Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/North-Eastern Area Command (RAAF)/archive1

The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.

The article was promoted by Sarastro1 via FACBot (talk) 23:26, 24 January 2019 [1].

---

North-Eastern Area Command (RAAF)

Nominator(s): Ian Rose (talk) 02:43, 28 December 2018 (UTC)

Following on from Eastern Area a few months ago, I present its northerly neighbour, North-Eastern Area (NEA), which was right in Australia's frontline of the Pacific War in its early period. You'll find, though, that after an action-packed first year (during which NEA was the recipient of the most memorable two-fingered salute in RAAF history, via a signal by Wing Commander John Lerew) the level of detail in the article tapers off, which reflects the sources and the diminishing importance of NEA in the war effort. The Americans took direct control of USAAF units in the area from mid-1942, and the RAAF formed No. 9 Operational Group (Northern Command from April 1944) soon later, denuding NEA of its forces in New Guinea. NEA continued to operate after the war but had little to do until being consigned to history by the RAAF's reorganisation into a functional command-and-control structure beginning in 1953. As ever, I look forward to any and all comments! Thanks/cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 02:43, 28 December 2018 (UTC)

Source review

• All sources appear to be from official sources or reliable presses. NewSouth Publishing is also known as the University of New South Wales Press, which might be a better name to list because it is more obviously reliable.
• ISBN: sources are inconsistent between listing 10- or 13- digit ISBN.
• A search for additional sources did not turn up anything useful.
• No source checks done because nominator is an experienced user with several FAs already.

Fix the ISBNs and I will give a solid support on sources. Catrìona (talk) 08:21, 29 December 2018 (UTC)

Tks for looking, Catriona. While I'd agree 13-digit ISBNs should be used where available (and I've changed one where my source used both), the remaining 10-digit ones are all that was available in the editions I used, so I think it best to stick with them rather than convert to numbers my editions didn't employ. Similarly, I've piped NewSouth Publishing to UNSWP since the former is what's printed in my source (tks for pointing it out). Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 14:12, 30 December 2018 (UTC)

Images are appropriately licensed. Nikkimaria (talk) 18:34, 29 December 2018 (UTC)

Tks for that, Nikki. Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 14:13, 30 December 2018 (UTC)

CommentsSupport by PM

This article is in great shape, and I only have a couple of queries:

• was there a reason for the USAAF not being under NEA control after the Battle of the Coral Sea? Did something happen during the battle to cause this? Was it the fault of NEA?
  • Just seems to be a facet of the Americanisation of operational tasking at this time (initially raised earlier in that para re. the establishment of Allied Air Forces) -- I've added a bit to reinforce that.
• I'm left wondering what role NEA had in an air defence sense responding to Japanese air raids within the NEA in 1942–1943, particularly those on Australian soil, Horn Island and Townsville, for example. Could a mention be made of these raids and their targets within NEA during its existence?
  • Added a bit on Horn Island and Townsville raids -- I've kept the detail level fairly high as I think that's consiistent with the rest of the article but let me know if you think more is appropriate.

That's all I have, great work on this. Peacemaker67 (click to talk to me) 08:05, 1 January 2019 (UTC)

Appreciate you taking a look, PM. Tks/cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 14:49, 3 January 2019 (UTC)

Hi PM, did you have a chance to review my responses? Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 08:20, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

Thanks for the ping Ian, this one slipped through the net. Supporting. Peacemaker67 (click to talk to me) 08:22, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

Cas Liber

Taking a look now....

• The chronology of the first two paragraphs World War II jumps back and forth a bit. I understand the flow though and can't see an alternative in making it more chronological without muddying the prose so not technically a deal-breaker as such. Might have a think about this.
  • Yes, in a history such as this I think sometimes it's best to follow a train of thought, as it were, even if it means occasionally jumping a little bit ahead (and then back) chronologically.
• Also - doesn't state who decided to establish it...?
  • I felt it best to leave the details to the parent RAAF area commands article. The short answer is simply "the RAAF", and I've spelt that out now.
• Any reason given why the Aus Govt rejected going from 5 to 3 areas in September 1946?
  • It's not much clearer than that, I'm afraid. The source says the Secretary for Air of the time may have been trying to maintain close control of things, but the way it's expressed this could be referring to a general proposal (again unrealised) of decentralising command and control.

