No. 1 Wing RAAF
Encyclopedia
No. 1 Wing was an Australian Flying Corps (AFC) and Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) wing active during World War I
and World War II
. The wing was established on 1 September 1917 as the 1st Training Wing and commanded the AFC's pilot training squadron
s in England until April 1919, when it was disbanded. It was reformed on 7 October 1942 as a fighter unit comprising two Australian and one British flying squadrons equipped with Supermarine Spitfire
aircraft, and a mobile fighter sector headquarters. The wing provided air defence to Darwin
and several other key Allied
bases in northern Australia
until the end of the war, and was again disbanded in October 1945.
During its first months at Darwin, No. 1 Wing intercepted several of the air raids conducted against Northern Australia by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force and Imperial Japanese Navy
. Although the wing was hampered by mechanical problems with its Spitfires and suffered heavy losses in some engagements, it eventually downed a greater number of Japanese aircraft than it lost in combat. After the final Japanese air raid on northern Australia in November 1943, No. 1 Wing saw little combat, which led to its personnel suffering from low morale. The wing's two Australian flying squadrons were replaced with British units in July 1944, and subsequent proposals to move these squadrons to more active areas were not successful.
, England on 1 September 1917. It commanded No. 5
, No. 6
, No. 7 and No. 8 Squadrons
of the AFC. The wing's role was to train replacement pilots for the four operational AFC squadrons in Palestine and France. Each of the training squadrons provided replacements to a specific operational squadron; No. 5 trained pilots for No.1 Squadron
, No. 6 supported No. 2 Squadron
, No. 7 was aligned with No. 3 Squadron
and No. 8 supported No. 4 Squadron
. By the time Lieutenant-Colonel Oswald Watt
was appointed to command the wing in February 1918, its headquarters had moved to Tetbury
. In keeping with their varied responsibilities, the 1st Training Wing's squadrons operated a wide variety of aircraft and most were split between several bases. From the spring of 1918 No. 5 and No. 6 Squadrons were stationed at Minchinhampton Airfield
while No. 7 and No. 8 Squadrons were at Leighterton Airfield. Both facilities had been purpose-built for the AFC over the autumn and winter of 1917/1918. Watt proposed moving the wing to France, but this did not eventuate.
Following the war the 1st Training Wing continued to conduct pilot training courses in England. This activity was undertaken to strengthen the AFC and keep pilots and ground crew occupied until they were repatriated to Australia. Most of the wing's personnel were given leave in April 1919 and several of its pilots took part in a fly-past over London
on Anzac Day
. The four training squadrons were disbanded on 6 May 1919, the day the wing left Minchinhampton to begin the journey back to Australia. The last entry in the 1st Training Wing's war diary had been made in April that year. While Watt placed a strong emphasis on safety, the 1st Training Wing's trainee pilots inevitably suffered a number of flying accidents, resulting in at least 17 fatalities between 1917 and 1919. At least 15 other members of the wing died from disease or were killed in accidents on the ground.
In 1919 the AFC was disbanded and succeeded by the Australian Air Corps, which was in turn replaced with an independent Australian Air Force on 31 March 1921 (the "Royal" prefix was added in August). The first proposal for the RAAF's force structure considered by its Air Board included two fighter wings, designated No. 1 Wing and No. 2 Wing, each comprising two fighter squadrons. In July 1920 the Air Council, which oversaw the RAAF, approved the establishment of a base at Laverton, Victoria to house No. 1 Wing and its component squadrons (No. 1 and No. 2 Squadrons) as well as No. 1 Aircraft Depot. No. 1 and No. 2 Squadrons were formed on 1 January 1922, but in July that year No. 2 Squadron was disbanded and No. 1 Squadron reduced to a cadre. The RAAF's proposed force structure was subsequently amended in 1924 so as not to include any fighter squadrons or wing headquarters.
in December 1941 the RAAF did not possess any modern fighters in or near Australia. Following the Bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942, which caused heavy damage to the military installations at the town and ships in its harbour, the Australian Government began to urgently look for fighter aircraft. As the Australian aviation industry was not capable of producing fighter aircraft at the time, the government sought assistance from the United States and Britain. While the US Government responded by providing the RAAF with what became a steady flow of P-40 Kittyhawk
aircraft, Britain was initially unable to allocate fighters to Australia due to its heavy commitments in the North African Campaign
and elsewhere.
Japanese air units attacked the Darwin area multiple times during 1942. The P-40 equipped United States Army Air Forces
' (USAAF) 49th Fighter Group
was deployed to Darwin following the 19 February raid, and its first squadron became operational there in mid-March. The group's three squadrons were ready for operations in late April, and subsequently intercepted all Japanese daylight raids on the area. The 49th Fighter Group began to withdraw from Darwin in August 1942 and was replaced by two Australian P-40 squadrons; No. 77 Squadron
arrived in August and No. 76 Squadron
in October. During its time at Darwin the 49th Fighter Group shot down 79 Japanese aircraft and lost 21 P-40s. As well as bombing targets near Darwin, Japanese air units also occasionally struck other small Australian towns, attacked shipping sailing off the north coast and flew reconnaissance sorties over Allied bases.
