No. 99 Squadron was a
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
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, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF)
heavy bomber
Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larges ...
squadron that was raised during
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 opposing ...
. Formed late in the war, the squadron ultimately did not see action as it became combat ready just as the war came to an end. After the war, it undertook general transportation duties before being disbanded in mid-1946.
History
No. 99 Squadron was formed on 1 February 1945 at
Leyburn, Queensland
Leyburn (pronounced Lee-burn) is a rural town in the Southern Downs Region and a locality split between the South Downs Region and the Toowoomba Region in Queensland, Australia.
In the , Leyburn had a population of 476 people.
Geography
The ...
, as a heavy bomber squadron. The squadron's first
commanding officer was Squadron Leader James Marshall. Personnel began marching in and by the end of the month, the squadron's strength had reached 17
officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
and 394
other ranks. The squadron's
B-24 Liberator bombers arrived in early March and the squadron was transferred to
Jondaryan, Queensland
Jondaryan is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Jondaryan had a population of 385 people.
Geography
The Western railway line passes through the locality. The now-closed Jondaryan ...
, for further training.
In early April, Wing Commander Arthur Cross took over command of the squadron, which had grown in size to include 82 officers and 581 other ranks, equipped with a variety of aircraft: eight Liberators, as well as one
Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. ...
and one
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCA ...
. That month the squadron was declared operational in April and it began moving to
Darwin, Northern Territory, in May ahead of commencing combat operations. As the move continued, the squadron received another six Liberators. The squadron was still in the process of concentrating in Darwin when the war ended in August, with the move finally being completed in late September. As a result, the squadron did not see action against the Japanese.
Following the end of the war No. 99 Squadron operated in the transport role and was responsible for flying personnel and supplies between Darwin and southern Australia. The squadron suffered its first loss on 14 September when a Liberator crashed near
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 ...
, killing five crew members. Transport operations continued throughout October, with the squadron's aircraft transporting around 800 passengers, most of whom were recently liberated Allied prisoners of war, and large quantity of freight.
In November, No. 99 Squadron moved from Darwin to
Tocumwal, New South Wales
Tocumwal ( ) is a town in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Berrigan Shire local government area, near the Victorian border. The town is situated on the banks of the Murray River, north of the city of Melbourne. ...
, where, the following month, further losses were incurred when one member was killed and four injured in a vehicle accident on the ground. As the
demobilisation process began, the squadron was warned out for disbandment in March 1946. In early May, command of the squadron passed to Flight Lieutenant B.S. Garvin. The squadron was finally disbanded on 5 June 1946.
See also
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B-24 Liberators in Australian service
Notes
References
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{{List of RAAF Squadrons
99
Military units and formations established in 1945
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946
1946 disestablishments in Australia