Air Force personnel and a Hercules flypast join veterans to commemorate 50 years since deployment to Vietnam War raaf.gov.au/1zSw1Lt Air Force personnel from RAAF Base Richmond will join their veteran counterparts in Coffs Harbour from Friday-Sunday, 8-10 August, to mark the 50th anniversary of the RAAF deploying to the Vietnam War. At 2:30pm on Saturday, 9 August, a Hercules will fly from north-to-south over Opal Cove Beach at a height of 75 metres, then conduct a second flypast with its landing gear down and cargo ramp opened. On 8 August 1964, the RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam (RTFV) was formed at Vung Tau Air Base in South Vietnam, with three DHC-4 Caribou transport aircraft. From August 1964 to February 1972, the RTFV would expand to six Caribou, and would be reformed as No. 35 Squadron. The RAAF also deployed Canberra bombers and Iroquois helicopters; as well as operational planners and support personnel, and a number of pilots on exchange with the United States Air Force. At its peak, RAAF had 750 personnel deployed in the Vietnam War, and suffered 14 casualties, five of these during combat. The reunion in Coffs Harbour is being coordinated by the No. 35 Squadron Association, which includes veteran members of the Vietnam War. They will be joined there by current Air Force personnel, including members of the present-day No. 35 Squadron from RAAF Base Richmond. Wing Commander Bradley Clarke is Commanding Officer of No. 35 Squadron, and said he was honoured to join the veterans for the reunion. “No. 35 Squadron has a 72-year history, and its service in Vietnam is an extremely important part of our unit’s identity,” Wing Commander Clarke said. “It was during this conflict that the squadron’s nickname, ‘Wallaby Airlines’, was forged, with RAAF Caribou in Vietnam flying 81,500 operational sorties.” “They carried 42,000 tons of cargo, and 679,000 passengers, leading Americans to believe the RAAF had more Caribou in Vietnam than we really did.” “The current generation of No. 35 Squadron is extremely proud of the contribution made by our veteran members, and we’re looking forward to joining them in Coffs Harbour,” he said. RAAF Base Richmond was an important part of Air Force’s role in the Vietnam War. The base supported the DHC-4 Caribou which flew missions in South Vietnam, and was also home to the C-130 Hercules which transported equipment and personnel from Australia. The Hercules were also configured to carry casualties on aero-medical evacuation missions, which saw RAAF medical crews care for wounded during 14-hour non-stop flights from Vung Tau to Richmond. See more images raaf.gov.au/1zSw1Lt Read more raaf.gov.au/1qTCqk8 For Air Force Flying Operations bit.ly/FlyingOps
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 04:19:30 +0000
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