#1177 C-130H Hercules
Purchased products will not feature the Squadron Prints watermark
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1177 - C-130H Hercules, A97-009, 37 Squadron, RAAF Richmond.
No. 37 Squadron is a part of Air Lift Group based at RAAF Base Richmond operating the C-130H and C-130J Hercules aircraft. 37 Squadron was formed on the 15th of July, 1943 at Laverton, Victoria, originally flying Lockheed Lodestar aircraft. During this time 37Squadron flew frequently into New Guinea and Dutch New Guinea. When re-equipped with Dakotas in March 1945, the Squadron started conveying Australian troops and equipment from island bases throughout the Pacific back to Australia, whilst in 1946 37 Squadron started to support the deployment of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces in Japan. On the 24th of February 1948 37 Squadron was disbanded. After being re-established at RAAF Base Richmond on the 21st of February 1966, now flying the C-130E Hercules, the Squadron began long range transport missions in support of Australian Forces in Vietnam. These flights included aero-medical evacuations conveying wounded soldiers back to Australia. After the Vietnam War, 37 Squadron continued to fly throughout the region. Among these flights, humanitarian tasks and civil aid became a large aspect of the Squadron’s operations, with 37 Squadron becoming a vital part of the in the evacuation of civilians following Cyclone Tracy in Darwin, 1974. 37 Squadron was also employed by the Federal Government to provide air transport during the pilots’ dispute that stopped operations by the two feuding domestic airlines in 1989. In 1999, 37 Squadron began the replacement of their C-130E Hercules with the new C-130J model, with the final C-130E flight taking place in November of that year. The Squadron has supported many Australian peacekeeping missions around the world, including those in East Timor and Iraq. The Squadron was expanded on the 17th of November 2006 when No. 36 Squadron’s C-130H Hercules fleet was transferred to 37 Squadron and 36 Squadron moved to RAAF Base Amberley. Four of the C-130H Hercules aircraft are now in storage leaving No. 37 Squadron with twelve C-130J and eight C-130H aircraft. The main role of the aircraft fleet is airborne operations, and the C-130 fleet also conducts all combat airlift roles except air-to-air refuelling.