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Rollout of the Sabre aircraft from the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation.

South Australia has a proud history with military aviation in Australia, dating back to its earliest days with many South Australians playing key roles in the Australian Flying Corps in World War 1 and the development of the RAAF between the wars. Sir Richard Williams KBE CB DSO, the first military-trained pilot in Australia and the Air Force’s first Chief of the Air Staff (widely regarded as the ‘Father’ of the RAAF), was born and raised in Moonta SA. During World War II, South Australian RAAF bases at Port Pirie, Mt Gambier, Mallala and Victor Harbor trained thousands of airmen.

On 3 February 1954, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Australia as part of their royal tour of the Commonwealth. The tour was the first such tour of Australia undertaken by a reigning British monarch. In just 58…

“I wasn’t new to operational command nor to the ground attack role except this war in Korea was a very different, and very ugly, war.”  Wing Commander Dick Cresswell. On 27 July 1953 an armistice was signed bringing an abrupt end to the…

The Canberra formed part of the ‘golden era’ for Australian aviation manufacturing companies. Government Aircraft Factories produced forty-eight Canberra aircraft, and the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation produced the Avon engines. The Australian…

Two Gloster Meteor Mk8 jets of No 77 Squadron engaged three enemy MiG-15 near Sinmak.

The Queen’s Colour was presented to the Air Force by the Minister for Air, Mr William McMahon, at a special parade held at Laverton

Pilot Officer W.H. (‘Bill’) Simmonds scored the only fully confirmed RAAF victory over a Communist MiG-15 in the Korean War.

When Warrant Officer Ron Guthrie was forced to abandon his Meteor jet fighter over Korea on this day, it was the first time a Martin Baker seat had been used in combat.

When No 77 Squadron entered the Korean War, it was operating propeller-driven Mustang aircraft, which soon proved to be inferior to the Communist’s jet-powered MiG-15s. In response, the squadron was re-equipped with Gloster Meteor jet aircraft.…

On 7 April 1951 No 77 Squadron was withdrawn from Korea to Iwakuni, Japan, to begin replacing its propeller-driven Mustang fighters with Gloster Meteor jets. Fifteen single-seat Meteor F.8 and two dual-controlled T.7s had reached Japan on the…

Women’s Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF) commences recruit training.

Wing Commander Lou Spence, Commanding Officer of No 77 Squadron, was killed in action during attack on storage facilities at An’gang-n, South Korea.

Air Force’s No 77 Squadron, based at Iwakuni, Japan, was directed to join in the fighting as part of the response by the United Nations to North Korea's all out offensive against South Korea.

Two Australians—Major Stuart Peach and Squadron Leader Ronald Rankin completed a two-week visit along the 38th parallel inspecting Republic of Korea Army dispositions, activities, defences and weaponry resulting in a report to the United Nations which convinced it to act.

RAAF Base Glenbrook is the home of Headquarters Air Command, approximately 60 kilometres west of Sydney in the lower Blue Mountains, New South Wales (NSW). Glenbrook’s RAAF origins date from 1949 when the government purchased the Lapstone Hill Hotel, a luxury holiday resort and conference venue, to accommodate Headquarters Eastern Area.

In 1811, Governor Macquarie ordered the construction of a barracks on a site subsequently called Barracks Hill in Van Diemen’s Land. The foundation stone of the former Officer’s Quarters was laid in 1814 with other buildings partly built by 1818.The RAAF Ensign was raised for the first time on 12 Sep 1949.

A new national Ensign for the Air Force was adopted.

RAAF Point Cook is located on the shores of Port Phillip Bay, 20 kilometres south west of the Melbourne central business district, near the township of Werribee, Victoria and is synonymous with the birth of military aviation in Australia.

The first group of 53 youths selected for engineering training under the Air Force’s new apprenticeship scheme entered the Ground Training School at Forest Hill.

The Air Force entered the helicopter age when its first rotary wing aircraft, a Sikorsky S-51 Dragonfly, was test-flown.

A Lincoln A73-2 conducted a pioneering flight from RAAF Base Point Cook to the edge of the Antarctic zone.

On 15 May 1941, the experimental Gloster E.28/39 made the first flight by a British jet-propelled aircraft. The Gloster Meteor became the Royal Air Force's (RAF) first operational jet aircraft with the delivery of the first aircraft to No 616…

Squadron Leader Derek (‘Jell’) Cuming flies an ex-RAF Meteor F.3 at RAAF Base Laverton.

RAAF represented at Japanese surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri at Tokyo Bay.

Motto: Defend the Eyrie Battle Honours: Pacific 1945, Borneo 1945, Morotai, East Timor 1999-2000 No 2 Airfield Defence Squadron was formed on 10 April 1945 at Morotai. The unit, now No 2 Security Forces Squadron, is part of No 95 Wing with…

The Air Force attained its highest strength during World War II of almost 184,000 personnel (165,365 males in the Royal Australian Air Force and 18,457 females in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force).

Warrant Officer Len Waters, Australia's first Aboriginal fighter pilot.

When Allied forces invaded France under Operation Overlord, seven squadrons regarded as ‘Australian’ under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme Agreement took part in attacks on the Normandy beaches and surrounding areas.