In May 1942 the Australian Minister for External Affairs H.V. "Doc" Evatt
travelled to the United States and Britain to seek additional aircraft for the RAAF. Evatt first visited the United States, where the government agreed to increase the number of aircraft it provided to Australia. He then travelled to London and met with Prime Minister Winston Churchill
. In this meeting, Evatt requested that Britain provide an aircraft carrier
to serve with the Royal Australian Navy
, and an allocation of Spitfire fighters for the RAAF. While Britain could not spare an aircraft carrier, after several days of discussions Churchill agreed on 28 May to send three fully equipped Spitfire squadron
s to Australia. The squadrons selected were No. 452 Squadron RAAF
, No. 457 Squadron RAAF
and No. 54 Squadron RAF, all of which had seen combat over Europe against the Luftwaffe
. Under the agreement each squadron would be initially equipped with 16 Spitfires and a further 15 aircraft would be sent to Australia each month as replacements. Churchill's role in sending Spitfire units to Australia led to No. 1 Wing often being referred to as the "Churchill Wing".
Delays in shipping Spitfires to Australia disrupted No. 1 Wing's formation. In late June 1942 the British Government diverted all but six of the initial 48 aircraft to Egypt to reinforce the three RAF Spitfire squadrons there after the German victory in the Battle of Gazala
; most of these aircraft were allocated to No. 92 Squadron RAF
with the remainder forming a reserve to replace future losses. The Australian Government protested against this action, but reluctantly accepted it after Churchill refused to counteract the diversion. During the same period, the men of the three Spitfire squadrons sailed from Liverpool
on board the MV Stirling Castle
on 21 June and disembarked at Melbourne
with the six remaining Spitfires on 13 August. A shipment of 43 Spitfires left England on 4 August and arrived in Australia in late October, and further deliveries continued to be made until June 1945.
The deployment of Spitfires to Australia was kept secret so that the Japanese were not alerted to their presence, and the Australian Government directed that the aircraft be referred to as Capstans (after the brand of cigarettes
) and their Merlin
engines as Marvels. General Douglas MacArthur
, the commander of Allied forces in the South West Pacific Area
, agreed that the Australian Government could choose when to announce the presence of the Spitfires, but warned against exaggerating the impact they were likely to have.
No. 1 Wing was formed at RAAF Station Richmond
on 7 October 1942. Its initial commander was Group Captain Allan Walters
and the wing leader was Wing Commander Clive Caldwell
, Australia's top-scoring flying ace
of the war. At this time the RAAF had received 71 tropicalised variants of the Spitfire Vc
and another 33 were en-route to Australia. These aircraft differed from the standard Spitfire Vc in that they been fitted with a Vokes air filter beneath their nose to reduce the amount of sand and dust which entered the engine; Caldwell believed that this modification reduced the Spitfires' performance. As well as the three Spitfire squadrons, No. 1 Wing also included No. 10 Mobile Fighter Sector Headquarters. Many of the squadrons' most experienced pilots were posted to other units before they departed Britain, and only 37 of the 95 pilots in the wing as at May 1943 had previously seen combat. Following its formation the wing undertook training in the Richmond area until late December 1942. Its performance during these exercises was hindered by a lack of previous contact between the Australian and British pilots which was exacerbated by the three squadrons being based at different airstrips in the Sydney region. A number of accidents occurred, resulting in the deaths of four pilots. Richmond's base commander, Group Captain Paddy Heffernan, found that the veterans of the European theatre of operations "tended to consider themselves invincible", and reacted with disdain when he warned them that the Japanese A6M Zero
could out-manoeuvre the Spitfire. On 29 December the wing held a formal dinner at RAAF Station Richmond which was attended by H.V. Evatt, Minister for Air Arthur Drakeford
, Chief of the Air Staff Air Vice Marshal George Jones
, and Group Captain Heffernan.
and Batchelor Airfield
respectively on 17 January, and No. 457 Squadron began to operate from Livingstone Airfield
on 31 January. No. 452 Squadron subsequently moved to Strauss Airfield
on 1 February. The Darwin area had been attacked 50 times by the time No. 1 Wing arrived. Conditions at Strauss and Livingstone were primitive and the hot and humid climate was oppressive. This was the first time that Spitfires had operated in a tropical environment, and the aircraft were found to have lesser performance than in other climatic conditions. The region's remoteness also contributed to supply difficulties, and No. 1 Wing continually suffered from a shortage of spare parts for its Spitfires. Nevertheless, the wing's arrival improved the morale of Allied military units near Darwin and allowed No. 77 Squadron to be transferred from Darwin to Milne Bay
in New Guinea. No. 1 Wing first saw combat on 6 February 1943 when a No. 54 Squadron Spitfire shot down a Mitsubishi Ki-46
"Dinah" reconnaissance aircraft near Darwin. Another Dinah overflew Darwin the next day but was not intercepted, and no further Japanese aircraft ventured into the area during the month.
