patrols. At the same time the new Bristol Beaufort bombers were moved to Bairnsdale in June 1942. The No. 1 operation Training Unit trained 631 pupils, flew 38,875 hours and had aircraft in the air around the clock. There were 53 crashes with aircraft being lost at sea and 71 airmen killed and others injured. In total there were 1,997 officers and airmen and 117 WAAAF members with an additional 285 trainees. Adding to this were 12 Hudson crews and ground staff dispatched during December 1942 to assist in New Guinea by dropping supplies to ground troops in the Buna area. Two Hudsons were lost with four men killed in action and a further four being seriously injured. Before the end of the war 87 people died at Bairnsdale owing to crashes or missing aircraft. In total there were 100 aircraft based at Bairnsdale. The aircraft included 50 Beauforts, 12 Lockheed Hudsons, 25 Airspeed Oxfords, 12 Fairey Battles and one Tiger Moth. In March 1950 Australian National Airlines launched a regular service from Bairnsdale to Melbourne with a Douglas DC-3, a 24-passenger plane. A succession of companies including Ansett-ANA, Commuter Airlines, Jetair Services and Business Jets tried to establish a similar service but without any long-term success. In 1966 and 1967 Helicopters were used to transport pipeline-laying-barge and offshore oil platform workers, mainly employees of the American-owned McDermott's, into Bass Strait. Since then the West Sale Airport has been used extensively for this purpose. Currently the aerodrome's facilities support a number of commercial aviation enterprises, including aerial firefighting, corporate charter, aircraft support services such as fleet maintenance, and medical services such as air ambulance and courier services. Water supply Plans were put forward in 1884 for the town's water supply and tanks were erected in Main Street from which residents could draw water. Later, John H. Grainger who designed the new Princes Bridge in Melbourne delivered plans to build a reservoir west of the township and for this to be connected to a pumping-plant and an elevated tank in the town itself. Contracts totaling £6,132 were made for Potter and Roberts to build the reservoir. The pipes were laid by soon after with John Jefferson appointed the engineer of the works. By 1890 reticulation of the town was ready to take place. An upgrade to the station in 1906 included installation of a new, larger cylindrical, concrete tank with a