No. 38 Squadron RAAF

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No. 38 Squadron RAAF
Colour photograph of an aircraft painted in a camouflage pattern taxiing along a runway
A No. 38 Squadron Caribou in 2009
Active1943–current
BranchRoyal Australian Air Force
RoleLight transport and conversion training
Part ofNo. 86 Wing
Garrison/HQRAAF Base Townsville
Nickname(s)"Dingo Airlines"[1]
Motto(s)Equal to the Task[2]
EngagementsWorld War II
Malayan Emergency
Aircraft flown
TransportHudson (1943–1944)
Dakota (1944–1964)
Caribou (1964–2009)
King Air 350 (2009–current)

No. 38 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) transport squadron. The squadron was formed in 1943 and saw active service in World War II transporting supplies and personnel between Australia and the war zones in New Guinea and Borneo using Douglas Dakota aircraft. Following the war, it conducted regular courier flights between Australia and Japan during 1947 and 1948. The squadron was deployed to Singapore from 1950 to 1952, supplying Commonwealth forces engaged in the Malayan Emergency and undertaking courier flights across Asia. In 1954 it became responsible for training RAAF personnel to operate the Dakota.

After being re-equipped with de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribous in 1964, No. 38 Squadron served as the RAAF's operational conversion unit for the type and also conducted transport tasks within Australia and its territories. Throughout Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, it prepared aircrew for operational service with No. 35 Squadron, and maintained a detachment in Papua New Guinea to provide pilots with experience flying in tropical conditions. A Caribou was deployed to Pakistan from 1975 to 1978 to support United Nations peacekeepers, and detachments were established at two locations in Australia during the 1980s to provide search and rescue capabilities and work with Australian Army units. From 1999 until 2001, a detachment of the squadron was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led peacekeeping force in the newly independent nation. No. 38 Squadron continued to operate Caribous after No. 35 Squadron was disbanded in 2000, though the age of the aircraft increasingly affected its operations.

Following the retirement of the Caribous from service in 2009, No. 38 Squadron was re-equipped with eight Beechcraft King Air 350 light transport aircraft. The squadron is currently stationed at RAAF Base Townsville and is responsible for training RAAF pilots to operate King Airs, and performing light transport tasks.

History

World War II

No. 38 Squadron was formed at RAAF Base Richmond near Sydney on 15 September 1943 as a transport unit equipped with Lockheed Hudson aircraft. The squadron conducted its first operational flight on 17 December that year when a Hudson flew from Richmond to RAAF Base Darwin.[2] During the period No. 38 Squadron was equipped with Hudsons it operated only within Australia.[3]

The squadron's activities expanded in early 1944 when its obsolescent Hudsons were replaced with more capable Douglas Dakota aircraft.[3][4] No. 38 Squadron received its first Dakota on 3 March 1944, and was completely equipped with these aircraft by the end of May that year.[2] While the squadron continued to fly to locations within Australia after receiving Dakotas, it also began transporting supplies to Allied forces in western New Guinea. During the return flights from New Guinea the Dakotas typically transported wounded personnel to Australia for treatment.[5] In October 1944, No. 38 Squadron was given the additional task of supporting the RAAF's Paratroop Training Unit at Richmond. The squadron moved to RAAF Base Archerfield near Brisbane in early December 1944, but continued to maintain a detachment at Richmond. By this time No. 38 Squadron was mainly tasked with transporting supplies to the battle zone in New Guinea, including dropping supplies to Australian Army units in the field and evacuating casualties to Australia. From 17 July 1945 the squadron maintained a detachment on Morotai Island, which dropped supplies to Army units fighting in Borneo. No. 38 Squadron's only loss during World War II was a Dakota that crashed on a mountain in western New Guinea while flying between Biak and Morotai; the wreckage of this aircraft was not located until 1970.[5]

Following the end of the war, No. 38 Squadron flew into Singapore, Bangkok and locations in Borneo to evacuate released Australian prisoners of war. In addition, the squadron transported other service personnel back to Australia until 1946 as part of the demobilisation of the Australian military.[3][5] During May 1946 three of No. 38 Squadron's Dakotas were assigned the unusual task of flying 25 tonnes of pig bristles from Chongqing in China to Hong Kong, from where the bristles were shipped to Australia. This mission, which was designated "Operation Pig Bristle", took two weeks to complete and sought to rectify a shortage of paint brushes which was hindering the Australian construction industry.[5][6]

