07 The Australian Order of Battle for Vietnam War: Royal AustralianAir Force
Description
This article is from the Vietnam FAQ, by Brian Ross, John R. Tegtmeier, Edwin E. Moise, Frank Vaughan, John Tegtmeier with numerous contributions by others.
07 The Australian Order of Battle for Vietnam War: Royal AustralianAir Force
Headquarters Royal Australian Air Force Element Australian
Force Vietnam Headquarters Royal Australian Air Force
Contingent Vung
Tau Royal Australian Air Force Caribou Transport Flight 8th
August
1964 - 1st June 1966
Base Support night May 1966 - April 1968
Number 1 Operational Support Unit February 1968 - February
1972
Number 2 Squadron Airfield Construction Squadron (Detachment
B)) 1964
- 1972
Royal Australian Air Force Element 161 Recce Flight 14th
September
1965 - 8th March 1972
No. 35 Squadron 1st June 1966 - February 1972
The first RAAF operational unit to see service in Vietnam,
the RAAF
transport flight, arrived in August 1964 with six Caribou
aircraft.
The unit was redesignated as No. 35 Squadron on 1 June 1966.
The
Squadron left Vietnam in February 1972.
No.9 Squadron April 1966 - November 1971
No.9 Squadron, equipped with Iroquois helicopters was
allotted to the
1st Australian Task Force.
No. 2 Squadron April 1967 - June 1971
The third and last RAAF operational squadron to serve in Vietnam was
No.2 Squadron. It returned to Australia in June 1971,13 years after
having left Australia from Darwin en route to Butterworth, Malaysia.
RAAF Members also served with the United States Air Force 1964 - 1972
RAAF fighter pilots were given the opportunity of serving in Vietnam
as Forward Air Controllers. In addition to duty as FACs, six fighter
pilots also saw service in American phantom squadrons in Vietnam.
RAAF NURSING SERVICE (MEDEVAC FLlGHT)
RAAF nurses tended the wounded on the medical evacuation aircraft
which transported them from Vietnam to Australia usually via Malaysia.
RAAF CHAPLAINS
RAAF Chaplains attended to the spiritual needs of RAAF personnel as
well as Australian and US troops.
RED CROSS
The Australian Red Cross contributed a welfare worker who was based at
Vung Tau.
SALVATION ARMY
The Salvation Army maintained the Red Shield Hut.
WAR CORRESPONDENTS
The Australian War Correspondents provided news and feature stories
for distribution to media in Australia.
OFFICIAL WAR ARTISTS, HISTORIANS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
As with other wars, official representatives were sent to Vietnam to
collect data, information and impressions of Australia's military
involvement.
CIVILIAN MEDICAL TEAMS
Civilian Medical Teams from major Australian hospitals were
sent to
Vietnam as part of a civilian aid program.
AUSTRALIAN ENTERTAINMENT GROUPS
Australian entertainers volunteered for service in Vietnam
with
specific entertainment groups which were formed and financed
separately.
EVERYMANS WELFARE ORGANISATION
Everymans is a philanthropic organisation which supports the
Australian Defence Force. They provided moral support to
soldiers in
the field from Recruit Training onwards.
(Source: Kirkland, F., Sometimes Forgotten, Plaza
Historical Service,
Sydney, 1990)
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