No 3 SquadronPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates those who served with No 3 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (R. A. A. F.) in the various conflicts in which Australia has been involved. Funding for the plaque was received in March 2016 through the Saluting Their Service Community Grants Program.
No. 3 Squadron is a fighter squadron, headquartered at R. A. A. F. Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales. Established in 1916, it was one of four combat squadrons of the Australian Flying Corps during World War One, and operated on the Western Front in France before being disbanded in 1919. It was re-raised as a permanent squadron of the R. A. A. F. in 1925, and during World War II operated in the Mediterranean Theatre.
The Cold War years saw the squadron disbanded and re-raised twice. It was based at R. A. A. F.Butterworth during the Malayan Emergency and the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation.
Equipped with McDonnell Douglas F/A - 18 Hornet multi-role fighters from 1986, the squadron deployed to Diego Garcia in 2002 to provide local air defence, and the following year contributed aircraft and crews to the invasion of Iraq as part of Operation Falconer. In April 2016, it deployed to the Middle East as part of the military intervention aginst ISIL.
Location
| Address: | Federal Highway, RAAF Memorial Grove, Majura, 2609 |
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| State: | ACT |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -35.211571 Long: 149.190164 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
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| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | Multiple |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 2016 |
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No. 3 Squadron
Formed in 1916 at Point Cook, VIC, the 3rd Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps moved to England for training before deploying to France in 1917 with the Res Two-Seater aircraft. They flew front line reconnaissance, artillery direction and ground-attack missions, mainly in support of Australian forces. The General Officer Commanding the RAF called them , `the best Corps Squadron in France.`
In world War II, No. 3 Squadron served in Egypt (1940), Palestine, Syrria, Cyprus, Libya, Tunisia, Malta, Sicily and through to the victory in Italy (1945). Flying single-seat fighter aircraft, including Gladiator, Hurricane, Tomahawk, Kittyhawk, and Mustang, they became Australia`s most successful fighter and fighter-bomber Squadron of WWII.
The Squadron was based here in Canberra 1948 - 53. They re-established with Sabre jet fighters at Williamtown NSW and then deployed to Butterworth Malaysia in 1958 - 67 and again in 1969 - 86 after converting to Mirage fighters. The Squadron returned to Williamtown in 1986 to introduce F/A-18 Hornets to RAAF operations.
In memory of our comrades who died in war service and in peacetime - including the following casualties in Canberra :
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