No. 3 Squadron RAAF
| No. 3 Squadron RAAF | |
|---|---|
No. 3 Squadron's crest
|
|
| Active | 1916–19 1925–46 1948–53 1956–current |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Role | Multi-role fighter |
| Part of | No. 81 Wing, Air Combat Group |
| Garrison/HQ | RAAF Base Williamtown |
| Motto(s) |
Operta Aperta ("Secrets Revealed") |
| Engagements |
World War I World War II Cold War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
David Blake (1916–18) Bill Anderson (1918–19) Henry Wrigley (1919) Frank Lukis (1925–30) Harry Cobby (1930–31) (1931–36) Allan Walters (1938–39) Ian McLachlan (1939–41) Peter Jeffrey (1941) Alan Rawlinson (1941) Bobby Gibbes (1942–43) Brian Eaton (1943–44) Jake Newham (1967–68) Richard Bomball (1973–74) Geoff Brown (1997–2000) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter |
F/A-18 Hornet F-35A Lightning II (planned) |
World War I
World War II
Cold War
No. 3 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter squadron, headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales. Established in 1916, it was one of four combat squadrons of the Australian Flying Corps during World War I, and operated on the Western Front in France before being disbanded in 1919. It was re-raised as a permanent squadron of the RAAF in 1925, and during World War II operated in the Mediterranean Theatre. The Cold War years saw the squadron disbanded and re-raised twice. It was based at RAAF Butterworth during the Malayan Emergency and the Indonesia–Malaysia Konfrontasi. Equipped with McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters from 1986, the squadron deployed to Diego Garcia in 2002 to provide local air defence, and the following year contributed aircraft and crews to the invasion of Iraq as part of Operation Falconer. In April 2016, it deployed to the Middle East as part of the military intervention against ISIL.
No. 3 Squadron was formed at Point Cook, Victoria, on 19 September 1916 under the command of Major David Blake. It was one of four operational squadrons of the Australian Flying Corps, and its personnel were members of the Australian Army. Shortly afterwards, the unit embarked upon the HMAT Ulysses and sailed to England for training, before becoming the first AFC squadron deployed to France, in September 1917, equipped with the R.E.8 two-seat reconnaissance/general purpose aircraft. To avoid confusion with the British No. 3 Squadron RFC, it was known to the British military as "No. 69 Squadron RFC". This terminology was never accepted by the squadron or the Australian Imperial Force who continued to use the AFC designation regardless, and in early 1918, the British designation was dropped.
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