No. 1 Wing engaged in its first large-scale battles during March 1943. On 2 March, No. 54 and No. 457 Squadrons intercepted 16 Japanese aircraft, which had attacked Coomalie Creek Airfield
. Four of the raiders were shot down, two of them by Wing Commander Caldwell. This engagement led Prime Minister John Curtin
to announce on 4 March that Spitfires were operational in Australia. His statement in the House of Representatives
was greeted with cheers from the members of parliament present and No. 1 Wing received positive media coverage. Winston Churchill also took an interest in the wing's operations and sent a cable expressing satisfaction with its combat debut. On 7 March four No. 457 Squadron aircraft intercepted and shot down a Dinah about 15 miles (24.1 km) from Darwin. The entire wing intercepted a force of over 40 Japanese bombers and fighters that attacked Darwin on 15 March, shooting down eight raiders but losing four Spitfires and three pilots. No. 452 Squadron's commander, Squadron Leader R.E. Thorold-Smith, was one of those killed. Thorold-Smith was leading the wing at the time, and its attacks were uncoordinated for the remainder of the engagement as none of the other pilots assumed his responsibilities. Nine military personnel and five civilians were also wounded by approximately 100 bombs dropped on Darwin during the raid. The Spitfires used dogfight
ing tactics during the battle, causing some to run dangerously low on fuel; the USAAF units previously based at Darwin had discovered that these tactics were not effective against the highly maneuverable Japanese fighters. No. 1 Wing did not see action again during March and April, and its flying was limited to training exercises which usually lasted for less than an hour.
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The wing's next battle
on 2 May 1943 led to controversy. On that day, 33 Spitfires intercepted a force of 27 Japanese fighters and 25 bombers after they attacked Darwin. No. 54 Squadron engaged the fighters while the other squadrons attacked the bombers. In the 25-minute engagement, the wing shot down between six and ten Japanese aircraft for the loss of five Spitfires. Five more Spitfires also made forced landings due to fuel shortages and three broke off after suffering engine failures; all but two of these aircraft were later repaired. Following the raid, General MacArthur's General Headquarters stated in its regular communique that the Allied losses at Darwin had been "heavy", a term it had not previously applied to fighting in the North Western Area
. This led to criticism of No. 1 Wing in the Australian media and the Advisory War Council
requested that Air Vice Marshal Jones provide it with a report explaining the losses caused by mechanical problems and fuel shortage. In his report, Jones stated that the wing's equipment was in good condition and attributed its losses to tactical errors made by Caldwell, adverse weather conditions and the pilots' inexperience with their aircraft. Caldwell rejected this criticism of his leadership, and argued after the war that Jones had not properly investigated the engagement. To avoid further losses from fuel shortages the Spitfires were fitted with drop tank
s and banned from dogfighting.
The raid of 2 May marked the start of an upsurge in Japanese aerial activity over northern Australia. A detachment of six No. 457 Squadron aircraft was deployed to Milingimbi Island
on 9 May after the airfield there
was attacked. This detachment intercepted subsequent raids on 10 and 28 May, shooting down four Japanese for the loss of three Spitfires. On 20 June No. 1 Wing intercepted two Japanese raids on Darwin. While the raiders successfully bombed the suburb of Winnellie
and RAAF Station Darwin, the Allied fighters shot down nine bombers and five fighters and damaged another ten aircraft for the loss of two Spitfires. This was the most successful engagement fought by the RAAF over Darwin up to that time, and General MacArthur sent a congratulatory message to the defenders. The battle also received positive media coverage which restored public confidence in No. 1 Wing. Several days after the engagement Group Captain Walters was posted to take command of No. 5 Service Flying Training School
and Caldwell was appointed the wing's acting commanding officer.
Air combat continued over Darwin in late June. The wing intercepted a further raid on the town on 28 June when 42 Spitfires were scrambled
to intercept nine bombers escorted by nine fighters. In the subsequent engagement four Japanese fighters and two bombers were shot down while Allied losses were limited to a single Spitfire destroyed during a forced landing. Two days later, No. 1 Wing intercepted a force of 27 Mitsubishi G4M
"Betty" bombers escorted by 23 Zeros which was en-route to attack the USAAF heavy bomber
base at Fenton airstrip and shot down six bombers and two fighters. The wing lost six Spitfires during this battle, including three to mechanical problems. Enough of the Japanese force made it through the defences to attack Fenton, and three USAAF B-24 Liberator
s were destroyed and seven damaged. While June had been the most successful month in No. 1 Wing's history, its strength declined considerably due to losses from combat and mechanical problems. At the end of June the commander of the North Western Area, Air Commodore Frank Bladin
, requested 22 Spitfires from Vice Air Marshal Jones to bring the wing up to strength. In response, RAAF Headquarters stated that it would dispatch 17 Spitfires to Darwin during the next week and was preparing an additional 33 aircraft which had recently arrived in Australia.
