Commander Surveillance and Response Group (SRG) Air Commodore Louise desJardins hosted a formal disbandment ceremony for 42 Wing at 2 Squadron RAAF Base Williamtown this month.
First formed as 42 (Radio Direction Finding) Wing at RAAF Base Townsville, Queensland, on February 1, 1943, the wing was created to take command of radar stations operating within the north-eastern area, which encompassed central and northern Queensland, Papua and New Guinea.
The wing originally consisted of about 13 officers, 84 aviators and 21 Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force members. At its peak it operated up to 25 fixed radar direction finding stations, as well as operating two aircraft, an Avro Anson and a Tiger Moth, and various motor vehicles.
42 Wing was disbanded for the first time on October 1, 1944, having operated for 20 months. On January 1, 2006, 42 Wing was reactivated at RAAF Base Williamtown under the command of Group Captain David Willcox.
Outgoing Officer Commanding 41 Wing, Group Captain Tracy Douglas, said 42 Wing has a proud legacy in the modern-day Air Force.
"It was instrumental in bringing the E-7A Wedgetail into service and establishing it as the world-leading capability that it is. This was such a complex project for Air Force, a first-of-type capability for us, that it required the dedicated resources of a wing to ensure success," Group Captain Douglas said.
In recent years 42 Wing has been responsible for 2 Squadron, operating the Wedgetail E-7A aircraft, and 10 Squadron, operating the P-3EW aircraft.
'This allows each wing to fully focus on what is required to deliver the missions sets entrusted to them by Government.'
With the introduction of the Common A-Staff system under Plan Mulleun, SRG restructured from four wings to three.
Headquarters 42 Wing was absorbed into Headquarters SRG, 2 Squadron was transferred to 41 Wing, and 10 Squadron was transferred back to 92 Wing.
42 Wing disbanded, for the second time, on September 4, 2023.
"Now that the capability is established and mature, the transition of 2 Squadron to 41 Wing and 10 Squadron to 92 Wing neatly aligns our Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) capabilities into one wing [41 Wing] and our Air Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities into another [92 Wing]," Group Captain Douglas said.
"This allows each wing to fully focus on what is required to deliver the missions sets entrusted to them by Government.
"For 41 Wing, the merging of all of Air Force's tactical command and control platforms into one wing allows us to focus on aligning training, processes and procedures to mature the command and control of Air Force's IAMD mission."
From its establishment in Townsville in 1943 to the formal disbandment ceremony on December 1, 2025, 42 Wing leaves a proud legacy that continues in the modern Air Force.
