RAAF 9 Squadron

Albatross to Black Hawk:

A Historical Record

Recovery of Army Sioux Helicopter | Cape York | July 1973

Recovery of Army Sioux Helicopter | Cape York | July 1973

On 13 July 1973 an Australian Army Sioux helicopter, A1-726, was recovered from a swamp ‘well west' of Cooktown near the west coast of the Cape York peninsula - probably somewhere between Edward River, Pormpuraaw, and Kowanyama. The recovery aircraft was RAAF UH-1H...

9SQN RAAF OPERATIONS IN VIETNAM

9SQN RAAF OPERATIONS IN VIETNAM

This note was written in October 2000 describing one junior ex 9 SQN pilot’s memories of 9 Squadron RAAF in Vietnam from March 1970 to May 1971.   Please forward any corrections, additions, and comment, to either the Secretary or President of the 9 Squadron RAAF...

9 SQN RAAF, Mediterranean, 1941

9 SQN RAAF, Mediterranean, 1941

[Main image: German paratroops landing on Crete from Junkers 52 transports, 20 May 1941.] 9 Squadron Seagull aircraft and crews were involved early in WWII deployed on the RAN cruisers HMAS Australia, Perth, and Sydney, in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.   The first...

Huey Support in Vietnam

Huey Support in Vietnam

HUEY SUPPORT IN VIETNAM – AVM EM WELLER, AM (RAAF RETIRED) – PRESENTATION TO CONFERENCE ‘CHOPPERS, HELICOPTERS AND THE WAR IN VIETNAM’ – MILITARY HISTORY AND HERITAGE VICTORIA INC – 20TH APRIL 2013 At the outset, I need to qualify this article to the extent that it is...

First RAAF Wounded in Vietnam

First RAAF Wounded in Vietnam

Throughout their time in Vietnam, the crew of 9 Squadron would come under enemy fire time and time again, and this would only increase in likelihood as the war went on. However, during the initial days of the conflict, many pilots and crewmen were not yet exposed to...

New Hueys arrive for 9 Squadron, October 29, 1962

New Hueys arrive for 9 Squadron, October 29, 1962

Since its reformation in the early 1960s, the crew of 9 Squadron had trained on and eventually operated the newly purchased Bell UH-1 Iroquis. Following a government order for eight of the new helicopters in April 1961, an RAAF crew were sent to train on the aircraft....

7 November 1967

7 November 1967

Caribou transport aircraft of No 35 Squadron, RAAF supported by Iroquois helicopters of No 9 Squadron RAAF rushed urgently needed supplies to the First Australian Task Force who were on a search and destroy operation aimed at Viet Cong logistics in Phuoc Tuy Province....

9 Squadron gets the Black Hawk

9 Squadron gets the Black Hawk

After many years of operating the UH-1 Iroquis, it was decided that a new helicopter was needed for the modern era. One of the squadrons with the privilege of taking part in this new adoption process was No. 9 Squadron. In February of 1988, the squadron began to train...

28 July 1967

Iroquois helicopters of No.9 Squadron RAAF have been busy in support of ground troops in Phuoc Tuy Province South Vietnam. A field HQ was set up near the district capital of Xuyen Moc (pronounced Swan Mok) to plan missions in operations against the Viet Cong. An...

June 1969

June 1969

Bushranger helicopter gunship being rearmed before flight.   People Identified in this video: Wing Commander John Paule at 03:02:10   Source: Australian War Memorial 4251404

1970 RAAF helicopters in Vietnam

1970 RAAF helicopters in Vietnam

Luscombe Airfield, Nui Dat, South Vietnam, 1970. Aerial of formations of Iroquois helicopters of No. 9 Squadron RAAF, rotors idling on runway. Iroquois take off. Air to air shots of formation of Iroquois, Iroquois streaming smoke. Iroquois fly over Vung Tau. Ground...

Return of No. 9 Squadron to Amberly December 1971

Return of No. 9 Squadron to Amberly December 1971

It had been decided that from November 1970 onwards, a full Australian withdrawal would commence. Over the following twelve months, Australian forces were given the long task of packing up and moving out of Vietnam. Despite this, heavy fighting continued across the...

Medical evacuation by helicopters in Vietnam 7 August 1969

Medical evacuation by helicopters in Vietnam 7 August 1969

While the UH-1 Iroquis has become a symbol of the Vietnam conflict, often seen in footage providing close air support or transporting soldiers from one location to the next, it is perhaps best remembered for its role in saving lives.  Throughout their time in Vietnam,...