RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located southwest of Ipswich in Queensland, Australia and southwest of the Brisbane CBD. It is the largest military airbase in Australia.

Amberley is one of two defence 'super bases' in Australia, with the other being RAAF Base Edinburgh, and is home to over 5,000 uniformed and civilian personnel. The base is currently home to No. 1 Squadron (operating the F/A-18F Super Hornet), No. 6 Squadron (operating the EA-18G Growler), No. 33 Squadron (operating the Airbus KC-30A MRTT), No. 35 Squadron (operating the C-27J Spartan) and No. 36 Squadron (operating the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III). Amberley is also home to Army units making up the 9th Force Support Battalion (9 FSB).

There are a variety of other formations on the base such as training colleges and maintenance areas. Amberley's largest squadron in terms of personnel is No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron, providing both garrison and deployed combat support. Amberley was one of only two airfields in Australia (the other being Darwin International Airport) that were listed as a Transoceanic Abort (TOA) landing site for the Space Shuttle. Amberley is currently undergoing a A$64 million dollar re-development program.

History The need for a RAAF base in Brisbane was identified in the 1930s. of land c. 8km south-west of the city of Ipswich was gazetted for defence purposes on 12 December 1938. The original land-owners, the Jagera, the Yuggera and Ugarapul clans, called the area Jeebropilly, which denoted the flood plain in the region.

The base was initially planned to house a general-purpose squadron with 300 officers and men. At the outbreak of World War II the handful of brick buildings was still incomplete and many extra buildings were constructed quickly using wood and fibro. The base opened in June 1940 with the first occupants being No. 24 Squadron. From May 1942, the base changed roles from being a centre of flying operations to assembling and repairing aircraft.

First troops airlifted into combat The base was a major United States Army Air Forces base during 1942 and 1943. In September 1942, General Douglas MacArthur and Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey, Australian commander of New Guinea Force, decided the key to defending Australia was in New Guinea. The US 32nd Infantry Division had arrived in Australia in April 1942 and spent several weeks building its first camp. When it was transported to a new camp in July, nearly one third of its troops had been in boot camp only five months previously. The division had less than two months of jungle warfare training, which was far short of the year of division-level training required by Army doctrine. Nonetheless, U.S. officers decided it was the most combat-ready unit in Australia.

On 13 September 1942, MacArthur ordered parts of the 32nd Division to Papua New Guinea. Because the situation was critical and time was short, 5th Air Force commander, General George Kenney, suggested that he could transport the first regiment by air. That had never been attempted before, so Company E, 126th IR, was used to test the concept. At dawn on 15 September 1942, the unit was flown from Amberley Field to Port Moresby. Beginning on 18 September, the remainder of the 126th IR boarded ships in Brisbane, bound for Port Moresby. On the same day, the 128th IR began the move to Port Moresby from Townsville, Australia. The 126th IR were the first troops to be airlifted into combat.

Known Fifth Air Force units assigned to "Amberley Field" were: Unit Aircraft Assigned Reassigned Time at Amberley Notes 22d Bombardment Group B-26 Marauder days 38th Bombardment Group, Headquarters B-25 Mitchell days 69th Bombardment Squadron B-26 Marauder days 70th Bombardment Squadron 475th Fighter Group, Headquarters P-38 Lightning 431st Fighter Squadron days 432d Fighter Squadron days 433d Fighter Squadron days

The US transferred the facility to Australia in 1947, and it became the base for the RAAF's heavy bombers, operated by No. 1, No. 2 and No. 6 squadrons. The reserve No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron relocated from RAAF Station Archerfield to Amberley in 1955.

In 1965, the US extended a "Joint Research Program for Measuring the Physical Effects of Disturbances in the Atmosphere or in Space with particular emphasis on their effect on Radio Communications" from RAAF Base Pearce to the base at Amberley.

Current layout

The current layout of the aerodrome consists of two runways, 3km and 1.5km long.

Current units The following units are based at RAAF Base Amberley: Royal Australian Air Force Unit Full name Force Element Group Aircraft Notes HQ82WG Headquarters No. 82 Wing Air Combat Group Headquarters No. 95 Wing 1SQN No. 1 Squadron Air Combat Group F/A-18F Super Hornet 6SQN No. 6 Squadron Air Combat Group EA-18G Growler 33SQN No. 33 Squadron Air Mobility Group KC-30A MRTT 35SQN No. 35 Squadron Air Mobility Group C-27J Spartan 36SQN No. 36 Squadron Air Mobility Group C-17A Globemaster III 452SQN AMB FLT No. 452 Squadron Amberley Flight Surveillance and Response Group HQCSG Headquarters Combat Support Group Combat Support Group HQ 95WG Headquarters No. 95 Wing Combat Support Group 295SQN No 295 Squadron (Training and Standards) Combat Support Group 1CCS DET AMB No. 1 Combat Communications Squadron Detachment Amberley Combat Support Group 2 SECFOR Headquarters No. 2 Security Forces Squadron Combat Support Group HQ 96WG Headquarters No. 96 Wing Combat Support Group 23SQN No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron Combat Support Group HQHSW Headquarters Health Services Wing Combat Support Group 1EHS Headquarters No. 1 Expeditionary Health Squadron Combat Support Group 3AMES DET AMB No 3 Aero-medical Evacuation Squadron Detachment Amberley Combat Support Group HOCU Health Operational Conversion Unit Combat Support Group RAAFSFS RAAF Security and Fire School Air Force Training Group HALSPO Heavy Air Lift Systems Program Office Defence Materiel Organisation SRSPO Strike Reconnaissance Systems Program Office Defence Materiel Organisation ARDU Aircraft Research and Development Unit Detachment Amberley Aerospace Operational Support Group Australian Army 6 ESR 6th Engineer Support Regiment (except 20 EOD Sqn) 6th Brigade 9 FSB 9th Force Support Battalion (except 176 AD Sqn) 17th Sustainment Brigade

See also United States Army Air Forces in Australia (World War II) List of airports in Queensland List of Royal Australian Air Force installations

References

Further reading Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .

External links

RAAF Base Amberley on the Australian Air Force website