RNZAF Patch Sqn Royal New Zealand Air Force b 40 Squadron C 130 Crest

RNZAF Patch 40 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force Crest Patch Queens Crown 1990s C 130H Hercules Boeing 727 RNZAF Base Auckland Embroidered on felt cut edge 121mm by 96mm four and three quarter inches by three and three quarter inches.

Free Shipping

Squadron History

40 Squadron was activated in 1943 at Whenuapai Airfield Auckland equipped with Hudson Lodestar and Dakota aircraft to provide transport support to New Zealand and allied forces in the South West Pacific. The Squadron was disbanded in 1947 with most of its personnel and aircraft were transferred to the National Airways Corporation.

The Squadron was reactivated in 1954 at RNZAF Base Auckland Whenuapai Airfield equipped with four new Handley Page Hastings CMk3 transports tasked as the strategic fixed wing transport force for the RNZAF to provide strategic and tactical air transport aeromedical evacuation VIP air transport disaster relief and humanitarian operations civil defence support in NZ and the South Pacific and support for government activities.

Three ex Tasman Empire Airways Limited DC6 aircraft were added to the Squadron in 1961. The Squadron began operated flights from New Zealand to Antarctica during the Southern Continents summer months in 1965 to support the NZ Antarctic Programme.

40 Squadron reequipped with three C 130H Hercules in 1965 and added a further two in 1969. Two Boeing 727 22QC jet transport aircraft were added to the Squadrons fleet in 1981.

40 Squadron travels around the world on Government and Defence tasks including operating in Pakistan India Australia Fiji Western Samoa Tonga Vanuatu Rwanda and the Middle East on humanitarian tasks. During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm 1990 1991 two Hercules, crews and support personnel deployed to Riyadh Saudi Arabia in support of RAF Transport Squadrons.

The Squadron has carried out resupply and support missions for New Zealand Defence Force deployments to Somalia Bosnia Bougainville and East Timor during the 1990s and has operated in the Middle East since 2001 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom with regular flights by the C 130H Hercules and the 727 aircraft each year in support of NZDF personnel based in Afghanistan.

This patch dates from the 1970s.