No. 1 Wing saw further action in July 1943. On 3 and 4 July, Dinahs flew over the Darwin area without being intercepted. These preceded a major raid against Fenton on 6 July by 26 bombers and 21 fighters. The wing scrambled 33 aircraft to meet this force, and shot down nine of the raiders, losing seven Spitfires due to air combat or mechanical problems; a B-24 was also destroyed on the ground. The wing's high losses in this engagement were partially attributed to the worn state of the Spitfires' engines, and Bladin again signalled RAAF Headquarters to seek the immediate delivery of new aircraft. These began to arrive at No. 1 Wing's bases on 10 July. The attack on 6 July was the last major raid on the Darwin area, and the Spitfires saw little action during the remainder of the month and early August with flying operations limited to exercises and false alerts. By this time, the wing had been credited with 63 confirmed 'kills' and a further 13 probably destroyed. In exchange, it had lost 44 aircraft, though only 17 were due to Japanese action. The Japanese official history
produced after the war praised the effectiveness of No. 1 Wing and the radar stations around Darwin, stating that from mid-1943 they were at "the highest level in the world". Nevertheless, Air Vice Marshal Adrian Cole
, who replaced Bladin on 22 July, assessed the fighter force near Darwin as not being adequate to counter an invasion, and noted that the Spitfires had been forced to break off some engagements after running low on fuel. To counter these perceived shortfalls he requested units equipped with long ranged P-38 Lightning
fighters. This request was not met, however, as all Lighting-equipped units were committed to the fighting in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
assumed command from Caldwell, who had been appointed No. 2 Operational Training Unit's
chief flying instructor. The headquarters' role remained unchanged, however.
In the meantime, No. 1 Wing continued to respond to Japanese aerial activity over northern Australia. On the night of 13/14 August 18 Japanese aircraft raided Fenton and Coomalie Creek airfields. While No. 57 and No. 452 Squadrons scrambled Spitfires, they were unable to intercept the raiders. At this time the remainder of the wing was holding a dinner at Darwin to celebrate the anniversary of its return to Australia. No. 1 Wing had greater success on 17 August when it shot down all four of the Dinahs dispatched to the Darwin area that day; three were destroyed by No. 457 Squadron and the fourth by Caldwell who was flying with No. 452 Squadron. This success led to celebrations within the wing and Baldin sent the pilots a message congratulating them for "100 per-cent de-lousing Fenton. Appreciate the pageant". Another night raid took place on 20/21 August, but the ten Spitfires scrambled did not make contact with the 18 raiders. From August the Japanese bomber units mainly conducted attacks on the Darwin area at night so that their aircraft were not intercepted by Spitfires.
No. 1 Wing fought its last major engagements during September and November 1943. On 7 September, the Japanese dispatched a twin-engined reconnaissance aircraft escorted by 20 fighters to the Darwin area. The 48 Spitfires scrambled in response to this force were led by Flight Lieutenant Bob Foster. This was Foster's first experience in leading the wing, and he misdeployed No. 54 and 452 squadrons' aircraft, leading to them being 'bounced' by Japanese fighters. In the subsequent combat three Spitfires were shot down while the wing claimed one fighter destroyed and two 'probables'. No. 457 Squadron was able to gain a height advantage on the Japanese, however, and shot down four fighters without loss. A further two night raids were made against Fenton on 15 and 27 September but the Spitfires scrambled in response were unable to find the bombers on either occasion. No attacks took place during October, and the wing did not make contact with the Japanese until 6 November when a flight
of six Spitfires which been deployed to Drysdale River Mission
, Western Australia
failed in an attempt to intercept a reconnaissance aircraft near the settlement. In the early hours of 12 November nine Spitfires were scrambled to intercept nine Japanese aircraft which were bound for Darwin and Fenton. Two Betty bombers were shot down over Darwin Harbour by Flying Officer John Smithson and no Allied aircraft were lost. Both these aircraft were commanded by senior officers, and their deaths lead to the cancellation of further Betty bomber operations in the Darwin area.
(NEI) and western New Guinea. As a result, No. 1 Wing had little to do and morale declined. Spitfires were scrambled in response to several false alerts during the last months of the year, but flying was heavily curtailed by the monsoon from November. Most of the wing's veteran pilots were posted to other units at the end of 1943 and were replaced with less experienced aircrew.
