Operation Pig Bristle
Operation Pig Bristle was an unusual transport task conducted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in May 1946. The operation was ordered by the Australian Government in response to a national shortage of paint brushes, which was hindering housebuilding efforts. No. 38 Squadron of the RAAF was given the task of flying 25 tonnes of pig bristles from Chongqing in China to Hong Kong, from where the bristles were shipped to Australia. The operation took place during the Chinese Civil War, with Chongqing cut off and at risk of capture by Communist forces. The squadron completed this task over a two-week period without loss. Background Following World War II, the Australian Commonwealth and state governments launched a joint Commonwealth Housing Scheme to address a national shortage of accommodation. This scheme, and private sector housebuilding activities, was delayed by a shortage of materials, including pig bristles needed to manufacture paint brushes. At the time, the only available source of pig bristles was China. In 1946, the company Jardine Matheson acquired of bristles for the British government and a further for Australia from remote locations in China near the border with Tibet. These stocks were transported to Chongqing, the capital of