No. 107 Squadron (RAAF): Second World War

Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books

No.107 Squadron, RAAF, was an anti-submarine warfare squadron that used the Vought-Sikorsky Kingfisher to fly anti-submarine patrols off the east coast of Australia.

The squadron's aircraft came from a batch of 24 OS2U-3s ordered by the Dutch for use in the Dutch East Indies. These aircraft were being shipping across the Pacific when the Japanese overran the Dutch East Indies and instead were diverted to Australia. There eighteen were given to the RAAF, most serving with No.107 Squadron and some with No.3 OTU.

The Australian aircraft had armour plating removed and the original metal fuel tanks replaced with lighter self-sealing bag fuel tanks. This allowed their aircraft to carry two 250lb depth charges under the wings in place of the two 100lb bombs normally carried.

The squadron originally operated from the Lake Macquarie area, just to the south of Rathmines (north of Sydney). When this area began overcrowded the squadron moved to St. Georges Basin, south of Sydney.

In March 1945 the British Pacific Fleet began to use Sydney as a main base, and No.107 Squadron added air-sea rescue duties to its anti-submarine patrols. During this period the squadron rescued several Fleet Air Arm pilots who had ditched. After the end of the war the squadron continued to provide an air-sea rescue squadron until it was disbanded in October 1945.

Aircraft
Vought-Sikorsky OS2U Kingfisher

Location
May 1943-Mid 1944: Rathmines, New South Wales
Mid 1944-: St Georges Basin, New South Wales

Squadron Codes: sss

Duty
May 1943-March 1945: Anti-submarine warfare
March 1945-September 1945: Anti-submarine warfare and air-sea rescue

Books

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