On 25 February 1944 Wing Commander Dick Cresswell, who had previously commanded No. 77 Squadron, was appointed No. 1 Wing's new wing leader. Creswell's posting to this role was made upon the request of Jeffery, who tasked him with reducing the wing's rate of flying accidents. Creswell achieved this through instructing pilots to make 'power on' approaches and landings and having the Spitfires' wheels modified. On 8 March, No. 1 Wing was ordered to urgently dispatch No. 452 and No. 457 Squadrons to the vicinity of Perth
, Western Australia in response to concerns that a Japanese naval force would raid the area
. Both squadrons arrived at RAAF Station Guildford
on 12 March after a long flight in severe weather conditions during which one Spitfire crashed at Carnarvon
and another made a forced landing at Gingin
. On the day of their arrival the two squadrons assumed responsibility for air defence of the Perth-Fremantle
area alongside the CAC Boomerang
-equipped No. 85 Squadron RAAF
. No attack eventuated, however, and the Spitfire squadrons were directed to return to Darwin on 20 March. During this period the Kittyhawk-equipped No. 84 Squadron
was transferred from Horn Island to Livingstone Airfield to replace the Spitfires while they were at Perth; this unit arrived at Livingstone on 12 March and departed twelve days later. On 18 April the wing made strafing
attacks on Japanese positions in the Babar Islands. Later that month No. 452 Squadron converted to the more advanced Mark VIII Spitfire. In May 1944, No. 1 Wing's headquarters and No. 57 and 457 Squadrons were deployed to Exmouth Gulf
in Western Australia to protect the facilities which had been established to refuel the British Eastern Fleet before Operation Transom
, during which it attacked Surabaya
, Java. This deployment was hampered by a shortage of transport aircraft and inadequate facilities at Exmouth Gulf and the airstrips en-route to the area. Cresswell also left the wing in May to become the wing leader of No. 81 Wing
. On 12 June No. 452 Squadron aircraft shot down a Dinah. Despite the limited Japanese air activity, Air Vice Marshal Cole continued to regard No. 1 Wing as being "essential" to the defence of the North Western Area and in May reported that he could not release it for other duties.
No. 1 Wing was restructured from July 1944. On 1 July, No. 452 and No. 457 Squadrons were transferred to No. 80 Wing RAAF
, which had been formed to conduct offensive operations in the NEI under the command of Clive Caldwell. They were replaced by two further British units; No. 548
and No. 549 Squadrons RAF
. These squadrons had been dispatched to Australia as a result of a further meeting between H.V. Evatt and Winston Churchill in July 1943 in which Evatt had requested additional RAF units. They were formed from British pilots and Australian ground crew at Lawnton, Queensland
on 15 December 1943 but did not receive their Mark VIII Spitfires until April the next year. No. 548 Squadron was initially stationed at Livingstone Airfield, and its air echelon arrived there on 10 June after a flight in which four Spitfires made forced landings when they ran low on fuel. No. 549 Squadron's air echelon arrived at Strauss Airfield on 16 June and its rear echelon completed its movement from Queensland on 14 July. On 20 July, two No. 54 Squadron Spitfires operating out of Truscott Airstrip
shot down a Dinah. This was the last Japanese aircraft to be destroyed over Northern Australia.
After July 1944, No. 1 Wing's combat flying was limited to occasional raids on Japanese positions. Aircraft from the wing strafed Selaroe
in the Tanimbar Islands
on 5 September. After the raid Jeffery told Caldwell that it had been conducted only as a means of boosting his pilots' morale. Caldwell believed that the danger of flying Spitfires to the edge of their range in such operations outweighed the benefits which could be gained, and did not allow his pilots to participate in them. Group Captain Brian "Blackjack" Walker assumed command of No. 1 Wing in October; he had previously served at Darwin as No. 12 Squadron RAAF's
commander. From 24 October the wing's three squadrons were all stationed at Darwin's civil airfield, which was located 1 miles (1.6 km) from RAAF Station Darwin. On 27 November seven Spitfires, five of which were drawn from No. 549 Squadron, escorted B-25 Mitchell
s to Cape Lore, Timor and strafed the area before the bombers made their attack. This was the longest operational flight made by Spitfires during the war.
Boredom continued to be a major problem for No. 1 Wing, and morale declined sharply in 1945 after No. 80 Wing left Darwin for the NEI and most of the Spitfires were grounded due to cooling system problems. Frustrations caused by a lack of opportunities for air combat were a common problem across the RAAF's fighter squadrons in the SWPA, and contributed to the "Morotai Mutiny
" of April 1945 when Caldwell and seven other officers attempted to resign in protest against their units' being primarily tasked with attacking isolated Japanese garrisons. The Australian and British governments discussed replacing the RAF pilots with Australians or transferring the squadrons to a more active area, and in July 1945 Air Vice Marshal William Bostock
, who led RAAF Command
, proposed transferring two No. 1 Wing squadrons to Borneo to operate in the ground attack role. This did not eventuate, however, and the only action undertaken by the wing during 1945 was an attack made by six Spitfires on Japanese positions at Cape Chater, Timor on 3 June. Following the end of the war, No. 1 Wing's headquarters closed at Darwin on 12 October 1945, and the three British squadrons were disbanded on 31 October.
