86SQN to hold last roll call

Kittyhawks on the flight line at Gawler Aerodrome in 1943.

NO. 86 Squadron will mark the 60th anniversary of its formation at a final roll call for members in South Australia on March 18.

86SQN was formed at the Gawler Aerodrome on March 4, 1943, and was initially equipped with 24 Curtis Kittyhawk P40M aircraft and more than 300 personnel.

The squadron embarked on operations in New Guinea, with two of its pilots killed in action.

The only operational squadron to be formed in South Australia, 86SQN was disbanded in May 1944.

At its annual dinner last year, the South Australian 86SQN Association announced that owing to the ageing of its members, the pilgrimage to the Gawler Aerodrome in 2003 to mark the 60th anniversary would be the last.

The anniversary celebrations are expected to attract former squadron members from Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and NSW, as well as those from across South Australia.

To help mark the final roll call, a Kittyhawk fighter aircraft from Victoria will be flown to Gawler on March 17 and will perform a number of flypasts during its three-day stay in South Australia. The aircraft will also be on static display along with other 86SQN memorabilia.

A formal service, featuring a flypast by the Kittyhawk, will be held on the morning of March 18, followed by a luncheon at the Gawler RSL.

A visit to local wineries, a sit-down evening dinner and a trip to local aircraft museums in and around Adelaide are also planned.

For more information on 86SQN’s 60th anniversary celebrations and final roll call, contact event coordinator Wayne Clarke on (08) 8523 1252 or 0408 891 528.

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