Historic day at Williamtown
IT was a historic day for RAAF Base Williamtown last Friday with the reformation of one of Australia’s most memorable air battalions, No 4 Squadron. Surviving former members of the Squadron were flown into Williamtown from Melbourne and Brisbane to witness the momentous occasion. Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mark Binskin presided over the parade at the newly named 4SQN hangar at Williamtown, describing the reformation as a significant event in the RAAF. "The new Squadron , reformed to enhance the ADF’s air/land coordination capability, will train specialist personnel who can work alongside Army units and deploy to forward operational areas and coordinate the delivery of air weapons," he said. "The modern battlespace is very complex and there is an increasing need for specialised coordination between air and ground units to achieve effective air combat power. "It’s also a milestone to have 2, 3 and 4 Squadrons together for the fist time in over 60 years." Air Force specialists are known as Forward Air Controllers (FAC), many of whom have been trained in special tactics and been deployed with Australian forces in Afghanistan. Commanding Officer WGCDR David Paddison said No 4 Squadron would bring together the former Forward Air Control Development Unit (FACDU) and RAAF’s Special Tactics Project, comprising about 60 personnel and operating four PC-9 aircraft. "The Squadron will coordinate and support ground troops through operations in modern warfare," said the 22-year RAAF veteran. Also present were a number of former 4 and 5 Squadron members who served in WWII, operating Wirraways and Boomerang Fighters. 4SQN was originally formed at Point Cook in 1916 and served the country well in WWI. It was disbanded at the end of the war but re-established during WWII, where Tom King, George Lansell, Ron Benson and John Ahearn all served. "This is a very proud day for the squadron," said 95-year-old George, who travelled from Melbourne for the historic announcement. "I learnt to fly in the Air Force and kept my pilot’s licence for 60 years." Mr King said it was a memorable day to see the squadron active again after so many years. "4SQN in fact led the first mass bombing raid in history when 60 aircraft were destroyed at a German aerodrome in 1918."
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