No. 5 Squadron RAAF

A Boomerang aircraft operated by No. 5 Squadron in 1944 (AWM NEA0408)

No. 5 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force training, army co-operation and helicopter squadron. The Squadron was first formed in 1917 and was disbanded in December 1989.

Squadron history

No. 5 Squadron was formed at Shawbury in England on 1 September 1917, as a unit of the Australian Flying Corps. The Squadron provided training to Australian pilots in Britain during World War I. After completing their training with No. 5 Squadron Australian pilots were posted to the operational squadrons based in France. No. 5 Squadron was disbanded in May 1919.

No. 5 Squadron was re-formed at RAAF Base Richmond on 20 April 1936 as a fleet co-operation squadron by expanding No. 101 (Fleet Co-Operation) Flight. Equipped with Supermarine Seagull amphibian aircraft the Squadron operated from Royal Australian Navy cruisers and the seaplane tender HMAS Albatross. No. 5 Squadron was redesignated No. 9 Squadron on 1 January 1939.

No. 5 Squadron was reformed at RAAF Base Laverton on 9 January 1941 equipped with Wirraways. The squadron was partially re-equipped with Boomerangs in late 1943 and was assigned to several different stations in Australia. In November 1944, No. 5 Squadron was deployed to Bougainville under No. 84 (Army Co-operation) Wing, and operated with units of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. No. 5 Squadron was disbanded following the end of the war.

No. 5 Squadron was reformed in 1963 as a helicopter squadron equipped with UH-1 Iroquois helicopters. The squadron saw active service during the Malayan Emergency before returning to Australia where it supported Army units training for deployment to South Vietnam.

In December 1989, No. 5 Squadron was disbanded and absorbed into the Australian Defence Force Helicopter Training School.

References

• RAAF Museum 5 Squadron