 As senior air commander in the region , Eaton sat on the Darwin Defence Co @-@ ordination Committee . He was occasionally at <unk> with his naval counterpart , Captain <unk> Thomas , and also incurred the ire of trade unionists when he used RAAF staff to <unk> ships in Port Darwin during industrial action ; Eaton himself took part in the work , <unk> coal alongside his men . On 25 February 1941 , he made a flight north to reconnoitre Timor , Ambon , and <unk> in Dutch New Guinea for potential use by the RAAF in any Pacific conflict . By April , the total strength based at RAAF Station Darwin had increased to almost 700 officers and airmen ; by the following month it had been augmented by satellite airfields at Bathurst Island , <unk> <unk> , Batchelor , and Katherine . <unk> over command of Darwin to Group Captain Frederick <unk> in October , Eaton took charge of No. 2 Service Flying Training School near <unk> <unk> , New South Wales . His " marked success " , " <unk> energy " , and " <unk> in handling men " while in the Northern Territory were recognised in the new year with his appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire . Eaton became CO of No. 1 Engineering School and its base , RAAF Station Ascot Vale , Victoria , in April 1942 . Twelve months later in Townsville , Queensland , he formed No. 72 Wing , which subsequently deployed to <unk> in Dutch New Guinea , comprising No. 84 Squadron ( flying CAC Boomerang fighters ) , No. 86 Squadron ( P @-@ 40 <unk> fighters ) , and No. 12 Squadron ( A @-@ 31 <unk> dive bombers ) . His relations with North @-@ Eastern Area Command in Townsville were strained ; " mountains were made out of <unk> " in his opinion , and he was reassigned that July to lead No. 2 <unk> and <unk> School in Port <unk> , South Australia . 