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF) wing active during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The wing was established on 1 September 1917 as the 1st Training Wing and commanded the AFC's pilot training squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
s in England until April 1919, when it was disbanded. It was reformed on 7 October 1942 as a fighter unit comprising two Australian and one British flying squadrons equipped with Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
aircraft, and a mobile fighter sector headquarters. The wing provided air defence to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
and several other key Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
bases in northern Australia
Northern Australia
The term northern Australia is generally known to include two State and Territories, being Queensland and the Northern Territory . The part of Western Australia north of latitude 26° south—a definition widely used in law and State government policy—is also usually included...
until the end of the war, and was again disbanded in October 1945.
During its first months at Darwin, No. 1 Wing intercepted several of the air raids conducted against Northern Australia by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force and Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. Although the wing was hampered by mechanical problems with its Spitfires and suffered heavy losses in some engagements, it eventually downed a greater number of Japanese aircraft than it lost in combat. After the final Japanese air raid on northern Australia in November 1943, No. 1 Wing saw little combat, which led to its personnel suffering from low morale. The wing's two Australian flying squadrons were replaced with British units in July 1944, and subsequent proposals to move these squadrons to more active areas were not successful.
World War I
The 1st Training Wing was formed at MinchinhamptonMinchinhampton
Minchinhampton is an ancient market town, located on a hilltop south-south-east of Stroud, Gloucestershire, England, in the Cotswolds. The town is twinned with Nkokoto, in Tanzania....
, England on 1 September 1917. It commanded No. 5
No. 5 Squadron RAAF
No. 5 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force training, army co-operation and helicopter squadron. The Squadron was first formed in 1917 and was disbanded in December 1989.-Squadron history:...
, No. 6
No. 6 Squadron RAAF
No. 6 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force training and bomber squadron. The squadron was first formed in 1917 and served as a training unit based in England during World War I. It was disbanded in 1919 but re-formed at the start of 1939...
, No. 7 and No. 8 Squadrons
No. 8 Squadron RAAF
No. 8 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force flying training squadron of World War I and medium bomber squadron of World War II. The Squadron was first formed in October 1917 and was disbanded in January 1946 after seeing action during the Pacific War....
of the AFC. The wing's role was to train replacement pilots for the four operational AFC squadrons in Palestine and France. Each of the training squadrons provided replacements to a specific operational squadron; No. 5 trained pilots for No.1 Squadron
No. 1 Squadron RAAF
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based at RAAF Amberley. The squadron is currently being re-equipped with F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.-World War I:...
, No. 6 supported No. 2 Squadron
No. 2 Squadron RAAF
No. 2 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. From its formation in 1916, it has operated a variety of aircraft types including fighters, bombers, and Airborne Early Warning & Control.-World War I:No...
, No. 7 was aligned with No. 3 Squadron
No. 3 Squadron RAAF
No. 3 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. It was first formed in 1916 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales.-World War I:...
and No. 8 supported No. 4 Squadron
No. 4 Squadron RAAF
No. 4 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron responsible for training forward air controllers. The squadron was previously a fighter and army co-operation unit active in both World War I and World War II.-World War I:...
. By the time Lieutenant-Colonel Oswald Watt
Oswald Watt
Walter Oswald Watt OBE was an Australian aviator and businessman. The son of a Scottish-Australian merchant and politician, he was born in England and came to Sydney when he was a year old. He returned to Britain at the age of eleven for education at Bristol and Cambridge...
was appointed to command the wing in February 1918, its headquarters had moved to Tetbury
Tetbury
Tetbury is a town and civil parish within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in the 2001 census.In the Middle Ages,...
. In keeping with their varied responsibilities, the 1st Training Wing's squadrons operated a wide variety of aircraft and most were split between several bases. From the spring of 1918 No. 5 and No. 6 Squadrons were stationed at Minchinhampton Airfield
Aston Down
RAF Aston Down is a former Royal Air Force station near Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, South West England. It was used by the RAF from the First World War until 1967, since when it has been the home of the Cotswold Gliding Club...
while No. 7 and No. 8 Squadrons were at Leighterton Airfield. Both facilities had been purpose-built for the AFC over the autumn and winter of 1917/1918. Watt proposed moving the wing to France, but this did not eventuate.
Following the war the 1st Training Wing continued to conduct pilot training courses in England. This activity was undertaken to strengthen the AFC and keep pilots and ground crew occupied until they were repatriated to Australia. Most of the wing's personnel were given leave in April 1919 and several of its pilots took part in a fly-past over London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
. The four training squadrons were disbanded on 6 May 1919, the day the wing left Minchinhampton to begin the journey back to Australia. The last entry in the 1st Training Wing's war diary had been made in April that year. While Watt placed a strong emphasis on safety, the 1st Training Wing's trainee pilots inevitably suffered a number of flying accidents, resulting in at least 17 fatalities between 1917 and 1919. At least 15 other members of the wing died from disease or were killed in accidents on the ground.
