3
Squadron LIFETIMES
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Warrant Officer John
LARSEN
5 December 1935 to 20 July 2021.
Aged 85 years.
Born
in Brisbane, John’s education was completed at Ashfield (NSW)
Secondary Technical School, after his family moved to Sydney.
He left school at 15 and
joined the RAAF on 5 July 1954, aged 18.
John completed trade
training and Armament Fitter training at the School of
Technical Training RAAF Forrest Hill, Wagga, prior to joining No.23
(City
of Brisbane) Squadron
on 25 May 1955 to work on Wirraways and Mustangs at
RAAF Archerfield, before 23 squadron was re-equipped with Vampires and
moved to RAAF Amberley. A posting to RAAF Darwin
followed in November 1955, where his main task was to maintain air/sea
rescue aircraft. That task was interspersed with duty at Snake
Creek ammunition dump, 160km south of Darwin. He turned 21 while
at Darwin.
After 15 months in
Darwin, John returned to Amberley before another posting to Wagga to
complete Armament Fitters' course in October 1957. Posted
to No.2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU), RAAF Williamtown,
John was involved in readying the move of Nos.3 and 77 Squadrons,
equipped with Sabres, along with No.478 Squadron, to RAAF Butterworth
during the Malayan Emergency.
Posted overseas with
No.78 Wing and No.3 Squadron in Butterworth in November 1958, John
spent two years in Malaya before a brief posting to No.2 OCU,
Williamtown, but not before participating in a guard of honour for the Sultan
of Johore’s state funeral. A six-year posting to No.1
Central Reserve, RAAF Kingswood, followed in 1962.
He returned to
Williamtown as a Corporal at No.2 OCU and then to No.3
Squadron. Once again, it was a time of preparation for a move
to Butterworth, that time with Mirage aircraft.
Again, John was selected for ceremonial duty, and went to Paris to
commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Armistice Day in 1968.
In February 1969, John returned
to Butterworth with No.3 Squadron, spending most of his time on
the flight line. A State of Emergency was declared in May
1969, as civil unrest turned violent between the Chinese and Malay
populations, a dangerous and demanding time.
He
was promoted to Sergeant in 1970. On return to Australia in 1971,
John was posted to No.1 OCU, & Nos 2 and 478 Squadrons,
working on Canberra aircraft.
He returned to
Butterworth in 1975 for his third tour in Malaysia with No.3
Squadron. However, soon after arrival he was promoted to Flight
Sergeant and moved to No.75 Squadron as SNCO of Armament
Section.
Returning
to Australia in March 1978, he was posted to Headquarters Support
Command and although promoted to Warrant Officer, he
elected to resign and left the Air Force on 2 December 1978.
John had an eventful
24-year career,and served during a period of significant change for the
Air Force.
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