Lincoln Conversion Flight RAAF

Lincoln Conversion Flight
Active	1955–1956
Country	Australia
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Role	Operational conversion training
Part of	No. 82 Wing
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Avro Lincoln

Last updated November 13, 2019

Lincoln Conversion Flight was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) training unit. The flight was formed in July 1955 to provide operational conversion training on the Avro Lincoln heavy bomber and was disbanded in March the next year.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), formed in March 1921, is the aerial warfare branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). It operates the majority of the ADF's fixed wing aircraft, although both the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy also operate aircraft in various roles. It directly continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF provides support across a spectrum of operations such as air superiority, precision strikes, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, air mobility, space surveillance, and humanitarian support.

A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It is usually composed of three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages, multiple flights make up a squadron. The "flight" is also a basic unit for intercontinental ballistic missiles. Foreign languages equivalents include escadrille (French), escuadrilla (Spanish), esquadrilha (Portuguese) and Schwarm (German).

The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, is a British four-engined heavy bomber, which 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 Lincoln I and II. It was the last piston-engined bomber operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF).

History

The Lincoln Conversion Flight was formed at RAAF Base Amberley on 11 July 1955.^[1] The flight was established to train new aircrew to operate the Lincoln bomber when the previous Lincoln operational conversion unit, No. 6 Squadron, transitioned to the Canberra bomber. All of No. 6 Squadron's Lincoln crews were transferred to the Lincoln Conversion Flight, and the squadron was re-manned by crews posted from No. 2 Squadron.^[2] Lincoln Conversion Flight formed part of No. 82 Wing, which was also based at Amberley.^[1]

RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located 8 km (5.0 mi) southwest of Ipswich, Queensland in Australia and 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Brisbane. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron, No. 33 Squadron and No. 36 Squadron. Amberley is also home to Army units making up the 9th Force Support Battalion. Located on 1,600 hectares, RAAF Amberley is the largest operational base in the RAAF, employing over 5,000 uniformed and civilian personnel. There are a variety of other formations on the base such as training colleges and maintenance areas. Amberley's largest squadron in terms of personnel is No. 382 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron RAAF (ECSS) providing both garrison and deployed combat support. Amberley was one of only two airfields in Australia that were listed as a Transoceanic Abort (TOA) landing site for the Space Shuttle. Amberley is currently undergoing a A$64 million dollar re-development program. The RAAF has plans to have Amberley operating as its "superbase" with flights of F/A-18F Super Hornets, F-35 Lightning II, KC-30A, C-17 Globemaster. No. 35 Squadron is planned to move to the base from RAAF Base Richmond after it is fully equipped with the C-27J.

No. 6 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) training and bomber squadron. It was formed in 1917 and served as a training unit based in England during World War I. The squadron was disbanded in 1919 but re-formed at the start of 1939. It subsequently saw combat as a light bomber and maritime patrol squadron during World War II, and took part in the New Guinea Campaign and New Britain Campaign before being disbanded after the war.

The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid-to-late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havilland Mosquito fast bomber. Among the performance requirements for the type was the demand for an outstanding high-altitude bombing capability and high speed. These were partly accomplished by making use of newly developed jet propulsion technology. When the Canberra was introduced to service with the Royal Air Force (RAF), the type's first operator, in May 1951, it became the service's first jet-powered bomber.

The flight continued No. 6 Squadron's mission of providing trained aircrew to No. 1 Squadron. This squadron was equipped with Lincolns and deployed to Malaya where it was operating against Communist forces in the Malayan Emergency.^[2] The Lincoln Conversion Flight began to provide training as soon as it was formed. In addition to providing aircrew with experience in navigation, gunnery and bombing, formation flying and Army co-operation, the flight also ferried Lincolns between Australia and Malaya and undertook search and rescue tasks. In addition, the unit occasionally dropped supplies to Army units during exercises and flew national service personnel to Darwin in October 1955 to support one of No. 6 Squadron's training exercises.^[1] On 22 and 24 January 1956 two Lincoln Conversion Flight aircraft dropped supplies to flood affected areas near Goondiwindi in Queensland. Further flood relief sorties were conducted on 11 February and between the 20th and 22nd of the month.^[3]

No. 1 Squadron RAAF Royal Australian Air Force squadron

No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadron headquartered at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. Controlled by No. 82 Wing, it is equipped with Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters. The squadron was formed under the Australian Flying Corps in 1916 and saw action in the Sinai and Palestine Campaigns during World War I. It flew obsolete Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s, B.E.12s, Martinsyde G.100s and G.102s, as well as Airco DH.6s, Bristol Scouts and Nieuport 17s, before re-equipping with the R.E.8 in October 1917 and finally the Bristol Fighter in December. Its commanding officer in 1917–18 was Major Richard Williams, later known as the "Father of the RAAF". Disbanded in 1919, No. 1 Squadron was re-formed on paper as part of the RAAF in 1922, and re-established as an operational unit three years later.

Malayan Emergency guerrilla war from 1948 to 1960

The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought in the Federation of Malaya from 1948 until 1960. The conflict was between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), the military wing of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). The fighting spanned both the colonial period and the creation of an independent Malaysia. Although it was referred to as "The Emergency" by colonial authorities, the MNLA referred to it as the "Anti-British National Liberation War".

Australian Army land warfare branch of Australias defence forces

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. Formed in 1901 through the amalgamation of the Australian colonial forces following federation, it is part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) commands the ADF, the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA). The CA is therefore subordinate to the CDF, but is also directly responsible to the Minister for Defence. Although Australian soldiers have been involved in a number of minor and major conflicts throughout Australia's history, only during the Second World War has Australian territory come under direct attack.

The Lincoln Conversion Flight was disbanded on 26 March 1956.^[3]

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References

Notes

1 2 3 RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 158
1 2 Eather (1995), p. 127
1 2 RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 159

Bibliography

Eather, Steve (2007). Blue Lightning: The Story of 6 Squadron 1917–2005. Loftus, NSW: Australian Military History Publications. ISBN 978-1-876439-77-4.
RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 8: Training Units. Canberra: AGPS Press. ISBN 0-644-42800-7.

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[RAAF_HS_158-1] 1 2 3 RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 158

[Eather_127-2] 1 2 Eather (1995), p. 127

[RAAF_HS_159-3] 1 2 RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 159