James Rowland (RAAF Officer) - Post-war RAAF Career

Post-war RAAF Career

Rowland's commission was terminated in November 1945. Returning to Australia, he resumed his studies at the University of Sydney and completed his degree, before rejoining the RAAF as a member of its newly formed Technical Branch in 1947. He was posted to Britain in 1949 to attend the Empire Test Pilots' School. In 1952, he was appointed chief test pilot with the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) at RAAF Base Laverton, Victoria. Rowland led trial programs that involved many of the Air Force's early jets such as the Gloster Meteor, De Havilland Vampire, English Electric Canberra, and CAC Sabre. Promoted to squadron leader, he earned the Air Force Cross (AFC) for his test flying achievements; the award was gazetted on 1 January 1955. He married Faye Doughton on 20 April 1955; the couple had a daughter, Anni.

Rowland attended RAAF Staff College, Point Cook, in 1956. Promoted to wing commander, he took charge of ARDU from November 1956 until June 1959. In 1957, he raised concerns that the supersonic Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, touted as a multi-role replacement for the Sabre, was ill-suited for any purpose except interception. Defence Minister Sir Philip McBride had reached a similar conclusion, and kept the Sabre in frontline service until a more suitable aircraft could be chosen, namely the Dassault Mirage III delta-wing fighter. From 1961 to 1964 Rowland was based in Paris, as Technical Staff Officer on the RAAF team preparing for the Mirage's acceptance into Australian service. In contrast to most of the team members, he displayed a talent for language and by his second year was chairing meetings with Dassault engineers in French. After returning to Australia, he was posted to the Directorate of Aircraft Engineering at the Department of Air, Canberra, responsible for ongoing technical oversight of the Mirage.

In December 1966 Rowland became commanding officer of No. 3 Aircraft Depot (No. 3 AD) at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland, with the acting rank of group captain; his promotion was made substantive in November 1967. After completing his tenure at No. 3 AD in January 1969, Rowland was appointed Senior Engineering Staff Officer at Headquarters Operational Command in Glenbrook, New South Wales. In 1971 he was posted to Britain to attend the Royal College of Defence Studies, London. Returning to Australia, he was Director-General of Aircraft Engineering before being promoted to air vice marshal to serve as Air Member for Technical Services (AMTS), the RAAF's senior engineering position, in November 1972. The AMTS occupied a seat on the Australian Air Board, the service's controlling body that was chaired by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). In March 1975 Rowland was raised to air marshal and took over from Air Marshal Charles Read as CAS, becoming the first appointee to the position who had joined the RAAF after the commencement of World War II. He was also the first engineering officer to lead the RAAF, and was selected over a more senior air vice marshal through the personal influence of the Defence Secretary, Sir Arthur Tange. The CAS was nevertheless required to be a member of the Air Force's aircrew stream so Rowland, still a qualified pilot, had to transfer from the Technical Branch to the General Duties Branch. Soon afterwards, the stipulation for the CAS to be a member of the General Duties Branch was removed.

1. Whatever you do, it will cost more, and the later you do it the more it will cost
2. There are never enough wires, and if there are they are in the wrong places
3. Whatever you choose there's now a better one available
4. Aircraft always get heavier

—The four "immutable laws" of aircraft acquisition related by Wing Commander Rowland in an address to the Royal Aeronautical Society, Canberra, 1965.

In 1976, Rowland became the first CAS to personally command the RAAF in a legal sense, following dissolution of the Air Board, a consequence of defence reorganisation in the wake of the 1973 "Tange report" that recommended departmental rationalisation. A new Chief of the Air Staff Advisory Committee (CASAC) was set up, but there was no requirement for the CAS to accept its advice. According to Air Force historian Alan Stephens, Rowland considered that the "collective wisdom" engendered by the Air Board had been generally beneficial to the RAAF, and believed the new arrangements led to "'paralysis and arrogation of decision making', and empire building in the Public Service component". Though known as a strong committee member who enjoyed a good argument, he "found that the sheer time involved in attending meetings made it very difficult for him to run the Air Force 'the way wanted to'". To help facilitate the cross-fertilisation of ideas on air power between senior officers, he inaugurated an annual CAS Symposium. During his period as CAS, Rowland reoriented the RAAF's priorities in line with the Defence of Australia policy, which had been adopted by the government in the early 1970s. As a result, he placed the strongest emphasis on protecting Australia from air attack, followed by conducting air strikes on targets in other countries, and supporting the Army and Navy.

On 11 June 1977, Rowland was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the military division (KBE). In July the same year, he was awarded the National Medal with First Clasp, given "for diligent long service to the community". Rowland's original three-year term as CAS was extended by a year. He retired from the Air Force in March 1979, and was succeeded by his deputy and former classmate at RAAF Staff College, Air Vice Marshal Neville McNamara.