No. 10 Squadron is a
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF)
signals intelligence
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of '' signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ...
squadron based at
RAAF Base Edinburgh
RAAF Base Edinburgh is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located in Edinburgh approximately north of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and forms part of the Edinburgh Defence Precinct.
The base is primarily home to No 9 ...
, South Australia. It is part of
No. 42 Wing RAAF. The squadron was formed in 1939 as a maritime patrol unit. It saw active service during the Second World War, conducting anti-submarine operations and patrols from bases in the United Kingdom until it disbanded in late 1945. It was re-formed in Australia in 1949 and since then has contributed to Australia's
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-we ...
intervention, and has been deployed to the Middle East as part of the
War on Terrorism
The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
and the
2003 Gulf War. Most recently it now has a
signals intelligence
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of '' signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ...
mission.
History
Second World War
No. 10 Squadron was formed on 1 July 1939 at
RAAF Base Point Cook, under the command of Wing Commander
Leon Lachal.
[Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 67] Later that month aircrew and ground staff from the squadron departed for Britain to be trained on the
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of Sunderland in North East ...
aircraft which had been acquired to equip the squadron. While it was intended that the aircrew would fly these aircraft to Australia after completing their training, following the outbreak of war the Australian government offered to retain the squadron in Britain. As a result, No. 10 Squadron was both the first RAAF squadron and the first
British Commonwealth
The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the C ...
squadron to see active service in the Second World War, when one of its aircraft made a flight to
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
on 10 October 1939. It was also the only RAAF squadron to see continuous active service throughout the war.
[Stephens, ''Royal Australian Air Force'', p.76]

The squadron's major tasks during the war were escorting convoys, conducting anti-submarine patrols, and air-sea rescue. It sank its first
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...
on 1 July 1940.
Operating mainly from bases in southern Britain such as
RAF Mount Batten
RAF Mount Batten was a Royal Air Force station and flying boat base at Mount Batten, a peninsula in Plymouth Sound, Devon, England. Originally a seaplane station opened in 1917 as a Royal Navy Air Service Station Cattewater it became RAF Cattewa ...
in
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymout ...
,
[Barnes and James, ''Short Aircraft Since 1900'', p.338] the unit flew missions as far afield as
Oban
Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, t ...
in Scotland, where a detachment was based between late 1940 and mid-1940,
[Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 65] and
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and
Gibraltar in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
.
No. 10 Squadron sank a total of six U-boats between February 1940 and May 1945. It also set a
Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
record in February 1944 for the most patrol hours flown in a single month: 1143.
The unit lost 19 aircraft during the war,
most of which, according to author Norman Barnes, are thought to have been shot down by long range German fighter aircraft.
[Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 66] In June 1945, the squadron ceased operations as part of Coastal Command and a reorganisation of RAAF units in Britain resulted in
No. 466 Squadron RAAF being redesignated as No. 10 Squadron and moving to
Bassingbourn, in Cambridgeshire.
[ Following the end of hostilities in Europe, No. 10 Squadron began preparations to deploy to the Pacific Theatre; however, this was curtailed by the Japanese surrender and it remained in Britain, disbanding on 26 October 1945.] Wartime casualties amounted to 161 personnel killed.
Post-war
No. 10 Squadron was re-formed at Townsville
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 30 ...
on 1 March 1949 to increase the RAAF's reconnaissance capability. Operating modified Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Linco ...
heavy bombers the squadron conducted maritime and anti-submarine patrols over northern Australia and the South Pacific. In June 1950, a detachment from the squadron was sent to Darwin to carry out search and rescue duties. The squadron continued in this role after re-equipping with Neptune
Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 time ...
aircraft in March 1962, and the longer range of the Neptune allowed the squadron to operate over South East Asia and the Central Pacific in an area that was equal to "one tenth of the world's surface".[Eather, ''Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force'', p. 44.]