Cold War

No. 38 Squadron relocated to RAAF Station Schofields near Sydney on 15 August 1946, and became part of No. 86 Wing. Commencing on 22 January 1947, one of the squadron's main responsibilities was to conduct trice-weekly courier flights to Japan to support the Australian element of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. Each of these flights took several days to complete, and it was the longest regular air route serviced by twin-engined aircraft at the time. These flights continued until 13 January 1948, after which chartered Qantas aircraft were used to support the force in Japan.[3][7] In August 1948 five of No. 38 Squadron's air crews were dispatched to Europe where, as members of the RAAF Squadron Berlin Air Lift, they participated in the international efforts to fly supplies into Berlin during the Soviet blockade of the city. These personnel remained in Europe for 12 months, and their absence greatly disrupted No. 38 Squadron's operations.[3][8] Overall, twenty members of No. 86 Wing were sent to Europe, and the resulting shortage of personnel forced Nos. 36 and 38 Squadrons to be merged into a single unit for a period.[9] No. 38 Squadron moved to Richmond on 1 July 1949.[8]

Black and white photograph of five silver aircraft parked in a line
No. 38 Squadron Dakotas at RAF Changi in 1950

In 1950 No. 38 Squadron was selected to form part of the Australian force assigned to the Commonwealth Far East Air Force. At the time, the unit's intended roles to were participate in the British-led counterinsurgency operations in Malaya and conduct flights across Asia.[10] The squadron's advance party arrived at RAF Changi in Singapore on 19 June 1950, and all of its personnel and eight Dakotas were operational by 6 July. While in Malaya the squadron came under the command of No. 90 (Composite) Wing, along with the Avro Lincoln-equipped No. 1 Squadron.[11] While half the squadron's aircrew were veterans of the Berlin Airlift, none had any direct experience of tropical conditions. No. 38 Squadron began flying transport missions in Malaya in early July, with British and New Zealand pilots accompanying its aircrews during the first two weeks of operations to help them become familiar with local conditions.[12] From July 1950 until February 1951 No. 38 Squadron's main task was to conduct courier flights to Borneo, Ceylon, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, and these remained an important responsibility throughout its deployment to Singapore.[13] Following the outbreak of the Korean War the squadron flew British troops and supplies from Singapore to Japan and Korea, and four of No. 38 Squadron's Dakota's were transferred to No. 30 Communication Unit in Japan during November 1950.[11][14]

After losing half its strength, No. 38 Squadron remained at Changi and conducted supply and aeromedical evacuation flights throughout Malaya to support the British-led forces. The squadron's aircraft were also occasionally used to mark targets ahead of bombing raids and drop leaflets. From April to July 1951 No. 38 Squadron and an attached flight from No. 41 Squadron RNZAF was stationed at RAF Kuala Lumpur and became the main unit used to drop supplies to Commonwealth forces in the field. The squadron made another deployment to Kuala Lumpur between November 1951 and February 1952.[11] In February 1952 No. 38 Squadron successfully parachuted 54 personnel from the British 22nd SAS Regiment into a remote area near the Malaya-Thailand border.[15] Supporting the Australian units in Korea placed heavy demands on the RAAF's transport force, which was too small to fully meet its domestic and international responsibilities, and it became increasingly difficult to sustain the four Dakotas in Malaya during 1952. As a result, the Australian Government decided in September that year to return the unit to Australia.[11][16] No. 38 Squadron left Changi for Richmond on 8 December.[8] The squadron's only fatality during the deployment was an airman who was killed when the No. 110 Squadron RAF Dakota he was co-piloting crashed during a flight between Changi and Saigon on 31 August 1950.[11][17]

