No . 38 Squadron RAAF No . 38 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) transport unit . It was formed in 1943 and saw service during World War II transporting supplies and personnel between Australia and the combat zones in New Guinea and Borneo , using Douglas Dakota aircraft . Following the war , the squadron conducted regular courier flights between Australia and Japan in 1947 and 1948 . No . 38 Squadron was deployed to Singapore from 1950 to 1952 , supplying Commonwealth forces engaged in the Malayan Emergency and undertaking courier flights across Asia . In 1954 it became responsible for training RAAF personnel to operate Dakotas . After being re - equipped with de Havilland Canada DHC - 4 Caribou s in 1964 , No . 38 Squadron served as the RAAF ' s operational conversion unit for the type and also conducted transport tasks within Australia and its territories . Throughout Australia ' s involvement in the Vietnam War , it prepared aircrew for operational service with No . 35 Squadron , and maintained a detachment in Papua New Guinea to provide pilots with experience flying in tropical conditions . A Caribou was deployed to Pakistan from 1975 to 1978 to support United Nations peacekeepers , and detachments were established within Australia during the 1980s to provide search and rescue capabilities and work with Australian Army units . From 1999 until 2001 , a detachment was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian - led peacekeeping force in the newly independent nation . No . 38 Squadron continued to operate Caribous after No . 35 Squadron was disbanded in 2000 , though the age of the aircraft increasingly affected its operations . Following the retirement of the Caribous from service in 2009 , No . 38 Squadron was re - equipped with eight Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft . The squadron is currently stationed at RAAF Base Townsville , Queensland , and is responsible for training RAAF pilots to operate King Airs , and performing light transport tasks . History . World War II . No . 38 Squadron was formed as a transport unit at RAAF Base Richmond near Sydney on 15 September 1943 . Equipped with Lockheed Hudson s , the squadron conducted its first operation on 17 December , when one of its aircraft flew from Richmond to RAAF Base Darwin . During the period No . 38 Squadron was equipped with Hudsons , it operated only within Australia . The squadron ' s activities expanded in early 1944 , when its obsolescent Hudsons were replaced with more capable Douglas Dakota transports . It received its first Dakota on 3 March 1944 , and was completely equipped with the type by the end of May . While the squadron continued to fly to locations within Australia after receiving Dakotas , it also began transporting supplies to Allied forces fighting the Japanese in western New Guinea . During return flights from New Guinea , the Dakotas typically carried wounded personnel to Australia for treatment . In October 1944 , No . 38 Squadron was given the additional task of supporting the RAAF ' s Paratroop Training Unit at Richmond . The squadron moved to RAAF Station Archerfield near Brisbane in early December 1944 , but continued to maintain a detachment at Richmond . By this time No . 38 Squadron was mainly tasked with transporting supplies to the battle zone in New Guinea , which included making supply drops to Australian Army units in the field and evacuating casualties to the mainland . From 17 July 1945 , the squadron maintained a detachment at Morotai Island , which dropped supplies to Army units fighting in Borneo . No . 38 Squadron ' s only loss during World War II was a Dakota that crashed on a mountain in western New Guinea while flying between Biak and Morotai ; the wreckage of this aircraft was not located until 1970 . Following the end of the war , No . 38 Squadron flew into Singapore , Bangkok and locations in Borneo to evacuate released Australian prisoners of war . In addition , the squadron transported other service personnel back to Australia until 1946 as part of the demobilisation of the Australian military . During May 1946 , three of No . 38 Squadron ' s Dakotas were assigned the unusual task of flying 25 tonnes of pig bristles from Chongqing in China to Hong Kong , from where the bristles were shipped to Australia . This mission , which was designated " Operation Pig Bristle " , took two weeks to complete and sought to rectify a shortage of paint brushes , which was hindering the Australian construction industry . Asian deployments . No . 38 Squadron relocated to RAAF Station Schofields near Sydney on 15 August 1946 . It became part of No . 86 Wing , along with Nos . 36 and 37 Squadrons , which also operated Dakotas , and No . 486 ( Maintenance ) Squadron , which serviced the wing ' s flying units . Commencing on 22 January 1947 , one of No . 38 Squadron ' s main responsibilities was to conduct thrice - weekly courier flights to Japan to support the Australian element of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force . These flights were the longest regular air route serviced by twin - engined aircraft at the time , and took several days to complete . The courier flights continued until 13 January 1948 , after which chartered Qantas aircraft were used to support the force in Japan . In August 1948 , five of No . 38 Squadron ' s air crews were dispatched to Europe where , as members of the RAAF Squadron Berlin Air Lift , they participated in the international efforts to fly supplies into Berlin during the Soviet blockade of the city . These personnel remained in Europe for 12 months , and their absence greatly disrupted No . 38 Squadron ' s operations . Overall , twenty members of No . 86 Wing were sent to Europe ; the resulting shortage of personnel forced Nos . 36 and 38 Squadrons to operate for a period as a single unit , all flying hours being attributed to No . 38 Squadron in official records . No . 