RNZAF Patch Sqn Royal New Zealand Air Force 5 Squadron Crest

RNZAF Patch 5 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force Crest Patch Queens Crown 1980s Orion P 3 RNZAF Base Whenuapai Embroidered on felt cut edge Velcro 120mm by 86mm four and three quarter inches by three and three eighth inches.

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Squadron History

Following wartime service carrying out long range maritime patrol operations with Singapore and Catalina flying boats in the Pacific campaign 5 Squadron relocated to Lauthala Bay Fiji. The Squadron reequipped with Sunderland flying boats in 1953 continuing maritime surveillance medical evacuation flights and communications flights for colonial administrators over the vast South Pacific Ocean.

In 1966 the majority of the Squadron was moved to Whenuapai as it took delivery of five new Lockheed Orion P 3Bs. The Squadrons Sunderlands were withdrawn in 1967 on the closure of Lauthala Bay Fiji.

In their operations Orion aircraft and crews from 5 Squadron have travelled to many different countries and have won the prestigious international maritime Fincastle competition on several occasions. In the early 1980s the Orion aircraft were upgraded and redesignated to P 3K Orion. In 1985 a sixth Orion obtained from the RAAF was added to the fleet.

In February 1998 a short term detachment of two Orion aircraft crews and support personnel were dispatched to the Arabian Gulf in support of a build-up of coalition forces in the region. The detachment returned to New Zealand mid March 1998. Between May 2003 and February 2004 a detachment was deployed to contribute to the multinational antiterrorist Operation Enduring Freedom coalition flying a total of 142 missions conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. In February 2006 5 Squadron deployed to Antarctica for the first time as a trial to pave the way for Antarctic-based maritime surveillance operations.

This patch dates from the 1980s.