After returning to Richmond, No. 38 Squadron was mainly tasked with routine transport duties.[8] In addition, the squadron occasionally provided aircraft for CSIRO experiments with rainmaking techniques.[18] During the 1950s and early 1960s No. 38 Squadron developed a reputation as a "cowboy" unit with lax flying standards. The squadron did not conduct proper conversion courses, and new Dakota pilots received only ad-hoc instruction on the type while serving as the co-pilot during operational tasks. In addition, veteran pilots generally did not attempt to pass on their experiences to trainees.[19] On 8 March 1953, No. 38 Squadron absorbed No. 36 Squadron's Dakotas, after which No. 30 Transport Unit (previously No. 30 Communication Unit) in Japan was renamed No. 36 Squadron. From late March until September 1954 the squadron was stationed at RAAF Station Canberra from where it conducted VIP flights. In November that year No. 38 Squadron was renamed the Transport Training Squadron and became responsible for instructing new Dakota crews and RAAF air movements personnel. It resumed its previous name on 13 June 1963.[8]

No. 38 Squadron was re-equipped with new de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou tactical transport aircraft during 1964. In January 1964 the unit's commanding officer, five other pilots and three navigators undertook conversion training on the type in Canada. At the completion of this course the personnel flew the RAAF's first three Caribous from Toronto to RAAF Base Richmond between 17 March and 22 April.[20] The process of fully converting No. 38 Squadron to Caribous was delayed by the government's decision to deploy several of the aircraft to Vietnam; at the time this decision was made in June 1964 the squadron had received six of its planned allocation of nine aircraft, and the next batch of three aircraft deployed directly to Vietnam.[21] No. 38 Squadron was the last operational RAAF squadron to operate Dakotas, though several other units flew the type until the 1990s.[22][23] After receiving its Caribous No. 38 Squadron's main role was to train aircrews for operational service with the RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam (which was later redesignated No. 35 Squadron).[8][18] On 1 July 1964 one of the squadron's Caribous suffered severe damage when it made a crash landing at HMAS Albatross; this aircraft was subsequently written off and its fuselage used for training purposes by the Army's 1st Commando Regiment.[24] The squadron became an independent unit under Headquarters RAAF Base Richmond in August that year, following the disbandment of No. 86 Wing.[8][25] On 13 October 1965 Detachment A of No. 38 Squadron began operations from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea equipped with two Caribous.[26][27] One of the detachment's tasks was to give Caribou pilots experience flying the aircraft in tropical and mountainous conditions, and all aircraft captains were required to complete at least one two-month deployment to Port Moresby before serving with No. 35 Squadron in Vietnam.[28] In addition to its training role, No. 38 Squadron participated in transport operations in and around Australia, including in response to natural disasters.[18]

Peacekeeping deployments

Colour photograph of a camouflage painted aircraft driving along a dirt airstrip
A No. 38 Squadron Caribou landing on a dirt airfield during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2009

The squadron undertook two operational deployments during the mid-1970s. From March 1975 until November 1978 Detachment B, which comprised a single Caribou and support personnel, was stationed at Rawalpindi, Pakistan and transported United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan personnel and supplies.[26][29] From August to October 1975 a No. 38 Squadron Caribou was assigned to transport Red Cross supplies and personnel from Darwin to East Timor. On 4 September that year this aircraft was hijacked by East Timorese soldiers who forced the pilot to fly 54 refugees to Darwin. This is the only RAAF aircraft to have ever been hijacked.[18][30] After Papua New Guinea achieved independence from Australia Detachment A was no longer required, and it was disbanded on 17 January 1976.[26][31] Three Caribous were lost while operating with the detachment; A4-202 crashed near Pongera on 3 June 1965, A4-147 was written off after it landed short of the runway at Tapini Airport on 6 October 1968 and A4-233 was destroyed when it crashed at Kudjeru Gap on 28 August 1972.[32] The last of these crashes resulted in the deaths of 25 aircrew and passengers, making it the RAAF's worst peacetime disaster.[33][34] Following the end of the permanent presence at Port Moresby, No. 38 Squadron continued to fly periodic training sorties in Papua New Guinea.[4] During the 1980s detachments of No. 38 Squadron were established at RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Pearce near Perth to provide a search and rescue capability for these regions and exercise with Army units.[35]