In 1919 the AFC was disbanded and succeeded by the Australian Air Corps, which was in turn replaced with an independent Australian Air Force on 31 March 1921 (the "Royal" prefix was added in August). The first proposal for the RAAF's force structure considered by its Air Board included two fighter wings, designated No. 1 Wing and No. 2 Wing, each comprising two fighter squadrons. In July 1920 the Air Council, which oversaw the RAAF, approved the establishment of a base at Laverton, Victoria to house No. 1 Wing and its component squadrons (No. 1 and No. 2 Squadrons) as well as No. 1 Aircraft Depot. No. 1 and No. 2 Squadrons were formed on 1 January 1922, but in July that year No. 2 Squadron was disbanded and No. 1 Squadron reduced to a cadre. The RAAF's proposed force structure was subsequently amended in 1924 so as not to include any fighter squadrons or wing headquarters.
Reestablishment
At the outbreak of the Pacific WarPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
in December 1941 the RAAF did not possess any modern fighters in or near Australia. Following the Bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942, which caused heavy damage to the military installations at the town and ships in its harbour, the Australian Government began to urgently look for fighter aircraft. As the Australian aviation industry was not capable of producing fighter aircraft at the time, the government sought assistance from the United States and Britain. While the US Government responded by providing the RAAF with what became a steady flow of P-40 Kittyhawk
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
aircraft, Britain was initially unable to allocate fighters to Australia due to its heavy commitments in the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
and elsewhere.
Japanese air units attacked the Darwin area multiple times during 1942. The P-40 equipped United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
' (USAAF) 49th Fighter Group
49th Operations Group
The 49th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 49th Fighter Wing. It is stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is a part of Air Combat Command ....
was deployed to Darwin following the 19 February raid, and its first squadron became operational there in mid-March. The group's three squadrons were ready for operations in late April, and subsequently intercepted all Japanese daylight raids on the area. The 49th Fighter Group began to withdraw from Darwin in August 1942 and was replaced by two Australian P-40 squadrons; No. 77 Squadron
No. 77 Squadron RAAF
No. 77 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. The Squadron was formed in 1942 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown.-History:...
arrived in August and No. 76 Squadron
No. 76 Squadron RAAF
No. 76 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force flight training squadron. Established in 1942, the squadron operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighter aircraft and saw combat during World War II. Following the war it formed part of Australia's contribution to the occupation of Japan until it was...
in October. During its time at Darwin the 49th Fighter Group shot down 79 Japanese aircraft and lost 21 P-40s. As well as bombing targets near Darwin, Japanese air units also occasionally struck other small Australian towns, attacked shipping sailing off the north coast and flew reconnaissance sorties over Allied bases.
In May 1942 the Australian Minister for External Affairs H.V. "Doc" Evatt
H. V. Evatt
Herbert Vere Evatt, QC KStJ , was an Australian jurist, politician and writer. He was President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1948–49 and helped draft the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights...
travelled to the United States and Britain to seek additional aircraft for the RAAF. Evatt first visited the United States, where the government agreed to increase the number of aircraft it provided to Australia. He then travelled to London and met with Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. In this meeting, Evatt requested that Britain provide an aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
to serve with the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, and an allocation of Spitfire fighters for the RAAF. While Britain could not spare an aircraft carrier, after several days of discussions Churchill agreed on 28 May to send three fully equipped Spitfire squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
s to Australia. The squadrons selected were No. 452 Squadron RAAF
No. 452 Squadron RAAF
No. 452 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force air traffic control unit. It was originally formed in 1941 fighter unit formed in accordance with Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme during World War II, in England. The squadron flew Supermarine Spitfires for the entire war, initially over...
, No. 457 Squadron RAAF
No. 457 Squadron RAAF
No. 457 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed in England during June 1941 as an Article XV squadron equipped with Supermarine Spitfire fighters...
and No. 54 Squadron RAF, all of which had seen combat over Europe against the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. Under the agreement each squadron would be initially equipped with 16 Spitfires and a further 15 aircraft would be sent to Australia each month as replacements. Churchill's role in sending Spitfire units to Australia led to No. 1 Wing often being referred to as the "Churchill Wing".
Delays in shipping Spitfires to Australia disrupted No. 1 Wing's formation. In late June 1942 the British Government diverted all but six of the initial 48 aircraft to Egypt to reinforce the three RAF Spitfire squadrons there after the German victory in the Battle of Gazala
Battle of Gazala
The Battle of Gazala was an important battle of the Second World War Western Desert Campaign, fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya from 26 May-21 June 1942...
; most of these aircraft were allocated to No. 92 Squadron RAF
No. 92 Squadron RAF
No. 92 Squadron, also known as No 92 Squadron, of the Royal Air Force was formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps at London Colney as a fighter squadron on 1 September 1917. It deployed to France in July 1918 and saw action for just four months, until the end of the war. During the conflict it...
with the remainder forming a reserve to replace future losses. The Australian Government protested against this action, but reluctantly accepted it after Churchill refused to counteract the diversion. During the same period, the men of the three Spitfire squadrons sailed from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on board the MV Stirling Castle
MV Stirling Castle
RMMV Stirling Castle was an ocean liner of the Union-Castle Line in service from the 1930s to the 1960s, primarily on the Southampton to Cape Town route....
on 21 June and disembarked at Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
with the six remaining Spitfires on 13 August. A shipment of 43 Spitfires left England on 4 August and arrived in Australia in late October, and further deliveries continued to be made until June 1945.
