DCA Monthly Circulars - 1943


DCA Monthly Circulars were instituted in September 1940 as a means of communicating information throughout the by now far-flung branches of the Department. The Monthly Circulars were continued until December 1950 when they were replaced by Administrative Instructions.

These indexes list noteworthy entries only - minor administrative matters are not listed.


Circular No.29 January 1943

Security of Information
Responsibility for safeguarding official information and penalties applying for those in dereliction of their duties in this regard.

Hawker Hurricane, Typhoon, Tornado
Type description.

Model designation of U.S. Army and Navy Aircraft
Table of Symbols applied to various categories of Aircraft

Army Air Force contract cargo operations flown by civil Airlines
Explanation of the system.

Operating Requirements for Air Cargo Operations
Description of how Air Cargo Operations should be conducted and the requirements for equipment and handling.

German Radiolocation Equipment
Part fact, part fantasy description of German equipment fitted to Night-fighter aircraft.


Circular No.30 February 1943

They Also Served - A.B. Corbett
Tribute to Auxiliary services contributing to the war effort in Papua.

Tin Control
Shortage of tin due to loss of supplies from Malaya and Siam,

Pen Nibs
Detailed instructions on the care and prolongation of the life of pen nibs due to the lack of replenishment of supplies. This item was not made in Australia at this time.

A new London Airport
Proposal to build a new Airport in the blitzed areas of London, rather than some miles out of the city!

From the Aeradio Logs
Examples of the breaching of signal security and compromise of codes through laxity of Aeradio operators.

Economic effects of Airport size and Airway Deficiencies
Economic effect of diversions due to bad weather, stacking of approaching aircraft due to airspace congestion and design of airports for efficient ground manoeuvring.

Avro Lancaster
Type description.


Circular No.31 March 1943

Britain's Airlines
Operation of British airlines and route structure in wartime

Britain stripped for war
Speech by Oliver Lyttleton, British Minister for Production, in Washington USA

U.S. War routes for Air Cargo
US Policy regarding the allocation of national resources to military air transport.

New devices for saving allied merchant seamen
Development of a portable, buoyant emergency radio transmitter.

Bristol Beaufighter
Type description

Japanese type designations
Explanation of current practice

Wound plastic bearings used in German Aero engines
Use of textile fabric tape soaked in synthetic resin for use as bearing material in aero engines.

A new use for Walnuts
Use of walnut shell in the formation of plastic moulds in Flying Fortress production.


Circular No.32 April 1943

British Transport Aircraft
Call for the setting up of a committee to promote design of post war transport aircraft to keep pace with American and Russian efforts in this field. Smothered by inaction of government department.

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Transport
Type description.

War in the Air - some facts and figures
Aircraft and munitions production.

North American Mustang
Type Description.

Canadian War Production
Facts and figures

Health Suggestions
Dietary and exercise.


Circular No. 33 May 1943

Merlin 61 Engine details revealed
Engine description

Australian Regular Air Transport Services
Facts and Figures.

Improved Exhausts
Process developed by Taylorcraft in the USA to apply porcelain enamelling to the steel in exhaust systems.

New Rotol Propeller
Development of constant speed propellers for training aircraft.

No Super designers in Germany
Description of the performance particulars of a captured Focke Wulf 190 aircraft.

Lockheed Lightning (P-38) Fighter Aircraft
Type description.

Future of the Helicopter
Statements by Igor Sikorsky.

Traffic Control - Canada
Women being trained as Air Traffic Control assistants.

Flying Boat Accident
Loss of Qantas Empire Airways Flying Boat VH-ADU in SW Pacific - with loss of life.


Circular No.34 June 1943

Five Billion Dollar Aircraft Production in 1942
American Aircraft Manufacturing Industry statistics.

Plastic Surgery and Monkey Glands
Australian re-design of the A model Stinson Trimotor aircraft to take two Pratt and Whitney Wasp engines. A successful operation.

De Havilland Mosquito (DH 98)
Type description.

The North - West African Campaign
Remarks by Winston Churchill on the victory in Tunisia.


Circular No.35 July 1943

Awards to Civil Aviation Personnel
Awards and commendations for bravery in the execution of duty.

Flying Boat or Landplane
Interesting discussion of the relative merits of large landplanes and Flying boats in relation to the future of long range services.

Air Transport in the Future
Speech by Mr W.L. Runciman DG of BOAC.

Army Pilot's Recklessness : Cause of Airline crash
Mid - Air collision between an Army B34 bomber and Civil DC3. DC3 destroyed (12 dead), Bomber survived.

Mustang adapted for dive bombing
P-51 redesign as a dual purpose dive bomber and fighter.


Circular No.36 August 1943

Award to Civil Aviation Personnel
For Bravery.

First "Air Train" crosses the Atlantic
C47 tows Waco Glider across the Atlantic.

The Boeing Flying Fortress
Description of battle damage tolerance.

Do you eat the right food?
Description of Protein and energy rich foods.

Australia at war
Facts and figures.


Circular No.37 September 1943

Awards to Civil Aviation Personnel
Award of George Medal to W.E. Clarke

Signal Security - Civil Aviation W/T stations
Memo from Director - General of Security and remedial action by Department.

Control of Photography Order
Regulations regarding photography.

The type 500C Radio Beacon Transmitters
Provision of NDB's under Lend-Lease by the US Government for use in Australia
Technical description.

DH Mosquitoes as Civil Aircraft
Use of "De-Militarised" Mosquitoes by BOAC


Circular No.38 October 1943

Type 500C Radio Beacon Transmitter : Suppression of Interference
Difficulties caused by proximity of NDB and Australian communications Frequencies around 333 Kc/s

Aviation and Empire
Political aspects of the future of civil aviation.

Republic Thunderbolt
Type description.

Daring Civil Air Service to Malta during Blitz
The operation of the civil air link with Malta under fire.


Circular No. 39 November 1943

Four British Transport types
Post war transport designs.

Civil Aviation in the U.K.
Facts and figures

Australia at War
Facts and Figures.


Circular No.40 December 1943

Cessna develops new cargo plane
Type Description Cessna Loadmaster.

Sky Cars
Consolidated Vultee design of "Aerocar" type of "flying automobile

Messerschmitt Me 323
Type description (6 engine powered glider)

7 Mile high over the Atlantic
Description of a trans-Atlantic flight in a B24 Liberator.


Index compiled by Brian Surtees, CAHS

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