No. 38 Squadron moved from Richmond to RAAF Base Amberley to the west of Brisbane in October 1992.[26] At this time the squadron continued to be responsible for all Caribou conversion training, as well as conducting tactical transport operations.[36] Detachment B of the squadron was established at RAAF Base Townsville in North Queensland during 2000.[36][33] From 1999 until early 2001 elements of No. 38 Squadron designated No. 86 Wing Detachment C were stationed in East Timor and supported the international peacekeeping force deployed there; at its peak strength four Caribous were assigned to this detachment.[36][37] The air and ground crew deployed to East Timor endured difficult living conditions until their accommodation and recreation facilities were upgraded in mid-2000, and the pilots were regularly required to fly into poorly maintained air strips.[38] Despite the age of the aircraft and shortages of spare parts, Detachment C's maintenance personnel managed to maintain a high serviceability rate.[39] In 2000 No. 35 Squadron was inactivated, leaving No. 38 Squadron the RAAF's sole Caribou operator.[40] As of September 2002 No. 38 Squadron was equipped with 14 Caribous.[37] In July 2003, two Caribous were deployed to the Solomon Islands as part of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands peacekeeping force. These aircraft were based at Honiara International Airport, and remained in the country until July 2004.[41][42] The squadron moved to RAAF Base Townsville during 2008.[43]

By the late 2000s the Caribous were becoming difficult to maintain, and were no longer capable of operating in war zones due to their lack of electronic warfare and other self-protection systems. As a result, it was decided in late 2008 to retire the aircraft and replace them with Beechcraft King Air 350s on an interim basis until another tactical transport entered service.[44] The Caribous were gradually retired from May 2009, with the last leaving service on 27 November that year when A4-140 was flown to Canberra and handed over to the Australian War Memorial for preservation.[45][46] By the time the aircraft were retired No. 38 Squadron had been operating Caribous for 45 years.[47] Three King Air 350s were transferred to No. 38 Squadron from the Army's 173rd Surveillance Squadron on 20 November 2009, and deliveries of further five newly built aircraft were completed in July 2010.[48][49]

Current role

Colour photograph of a white aircraft flying just above an airport runway with its landing gear extended
A No. 38 Squadron King Air landing at Canberra Airport in 2012

No. 38 Squadron is currently responsible for providing conversion training on the King Air and conducting light transport operations. The unit has a strength of 60 RAAF personnel as well as 25 contractors from Hawker Pacific Aerospace who maintain its aircraft.[33][50] It is organised into two flights; A Flight undertakes transport operations, and B Flight is responsible for delivering training courses.[50] Along with Nos. 33 and 36 Squadrons, No. 38 Squadron forms part of No. 86 Wing.[51]

The RAAF has been pleased with the King Air's performance in the light transport role, though the aircraft cannot be deployed into combat areas.[1][52] No. 38 Squadron often operates with the Army's Townsville-based 3rd Brigade, as well as the 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment which conducts operational patrols across Far North Queensland during peacetime.[1] In addition, the unit has been frequently tasked with transporting senior politicians and other VIPs.[33] The Australian Government ordered 10 Alenia C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft in May 2012, and these aircraft will be operated by No. 35 Squadron from 2015.[53] No. 38 Squadron marks its 70th anniversary in 2013, and has the longest period of continual operation of any of the RAAF's flying squadrons.[54]

