No. 11 Squadron is a
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF) maritime patrol squadron based at
RAAF Base Edinburgh
RAAF Base Edinburgh is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located in Edinburgh approximately north of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and forms part of the Edinburgh Defence Precinct.
The base is primarily home to No 9 ...
. It was formed in 1939 and has seen active service in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
,
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
, the
War on Terrorism
The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant I ...
and the
2003 Gulf War. The squadron became known to the public through its participation in the
Great Southern Ocean rescues of wrecked sailors, such as
Tony Bullimore
Tony Bullimore (15 January 1939 – 31 July 2018) was a British businessman and international yachtsman. He is known especially for being rescued on 10 January 1997 during a sailing race after he had been presumed dead.
Early life and career
...
and
Isabelle Autissier
Isabelle Autissier (born 18 October 1956) is a French sailor, navigator, writer, and broadcaster. She is celebrated for being the first woman to have completed a solo world navigation in competition ( BOC Challenge 1990–91). Based in La Rochel ...
.
History
Second World War
No. 11 Squadron was established on 25 September 1939 at
RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located within the City of Hawkesbury, approximately North-West of the Sydney Central Business District in New South Wales, Australia. Situated between the towns of W ...
,
[Roylance, ''Air Base Richmond'', p.125] equipped with two
Supermarine Seagulls and two
Short Empire
The Short Empire was a medium-range four-engined monoplane flying boat, designed and developed by Short Brothers during the 1930s to meet the requirements of the growing commercial airline sector, with a particular emphasis upon its usefulness ...
flying boats.
[Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 69] The squadron's first
commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
was Flight Lieutenant James Alexander.
In late September, the squadron deployed to
Port Moresby
(; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...
in
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
where it monitored Japanese shipping movements in the region. In mid-1940, the squadron received another two Empires as it sought to expand its operations to places such as
Thursday Island
Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait. TI is located approximately north of Cape ...
and
Bougainville. The squadron was re-equipped with six
Catalina
Catalina may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''The Catalina'', a 2012 American reality television show
* ''Catalina'' (novel), a 1948 novel by W. Somerset Maugham
* Catalina (''My Name Is Earl''), character from the NBC sitcom ''My Name Is Earl''
...
aircraft in 1941, before transferring some of its aircraft to
No. 20 Squadron RAAF
No. 20 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) support squadron. Coming under the control of No. 96 Wing RAAF, No. 96 Wing, it is responsible for the management of the airfield at RAAF Base Woomera, South Australia. The squadron origina ...
. In late November, the squadron helped search for survivors from
HMAS ''Sydney'' following its battle with the
German auxiliary cruiser ''Kormoran'', but was unsuccessful.
[
Upon the outbreak of war with Japan in December 1941, No. 11 Squadron began flying long range patrol missions across the ]South West Pacific
Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million as of ...
area; these would continue throughout the war and would sometimes be up to 20 hours in duration. It suffered its first loss on 8 December when one of its aircraft crashed on take-off in Port Moresby; all six crew members were killed. On 12 January, the squadron launched an attack on the Japanese airbase at Truk, but it was cancelled due to bad weather. Further raids were undertaken throughout the next couple of months around Rabaul
Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...
and patrols were undertaken along the north coast of New Guinea during which the squadron lost one aircraft shot down and several others were damaged in attacks or in accidents. The squadron also flew evacuation missions, repatriating military personnel and civilians back to Australia as the Japanese attacks intensified.[ In May, following the Japanese air attacks on ]Port Moresby
(; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...
, the squadron was withdrawn to Australia, arriving in Bowen, Queensland
Bowen is a coastal town and locality in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Bowen had a population of 10,377 people.
The locality contains two other towns:
* Heronvale ()
* Merinda ().
The Abbot Point coal s ...
, from where it flew reconnaissance sorties in support of Allied naval operations during the Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the batt ...
. Throughout the remainder of the year, the squadron undertook anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols, and several bombing missions in New Guinea during which one Catalina was lost.[Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 70]
The squadron moved to Cairns, Queensland
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
in November 1942, and began to interdict Japanese supply convoys moving between Lae
Lae () is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River and at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is the main land transport corridor between the Highl ...
and Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a town east of Lae on the Huon Peninsula in Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. The town is commonly misspelt as Finschafen or Finschaven. During World War II, the town was also referred to as Fitch Haven in the logs of some U.S ...
. In early March 1943, aircraft from No. 11 Squadron took part in the surveillance of the Japanese convoy which was destroyed in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea
The Battle of the Bismarck Sea (2–4 March 1943) took place in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) during World War II when aircraft of the U.S. Fifth Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) attacked a Japanese convoy carrying troops ...
