222 Squadron - Coomera

222 SQN was formed at The Southport School (TSS) 1st October 1942 as a flight under 66 Squadron ATC. When school opened, fifteen boarders joined the corps, and headquarters were established there at the school.

The unit’s first Commanding Officer was Mr CJ Chandler, with our first wartime ‘graduate’ being G.A.P. Ricketts earning his wings with the Royal Australia Air Force (RAAF) in Canada in early 1944 and ex-cadets went on to serve in a variety of roles in the RAAF, many of whom where to gain their wings in Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme serving in many theatres around the world during and after World War II.

The unit continued to be homed at TSS until late 2014 when the unit was disbanded briefly. It was then reactivated in 2016 at Assisi College in Upper Coomera, where it resided until 2021 when it was temporarily move to Upper Coomera Centre with the generous assistance of City of Gold Coast.

In August 2022 the unit moved to our new permanent home based at Foxwell State Secondary College, quickly forming a close working relationship with the school community.

Since its formation in 1942, cadets of the squadron have heavily supported community events and commemorations in the Gold Coast over the last, almost 80 years and our ex-cadets have gone on to very successful civilian and defence careers.

The squadron banner and patch feature, according to heraldic description, ‘Gules, a Dragon Statant, underside Or.’

The Dragon being chosen to represent an RAAF DH84 Dragon that crashed very close to our current parade location, on the 13th of April 1943, RAAF serial number A34-46, which was at the time assigned to 33SQN. 33SQN’s current flying suit patch also carries a stylised dragon.