References

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Citations
  1. ^ a b c McLaughlin (2010), p. 43
  2. ^ a b c RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 67
  3. ^ a b c d e Eather (1995), p. 76
  4. ^ a b "Diamonds in the rough". Air Force. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 68
  6. ^ Stephens (1995), pp. 414–415
  7. ^ RAAF Historical Section (1995), pp. 68–69
  8. ^ a b c d e f g RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 69
  9. ^ RAAF Historical Section (1995), pp. 57–58
  10. ^ Dennis and Grey (1996), pp. 23–25
  11. ^ a b c d e "38 Squadron RAAF". Units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  12. ^ Dennis and Grey (1996), p. 25
  13. ^ Dennis and Grey (1996), pp. 25–26
  14. ^ Dennis and Grey (1996), p. 26
  15. ^ Dennis and Grey (1996), pp. 31–32
  16. ^ Dennis and Grey (1996), pp. 32–33
  17. ^ Dennis and Grey (1996), p. 27
  18. ^ a b c d Eather (1995), p. 77
  19. ^ Stephens (1995), p. 415
  20. ^ Wilson (1990), p. 280
  21. ^ Coulthard-Clark (1995), pp. 35, 38
  22. ^ Wilson (1990), p. 45
  23. ^ "A65 Douglas Dakota". RAAF Museum. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  24. ^ Wilson (1990), p. 184
  25. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 424–425
  26. ^ a b c d RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 70
  27. ^ Wilson (1990), p. 201
  28. ^ Coulthard-Clark (1995), p. 109
  29. ^ Wilson (1990), p. 209
  30. ^ Air Power Development Centre (December 2009). "The DHC-4 Caribou's 45 Years Service". Pathfinder Issue 2012. Royal Australian Air Force. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  31. ^ Wilson (1990), p. 204
  32. ^ Wilson (1990), pp. 204–208
  33. ^ a b c d MacDonald, Emily (6 June 2013). "Squadron 70 years in the air". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  34. ^ "Heavy loss of life in PNG accident". Air Power Development Centre. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  35. ^ "A4 DHC-4 Caribou". RAAF Museum. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  36. ^ a b c "No 38 Squadron". RAAF Museum. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  37. ^ a b Caddaye, Ben (12 September 2002). "38 celebrates". Air Force. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  38. ^ Wilson (2003), pp. 25–30
  39. ^ Wilson (2003), p. 25
  40. ^ "No 35 Squadron". RAAF Museum. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  41. ^ O'Brien (2009), pp. 203–205
  42. ^ "Caribous return". Air Force. 15 July 2004. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  43. ^ MacDonald, Emily (15 April 2011). "Next generation squadron". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  44. ^ McLaughlin (2010), p. 40
  45. ^ McLaughlin (2010), p. 41
  46. ^ Hamilton, Earmon; Johnson, Peter (10 December 2009). "Caribou history to live on". Air Force. p. 9. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  47. ^ Hamilton, Earmon (10 December 2019). "King Airs join ranks". Air Force. p. 7. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  48. ^ Hamilton, Eamon (10 December 2009). "Fixed wings freed". Army. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  49. ^ "Final King Air delivered to 38SQN". Australian Aviation. 6 July 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  50. ^ a b McLaughlin (2010), p. 42
  51. ^ "RAAF restructures Air Lift Group". Australian Aviation. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  52. ^ Hamilton, Earmon (22 July 2010). "Fleet is Complete". Air Force. p. 7. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  53. ^ "RAAF C-27J buy confirmed". Australian Aviation. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  54. ^ Hamilton, Earmon (23 May 2013). "Marking 70th at Wings Over Illawarra show". Air Force. p. 10. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
Works consulted
  • Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1995). The RAAF in Vietnam: Australian Air Involvement in the Vietnam War 1962–1975. The Official History of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948–1975, Volume 5. St. Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial. ISBN 1-86373-305-1.
  • Dennis, Peter (1996). Emergency and Confrontation: Australian Military Operations in Malaya and Borneo 1950–1966. The Official History of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948–1975, Volume 4. St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial. ISBN 1-86373-302-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Eather, Steve (1995). Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Weston Creek: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1-875671-15-3.
  • McLaughlin, Andrew (June 2010). "Dingo Airlines". Australian Aviation (272): pp. 40–43. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  • O'Brien, Graham (2009). Always There: A History of Air Force Combat Support (PDF). Tuggeranong, Australian Capital Territory: Air Power Development Centre. ISBN 978-1-920800-45-1.
  • RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force. A Concise History. Volume 4 Maritime and Transport Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42796-5.
  • Stephens, Alan (1995). Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42803-1.
  • Wilson, David (2003). Warden to Tanger: RAAF Operations in East Timor. Maryborough, Queensland: Banner Books. ISBN 1-875593-26-8.
  • Wilson, Stewart (1990). Dakota, Hercules, and Caribou in Australian Service. Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 0-9587978-5-4.
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