RAAF Patch Sqn Royal Australian Air Force b 11 Squadron Ops c

RAAF Patch 11 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force Maritime Reconnaissance Patrol Fincastle 1997 Patch P 3C Orion RAAF Edinburgh Velcro Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 99mm three and seven eighth inches diameter. From pilot with11 Squadron crest and VP International patches.

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11 Squadron reformed on 1 July 1948 at RAAF Rathmines with personnel and Catalina aircraft from the former Search and Rescue Wing tasked with search and rescue and courier services. The Squadron was disbanded on 1 May 1950 to be reactivated on 1 November at RAAF Amberley operating modified Lincoln heavy bombers moving to RAAF Pearce for maritime patrol reconnaissance and surveillance over the Indian Ocean. The Squadron began converting to P2 Neptune patrol aircraft in 1951 sending crews for training in the US and on completion flying the aircraft back to Australia becoming fully equipped in 1953 before relocating to RAAF Richmond in May 1954. The Squadron flew P2 Neptunes around the world in February 1957 as part of Operation Westbound and its aircraft flown to the US in 1959 to be upgraded to jet engines. The Squadron provided search and rescue in February 1964 with the search for survivors following the Melbourne Voyager collision. In 1965 the five Neptunes from 11 Squadron escorted HMAS Sydney dispatched to South Vietnam carrying equipment and troops including the 1 Battalion Royal Australian Regiment and the Prince of Waless Light Horse as part of Australias contribution to the Vietnam War.

11 Squadron relocated to RAAF Edinburgh in February 1968 to reequipped with P 3B Orion patrol aircraft dispatching crews to the US for training and to retrieve the aircraft. The Squadron deployed aircraft regularly to RAAF Butterworth Malaysia from early 1981 as part of 92 Wings Patrol Detachment. The Squadron commenced upgrading to P 3C Orions in 1984. The Squadron has taken part in several high profile rescues of wrecked sailors in the Great Southern Ocean, including those of Tony Bullimore and Isabelle Autissier. In 1999 the Squadron supported the Australian led intervention into East Timor as part of Operation Warden and from 2003 provided regular rotational deployments to the Middle East as part of 92 Wings commitment to Operations Catalyst Falconer and Slipper to provide over ground surveillance real time reconnaissance information to Coalition ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan under the direction of ground controllers until the withdrawal of the commitment in 2013.

This patch dates from 1997.