George Jones (RAAF Officer) - Legacy

Legacy

He was my friend for 20 years... he expected to get the job, and the moment I got the job instead of him, his attitude changed.

George Jones on Bill Bostock's reaction to Jones' appointment as CAS in 1942

Jones' ten years as CAS was the longest continuous term of any RAAF chief. Despite his longevity in the position, he is still primarily known for two events early in his tenure, the surprise circumstance of his appointment, and his feud with Bill Bostock that lasted until the end of World War II. The conflict between its two senior officers has been labelled "disastrous" for the RAAF, one that "diminished its standing" in the eyes of its Allies. Jones would claim in his autobiography that he had never intrigued for the role of CAS and would have worked loyally for Bostock if the latter had been appointed.

Beyond these controversies, however, Jones significantly influenced the Air Force's development during and after the war. He was honoured for his work running the Empire Air Training Scheme in 1940–42 and has received credit as CAS for building up the RAAF's strength to 70 squadrons by 1945. After the war he played a personal part in improving education within the service, including the establishment of RAAF College, along similar lines to Royal Military College, Duntroon, and the Royal Australian Naval College, as well as the RAAF Staff College. One of his last directions as CAS was the formation of RAAF Museum at Point Cook, where it is still based.

Jones encouraged local industry to design and build trainers for the RAAF and produce more sophisticated combat aircraft under licence from overseas manufacturers. This led to the Winjeel basic trainer and Australian industry co-partnership in production of the CAC Sabre and Canberra jets; such local participation has continued to figure in major RAAF aircraft acquisitions.

He refused to update the Air Force's command structure from one based on region to one of function, something his successor, Air Marshal Hardman, would accomplish, and has been criticised for a systemic resistance to change. Jones was described in David Horner's The Commanders as "a steady, sincere but colourless leader", while Alan Stephens found him "a good and decent man, who had overcome considerable personal hardship in his youth to achieve exceptional professional success" but "neither an inspiring leader, nor a notable thinker". Nevertheless his Plan D for the RAAF's post-war organisation remained the service’s blueprint until the early 1970s.