No. 3 Squadron RNZAF

No. 3 Squadron RNZAF
A NH-90 helicopter operated by No. 3 Squadron RNZAF.
Active	1930–Present
Country	New Zealand
Branch	Royal New Zealand Air Force
Role	Battlefield Helicopter, Search and Rescue, Heavy Lifting
Garrison/HQ	RNZAF Base Ohakea
Motto(s)	Maori-Kimihia Ka Patu, English- Seek and Destroy
Colors	Red and Black
Mascot(s)	Taiaha
Equipment	NHIndustries NH90, Agusta A109
Engagements	World War II, Vietnam War, Sinai, Bouganville Peace Monitoring Group, East Timor, Solomon Islands.
Decorations	Meritorious Unit Citation
Battle honours
Commanders
Current commander	Wing Commander Mike Cannon
Insignia
Squadron Badge	Crouching Maori Warrior holding a Taiaha

No. 3 Squadron RNZAF is a unit of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). It remains on active duty.

No. 3 Squadron formed as a Territorial unit of the New Zealand Permanent Air Force (NZPAF) based at Christchurch in 1930.

Pilots attached to the squadron used NZPAF aircraft based at Wigram until No.3 Squadron got its first aircraft Blackburn Baffin torpedo bombers, in 1938.

Following the outbreak of war the unit was equipped with Vickers Vincent and Vickers Vildebeest torpedo/patrol bombers and was tasked with protecting shipping entering Lyttelton harbour.

The squadron received modern aircraft – Lockheed Hudsons – converted to the patrol bomber role. The squadron was deployed to Palikulo Bay Airfield on Espiritu Santo on 9 October 1942, becoming operational on 16 October. On 23 November 1942, No.3 became the first RNZAF squadron deployed to the front line at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. No. 3 Squadron was attached to the Search and Patrol Group, responsible for conducting daily and nightly searches of the approaches to Guadalcanal and daily low-level searches along the coastlines of islands which might be used as Japanese staging points, replacing dive bombers and long-range heavy bombers in this role. Despite being lightly armed, a Hudson of Flying Officer Gudsell twice saw off attacks by three Japanese aircraft; Gudsell was awarded the Air Medal (US). The Squadron moved to Kukum Field on Guadalcanal and stayed there until October 1943 when it returned to Santo where it remained until January 1944. From February–March 1944 the Squadron returned to Guadalcanal, returned to Santo from May–July and deployed to Guadalcanal again from July–August 1944. The Squadron re-equipped with Lockheed Venturas and in August 1944 moved to Piva Airfield on Bougainville. In October 1944 the Squadron moved to Emirau where they flew interdiction patrols against Japanese shipping and ground targets. No. 3 squadron was replaced by No.4 Squadron in November 1944 and returned to New Zealand. The Squadron returned to Guadalcanal from February–March 1945 and was then deployed to Green Island from March–June 1945.