21st Construction Squadron is a sub-unit of the Australian Army, primarily composed of personnel from the Royal Australian Engineers. Formed in 1950, the squadron is currently part of the 6th Engineer Support Regiment (6 ESR) and is based at RAAF Base Amberley. Throughout its history, both as an independent unit and as part of a regiment, the squadron has deployed personnel on numerous operations and exercises both domestically and abroad. Notable deployments include Vietnam, Borneo, East Timor, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Since 1998, the squadron has regularly participated in the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program (AACAP) and has frequently provided disaster relief to the wider Australian community and South West Pacific partners.
History
Origins (1950–1962) In June 1949, plans to establish a regular Construction Squadron in Victoria was in advanced stages. The Engineer-in-Chief's Technical Liaison Letter, published on 1 June 1949, announced approval for the formation of a regal regiment dedicated to construction tasks. 21 Construction Squadron was to be formed through the amalgamation of existing maintenance troops in Victoria. Final confirmation for the squadron's establishment came in December 1949, and on 25 January 1950, Major Ronald Arthur Venn was appointed as the Officer Commanding. He was tasked with organising and raising the unit from dispersed maintenance troops, marking 25 January 1950 as the official birth date of 21 Construction Squadron.
In December 1950, plans were finalised for accommodation and training facilities at Puckapunyal to support National Service. 21 Construction Squadron was assigned a key role in the construction of these facilities, making it practical to relocate the unit to Puckapunyal for the duration of the project. In March 1951, the squadron's headquarters and a troop based in Abbotsford were moved to Puckapunyal, with the squadron being stationed in its current area. After 1953, the troop from Bandiana also joined the squadron at Puckapunyal. At this time, the squadron was staffed by a core of wartime sappers, mainly from the 6th Division, and New Australian civilians, who made up approximately sixty percent of the unit's personnel. Puckapunyal became the permanent home of the squadron and apart from forays in TP&NG and Sabah, Malaysia, has provided the unit's firm base until its relocation to Gallipoli Barracks and subsequently RAAF Base Amberley.
The squadron has undertaken numerous construction projects for both the Army and civilian organisations across Victoria and other states of Australia. Many of the enhancements have contributed to the improvement of facilities, as well as the working and living conditions at various Army establishments. Some of these improvements include at:
Army Apprentices School, Balcombe; Officer Cadet School, Portsea; Army Headquarters (AHQ) Survey Regiment, Bendigo; Seymour/Puckapunyal Area; Swan Island, Queenscliff; Lavarack Barracks, Townsville; Holsworthy Barracks; Shoalwater Bay Training Area.
Between 1954 and 1956, a major works program with expenditure in excess of 100,000 Australian Pounds was carried out in the Puckapunyal and Seymour Area. During this period, for materials alone, some of the costing amounts were:
1 Armoured Regiment Tank Wash - 1,000; Scrub Hill (Roads, accommodation, services) - 24,000; Puckapunyal outdoor pool - 49,000; Australian Services Canteen Organisation (ASCO) Canteen bulk issue point - 41,000; Improvements to Puckapunyal Water Supply - 30, 000; Bick Barracks to Mob Siding Seymour - 60,000.
In addition to the works in the Puckapunyal area, other specific projects completed by personnel from 21 Construction Squadron in the early years include:
Ovals, Gymnasium and RAEME workshops; Army Apprentice School, Balcombe; Ovals at Watsonia; Fire Station, Athletics Track, Squash Courts and 1.7 Million gallon reservoir at Puckapunyal; 200 metre bridge at Swan Island, Queenscliff; Puckapunyal Airfield; Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) Fording Pool at Puckapunyal; All Saints Chapel at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville; 25m range at Puckapunyal; Orchard Airfield at Holsworthy; Donovan Joynt Club at Puckapunyal; Classification Range at Kapooka; AFV Firing Range at Colston Hill, Puckapunyal.
Deployments abroad New Guinea, Malaysia and Vietnam (1962–1979) In June 1962, the squadron was deployed to New Guinea for a twelve-month period, where it participated in various infrastructure projects aimed at both defence works and infrastructure development. This included road construction, airfield development at Passam, wharf construction at Wewak, expansions to the base camp at Moem, and the construction of brick married quarters for local government employees in Wewak. During the New Guinea deployment, a troop from 24 Construction Squadron was placed under the command of 21 Construction Squadron. This troop was stationed in Vanimo, where they completed a C130 airstrip to Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) specifications by early 1963. Following the completion of the airstrip, the troop was relocated to Passam. The squadron returned to Australia in July 1963.
From November 1965 to June 1966, 21 Construction Squadron was deployed to Sabah, Malaysia, relieving 24 Construction Squadron. The advance party arrived in early November, with the full changeover completed by 1 December 1965. Over the next six months, the squadron undertook various construction tasks, including camp expansions at North Pandean and continued road construction with forward elements positioned at several locations along the route. The squadron erected three Double Storey (DS) Bailey Bridges, each with a Military Load Classification (MLC) of class 30 and spans ranging from 80 to 90 feet. It also constructed three class 30 timber bridges, each approximately 40 feet in span. Additionally, the squadron installed 22 culverts, with an average length of 66 feet. Improvements to the Pandewas School included leveling a playground, constructing and installing playground equipment, and adding extra schoolroom facilities.
