336 Squadron
From Scramble - The Aviation Magazine
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| 336 Squadron | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Description | ||
| Nickname | none | |
| Motto | Sudore Ac Pulvere | |
| Established | 1 September 1961 | |
| Current role | Tactical airlift | |
| Current Type(s) | C-130H/C-130H-30 Hercules | |
| Scramble website | Scramble's OrBat page | |
| Scramble individual a/c | Scramble database | |
Contents |
History
The squadron was established on 1 September 1961 to take over the transport tasks of 321 squadron of the Royal Netherlands Navy in Netherlands New Guinea. From homebase Mokmer the unit operated six C-47 Dakotas, three of which ware taken over from 321 squadron and the other three were acquired from the United States Air Force. It was disbanded a year later after a cease fire was agreed. During its existance the squadron transported over 5,400 passengers and 451 tonnes of freight. During the Dakota period one aircraft, X-11, was lost. The aircraft took off from Merauke (en route to Biak) on 28 June 1962 and crashed into a mountainous area two hours later. The wreck was not discovered until 1969.
The squadron was brought back to live on 1 August 1981 (at Soesterberg, though the official resurrection date of the squadron is 1 April 1982). The squadron was equipped with two Fokker F27-200MPA aircraft, M-1 and M-2, to take on maritime patrol duties in the Netherlands Antilles region. The first aircraft, M-1, arrived at Hato on 13 November 1981. Both aircraft flew their missions in the region until june 2000, when the squadron was disbanded again.
Expanding the current fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft in the inventory of the RNlAF from two to four in the near future, prompted the RNlAF to restructure 334 Squadron into two separate squadrons. This led to the resurrection of 336 Squadron on 23 October 2007. 336 Squadron will be responsible for the tactical air lift role, while 334 Squadron will take care of the Tanker, VIP transport and in-country transport roles. Reflecting its role the unit markings were changed and a new motto 'Sudore Ac Pulvere' (which translates to 'In sweat and dust') was adopted.
The squadron is currently (end-2007) awaiting two former United States Navy EC-130Qs to enter service after conversion to C-130H.
Chronology of types
| From/to | Aircraft type |
| 01-09-1961 / ..-09-1962 | Douglas C-47 Dakota |
| 01-08-1981 / 06-07-2000 | Fokker 27-200MAR |
| 23-10-2007 / now | C-130H/C-130H-30 Hercules |
Chronology of home bases
| From/to | Home base |
| 01-09-1961 / ..-09-1962 | Mokmer (Netherlands New Guinea) |
| 01-08-1981 / 06-07-2000 | Hato (Netherlands Antilles) |
| 23-10-2007 / now | Eindhoven (Netherlands) |
