No. 9 SQUADRON
ASSOCIATION INC

DEFENCE ARTICLES

This segment provides a publicly accessible medium for promulgation and debate of Defence related matters, in the national interest.

Submissions/responses are invited from any source (civilian or military) and frank discussion is encouraged to negate the 'politically correct' censorship that inhibits potentially useful debate in some other forums.

All contributions are subject to review by Association administrators before promulgation, for security and propriety reasons. Constructive criticism is approriate but derogatory or defamatory comment should be avoided. If commenting on actions/performance of individuals, please be polite and word your input 'nicely'!

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9SQN REFORMED

  • Author:
  • Kevin Schibrowski
  • Author Profile:
  • Source Detail:
  • Publication Type:
  • Journal
  • Reviews:

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THE HOG THAT SAVES THE GRUNTS

  • Author:
  • Robert Coram
  • Author Profile:
  • Robert Coram is the Author of 'Boyd - The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War'
  • Source Detail:
  • New York Times
  • Publication Type:
  • Newsmedia
  • Reviews:
  • Top stuff

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A VIEW FROM BRAZIL

  • Author:
  • A Brazilian Professor
  • Author Profile:
  • Unknown
  • Source Detail:
  • AUSTAND Inc., Noosa Head, QLD, Australia
  • Publication Type:
  • Magazine
  • Reviews:
  • ....the real reason that Bush is set on going to war....he is trying to save the USA from bankruptcy....apparently, the (US) Federal Reserve fears that the OPEC countries will abandon the Dollar in their transactions with oil and adopt the Euro....thus, Saddam sealed his fate when at the end of 2000, he moved to the Euro. - OZNEWS, March 2003

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CIVILIANIZATION OF THE AIR FORCE

  • Author:
  • Jim Treadwell
  • Author Profile:
  • Jim Treadwell entered the RAAF on 1 October 1951. He came into the service as a Trainee Signaller on No. 8 FTS Course. After 3 months Initial Training at Point Cook, he went to the RAAF Air and Ground Radio School at Ballarat, Victoria, as a member of No. 4 Signallers Course. At the end of that year (1952), No. 4 course proceeded to the Air Armament School at RAAF East Sale for training in Air Gunnery. Jim Treadwell was awarded a Signallers Brevet in December 1952, graduating Proficient With Special Distinction. Following graduation he was posted to 11 Squadron at Pearce, West Australia, as a Sergeant Signaller. At the time, 11 Squadron was operating P2V-5 Neptune Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft. As a crew member, he completed the Australian Joint Anti Submarine course at NAS Nowra in March 1953. In April 1955, Jim Treadwell was the first post-war aircrew member to be selected for pilot training. Winning the Goble Trophy, he graduated from No. 21 Pilots Course Proficient With Special Distinction in March 1956. He trained on Tiger Moth and Wirraway aircraft. A three month Fighter OTU course (No 23) on Vampire Mk. 30 aircraft at RAAF Williamtown followed pilot training. Posted to No. 75 Squadron as a Fighter Pilot, he completed a conversion to Meteor aircraft. In January 1957 he was posted to No. 77 Squadron for conversion to Avon Sabre aircraft. He was commissioned on 1 January 1957. In September 1958 Jim Treadwell was posted to No. 3 Squadron to take part in operation Sabre Ferry to RAAF Butterworth, Malaya. He served as a squadron pilot during the Malayan Emergency. In January 1960 he was posted, from Malaya, to No. 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond as a Test Pilot. He completed Winjeel and Dakota conversion courses at the Central Flying School (CFS) East Sale in June 1960. He qualified as an Advanced Navigator in July 1961 after completing No. 16 Advanced Navigation Course at the School Of Air Navigation East Sale. From Sale, he was posted to No. 1 Applied Training School RAAF Pearce as a navigation instructor. In April 1963 he returned to Malaya as the No 78 Wing Navigation Officer. He remained in No. 78 Wing during Confrontation", although he was posted to 3 Squadron, as a squadron pilot, from Wing HQ in August 1964. He served in 79 Squadron Ubon, Thailand, from August to November 1964. In March 1965, Jim Treadwell was posted to 76 Squadron Williamtown. In August 1965 he attended the RAF School Of Air Warfare, Mamby, UK for training as a GD Weapons Officer. After completing the six month course, he was posted to No. 81 Wing RAAF Williamtown as the Wing Operations Officer. At Williamtown, he completed a Mirage III0 conversion training course in December 1966. Jim Treadwell was posted to No. 76 Squadron in August 1968. He took over command of the Squadron in December 1968. In June 1969, he was posted to No. 77 Squadron as CO at the start of the squadron Mirage re-equipment program. In July 1970, he set up the Mirage Photo Reconnaissance arrangement within No. 77 Squadron, as Flight Commander. He was promoted to Wing Commander in January 1972. He was awarded the Air Force Cross and completed No 26 RAAF Staff College Course the same year. In January 1973 Jim Treadwell took up an appointment within, the Directorate Of Aircraft Requirements Air Office Canberra, as Aircraft Requirements (Weapons). The position entailed the initiation and management of RAAF weapon projects within the Defence five year rolling program. During the period, he completed a Defence Systems Management Course. In January 1976, he completed a jet refresher course, which involved a conversion to Macchi aircraft at CFS East Sale, before taking up an appointment as Base Operations Officer RAAF Williamtown. In January 1977, a disillusioned Jim Treadwell resigned from the RAAF. However, he re-entered the service on 1 July 1981 for six months and formed No. 26 (City Of Newcastle) Active Reserve Squadron, as the founding Commanding Officer.
  • Source Detail:
  • Letter signed by 6 retired RAAF Officers.
  • Publication Type:
  • Original
  • Reviews:
  • This letter was prompted by information in the December 1998 edition of 'Air Force News'. It was sent to all Members of both Houses of Parliament and the Canberra Press Gallery. Its purpose was to alert Members to serious national security implications of past, and current, action to civilianize the Royal Australian Air Force.

