Air Commodore W.H.Garing, C.B.E., D.F.C., D.S.C. (USA) R.A.A.F, F.A.I.M. Rtd.

AN AFFINITY STORY: MERCHANT SHIPPING AND AIR SUPPORT

Air Commodore Garing was born at Mount Elliot, Corryong, Victoria and attended Corryong High School.  He joined the Citizen Air Force as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner and gained entry to the Royal Military College at Duntroon in 1920. Posted to Point Cook, he graduated his Flying Training in 1931. During his flying career as Captain-in-Command he logged 4,000 hours, of which 1,500 were during World War 2,  in ninety-seven different aircraft. Training in the United Kingdom in 1934/35 was followed by posting as an Instructor back at Point Cook, specialising in seaplanes.

Bill Garing was posted in 1939 back to the United Kingdom serving with No 10 Australian Sunderland Squadron R.A.A.F.as Flight Commander in Coastal Command R.A.F.in Convoy Operations in the Northern Atlantic, off France and over the Mediterranean.

Coastal Command 's role was to help protect the United Kingdom from naval threats. Formed in 1936 its tasks includedly countering German U-Boats. In the early years of the war, trans-Atlantic merchant shipping suffered horrendous losses, but eventually supplies of long range Short Sunderland and B-24 Liberator aircraft allowed Coastal Command to provide the whole of the North Atlantic ocean with air cover, resulting in merchant shipping tonnage losses plummetting. It was not so much the number of German submarines and surface craft sunk, as the constant harrassment of the enemy that made the planes effective. The submarines were unable to run in on the surface at night to attack convoys, meaning that many convoys were able to sail right past the U-Boats unmolested.

Other aircraft of Coastal Command complemented the Sunderlands' work, with their anti-German merchant shipping capability.   

Milne Bay, New Guinea was the next theatre of war to encounter the benefits of the Merchant Navy's and (now) Wing Commander Garing's co-operation, following his return to Australia in April 1941, well aware that war with Japan was inevitable.

The location's importance to the Allied capacity to turn back the Japanese now recognised, its military building continued, including the vital Gili Gili airstrip, throughto the attempted invasion by Japanese marines on 25 August 1942.  Merchant ships brought the 4500 Australian troops as well as the American airfield construction personnel and the wherewithal to build the airstrips and to feed, arm and generally maintain the force.  Bill Garing's No. 9 (Operational) Group's 75 and 76 Kittyhawk Squadrons flew combat missions from the partially-completed No. 1 strip, an effort which, coupled with the ground fighting, contributed notably to the first repulse of Japanese invasion forces in the South West Pacific theatre of the war.  

Conversely, it was the enemy's merchant shipping which suffered through Bill Garing's planning skills, in an event described by an RAAF historian as "one of the most stunning victories in World War II and a crucial episode in the Battle for Australia".  In February/March 1943, the Japanese attempted to reinforce their garrison at Lae by sending about 6400 troops from Rabaul, using eight merchant ships with naval and air escorts.

With superb planning, substantially conceived by the then Group Captain Garing, and with rehearsals around the Port Moresby area, a joint USAF and RAAF strike group destroyed, in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, all eight merchant ships (with over 300 Japanese soldiers lost) and a number of their escorts.  The Japanese forces' last attempt to strengthen its troops now under seige in New Guinea had failed.

 Air Commodore Garing's outstanding service resulted in the award by the American forces of their Distinguished Service Cross.

Air Cmdre W.H. (Bill) Garing CBE, DFC, DSC (USA) R.A.A.F Rtd.
"Crossed The Bar"
January 1st 2005.
Vale Bill Garing.

This story is drawn, with appreciation,  from material supplied by Air Commodore Garing's family and from biographical material in the Journal of the League of Ancient Mariners of which he was a member.   Telling of a distinguished Australian, it epitomises the manner in which merchant shipping and the other Services, in this case the Air Force, provided mutual support.