From 1965, 21 Construction Squadron deployed teams and personnel to support the Australian engineering contingent during the Vietnam War. The squadron personnel responsibilities centred around base camp design and maintenance to sustain military operations. Additional tasks encompassed resource extraction for construction, water purification and supply, electricity generation, surveying, bridging, rafting, and civil aid.
Force restructure (1980–1990) In 1980, the reorganisation of 1 Division units and the establishment of the Logistic Support Group (LSG) to support the Operational Deployment Force (ODF) was announced. As a result of these changes, Headquarters 1 Construction Regiment was established to command 17, 21, and 22 Construction Squadrons. 21 Construction Squadron was designated as the "LSG Construction Squadron," with an additional role to provide construction support to the ODF and engineering services to 1 LSG. The squadron was placed on a 28-day notice to move in support of ODF operational deployments.
Despite the brief period available to achieve operational readiness from the reorganisation, 21 Construction Squadron successfully deployed as the LSG Construction Squadron for Exercise Kangaroo 81 from August to October 1981, completing all assigned tasks. Since then, the squadron has participated in numerous LSG "Steady Pack" and "Full Pack" exercises. It has also been deployed for extended periods to support other major defence exercises, including:
Operation Normanby Ranger II, Shoalwater Bay 1981; Steady Pack 82, Puckapunyal 1982; Operation Normanby Ranger IV, Shoalwater Bay 1984; Full Pack 86 and Exercise K86, Gladstone 1986; Full Pack 88, El Alamein Camp, South Australia 1988; Exercise K89, Katherine Northern Territory 1989.
The unit has also deployed for 1st Construction Regiment exercises during this period, notably:
Exercise Triple Shift, June to August 1986, Puckapunyal; Exercise Northern Shift, May to June 1988, Singleton.
During the 1980s, the squadron also completed Defence Cooperation Projects (DCP), major works tasks and provided Defence Force Aid to the Civil Community (DFACC) assistance in civil communities, including;
Assistance to Ash Wednesday bushfires, February 1983; Assistance with flooding, Lae PNG, 1983; Construction of Donavan Joynt VC club, Puckapunyal, 1984; Support to AS/UK stack fragment trials, Woomera, 1985, 1988; DCP construction of mess facilities Tonga 1985; Assistance to bushfires at Bright, Jan 1983; Construction of squash courts, Broadmeadows 1986; Extensions to Gladstone Airfield, Gladstone 1986; Reconstruction of Route 20, Puckapunyal 1987; Construction of classification range, Kapooka 1987; Upgrade of Cultana airstrip, South Australia 1988; DCP Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) support, Solomon's Islands 1988; Armoury construction and mess renovation, Butterworth 1988; DCP Electrical trade support, Vanuatu 1988, 1989.
In 1989, 21 Construction Squadron initiated an Adult Trade Training Program aimed at training serving sappers as Carpenters and Joiners (C&J) and Bricklayers (BL). Eight C&J apprentices and three BL apprentices began their studies at Bendigo TAFE in January 1989, achieving excellent results in their first year. In 1990, two additional BL apprentices were scheduled to start, and the C&J training was set to be transferred to the Army Apprentice School under a block release system. This program involves formal training at the Army Apprentice School combined with practical experience through works supervised by 21 Construction Squadron and civilian detachments. In their first year, these apprentices have made significant contributions by completing projects for various units at Puckapunyal and undertaking tasks interstate.
The 1990s and East Timor (1990–2003) In the early 1990s, the squadron undertook its first overseas task of the decade in Western Samoa. This assignment involved constructing a police station and an early warning cyclone station. The squadron also completed its first local project, constructing an Armoured Fighting Vehicle range at Puckapunyal, and began an interstate project at Gallipoli Barracks, where it initiated the construction of various buildings for the South Queensland Logistic Group (SQLG). Additionally, Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) saw significant road upgrades.
The year 1992 was marked by Exercise Kangaroo 92 in Katherine, Northern Territory, where the squadron consolidated many of its skills. That year also saw the beginning of the Kapooka Chapel construction, following excavation work completed the previous year. The chapel became a significant site for the Army, with nearly every soldier in the Australian Army having seen or visited it. The SQLG buildings were completed, and two northern projects were undertaken: the Light Horse Dive at Robinson Barracks, NT, and a scale camp at Mt. Bundy Training Area, NT.
In 1993, the squadron's move from central Victoria to Queensland was accomplished, with a stop at the Shire of Kilmore. The Western Ring Road at Mt. Bundy was constructed, and the squadron undertook its second overseas deployment in as many years, starting the construction of headquarters and accommodation buildings in tropical Vanuatu. The Kapooka Chapel was also completed.
By 1994, the accommodation and headquarters project in Vanuatu was completed. The squadron's second task of the year was constructing the 'Proof and Experiment' establishment at Port Wakefield, South Australia. At the home barracks, the squadron built changing rooms at Gymnasium No. 1 and refurbished the squadron's lecture room at the Red Rooster Inn.