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No. 21 (City of Melbourne) SquadronPrint Page Print this page

Plaque Location
Plaque Location

Photographs supplied by Glen Yeomans

The plaque commemorates personnel who served in No. 21 (City of Melbourne) Squadron during World War Two.

The plaque location is indicated by the red poppy in the second image. 

Formed in the mid-1930s as a unit of the part-time Citizen Air Force (CAF), it was mobilised for service during World War Two, when it saw action against the Japanese as a fighter unit in the Malayan campaign, a dive bomber unit in the New Guinea campaign, and a heavy bomber unit in the Borneo campaign.

In 1948 the squadron was re-formed as No. 21 (City of Melbourne) Squadron at RAAF Laverton as a Citizen Air Force (reserve) fighter squadron. It flew CAC Wirraway, P-51 Mustang and de Havilland Vampire aircraft from 1948 until 1960, when the CAF ceased flying operations. At that time, No. 21 Squadron converted to a non-flying support role, which it currently fulfils at RAAF Williams. 

 

Location

Address:Fairbairn & Limestone Avenues, Australian War Memorial Sculpture Garden, Campbell, 2612
State:ACT
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -35.279626
Long: 149.147118
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW2
Actual Event Start Date:03-September-1939
Actual Event End Date:15-August-1945

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Friday 14th August, 2009
Front Inscription

No. 21 (City of Melbourne) Squadron
Malaya        New Guinea   Markham Valley  Morotai   Borneo 
1941 - 1942    1944                   1944                          1945         1945

No.21 Squadron, RAAF, was formed at Laverton, Victoria, in 1936 as a reserve unit.  It was the only fighter squadron on the Malayan mainland when the Japanese attacked in December 1941.

The squadron operated Vultee Vengeance dive-bombers at Nadzab, New Guinea before converting to Consolidated B24 Liberator heavy bombers, which they operated for the remainder of the war.

Reformed as a fighter squadron in 1948, it became an auxiliary unit in the Air Force Reserve in 1960.

Dedicated to all who served

 

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au