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THE LAST OF A LEGENDARY AEROPLANE. A STORY OF THE SUPERMARINE TYPE 236 SEAGULLV AND WALRUS SURVIVORS

  • Author:
  • Vince Fazio
  • Author Profile:
  • Vince Fazio is a former Shipwright Lieutenant RAN who has had a passionate affection for the type, having been onboard the Heavy Cruiser HMAS CANBERRA in 1938 as a nine year old and watched the operation of A2-6. He has visited the museums where three of the four survivors are located and watched HD 874 reconstructed over the period involved, due to a friendship made with Ron Gretton and other staff at RAAF Point Cook. He has made up models of the four, both in the "as found" condition and as on display
  • Source Detail:
  • Printed and published by Drawquick Printing P O Box 4201 Marayong NSW 2148 Ph (02)9626 8984. email [email protected]. Price $A 44.00 (incl GST) plus postage $10.00 in Australia. Overseas postage prices as arranged.
  • Publication Type:
  • Book
  • Reviews:
  • To date, a number of copies have been forwarded to the museums concerned, as well as to the Irish Air Corps, a New Zealand avaition magazine, and to people who assisted in the information provision for the book. At present (15.9.2006), no printed copies of a review have been suplied to the author.

    As and when reviews are received, they will be added to this profile.

THE BUSHRANGER STORY

  • Author:
  • Brian Dirou
  • Author Profile:
  • Brian Dirou joined the RAAF early 1957 as a trainee aircrew signaller graduating as NCO aircrew and serving on Lincoln and Dakota aircraft before undergoing pilot training after being commissioned. Further service on Dakotas followed then a tour on Sabre fighter aircraft before Iroquois helicopter training in 1967. He served in Vietnam during 1968, 1969 and 1971 accumulating 4,360 sorties and was involved in 211 insertions/extractions of Australian and New Zealand Special Air Service patrols. He was mission leader for 2 of only 4 night extractions of SAS patrols in contact with enemy forces during Australian involvement in that war earning an in-the-field award of the Distinguished Flying Cross invested personally by HRH Queen Elizabeth II. Paralleling his very active operational roles in 1968/69, he was Project Officer for development and operational introduction of the unique RAAF UH-1H Iroquois (Bushranger) gunship. During his overall Vietnam service, he participated in 50 engagements with enemy forces including 15 flying Bushranger gunships in May 1969. Following completion of Royal Australian Air Force Staff College training in 1975, he commanded No. 9 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley Queensland during 1976/77 and retired early from the Air Force in 1978 after 4 years as a Wing Commander. Brian spent 10 mainly involved in flight simulator training with international airlines in Australia, Austria, Kuwait (post-Gulf War) and Brunei preceding retirement in 1999.
  • Source Detail:
  • First Edition, November 2007 (Revised December 2021) Written and published by Brian & Diane Dirou, The Range, Qld, 4700, Australia ISBN 978-0-9804474-3-9
  • Publication Type:
  • Book
  • Reviews:
  • The story '...and so, a Gunship was born' graphically depicts operational considerations that motivated development of an integral gunship capability for No. 9 Squadron RAAF while operating as a component of 1 Australian Task Force during the Vietnam War. A unique weapons system was created through necessity and ingenuity while the squadron was doubling in strength and heavily committed in combat operations. The story embraces near 200 illustrations and tables identifying numerous personnel of multiple armed forces and recounts several action events intermingled with military professionalism, humour, sadness and the brutality of warfighting. An educational tome for all generations concerning the Vietnam War.

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