.[ In April 1943, No. 11 Squadron began conducting offensive mine-laying operations, which it continued until the end of the war. The squadron's most notable achievement in this role was the mining of ]Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
harbour in December 1944,[Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', pp. 70–71] which required three aircraft to fly over in the RAAF's longest mission of the war.[
An incident in which a US Navy Wildcat mistook a No. 11 Squadron Catalina for a Japanese aircraft resulted in the adoption of what became the modern RAAF Roundel. At the time, RAAF aircraft were using the RAF roundel and the USN aircraft mistook this for the Japanese red circular aircraft marking. The aftermath led to the removal of the red colour from the centre of the roundel, which remained as the standard RAAF roundel in the Pacific for the remainder of the war. Post-war, the standard RAF roundel was reinstated, while the current roundel consisting of the blue outer ring surrounding a red kangaroo in motion was adopted in June 1956.
The squadron spent the final months of the war conducting mine laying operations, including Balikpapan Harbour. After Japan surrendered in August 1945, its focus shifted to humanitarian efforts, air dropping supplies to Allied personnel in prisoner-of-war camps, and repatriating newly liberated POWs back to Australia. These operations occupied the squadron until the end of 1945; it was withdrawn back to Australia after that and officially ceased to exist on 15 February 1946.][Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 71] Casualties during the war amounted to 102 personnel killed.[
]
Post-war
On 1 July 1948, No. 11 Squadron was re-formed at RAAF Base Rathmines
RAAF Base Rathmines is a heritage-listed former RAAF Second World War seaplane base and now used as community venues, sports venues and a visitor attraction at Dorrington Road, Rathmines, City of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. It ...
, drawing personnel and aircraft from the former Search and Rescue Wing
The Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force (SARF or SAR Force) was the Royal Air Force organisation which provided around-the-clock aeronautical search and rescue cover in the United Kingdom, British Forces Cyprus, Cyprus and the Falkland Islan ...
. At this time it operated Catalinas again, undertaking search and rescue and courier tasks. In September that year, the squadron lost one aircraft in a crash on Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...
during a night navigation exercise, which resulted in the deaths of seven of the nine crewmembers.[Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 72] The squadron ceased operations on 1 May 1950 and was briefly disbanded between then and 1 November 1950, when it re-formed at RAAF Base Amberley
RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland in Australia and southwest of Brisbane CBD. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron (operating the F/A-18F Super Hornet), N ...
in Queensland, operating modified Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincoln ...
heavy bombers. Two weeks later, the squadron was transferred to RAAF Base Pearce
RAAF Base Pearce is the main Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base in Western Australia. The base is located in Bullsbrook, north of Perth. It is used for training by the RAAF and the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
Pearce is ...
in Western Australia, from where it conducted patrols over the Indian Ocean. It was re-equipped with Lockheed P-2 Neptune
The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and ...
aircraft throughout 1951–53, sending crews to the United States to fly the aircraft back, and in May 1954 the squadron relocated to RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located within the City of Hawkesbury, approximately North-West of the Sydney Central Business District in New South Wales, Australia. Situated between the towns of W ...
.
Neptunes from the squadron flew around the world in February 1957 as part of Operation Westbound.[ In 1959, the squadron's Neptunes were flown to the United States and upgraded with jet engines; one aircraft was lost in a crash near ]RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located within the City of Hawkesbury, approximately North-West of the Sydney Central Business District in New South Wales, Australia. Situated between the towns of W ...
early that year, resulting in the deaths of the entire crew.[ In February 1964, the squadron returned to the search and rescue role when it helped search for survivors following the ''Melbourne''–''Voyager'' collision. The following year, the squadron deployed five aircraft as escorts when HMAS ''Sydney'' was dispatched to South Vietnam carrying equipment and troops including the ]1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) is a regular motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 1 RAR was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Battalion of the 34th Brigade (Australia) on Balikpapan in 1945 and since ...
and the Prince of Wales's Light Horse as part of Australia's contribution to the Vietnam War.[
The last squadron's last Neptune flight took place in late 1967. In February 1968,] No. 11 Squadron moved to RAAF Base Edinburgh
RAAF Base Edinburgh is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located in Edinburgh approximately north of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and forms part of the Edinburgh Defence Precinct.
The base is primarily home to No 9 ...
where it re-equipped with P-3B Orion aircraft over the next six months, dispatching crews to the United States to retrieve the aircraft. From early 1981, the squadron's aircraft were dispatched regularly to RAAF Base Butterworth
RMAF Butterworth ( ms, TUDM Butterworth) is an active Military airbase, Air Force Station of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) situated from Butterworth, Penang, Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia. It is currently home to the ''Headquarters In ...
in Malaysia as part of No. 92 Wing. Between 1984 and 1986, the old model Orions were replaced with P-3Cs.[
No. 11 Squadron continues to operate in the maritime patrol and surveillance roles.][ In this role, the squadron has taken part in several high-profile rescues of wrecked sailors in the Great Southern Ocean, including those of ]Tony Bullimore
Tony Bullimore (15 January 1939 – 31 July 2018) was a British businessman and international yachtsman. He is known especially for being rescued on 10 January 1997 during a sailing race after he had been presumed dead.
