No. 60 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force

Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

 (RAAF) fighter squadron of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. The Squadron was formed in January 1942 and disbanded three months later without seeing combat.

Squadron history

No. 60 Squadron was formed at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales

Wagga Wagga, New South Wales

Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...

 on 1 January 1942 as part of Australia's response to the rapid Japanese advance during the first month of the Pacific War

Pacific War

The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...

 and the perceived threat of invasion. It comprised 179 personnel and three flights

Flight (military unit)

A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages,...

 of CAC Wirraway

CAC Wirraway

The Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1939 and 1946...

 aircraft drawn from No. 2 Service Flying Training School

No. 2 Service Flying Training School RAAF

No. 2 Service Flying Training School was a flying training school of the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. It was formed in July 1940, under the command of Group Captain Frederick Scherger...

. These aircraft were armed with two forward-firing machine gun

Machine gun

A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....

s and a further machine gun in the rear cockpit and could carry four 250-lb or two 500-lb bombs

Aerial bomb

An aerial bomb is a type of explosive weapon intended to travel through the air with predictable trajectories, usually designed to be dropped from an aircraft...

.

The squadron began training on 6 January. It practiced formation flying, dive bombing

Dive bomber

A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...

 and air to ground gunnery as well as conducting air defence exercises with other units based at RAAF Base Wagga

RAAF Base Wagga

RAAF Base Wagga is located in the New South Wales town of Wagga Wagga, in the suburb of Forest Hill.The RAAF no longer controls the airfield which, although still owned by the Commonwealth of Australia, is currently leased to the Wagga Wagga City Council...

. On 2 February No. 60 Squadron moved to Cootamundra

Cootamundra, New South Wales

Cootamundra is a town and Local Government Area in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. At the 2006 census, Cootamundra had a population of 5,566. It is located on the Olympic Highway at the point where it crosses the Muttama Creek, between Junee and...

 but remained under the operational command of RAAF Base Wagga's operations room. From 3 to 5 February the squadron exercised with another squadron based at Wagga Wagga. It did not conduct any flight training after 6 February, but continued ground training.

No. 60 Squadron was disbanded on 3 April 1942 as its aircraft and personnel were needed by the RAAF's training units. The squadron's aircraft and other equipment were transferred to RAAF units at Uranquinty and its personnel posted to units at Uranquinty and Deniliquin. The squadron's commander throughout its existence, Blake Pelly

Blake Pelly

Blake Raymond Pelly OBE was an Australian air force officer, politician and businessman, who represented the Liberal Party of Australia in New South Wales Parliament....

, was promoted to the rank of acting Group Captain

Group Captain

Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...

 in 1944 and represented the Electoral district of Wollondilly

Electoral district of Wollondilly

Wollondilly is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is currently held by Jai Rowell of the Liberal Party of Australia....

 in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly

New South Wales Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...

between 1950 and 1957.