Squadron at end of a long association with our city

RELOCATING 38 Squadron to East Sale in Victoria ends a long association between that unit and Townsville.

Formed at Richmond, NSW, on September 15, 1943, 38 Squadron claims the longest continuous flying operations of any RAAF squadron.

Initially operating Lockheed Hudsons, it converted to Douglas C47 Dakotas late in World War II, supporting operations in PNG, Borneo and the Australian Army’s parachute training.

The unit also evacuated Australian wounded from the Pacific campaign and repatriated POWs from Singapore.

The squadron’s only loss was a C47 that disappeared at war’s end flying from Biak in then Dutch West New Guinea to Moratai. The wreckage was only discovered in 1970.

The squadron carried personnel to and from Japan supporting the occupation forces post war, a journey taking several days.

Half the squadron’s aircrew were sent to fly RAF aircraft during the 1948 Berlin Airlift.

On return they were among the first Australian units deployed to support the Malayan Emergency.

On return to Australia 38 SQN relocated to Canberra, where it was employed on VIP transport.

In 1964 38 SQN began converting to De Havilland DHC- 4 Caribou aircraft, a process delayed when six Caribous were deployed to Vietnam.

The squadron now concentrated on training Caribou aircrew and in 1965 a two- aircraft detachment was sent to Port Moresby to give crews flying experience in tropical and mountainous terrain before deploying to Vietnam. The squadron relocated from Richmond to Amberley in 1992, from where it supported operations in East Timor.

In 2000 a permanent detachment was established in Townsville, which supported peacekeeping operations in the Solomons. The whole squadron relocated here in 2008. When the Caribous were retired in 2009, 38 SQN took over the army’s fixed- wing role flying Beechcraft Kingair 350s.

It has essentially performed training and light transport roles since, though the capacity, including Hawker Pacific support, will be sorely missed.

Perhaps Townsville can look forward to hosting the new C- 27J Spartan transports as replacements.