86 Wing moved to Richmond between 22 June and 1 July 1949 . In 1950 , No . 38 Squadron was selected to form part of the Australian force assigned to the Commonwealth Far East Air Force . As an element of this force , the Australian Government agreed for the unit to be to be tasked with courier flights across Asia and providing support for the British - led counterinsurgency operations in Malaya . The squadron ' s advance party arrived at RAF Changi in Singapore on 19 June 1950 , and all of its personnel and eight Dakotas were operational there by 6 July . While in Malaya the squadron came under the command of No . 90 ( Composite ) Wing , along with the Avro Lincoln - equipped No . 1 Squadron . Half the squadron ' s aircrew were veterans of the Berlin Airlift , but none had any direct experience of tropical environments . No . 38 Squadron began flying transport missions in Malaya in early July , with British and New Zealand pilots accompanying its aircrews during the first two weeks of operations to help them become familiar with local conditions . From July 1950 until February 1951 , No . 38 Squadron ' s main task was to conduct courier flights to Borneo , Ceylon , Hong Kong , Indonesia , Japan and the Philippines , and these remained an important responsibility throughout the period it was based at Singapore . Following the outbreak of the Korean War , the squadron flew British troops and supplies from Singapore to Japan and Korea , and four of No . 38 Squadron ' s Dakotas were transferred to No . 30 Communication Unit in Japan during November 1950 . After losing half its strength , No . 38 Squadron remained at Changi and conducted supply and aeromedical evacuation flights throughout Malaya to support the British - led forces there . The squadron ' s aircraft were also occasionally used to mark targets ahead of bombing raids and to drop propaganda leaflets . From April to July 1951 , No . 38 Squadron and an attached flight from No . 41 Squadron RNZAF was stationed at RAF Kuala Lumpur , and was the main unit tasked with dropping supplies to Commonwealth forces in the field . The squadron made another deployment to Kuala Lumpur between November 1951 and February 1952 . In February 1952 , No . 38 Squadron successfully parachuted 54 personnel from the British 22nd Special Air Service Regiment into a remote area near the Malaya - Thailand border . Supporting the Australian units in Korea placed heavy demands on the RAAF ' s transport force , which was too small to fully meet its domestic and international responsibilities , and it became increasingly difficult to sustain the four Dakotas in Malaya during 1952 . As a result , the Australian Government decided in September that year to return the squadron to Australia . No . 38 Squadron left Changi for Richmond on 8 December . The squadron ' s only fatality during the deployment was an airman who was killed when the No . 110 Squadron RAF Dakota he was co - piloting crashed during a flight between Changi and Saigon on 31 August 1950 . Operational conversion unit . After returning to Richmond , No . 38 Squadron was mainly tasked with routine transport duties . The squadron also occasionally provided aircraft for CSIRO rainmaking experiments . During the 1950s and early 1960s , No . 38 Squadron developed a reputation as a " cowboy " unit with lax flying standards . The squadron did not conduct proper conversion courses , and new Dakota pilots received only ad - hoc instruction on the type while serving as the co - pilot during operational tasks . On 8 March 1953 , No . 38 Squadron absorbed No . 36 Squadron ' s Dakotas , after which No . 30 Transport Unit ( previously No . 30 Communication Unit ) in Japan was renamed No . 36 Squadron . From late March until September 1954 , No . 38 Squadron conducted VIP flights out of RAAF Station Canberra . In November that year , it was renamed the Transport Training Squadron and became responsible for instructing new Dakota crews and RAAF air movements personnel . It resumed its previous name on 13 June 1963 . No . 38 Squadron was re - equipped with new de Havilland Canada DHC - 4 Caribou tactical transport aircraft during 1964 . In January 1964 the unit ' s commanding officer , five other pilots and three navigators undertook conversion training on the type in Canada . At the completion of this course the personnel flew the RAAF ' s first three Caribous from Toronto to RAAF Base Richmond between 17 March and 22 April . The process of fully converting No . 38 Squadron to Caribous was delayed by the government ' s decision to deploy several of the aircraft to Vietnam ; at the time this decision was made , in June 1964 , the squadron had received six of its planned allocation of nine aircraft , and the next batch of three aircraft was sent directly to Vietnam . No . 38 Squadron was the last operational RAAF squadron to fly Dakotas , though several other units did so until the 1990s . After receiving its Caribous , No . 38 Squadron ' s main role was to train aircrews for operational service with the RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam ( later redesignated No . 35 Squadron ) . On 1 July 1964 , one of the squadron ' s Caribous suffered severe damage when it made a crash landing at HMAS " Albatross " ; this aircraft was subsequently written off and its fuselage used for training purposes by the Army ' s 1st Commando Regiment . The squadron became an independent unit under Headquarters RAAF Base Richmond in August that year , following the disbandment of No . 86 Wing . On 13 October 1965 , Detachment A of No . 38 Squadron began operations from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea , equipped with two Caribous . One of the detachment ' s tasks was to give Caribou pilots experience in tropical and mountainous conditions , and all aircraft captains were required to complete at least one two - month deployment to Port Moresby before serving with No . 35 Squadron in Vietnam . In addition to its training role , No . 