No . 1 Operational Conversion Unit RAAF No . 1 Operational Conversion Unit ( No . 1 OCU ) was an operational training unit of the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) . Formed in January 1959 at RAAF Base Amberley , Queensland , its role was to convert pilots and navigators to the English Electric Canberra bombers flown by Nos . 1 , 2 and 6 Squadrons . The unit ' s complement of Canberras included T . 4 and Mk . 21 dual - control trainers , and Mk . 20 bombers . Originally a component of No . 82 Wing , No . 1 OCU became an independent unit at Amberley in April 1968 , its focus being the provision of operationally ready pilots for service with No . 2 Squadron in the Vietnam War . No . 1 OCU was disbanded in June 1971 , following the withdrawal of No . 2 Squadron from South - East Asia . By then the RAAF ' s only Canberra unit , the squadron ran its own conversion courses before disbanding in 1982 . History . During World War II , the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) established a number of operational training units ( OTUs ) to convert recently graduated pilots from advanced trainers to combat aircraft , and to add fighting ability to the flying skills they had already learned . Post - war demobilisation saw the disbandment of these OTUs , and operational conversion of new pilots became the responsibility of front - line squadrons . This practice , however , impacted upon the squadrons ' standard duties , while the advent of the Korean War and introduction of jet aircraft further necessitated more a formal training system . The Air Force ' s initial move in this direction was to re - establish No . 2 ( Fighter ) Operational Training Unit at RAAF Base Williamtown , New South Wales , in March 1952 ; it was renamed No . 2 ( Fighter ) Operational Conversion Unit in September 1958 . In December 1953 , No . 82 ( Bomber ) Wing , headquartered at RAAF Base Amberley , Queensland , took delivery of Australia ' s first jet bomber , the English Electric Canberra . Over the next five years , forty - eight Canberras built in Australia by the Government Aircraft Factory ( GAF ) re - equipped all three of the wing ' s flying units , Nos . 1 , 2 and 6 Squadrons . During this period , operational training of new bomber aircrew was performed " in - house " by the wing , primarily by No . 6 Squadron . Aside from its adverse affect on regular flying duties , the task was made technically challenging and potentially dangerous by virtue of the Canberra being designed for only one pilot , with a single control column . On 12 January 1959 , No . 1 ( Bomber ) Operational Conversion Unit ( No . 1 OCU ) was formed at Amberley . Coming under the control of No . 82 Wing , its purpose was to convert pilots and navigators to the Canberra , and train them for operations with Nos . 1 , 2 and 6 Squadrons . On establishment , the unit was commanded by Squadron Leader B . F . M . Rachinger , and equipped with Mk . 20 bombers and T . 4 trainers . The T . 4 was a dual - control model with three seats ; the pilot and instructor sat side by side at the front of the cockpit , with the navigator seated behind them . Two of these models had been purchased from Britain . The unit was subsequently allocated Mk . 21 trainers ; GAF built seven of these dual - control models by converting five early Mk . 20s and two British - built B . 2 bombers . Student aircrew underwent bombing and navigation instruction , as well as simulated operations . The first training course graduated in April 1959 . In addition to training , over the course of No . 1 OCU ' s existence its aircrews flew operational sortie s involving naval cooperation , aerial photography , target towing and radar targeting , and participated in exercises in Malaysia , Papua New Guinea , and New Zealand . During runway upgrades at Amberley in mid - 1962 , the unit was based for a month at RAAF Base Richmond , New South Wales . Later that year , it briefly maintained a detachment at RAAF Base Townsville , Queensland . On 11 September 1964 , one of its Canberras was intercepted by a Sabre fighter of No . 76 Squadron based at RAAF Base Darwin , Northern Territory , as part of Operation Handover , a little - known contingency plan put into effect during " Konfrontasi " to guard against possible attack by Indonesian forces following the recent establishment of the Federation of Malaysia . No . 1 OCU suffered a fatal accident on 16 February 1965 , when a Canberra Mk . 21 ran off the runway and crashed at Amberley , killing both crew members . The unit was made independent of No . 82 Wing in April 1968 . Its role from then on was to provide trained crews solely for No . 2 Squadron , which was on active duty in the Vietnam War . At the same time , maintenance responsibilities for the Canberras transferred from No . 482 Squadron to No . 1 OCU , along with relevant staff and equipment . Nos . 1 and 6 Squadrons effectively ceased operations while their crews underwent conversion to the General Dynamics F - 111C , expected to enter service soon afterwards . Delivery of the F - 111s was delayed , however , so Nos . 1 and 6 Squadrons began operating leased F - 4E Phantoms as an interim strike force in 1970 . To prepare aircrew for their rotation through No . 2 Squadron in Vietnam , No . 1 OCU students participated in exercises such as " Combat Skyspot " in August 1968 , which utilised radar controlled by No . 30 Squadron , and " Strait Kris " in September – October 1969 , in conjunction with the Australian Army . The unit lost two more aircrew when a Canberra M . 21 on a training flight crashed near Amberley on 23 March 1970 . From 21 March to 25 April 1971 , four of the unit ' s aircraft flew 10 , 000 miles around Australia to conduct seven flying displays as part of the RAAF ' s Golden Jubilee celebrations . Having completed thirty - six conversion courses in its twelve years of operation , No . 1 OCU was disbanded on 9 June 1971 , following the withdrawal of No . 2 Squadron from Vietnam . Unit staff were transferred to No . 2 Squadron , which continued to operate the Canberra and carry out its own operational conversion until disbanding in June 1982 . Ten of No . 1 OCU ' s fifteen Canberras were put into storage while the remainder , including surviving Mk . 21 trainers , were taken on by No . 2 Squadron . When the F - 111C eventually entered service with No . 82 Wing in 1973 , No . 6 Squadron again took responsibility for conversion training , while No . 1 Squadron acted as the lead strike unit . Canberra A84 - 236 , which was allocated to No . 1 OCU in 1968 and 1970 when not in service with No . 2 Squadron in Vietnam , went on display at RAAF Museum , Point Cook , Victoria , in 1982 .