No. 1 Squadron RAAF
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| 1 Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | January 1, 1916 – March 1942 1943–1946 1948–current |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | RAAF |
| Role | Strike/reconnaissance |
| Part of | 82 Wing, Air Combat Group |
| Base | RAAF Base Amberley |
| Motto | "Videmus Agamus" |
| Insignia | |
| callsigns | Buckshot (single aircraft) Colt (multi-aircraft) Claw (multi-aircraft) Puma (multi-aircraft) Wolf (multi-aircraft) Fang (multi-aircraft) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | F-111 |
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadron. Based at RAAF Amberley, it currently operates the F-111 bomber.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] World War I
No. 1 Squadron was established as a unit of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) at Point Cook, Victoria, on 1 January 1916. It sailed for Egypt in March 1916 and fought in the Palestine Campaign until the end of the war. In the desert the Squadron flew B.E.2s, R.E.8s and Martinsyde G.100s/G.102s before re-equipping late in 1917 with Bristol Fighters. Its Commanding Officer in 1917-18 was Major Richard Williams, later to become known as the "Father of the RAAF".
On 12 September 1916, while based at Heliopolis, the British military began to refer to the unit as "No. 67 Squadron", to avoid confusion with No. 1 Squadron RFC; this practice continued until 6 February 1918.[1] This designation was never officially accepted by the AFC, which continued to refer to the unit as No. 1 Squadron.
Five of the Squadron's pilots during this period were later knighted for their services to aviation; Williams, Lawrence Wackett, Hudson Fysh, Keith Smith and Peter Drummond. One of the Squadron's mechanics, George Jones, was also knighted after becoming the Chief of Air Staff of the RAAF and one of the Squadron's medical staff, John Harris, was later knighted as well[2].
The Squadron became part of the RAAF upon its formation in 1921.
[edit] World War II
Following the outbreak of World War II, No. 1 Squadron was equipped with Lockheed Hudsons and deployed to Malaya in July 1940, for maritme patrol duties. Following Japanese attacks on Malaya, Hudsons from the Squadron became the first aircraft to make an attack in the Pacific War, sinking a Japanese transport ship, Awajisan Maru, off Kota Bharu, an hour before the attack on Pearl Harbor.[3] However, the squadron suffered severe losses in Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies Campaign. It was withdrawn to Australia in March 1942 and disbanded. 160 of the Squadron's personnel, however, were unable to escape from the NEI and were taken prisoner by the Japanese. Less than half of these men survived captivity.
No. 1 Squadron was re-formed on 1 December 1943 and conducted operations against Japanese forces in the Netherlands East Indies from Darwin, beginning in March 1944. After re-equipping with Mosquito light bombers in January 1945 the squadron deployed to Borneo where it operated from Labuan Island until the end of the war. No.1 Squadron returned to Australia in December 1945 and was disbanded at Narromine, New South Wales on 7 August 1946.
[edit] Post-war
No. 1 Squadron was re-formed as a heavy bomber unit on 23 February 1948 by re-designating No. 12 Squadron. It was based in Singapore from 1950 to 1958 where it flew combat missions against communist guerrillas during the Malayan Emergency. Following its return to Australia in July 1958 the Squadron was re-equipped with the Canberra bomber.
While No. 1 Squadron began converting to the F-111 in 1968, technical difficulties delayed delivery of the aircraft and, as an interim measure, the Squadron was equipped with the F-4 Phantom between 1970 and 1973. No. 1 Squadron has operated F-111s in the low-level strike role since their arrival in Australia in 1973. While the Squadron has not seen active service since the Malayan Emergency, it was placed on high alert during the early days of the Australian-led intervention in East Timor in 1999.
Under current plans No. 1 Squadron's F-111s will be retired in 2010 and the Squadron will re-equip with F/A-18F Super Hornets.
[edit] Photo gallery
 Avro Lincoln bomber readied for the first operation by No. 1 Squadron from RAF Tengah, Singapore, August 1950. |
 Lincoln dropping 500-pound bombs on Communist targets during the Malayan Emergency. |
 (Circa 1970) Line up of aircraft at RAF Tengah during Exercise Bersatu Padu. English Electric Lightning fighters, English Electric Canberra, Handley Page Victor, Avro Vulcan bombers and F-4E Phantom IIs fighter-bombers of No. 1 Squadron RAAF (from left to right respectively). |
 No. 1 Squadron F-111 in 2006. |
[edit] Aircraft operated
- Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 (1916-1917)
- Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 (1916-1917)
- Martinsyde G100/G102 (1916-1917)
- Bristol F.2 Fighter (1917-1918)
- Avro Anson (?-1940)
- Lockheed Hudson (1940-1943?)
- Bristol Beaufort (1943?-1945)
- De Havilland Mosquito (1945-1946)
- Avro Lincoln (1948-1958)
- English Electric Canberra (1958-1968)
- F-4 Phantom II (1970-1973)
- General Dynamics F-111 (1973-)
[edit] References
- ^ RAF Web No 66-70 Squadron Histories
- ^ Isaacs, Wing Commander Keith. Military Aircraft of Australia 1909-1918, p62. Australian War Memorial. ISBN 0 642 99374 2
- ^ No. 1 Squadron Official Website
- Stephens, Alan [2001] (2006). The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195555414.
- No. 1 Squadron Official Website
- RAAF Museum No. 1 Squadron
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