No 30 Sqn was formed at Darton Field, Gisborne in September 1943 and after completing training on type, it moved to Luganville Airfield on Espiritu Santo in February 1944 for operational training. On 24th March 1944 it moved forward to the Piva strip on Bourgainville where it commenced active operations on 25th March 1944, the first sortie being against gun position No 2.
The Squadron tour can be divided into two categories: Operations in Bougainville Buka area and those in New Britain.
In the first category, strikes were made in Kahili Supply areas and Bonis Airstrip. Apart from these, the work consisted of local ground support for the Army, bombing, strafing and destroying gun positions, supply and bivouac areas, barge hideouts, bridges and the heavy naval coastal guns at Buka. A considerable amount of spotting over enemy territory for artillery and destroyer fire was flown and an occasional anti submarine and minespotting search was carried out. Strikes were also made at Kahili supply areas and Bonis Airstrip.
Night work during the Japanese attack on the perimeter was again ground supported for the army and nuisance raids in which gun positions, motor convoys and barge hideouts were bombed and strafed.
Operations in the New Britain area were the bombing and the strafing of Lakunai, Vunakanau, Tobera, and Rapopo Airstrips. One strike was made in Kavieng strip, New Ireland. Bomb loads were one 2000 lb. or four 500 lb. H.E. fitted with delay and instantaneous fuses. Supply areas on Matupi Island, Simpson Harbour, at Talili Bay, Vunapope, Rataval, Kabanga Bay and Toboi Wharf areas Rabul were strafed. 500 lb. and 100 lb. bombs and incendiaries were used.
Strikes were also made on heavy and automatic gun positions on Hospital Ridge, Rabul, on Matupi Island, Tahili Bay and on the naval 4.7" guns at Vunakanau.
During all these missions, anti aircraft fire of varying intensity and accuracy was always encountered.
The last operation of the tour was a strike against a supply area in Tahili Bay on 22 May 1944.
During the tour, the Squadron flew 1361.50 hours by day and 71.00 hours by night on active operations. It expended 329.82 long tons of bombs and fired 83 067 rounds of ammunition. Casualties sustained during the 58 days of operations during which 573 sorties were carried out, were the crews of NZ2507 on 26 April 1944 and NZ 2541 on 10 May 1944.
|
No. 30 Squadron Memorial Plaque |
NZ2507 | NZ2541 |
|
Pilot | FgOff R.D. Gardner | FgOff A.M. Bailey |
Navigator | PltOff C. Nicholls | F/S L.G. Schlesinger |
Gunner | PltOff H.H. Sheather | W/O R.R. Curtis |
30 SQUADRON BATTLE HONOURS |
||
Pacific 1941-45 | Bougainville 1943-45 | Rabaul 1943-45 |
AIRCRAFT TYPES |
||
Vickers Vincent | North American Harvard MK II | Grumman TBF Avenger |
Information supplied by 30 Sqn Assn.
|
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: - Lawrence Binyon |