No. 83 Wing RAAF
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/No._16_Air_Observation_Post_RAAF_Auster_being_assembled_at_Morotai_in_April_1945.jpg/220px-No._16_Air_Observation_Post_RAAF_Auster_being_assembled_at_Morotai_in_April_1945.jpg) A No. 16 Air Observation Post Auster being assembled at Morotai in April 1945
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Active
| 1944?1947
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Country
| Australia
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Branch
| Royal Australian Air Force
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Role
| Army cooperation
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Engagements
| World War II
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Military unit
No. 83 Wing
was a unit of the
Royal Australian Air Force
during
World War II
. The
wing
was formed in September 1944 and was one of the RAAF's two such units tasked with army cooperation. It took part in the
Borneo campaign
from May 1945 until the end of the war to support the Army's
I Corps
. No. 83 Wing was disbanded in July 1947.
History
[
edit
]
No. 83 Wing was raised at
Nadzab
in the
Territory of New Guinea
on 25 September 1944.
It was one of two army cooperation wings established by the RAAF, the other being
No. 84 Wing
, which was formed in
Cairns
on 11 September 1944.
Each wing was made up of a tactical reconnaissance
squadron
, a local air supply unit and an air observation post
flight
.
The two army cooperation wings were tasked with supporting units of the
Australian Army
. Their duties included reconnaissance,
artillery spotting
, directing attack aircraft to targets, transporting supplies and spraying anti-malarial chemicals. They were not authorised to conduct offensive operations, but their aircraft were permitted to attack targets of opportunity.
No. 83 Wing was transferred to
Lae
on 13 November 1944. It was subsequently deployed to
Morotai
in the
Netherlands East Indies
, arriving there on 4 April 1945.
The movement to Morotai formed part of a broader transfer of the
Australian First Tactical Air Force
to take part on the
Borneo campaign
, the wing forming part of No. 1 TAF.
At this time No. 83 Wing included
No. 4 Squadron
, which flew
CAC Boomerang
and
CAC Wirraway
aircraft,
No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight
with
Taylorcraft Austers
and
No. 9 Local Air Supply Unit
which operated
Bristol Beauforts
.
[7]
Four of No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight's Auster aircraft were landed at
Tarakan
early in the
invasion of the island
in early May 1945.
One of these aircraft crashed on takeoff from Tarakan during 2 May, killing its pilot; this was the flight's only fatality during the campaign.
Detachments from No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight supported the
9th Division's
operations in North Borneo
from June and the
7th Division's
landing at Balikpapan
during July.
No. 4 Squadron also took part in these operations. Its Wirraways were sent to North Borneo, and began operating from
Labuan
from 23 June. The Boomerangs supported the 7th Division at Balikpapan.
The wing headquarters was transferred from Morotai to Labuan, and began operating from there on 12 June.
No. 9 Local Supply Unit's Beauforts supported operations in North Borneo by spraying
DDT
over the areas Australian Army units were operating. A Beaufort crashed while taking off for one of these sorties on 11 June, with all three of its aircrew being killed.
Following the Japanese surrender, No. 83 Wing's aircraft were used to locate Allied
prisoners of war
in Borneo, among other tasks.
The wing headquarters was transferred to
Canberra
, and opened there on 22 January 1946.
Nos. 4 Squadron and 16 Air Observation Post Flight were also stationed at Canberra at this time.
Both units, along with
No. 383 Base Squadron
, were assigned to No. 83 Wing.
[15]
The wing may have been designated Army Co-Operation Wing for part of its period at Canberra.
[16]
No. 83 Wing was disbanded in Canberra on 8 July 1947.
References
[
edit
]
- Citations
- Works consulted
- Australian War Memorial (1995).
Squadrons, Formations & Units of the Royal Australian Air Force and their Deployment
. Canberra: Unpublished monograph held by the AWM Research Centre.
- Odgers, George
(1968).
Air War Against Japan 1943?1945
. Australia in the War of 1939?1945. Series 3 ? Air (reprint ed.). Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995).
Units of the Royal Australian Air Force. A Concise History. Volume 2 Fighter Units
. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
ISBN
0-644-42794-9
.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995a).
Units of the Royal Australian Air Force. A Concise History. Volume 4 Maritime and Transport Units
. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
ISBN
0-644-42796-5
.
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groups
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wings
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squadrons
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flights
| air ambulance
units
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air-sea
rescue flights
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air observation
post flights
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communication
units
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forward air
control flights
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transport
flights
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miscellaneous
flights
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