Early life and career
...
and Isabelle Autissier
Isabelle Autissier (born 18 October 1956) is a French sailor, navigator, writer, and broadcaster. She is celebrated for being the first woman to have completed a solo world navigation in competition ( BOC Challenge 1990–91). Based in La Rochel ...
. In 1999, the squadron supported the Australian-led intervention into East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
as part of Operation Warden
The International Force East Timor (INTERFET) was a multinational non-United Nations peacemaking task force, organised and led by Australia in accordance with United Nations resolutions to address the humanitarian and security crisis that took ...
. Between 2003 and 2013, the squadron's aircraft deployed to the Middle East as part of No. 92 Wing's commitment to Operations Catalyst
Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...
, Falconer and Slipper
Slippers are light footwear that are easy to put on and off and are intended to be worn indoors, particularly at home. They provide comfort and protection for the feet when walking indoors.
History
The recorded history of slippers can be traced ...
. One of the squadron's main roles during these operations was the provision of "over-ground surveillance", providing real-time reconnaissance information to Coalition ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, under the direction of ground controllers.
In May 2015, it was announced that the squadron would begin transitioning from Orions to Boeing P-8 Poseidon
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an American maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800. It was developed for the United States Navy (USN).
Th ...
s. The first aircraft was delivered in November 2016 and as of June 2017 the squadron was operating three P8As. Twelve aircraft were being operated by December 2019.
In April 2018, an 11 Squadron P-8A Poseidon was deployed to Japan to conduct maritime surveillance to prevent sanctions evasions by North Korea as part of Operation Argos
Operation Argos is the Australian Defence Force's contribution to the international effort to enforce United Nations' sanctions against North Korea. The operation began in 2018, and is ongoing as of 2021. The Australian effort is focused on detec ...
. There have been multiple subsequent deployments.
In October 2019, an 11 Squadron P-8A Poseidon was deployed to the Middle East in support of a US-led International Maritime Security Construct
The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) is a consortium of countries whose official stated aim is the maintenance of order and security in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden and Southern Red Sea, particularly regarding marit ...
, which includes forces from the US, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UK.
In January 2020, during the devastating and unprecedented Australia wide bush fires, an 11 Squadron P-8A Poseidon was utilised under the Emergency Defence Assistance to the Civil Community role as a surveillance asset for Operation Bushfire Assist.
On May 26th 2022, during a Defence Force maritime surveillance mission, an 11 Squadron P8-A Poseidon later identified as A47-008 callsign ASY-189 was intercepted by a PLAAF
The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Pe ...
J-16 fighter jet in International Airspace over the South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
. The Defence Minister stated that the J-16 deployed flares
A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala in some Latin-speaking countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, o ...
and chaff
Chaff (; ) is the dry, scaly protective casing of the seeds of cereal grains or similar fine, dry, scaly plant material (such as scaly parts of flowers or finely chopped straw). Chaff is indigestible by humans, but livestock can eat it. In agri ...
that was ingested into the P8-A's engine.
Aircraft operated
No. 11 Squadron RAAF has operated the following aircraft:[Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', pp. 69–73]
* Short Empire
The Short Empire was a medium-range four-engined monoplane flying boat, designed and developed by Short Brothers during the 1930s to meet the requirements of the growing commercial airline sector, with a particular emphasis upon its usefulness ...
(1939–1941)
* Supermarine Seagull (1939–1941)
* Consolidated Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wit ...
(1941–1950)
* Avro Lincoln
The Avro Type 694 Lincoln is a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were initially known as the Lancaster IV and V; these were renamed Lincoln I and ...
(1950–1951)
* Lockheed P2V-5S Neptune (1951–1968)
* Lockheed P-3B Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. (1986–2002)
* AP-3C Orion
The Lockheed AP-3C Orion is a variant of the P-3 Orion used by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for tasks such as naval fleet support, maritime surveillance, search and survivor supply and anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. The 18 A ...
(2002–2016)
* Boeing P-8A Poseidon
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an American maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800. It was developed for the United States Navy (USN).
Th ...
(2016–present)
Notes
References
*
*
External links
11 Squadron Official Website
{{Military units and formations of the Royal Australian Air Force
11
Maritime patrol aircraft squadrons
Military units and formations established in 1939