Portal:Military of Australia/Units/September 20

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No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. The Squadron is currently based at RAAF Amberley and operates the F-111 bomber. No. 1 Squadron was established as No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps at Point Cook, VIC on 1 January 1916. During WWI the squadron fought in the Palestine Campaign fot the entire war. No. 1 Squadron deployed to Malaya in July 1940. The Squadron suffered severe losses at the hands of the Japanese and was withdrawn to Australia in March 1942 and disbanded. No. 1 Squadron re-formed on 1 December 1943 and served out the war in the Pacific until it was disbanded at Narromine, NSW on 7 August 1946. No. 1 Squadron re-formed as a heavy bomber squadron on 23 February 1948. The Squadron was based in Singapore from 1950 to 1958 and flew missions against communist guerrillas during the Malayan Emergency. On returning to Australia in July 1958 the Squadron was re-equipped with the Canberra bombers. The Squadron has operated F-111s since their belated arrival in 1973 in the low level strike role. The F-111s will be retired by around 2010. If No. 1 Squadron is retained, it will be re-equipped with the F-35.