The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) deployed on Operation ‘Beech’ in direct support of UK defensive operations in the Eastern Mediterranean and Broader Middle East following the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict. Working with 99 Squadron, the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) C17 Squadron, they delivered considerable operational effect, enabling the UK C17s to concentrate on delivering numerous additional complex operational missions over and above what would have been possible alone. Additionally, after years of hard work and exercises between the two nations to develop robust ‘interfly’ procedures, where mixed Nationality crews fly each other’s aircraft, the RAAF and RAF delivered the first ever C17 operational interfly mission during Operation ‘Beech’.

Having travelled halfway across the world, the Operation ‘Beech’ team arrived at RAF Brize Norton amid a rapidly evolving and unfamiliar operational environment. The Sovereign base of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus had been attacked, and UK Defence was rapidly re-posturing to counter a number of evolving threats. The RAAF’s presence was gratefully received, where between 16 March to 13 April, the Operation ‘Beech’ team (comprising one C17 from 36 Squadron and one KC30A Multi-Role Tanker aircraft from 33 Squadron) amassed 162 flying hours, moved 752 people, delivered over 600,000Ibs of cargo and delivered in excess of 120,000Ibs of fuel in support of UK defensive operations.

They also concurrently worked to evolve interoperability between the RAF and RAAF C17 Squadrons. Over the past 3 years, the RAF and RAAF have been developing ‘interfly’. This has required significant work to recognise each other’s training standards, highlighting and working within the differences found in national standard operating procedures and developing joint training opportunities to deliver true interoperability, perhaps better now termed as interchangeability, by operating with multi-national military aircrews as well as interoperable engineering practices. When the RAF found itself with too few aircraft for the task at hand, and the RAAF were short of crew members, the team worked to rapidly read-across the previous interfly work and use it as a force multiplier to deliver on operations. Working within the high tempo and dynamic nature of tasking, the team achieved the first ever operational sortie of an RAAF C17 with a mixed RAF and RAAF crew. This underscores the calibre of the crews, and tenacity and shared operational pedigree of our personnel. 

The Operation ‘Beech’ team’s professionalism, adaptability, and a commitment to shared learning, set a benchmark for partner nation integration and evolved joint operating capability at the frontline.  For its contribution to interoperability, the support to their closest allies and partners, but above all, for being there when it really mattered, the Operation ‘Beech’ RAAF Air Mobility Detachment is awarded the Brackley Memorial Trophy.

1948/49  J L Parker Esq

1949/50  H W C Alger Esq

1950/51  Wg Cdr B J Aikman

1952  not awarded

1952/53  G A V Tyson Esq

1954  not awarded

1954/55  Royal Air Force Station - Pembroke Dock (201 & 230 Sqns)

1956 - 1957  not awarded

1957/58  Comet and Britannia Flights of BOAC

1960  not awarded

1960/61  Captain J S Shephard

1961/62  No. 216 Sqn RAF

1962/63  No. 22 (SAR) Sqn RAF

1963/64  Captain Richard Rymer (postumous)

1964/65  Captain Frederick Ladd MBE

1965/66  Cdr P M Lamb

1966/67  J H Phillips Esq

1968  not awarded

1968/69  Nos 22 and 202 Sqn, Coastal Command

1969/70  Flying Crews of Bristow Helicopters

1971  not awarded

1971/72  Captain C M Ramsey

1973 - 1974  not awarded

1974/75  Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose

1976  not awarded

1976/77  Captain Brian J Calvert

1978 - 1979  not awarded

1979/80  Captain Hugh P K Dibley

1980/81  Commander J Young and Captain R Crippen

1981/82  Long Range Operations-Falklands Islands Gp Capt Price, Wg Cdr P J Squire, Flt Lt W F M Withers, Flt Lt T F Locke, Flt Lt J A Cowan

1983 - 1986  not awarded

1986/87  Captain J Mason

1988 - 1991  not awarded

1991/92  Captain H Gee

1992/93  Captain T R Fulton

1994 - 1995  not awarded

1995/96  Aircrew of 47 Sqn Special Forces Flight

1997  not awarded

1997/98  Captain W D (Jock) Lowe

1998/99  Captain Neville J Hay

1999/2000  Captain Iain McClelland

2001  not awarded

2001/02  47 Sqn RAF

2002/03  99 SqnRAF

2003/04  Sqn Ldr James Dalrymple Cunningham MBE

2005  not awarded

2005/06  John Cashman

2006/07  J Tactical Training Flight RAF

2008  not awarded

2008/09 Sqn Ldr Keith Hewitt MBE RAF

2010 - 2011  not awarded

2011/12  Flt Lt C D Maggs RAF

2013 - 2015  not awarded

2016  Flt Lt Stephen Hewer RAF

2017  40 Sqn Royal New Zealand Air Force

2018   not awarded

2019  British Airways Concorde Fleet

2020  Number 32 (The Royal) Squadron RAF

2021   not awarded

2022  Sqn Ldr Richard Waller RAF

2023  Jason Sandever

2024  Flight Lieutenant Adam Roche RAF

2025  Captain Christian K Maude USAF