we've still got a few in the Air Force with spirit." By the 1930s, as a flight instructor and test pilot , Scherger was, according to historian Alan Stephens, "perhaps the RAAF's outstanding aviator". He married Thelma Harrick on 1 June 1929; they had a daughter. Promoted to flight lieutenant on 1 June 1929, Scherger became chief flying instructor (CFI) at Point Cook that August. He also flew with Fighter Squadron,

10137-622: Was freed of garrison duties and had its strength reduced somewhat on 30 July, with the movement of units to the recently established No. 11 Group , which had been formed to command operations over the eastern islands of the Dutch East Indies and much of Borneo. Prior to the formation's disestablishment, No. 1 TAF units helped organise the medical treatment and repatriation of thousands of Australian prisoners-of-war. Group Captain Charles Read had taken over command from Scherger following

10246-516: Was granted a city charter, at that time one of four cities in East Kalimantan , along with Samarinda , Balikpapan and Bontang in accordance with Government Law Number 47, 1981. The city witnessed the Tarakan riot in 2010 following a clash between Buginese migrants from neighboring Sulawesi island and the Tidung people . The two groups later agreed to a peace deal, mediated by local police and

10355-472: Was injured in a jeep accident that August and replaced by Air Commodore Harry Cobby . No. 10 OG's name was changed to First Tactical Air Force (No. 1 TAF) on 25 October 1944, ostensibly to emphasise "the formation's impressive size and ambitious purpose". Its complement of units was much greater than that typically assigned to RAAF groups , which were themselves considerably larger than USAAF "groups" that consisted of three or four squadrons. As

10464-551: Was investigating the feasibility of a nuclear arsenal for the Air Force. During visits to Britain and the US he explored the possibility of weapons being delivered by the RAAF's Sabre fighters or its Canberra bombers. In 1958, he held discussions with the Chief of Staff of the USAF , General Thomas D. White , about storing nuclear weapons in Australia under USAF control. In 1959 and 1960, Scherger had information sent out, including manuals and maintenance instructions, regarding equipping

10573-522: Was later made permanent. On 21 January 1925, he received a permanent commission in the RAAF as a pilot officer (temporary flying officer ), and commenced his flight training at RAAF Point Cook , Victoria. He was promoted to flying officer with seniority from 21 January 1926. Scherger quickly took to the art of flying open-cockpit biplanes and gained a reputation as a skilful if occasionally reckless pilot, being berated early in his career by his flight commander for "inverted and very low flying". He

10682-510: Was moved from Nadzab to Cape Gloucester to permit USAAF units with longer-ranged aircraft to occupy vital airfields on the Allied front line. The group's disappointment with its withdrawal from Nadzab was tempered by news that it was to take part in the forthcoming attack on Aitape , New Guinea, codenamed Operation Reckless . Scherger was appointed air commander for the assault, leading US and Australian units. No. 78 Wing's Kittyhawks shadowed

10791-511: Was named commander of Australian and US air forces for the attack on Noemfoor Island . Over the course of the battle that commenced on 2 July, he controlled Nos. 71 , 77, 78 and 81 Wings RAAF, as well as the USAAF's 58th and 348th Fighter Groups and 307th and 417th Bombardment Groups . Scherger was promoted to temporary air commodore on 1 August, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his actions at Aitape and Noemfoor,

10900-517: Was never conceivable to us that America could lose—no way." Along with Athol Townley , Minister for Defence from 1958 to 1963, Scherger urged the establishment of an Australian Joint Services Staff College (JSSC), to further inter-service knowledge and cooperation against an indigenous background instead of sending officers to overseas colleges; the JSSC opened in 1970 as the Joint Services Wing of

11009-475: Was once a leading oil producer in the Dutch East Indies ; to-day however, oil only comprises six percent of the total Tarakan economy. Fisheries and processed products now dominate the economy. The city is still the biggest contributor to the North Kalimantan economy, contributing 37.05 percent. The economic growth in 2015 was 7.52 percent, which is above the national average. The unemployment rate in 2019

11118-433: Was one of the Air Force's first volunteers for parachute instruction, under the tutelage of Flying Officer Ellis Wackett at RAAF Station Richmond , New South Wales, and made the first public freefall descent in Australia, at Essendon , Victoria on 21 August 1926. In February 1927, he was asked by the commanding officer of No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS), Wing Commander Adrian "King" Cole , to drop

11227-553: Was opened in 1998 and named RAAF Base Scherger in his honour. His name is also borne by Sir Frederick Scherger Drive in North Turramurra , New South Wales. Tarakan Island Tarakan is an island and co-extensively the sole city within the Indonesian province of North Kalimantan . The island city is the largest urban area in North Kalimantan population-wise and is located in northern Borneo , midway along

11336-419: Was originally a meeting place for sailors and traders to eat, rest and trade their catch in the Tidung area. Dutch explorers noted oil seepages in 1863. In 1905, an oil concession was granted to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Petroleum Maatschappij' a predecessor to Royal Dutch Shell . One year later oil production began with a yield of over 57,928 barrels of oil per year. Production continued to increase and in

11445-400: Was posted to Washington, D.C. , to head up the Australian Joint Services Staff. He was promoted to substantive air vice marshal on 1 July 1952. On 1 January 1953 he succeeded Air Vice Marshal George Mills as AOC of RAF Air Headquarters Malaya . In this role, Scherger commanded all Commonwealth air forces in the region and was responsible for operations against communist guerrillas during

11554-450: Was posted to England to study at RAF Staff College, Andover . Just prior to departing, he was involved in a notorious incident at RAAF Station Laverton . A squadron leader arrived home early from a mess function to find his wife sleeping with another officer, who escaped by crashing through the bedroom window. The squadron leader then pursued his wife with a loaded revolver , the pair eventually arriving at Scherger's quarters. Faced with

11663-466: Was promoted to squadron leader on 1 July 1936. Returning to Australia, he resumed his position as CFI at Point Cook in May 1937. As directed by the Federal government, he was responsible for training the Treasurer , Richard Casey , to fly; the use of Air Force facilities for his own benefit by an elected official led to adverse publicity when it was revealed by the media. In September, Scherger test flew

11772-464: Was re-formed for this purpose in April 1940. Awarded the Air Force Cross in June 1940 for his "outstanding ability" as a pilot and instructor, he took charge of No. 2 Service Flying Training School near Wagga the following month, and was promoted to temporary group captain on 1 September. In October 1941, he was made commanding officer of RAAF Station Darwin , Northern Territory. Described by Major General Lewis H. Brereton , commander of

11881-620: Was the reluctance of the Allied Supreme Commander in the SWPA, Douglas MacArthur , to use non-American forces for the main advance towards Japan. Frustration was especially evident among highly experienced pilots, such as Australia's top-scoring ace , Group Captain Clive Caldwell , who commanded No. 1 TAF's Spitfire squadrons. This led to a series of events known as the " Morotai Mutiny " in April 1945. Officers based at Morotai in

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