Otherwise reads well with no prose-clangers outstanding. I am a neophyte in the area but can't see any glaring gaps in comprehensiveness. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 21:25, 5 January 2019 (UTC)

Tks for looking it over, Cas -- it definitely helps to have a mix of MilHist and non-MilHist eyes on the article. Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 08:13, 6 January 2019 (UTC)

• Support - a nice clean short article that I can't see anything actionable to improve. A nice read. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 10:00, 6 January 2019 (UTC)

Support Comments by JennyOz

Hi Ian, just a few suggestions / questions ...

• "Northern Area had been established on 8 May 1941 as one of the RAAF's geographically based command-and-control zones, and covered northern New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Papua" - the accompanying map (Dec 1941) also includes northern WA and northern SA ... was there an interim change between May and Dec 1941?
  • You have an eye for detail (as if I didn't know it already)! Yes, there was a change to area boundaries, I'll work that in...
    • After a quick rethink, it's probably simpler to just reword slightly to say Northern Area controlled units in NSW, Qld, NT and Papua, which remained the case even after its boundaries were enlarged to cover northern WA and SA, as those bits didn't include RAAF bases at that stage. Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 08:00, 20 January 2019 (UTC)
      • using "units" is a fine solution
• "...over 100 Japanese aircraft attacked Rabaul..." - no explanation that Papua was 'part of' Aust at that time (unless reader had clicked on Territory of Papua|Papua), maybe remove pipe?
  • Sorry Jenny, can you confirm which pipe you suggest removing?
    • I reckon here "covering units in northern New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Papua." you could consider using Territory of Papua instead of piping it as Papua. (As always, I'm taking into consideration say a school age student who may not know it was under Aust authority.)
• "...concrete bunker known as Building 81,..." - wlink to Green Street bunker? But see also my last comment at bottom.
  • See my comment there too...
• "...the only casualty was an injured child." - sounds harsh, maybe 'with only one casualty, an injured child.' or similar.
  • You ole' softie...
    • Yeah, guilty! I know it wasn't intended to sound dismissive:)
• "...to hold overarching administrative authority over all Australian units." - 2 x over tautology
  • Well I know "overarching" is not one of your favourite words, so another good reason for it to go... ;-)
    • Hehe - It is a tautology in itself. Arches are always 'over'. I've never changed it anywhere but so pleased you did. Thanks!
• "...control of all radar stations in NEA." - consider here or elsewhere? Radar in World War II
  • Fair enough.
• "...flying Bristol Beaufort reconnaissance-bombers..." - DAPs?
  • Yes, I probably used the original, better-known manufacturer name since there isn't even a redirect for DAP Beaufort -- I guess I could create one though.
• "...transferred to Townsville in May that year, and disbanded the following month." - because we don't know 'the' month change to 'a month later'?
  • Isn't 'the' month May? I don't mind "a month later" anyway though...
    • Blush, how did I miss seeing May?
• "...headquarters was located in Sturt Street, Townsville." - wlink No 42 Commonwealth Offices, Townsville?
  • I don't think my sources give the actual number of the building in Sturt St but I guess it's a low-risk pipe... ;-)
    • that article says "serving as Australian Defence Headquarters, North Eastern Area, during the Second World War.[1]" so you could grab that ref to verify No 42 to avoid all risk?
• "As of 2009, the former NEA headquarters in Building 81, Green Street, housed Townsville's State Emergency Service group." - wlink RAAF Operations Building Site? (Should that article and Green Street bunker be merged?)
  • Ugh, this is probably why I didn't wikilink it...! Not sure if I even want to get into merger discussions -- the former article is in slightly better shape IMO, based as it is on the same Qld Heritage building register data that I cite, but I think "Green Street Bunker" is the better title for a single article on the structure. Guess I'll pipe the former for now...
    • Okey doke. I might mention it to Kerry one day. I sorta doubt she knew the Green St one existed when she created the QHR RAAF one.

That's it from me. JennyOz (talk) 15:36, 17 January 2019 (UTC)

Thanks as always for reviewing, Jenny. Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 07:35, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

Ian, I've added some replies to yours but nothing concerns me so am very happy to support. Thanks and regards, JennyOz (talk) 14:08, 21 January 2019 (UTC)

• Support. Couldn't find a damn thing to pick up and complain about, which is a shame! ;-) Meets the FAC criteria, as far as I can see (from a position of a complete ignoramus on the subject, at least!) Cheers - SchroCat (talk) 17:25, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

• Closing note: This candidate has been promoted, but there may be a delay in bot processing of the close. Please see WP:FAC/ar, and leave the {{featured article candidates}} template in place on the talk page until the bot goes through. Sarastro (talk) 23:26, 24 January 2019 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this page.