38 Squadron undertook transport flights in and around Australia , taking part when required in relief efforts following natural disasters . Peacekeeping deployments . The squadron undertook two operational deployments during the mid - 1970s . From March 1975 until November 1978 Detachment B , comprising a single Caribou and support staff , was stationed at Rawalpindi , Pakistan , and transported personnel and supplies for the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan . From August to October 1975 , a No . 38 Squadron Caribou was assigned to transport Red Cross supplies and personnel from Darwin to East Timor after a civil war broke out in that country . On 4 September that year this aircraft was hijacked by East Timorese soldiers , who forced the pilot to fly 54 refugees to Darwin ; it remains the only RAAF aircraft ever to have been hijacked . Detachment A was no longer required after Papua New Guinea achieved independence from Australia and established its own defence force , and the unit was disbanded on 17 January 1976 . Three Caribous were lost while operating with the detachment ; A4 - 202 crashed near Pongera on 3 June 1965 , A4 - 147 was written off after it landed short of the runway at Tapini Airport on 6 October 1968 and A4 - 233 was destroyed when it crashed at Kudjeru Gap on 28 August 1972 . The last of these crashes caused the deaths of 25 aircrew and passengers , making it the RAAF ' s worst peacetime disaster ; 21 of the people killed were high school students returning from an army cadet camp . Following the end of its permanent presence at Port Moresby , No . 38 Squadron continued to fly periodic training sorties in Papua New Guinea . During the 1980s , detachments of No . 38 Squadron were established at RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Pearce near Perth to provide these regions with a search - and - rescue capability and to exercise with Army units . The Pearce detachment was nicknamed " Blackduck Airlines " . No . 38 Squadron moved from Richmond to RAAF Base Amberley , west of Brisbane , in October 1992 . At this time the squadron continued to be responsible for all Caribou conversion training , as well as conducting tactical transport operations . The permanent detachment of No . 38 Squadron aircraft to RAAF Base Pearce ceased in 1999 , and Detachment B of the squadron was established at RAAF Base Townsville in North Queensland during 2000 . From 1999 until early 2001 , elements of No . 38 Squadron , designated No . 86 Wing Detachment C , were stationed in East Timor and supported the international peacekeeping force which had been deployed there to end the violence that had broken out following a successful referendum on independence conducted in August 1999 . At its peak strength , four Caribous were assigned to the detachment . The air and ground crew deployed to East Timor endured difficult living conditions until their accommodation and recreation facilities were upgraded in mid - 2000 , and the pilots were regularly required to fly into poorly maintained air strips . Despite the age of the Caribous and shortages of spare parts , Detachment C ' s ground crew managed to maintain a high aircraft serviceability rate . In 2000 No . 35 Squadron was deactivated , leaving No . 38 Squadron the RAAF ' s sole Caribou operator . By September 2002 , No . 38 Squadron was equipped with 14 Caribous . In July 2003 , two aircraft were deployed to the Solomon Islands as part of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands peacekeeping force . Both Caribous were based at Honiara International Airport , and a detachment remained in the country until July 2004 . All of No . 38 Squadron moved to RAAF Base Townsville during 2008 . By the late 2000s the Caribous were becoming difficult to maintain , and were no longer capable of operating in war zones as they lacked electronic warfare systems and other forms of self - protection . As a result , it was decided in late 2008 to retire the aircraft and replace them with Beechcraft King Air 350s on an interim basis until another tactical transport entered service . The Caribous were gradually retired from May 2009 , the last leaving service on 27 November that year when A4 - 140 was flown to Canberra and handed over to the Australian War Memorial for preservation . By the time the aircraft were retired , No . 38 Squadron had been operating Caribous for 45 years . Three King Air 350s were transferred to No . 38 Squadron from the Army ' s 173rd Surveillance Squadron on 20 November 2009 , and deliveries of a further five newly built aircraft were completed in July 2010 . Current role . No . 38 Squadron is currently responsible for providing conversion training on the King Air and conducting light transport operations . The unit has a strength of 60 RAAF personnel as well as 25 aircraft maintenance contractors from Hawker Pacific Aerospace . It is organised into two flights ; A Flight undertakes transport operations , and B Flight is responsible for delivering training courses . Along with Nos . 33 and 36 Squadrons , No . 38 Squadron forms part of No . 86 Wing . The RAAF has been pleased with the King Air ' s performance in the light transport role , though the aircraft cannot be deployed into combat areas . No . 38 Squadron often operates with the Army ' s Townsville - based 3rd Brigade , as well as the 51st Battalion , Far North Queensland Regiment , which conducts operational patrols across Far North Queensland during peacetime . The unit is also frequently tasked with transporting senior politicians and other VIPs . The King Airs often operate in Papua New Guinea , as well as other parts of the Asia - Pacific region . The Australian Government ordered 10 Alenia C - 27J Spartan battlefield transports in May 2012 , and these aircraft will be operated by No . 35 Squadron from 2015 . No . 38 Squadron marked its 70th anniversary in 2013 , and has the longest period of continual operation of any of the RAAF ' s flying squadrons .