RAAF Patch Sqn Royal Australian Air Force 1 Squadron Crest 1980s

RAAF Patch 1 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force Crest Patch Queens Crown 1980s F 111C RAAF Amberley Embroidered on wool cut edge 120mm by 80mm four and three quarter inches by three and one eighth inches.

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Badge  A diving kookaburra superimposed over the Cross of Jerusalem.

motto  Videmus Agamus We See and We Strike.

Squadron history

Following combat in the Pacific theatre 1 Squadron returned to Australia and was disbanded in 1946. On 23 February 1948 1 Squadron Fighting First was reactivated at RAAF Station Amberley on the renumbering of 12 Squadron equipped with Lincoln Bombers under 82 Bomber Wing with maintenance undertaken by 482 Maintenance Squadron. 1 Squadron moved to Tengah AB Singapore in 1950 assigned to 90 Composite Wing and undertook combat missions against communist guerrillas during the Malayan Emergency with area bombing missions and strikes against pinpoint targets with aircraft in formation or on single aircraft sorties often strafing target after the bombs were deployed. 1 Squadron undertook its own operational maintenance while in Singapore with aircraft rotated back to Australia for major maintenance. The Squadron dropped over 14000 tons of bombs during the campaign mainly by day and was the only Commonwealth unit to carry out night missions. The Squadron returned to RAAF Amberley Australia in July 1958 and was reequipped with the Canberra jet bombers.

1 Squadron whilst retaining their Canberras effectively ceased operations in 1968 to convert to the F 111 swing wing fighter bomber with Squadron personnel departing for the United States to commence training. Heavy delays with the F 111s led to the Squadron replacing its Canberras with leased F 4E Phantom in September 1970 as an interim measure while awaiting delivery of the F 111 using the Phantoms in the strike role to maintain the F 111 tasking.

1 Squadron received its F 111Cs at Amberley in June 1973 as 82 Wings lead strike Squadron for low level missions on land and maritime targets close air support and long range air defence with 6 Squadron primarily tasked with crew conversion training and reconnaissance. The F 111C was the RAAFs primary defence deterrent the Squadron deployed throughout Australia Malaysia Singapore New Zealand the Philippines and the United States for major exercises. 82 Wing employed a centralised servicing system with all aircraft and maintenance personnel held under 482 Squadron which released F 111C aircraft to 1 and 6 Squadron as required by their respective flying programs. Pave Tack pods were received in 1980 and further avionics upgrades and weapons including Harpoon anti shipping missiles became available. Responsibility for operating level servicing of the aircraft together with operational control of the aircraft was transferred to 1 and 6 Squadrons in February 1981. 482 Squadron continued to provide intermediate level servicing with major upgrades and complex maintenance were carried out by 3 Aircraft Depot with both units merging in 1992 to form 501 Wing.

6 Squadron transferred its four RF 111C reconnaissance aircraft to 1 Squadron in July 1996 expanding its tasking to include tactical and strategic reconnaissance. 1 and 6 Squadrons were deployed to RAAF Base Tindal in September 1999 to support INTERFET international forces operations in East Timor in readiness for air strikes. INTERFET did not encounter significant resistance and Squadron operations were limited to reconnaissance by RF 111Cs from 5 November 1999 to 9 December 1999. 501 Wing transferred heavy maintenance of the F 111s to Boeing Australia in 2001.

1 Squadron ceased operating the F 111 in January 2009 in preparation for conversion to the FA 18 Super Hornet and began receiving the new aircraft on 26 March 2010 with the Squadrons final aircraft on 21 October 2011 becoming operational on 8 December 2011. With the Super Hornets multi role ability the Squadron added air to air combat function to its offensive strike role and the Squadron attained full operational capability with the Super Hornet in December 2012. 1 Squadron deployed to Al Minhad AB United Arab Emirates in September 2014 as part of the Australian Air Task Group joining the coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ISIL forces in Iraq and conducted their first mission over Iraq on 5 October 2014 and their first strike 9 October 2014. In March 2015 having flown over 400 missions in almost 3000 hours the 1 Squadron detachment was replaced by six FA 18As from 75 Squadron.

This patch dates from the 1980s.