During the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, Neptune aircraft from No. 10 Squadron operating from U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield
U-Tapao–Rayong–Pattaya International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานอู่ตะเภา ระยอง–พัทยา; ) also spelled ''Utapao'' and ''U-Taphao'', is a joint civil–military public airport serving ...
supported US Air Force B-52
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic aircraft, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the ...
bombing missions on an opportunity basis whilst transiting Thai airspace, using their AN/APS-120 radar to provide early warning of surface-to-air missiles. The Neptune's electronic equipment was also used during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
The Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation or Borneo confrontation (also known by its Indonesian language, Indonesian / Malay language, Malay name, ''Konfrontasi'') was an armed conflict from 1963 to 1966 that stemmed from Indonesia's opposition t ...
in the mid-1960s to monitor Indonesian radars. For a six-month period between June 1968 and January 1969, the squadron was commanded by a US naval officer, Lieutenant Commander J.A. Mueller.[Barnes, ''The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons'', p. 68]
Throughout 1978–79, No. 10 Squadron was re-equipped with P-3C Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. .[ With the similarly equipped No. 11 Squadron, No. 10 Squadron continues to operate in the maritime patrol, surveillance and anti-shipping roles.]
Since the 1980s, No. 10 Squadron has contributed to the RAAF maritime patrol detachment based at Butterworth Air Base in Malaysia as part of Operation Gateway
Operation Gateway is an ongoing Australian Defence Force (ADF) regional security and stability operation in South East Asia.
History
Commencing in 1980, the operation formed part of Australia's contribution to Western surveillance operations dur ...
.[ More recently, it supported the Australian-led intervention into ]East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-we ...
in 1999, and has contributed to the Australian maritime patrol detachment based in the Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...
since 2003. In this role the squadron has supported coalition operations in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...
and Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, and undertaken border protection duties as part of Operation Resolute
Operation Resolute is the Australian Defence Force, Australian Defence Force's contribution to the Australian governments effort to protect Australia's borders through surveillance and response. Operation Resolute began on 17 July 2006 and consol ...
. It is currently assigned to No. 42 Wing RAAF where it operates two AP-3C Orions in an electronic warfare role.
In December 2020 Wing Commander Marija Jovanovich
Marija Jovanovich is an Australian military test pilot and the RAAF's most senior female pilot. Jovanovich has over 3,300 hours of flight experience, in over 30 different types of aircraft. As of 2021, she is currently the Commanding Officer of ...
assumed command of the squadron, becoming the third woman to lead a RAAF flying squadron. No. 10 Squadron became the first RAAF flying squadron to simultaneously have a female commanding officer and a female executive officer in 2021 when Squadron Leader Jenna Higgins took up the role.
The squadron is set to operate the AP-3Cs until 2023, after which they will be replaced by four MC-55A Peregrine aircraft.
Aircraft operated
The squadron has operated the following aircraft:[
* ]Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of Sunderland in North East ...
(1939–1945)
* Supermarine Walrus Mk.I (1940)
* Short S.26 G-Boat (1941)
* Avro Lincoln
The Avro Type 694 Lincoln is a British four-engined heavy bomber, which maiden flight, first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were initially known as the Lancaster IV and V; these were renamed L ...
(1949–1962)
* Lockheed P2V-7S Neptune (1962–1977)
* Lockheed P-3C Orion (1977–2002)
* AP-3C Orion
The Lockheed AP-3C Orion is a variant of the P-3 Orion used by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for tasks such as naval fleet support, maritime surveillance, search and survivor supply and anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. The 18 AP ...
(2002–current)
No. 10 Squadron was also equipped with small numbers of Supermarine Seagull, Supermarine Southampton
The Supermarine Southampton was a flying boat of the interwar period designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Supermarine. It was one of the most successful flying boats of the era.
The Southampton was derived from the experi ...
, de Havilland DH60 Moth floatplane, Consolidated Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wi ...
and Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus (originally designated the Supermarine Seagull V) was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and manufactured by Supermarine at Woolston, Southampton.
The Walrus ...
aircraft for training purposes prior to receiving its Sunderland aircraft.[Eather, ''Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force'', p. 41.]
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
10 Squadron Official Website
10 Squadron Command Transfers to 42 Wing.
{{Military units and formations of the Royal Australian Air Force
10
Signals intelligence units and formations
Maritime patrol aircraft squadrons
Military units and formations established in 1939