No. 31 Squadron RAAF
| No. 31 Squadron RAAF | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Pilots and observers of No. 31 Squadron in January 1943 | |
| Active | 1942–1946 2010–current |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Role | Base operations and training |
| Part of | Combat Support Group |
| Garrison/HQ | RAAF Base Wagga |
| Motto(s) | Non circum coimus (No Turning Around) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Charles Read |
No. 31 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airbase support squadron. It was formed in August 1942 and disbanded in July 1946 after seeing action against the Japanese in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. During the war, it operated the Bristol Beaufighter, which it operated in long-range fighter and ground-attack missions. The squadron was re-raised for its current role in July 2010.
History
No. 31 Squadron was formed at RAAF Base Wagga on 14 August 1942 and was equipped with Bristol Beaufighter fighter and attack aircraft, the first of which was received on 23 August 1942.[1] Under the command of Squadron Leader Charles Frederick Read,[1] who later went on to serve as Chief of the Air Staff,[2] the squadron undertook a period of training before deploying to Batchelor Airfield, Northern Territory, in October, the aircraft flying via Alice Springs. A period of more intense training followed and familiarisation flights were carried out before moving to its operational base at Coomalie Creek Airfield on 12 November and then began flying combat operations on 17 November, attacking targets in Portuguese Timor.[3]
During its first attack, the squadron lost one Beaufighter after being attacked by Japanese fighter aircraft.
As the war progressed, the armament available to the squadron was developed; initially the Beaufighters employed 20 mm cannons and .50 calibre machine guns, but these were later supplemented with bombs and rockets, which were carried on hard points under the wings.
After the war No. 31 Squadron conducted weather reconnaissance and escorted single-engined aircraft from the NEI to Australia. The squadron returned to Australia in December 1945, moving to
No. 31 Squadron was re-raised on 1 July 2010 as the unit responsible for providing airbase support services to RAAF Base Wagga. The squadron is designated No. 31 (City of
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h Eather 1995, p. 66.
- ^ Stephens & Isaacs 1996, pp. 155–157.
- ^ Gillison 1962, pp. 646–649.
- ^ a b Eather 1995, pp. 66–67.
- ^ a b Eather 1995, p. 67.
- ^ "31 Squadron RAAF". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- ^ Lineham, Paul (24 June 2010). "Building up our cities". Air Force. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ "No 31 Squadron". RAAF Museum. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
References
- Eather, Steve (1995). Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1-875671-15-3.
- Gillison, Douglas (1962). Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3 – Air. Vol. 1. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 2000369.
- Stephens, Alan; Isaacs, Jeff (1996). High Fliers: Leaders of the Royal Australian Air Force. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0644456825.
Further reading
- Mann, William (2001). Search and Destroy: The Role of the Beaufighters Against the Japanese Forces Set to Invade Australia, and the Young Men Who Held the Japanese at Bay. Benowa, Queensland: William Mann. OCLC 53221576.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42794-9.