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-PART 4 of Neil Leybourne Smith's History :
After World War II to date ...
But in less than two years, the Squadron was
active again. On the 8th of March, 1948, it was reformed at
Fairbaine in
Canberra, ACT, as 3 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron under the command of
Squadron Leader T. H. Saunders. With nine Mustangs, eight Austers and two
Wirraway trainers, the Squadron carried out general flying duties and training
operations, with the Austers being used in Army cooperation exercises because of
their short take off and landing capabilities.
Several Commanding Officers were appointed during the years that followed including Squadron Leader J.W. Hubble, A.F.C. who was C.O. for almost 3 years.
In December, 1951, the Squadron's name was officially changed to 3 Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron but it was changed again on the 15th of June, 1953 to 3 Squadron DF/GA, the letters classifying the Squadron as non-operative and, to all intents and purposes, disbanded.
On the 1st of March, 1956, the Squadron was
reformed as 3 Fighter Squadron. It was formed with a flight of Sabre Jets which
had successfully completed trials in Canberra. Various models of these
swept-wing jets had been used by both the U.S. 
Air Force and
the South African Air Force with excellent results against the very versatile
and nimble Russian MiG-15 during the Korean war that had started on the 23rd of
June, 1950 so the Sabre's history was already favourable known.
The Squadron was then based at Williamtown for the next two years flying A94 C.A.C. manufactured Sabres with Squadron Leader F. W. Barnes, D.F.C., A.F.C. as their C.O.
On the 12th of September, 1957, Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., presented the Squadron with its Standard which is now referred to as the Old Standard because it didn't include all the Squadron's battle honours. Twenty-nine years later it was replaced with the New Standard.
Wing Commander C. G. Thomas, D.F.C. took over
command on the 13th of January, 1958 and, in October that year the Squadron was
posted to Butterworth in Malaysia.
Butterworth was under R.A.F. administration
but had been selected by R.A.A.F. Command as the logical off-shore airfield from
which its aircraft could provide air defence of the Malaysia-Singapore region in
the event of an attack by revolutionary Asian forces.
The Squadron travelled via Townsville and Darwin through Biak and Labuan until they reached Butterworth on the 5th of November, 1958.
The Squadron stayed there for over 8 years attached to 78 Wing ... flying their Sabres alongside those of 77 Squadron and 2 Squadron with 478 Maintenance Squadron and a Transport Squadron providing support.
Officers commanding the Squadron and various
other personnel changed during those years in which the Squadron was carrying
out its air defence exercises until in December 1966, it was reduced to a
nucleus of men and aircraft, and operations were wound down. In February 1967,
the Squadron, with only eight Sabres, returned to Williamtown to be re-equipped
with A3 Mirage aircraft.
The Mirage had been developed over the
previous ten years and, with turbojet propulsion, was the first aircraft to
exceed twice the speed of sound. It could fly at over 55,000 feet and at the
time was considered to be one of the world’s five top aircraft. For the next
two years, the Squadron was trained to fly and service their new aircraft.
Shortly after training started, an unfortunate happening occurred on a training
flight when a Mirage flown by Wing Commander V. Drummond, who was the Squadron
C.O. at the time, dived into the sea about 50 miles from Newcastle and both
pilot and aircraft disappeared.
In February 1969, 3 Squadron returned to
Butterworth to give further support to the Royal Malaysian
Air Force.
This was happening about the same time that the war in Vietnam was escalating
and Australian forces had already become involved in fighting alongside the
USA forces against the Vietcong.
During the next fifteen years, many regular detachments were sent from Butterworth firstly to Tengah in Singapore to help train the Singapore Air Defence Forces and later to Paya Lebar Air Force Base.
In 1981 and again in 1983 and 1985, a section of 3 Squadron joined in Exercise Cope Thunder held at the United States' Clarke Air Force Base in the Philippines.
On the 31st of March 1986, after being away
from Australia for over seventeen years, the Squadron transferred its aircraft
and most of its personnel to 79 Squadron and the 45 personnel remaining returned
without aircraft to Williamtown to prepare for re-equipping and training on
Australia's newly purchased F/A-18 fighters.
Called the Hornet, the 17 metre long F/A-18's twin low-bypass engines provide a flying range of about 3,700 kilometres without refuelling which can be done in flight when required. It can fly at Mach 1.8 which is over 1,300 miles or 2,000 plus kilometres per hour and it can climb and manoeuvre with extraordinary capability.
On the 29th of August, 1986, at a ceremony at
the Government Aircraft Factory in Avalon, Victoria, the first of the Hornets,
numbered A21-8 and A21-9, were handed over to the C.O., Wing Commander Bruce
Mouatt, and he and Squadron Leader R. J. Fox flew them back to Williamtown.
Since then, of course, many other F/A-18's have been delivered.
The Squadron continues to operate from
Williamtown and often participates in exercises carried out by the Australian Defence
Forces and, on occasions, provide support to other Allied Forces ... duties
which the Squadron has been meticulously carrying out since its inception in
1916.
The winged flaming grenade on the Squadron’s
emblem symbolises both the early days as a squadron of the Australian Flying
Corps and as an R.A.A.F. Army Co-operation squadron after that ... and the
Fleur-de-Lis was added to indicate that the Squadron was one of the three
Australian squadrons which served in France during the first war.
It's a history that everyone who has ever
served with 3 Squadron can justly be proud of ... as can each and every member
of their families. Obviously courage and discipline were the backbone of every
young 3 Squadron man who fought in those two terrible wars so long ago where
death was watching their every move. But when you speak to the survivors of
those wars today, they don't mention this or any memories of their personal
hardships, sacrifices or dangers. They just speak proudly of the Squadron's accomplishments ... of the part it played in beating an enemy which threatened
the freedom of their families and their country.
And when they mention their colleagues who lost their lives fighting the war or those who have died since, they speak of them as friends ... brothers-in-arms they'll never forget. From their unconquerable spirit rises a heritage of camaraderie and respect that every 3 Squadron member regardless of rank or time and place of service, can carry forward in perpetuity for as long as the Nation lives.