The deployment of Spitfires to Australia was kept secret so that the Japanese were not alerted to their presence, and the Australian Government directed that the aircraft be referred to as Capstans (after the brand of cigarettes
Capstan (cigarette)
Capstan is a brand of unfiltered British cigarettes made by Imperial Tobacco originally launched by W. D. & H. O. Wills in 1894. The brand became less popular when the health effects of tobacco became more widely known, few shops now sell them....
) and their Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
engines as Marvels. General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, the commander of Allied forces in the South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
, agreed that the Australian Government could choose when to announce the presence of the Spitfires, but warned against exaggerating the impact they were likely to have.
No. 1 Wing was formed at RAAF Station Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond is one of Australia's oldest and largest air force bases. It is located within the City of Hawkesbury in the north-western fringe of Sydney, New South Wales, between the towns of Windsor and Richmond. The base is home to the Royal Australian Air Force's transport headquarters,...
on 7 October 1942. Its initial commander was Group Captain Allan Walters
Allan Walters
Air Vice Marshal Allan Leslie Walters CB, CBE, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Born in Victoria, he graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, before transferring to the RAAF in 1928...
and the wing leader was Wing Commander Clive Caldwell
Clive Caldwell
Group Captain Clive Robertson Caldwell DSO, DFC & Bar was the leading Australian air ace of World War II. He is officially credited with shooting down 28.5 enemy aircraft in over 300 operational sorties. In addition to his official score, he has been ascribed six probables and 15 damaged...
, Australia's top-scoring flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
of the war. At this time the RAAF had received 71 tropicalised variants of the Spitfire Vc
Supermarine Spitfire (early Merlin powered variants)
The British Supermarine Spitfire was the only fighter aircraft of the Second World War to fight in front line service, from the beginnings of the conflict, in September 1939, through to the end in August 1945. Post-war the Spitfire's service career continued into the 1950s...
and another 33 were en-route to Australia. These aircraft differed from the standard Spitfire Vc in that they been fitted with a Vokes air filter beneath their nose to reduce the amount of sand and dust which entered the engine; Caldwell believed that this modification reduced the Spitfires' performance. As well as the three Spitfire squadrons, No. 1 Wing also included No. 10 Mobile Fighter Sector Headquarters. Many of the squadrons' most experienced pilots were posted to other units before they departed Britain, and only 37 of the 95 pilots in the wing as at May 1943 had previously seen combat. Following its formation the wing undertook training in the Richmond area until late December 1942. Its performance during these exercises was hindered by a lack of previous contact between the Australian and British pilots which was exacerbated by the three squadrons being based at different airstrips in the Sydney region. A number of accidents occurred, resulting in the deaths of four pilots. Richmond's base commander, Group Captain Paddy Heffernan, found that the veterans of the European theatre of operations "tended to consider themselves invincible", and reacted with disdain when he warned them that the Japanese A6M Zero
A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...
could out-manoeuvre the Spitfire. On 29 December the wing held a formal dinner at RAAF Station Richmond which was attended by H.V. Evatt, Minister for Air Arthur Drakeford
Arthur Drakeford
Arthur Samuel Drakeford was an Australian politician and was the minister responsible for the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II...
, Chief of the Air Staff Air Vice Marshal George Jones
George Jones (RAAF officer)
Air Marshal Sir George Jones KBE, CB, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He rose from private soldier in World War I to Air Marshal in 1948, and served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1942 to 1952, the longest continuous tenure of any RAAF chief...
, and Group Captain Heffernan.
Early engagements
The wing was ready for combat operations at the end of 1942 and was assigned responsibility for defending Darwin against Japanese air attacks. The bulk of the units departed Richmond in air, land and sea parties during January 1943, following an advance party that had set out on 31 December. No. 54 and No 452 Squadrons' air parties arrived at RAAF Station DarwinRAAF Base Darwin
RAAF Base Darwin is a Royal Australian Air Force base located in the city of Darwin, Northern Territory. The base shares its runway with Darwin International Airport.-History:...
and Batchelor Airfield
Batchelor Airfield
Batchelor Airfield, is an airport located south of Batchelor, Northern Territory, Australia. Currently, it has no commercial air service and is utilised by the Northern Australian Gliding Club.-History:...
respectively on 17 January, and No. 457 Squadron began to operate from Livingstone Airfield
Livingstone Airfield
Livingstone Airfield was an airfield at Livingstone, Northern Territory, Australia during World War II.The airfield was built by the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion, less Company A and HQ Detachment, between 16 March 1942 until 13 April 1942. The runway was long and wide...
on 31 January. No. 452 Squadron subsequently moved to Strauss Airfield
Strauss Airfield
Strauss Airfield was an airfield constructed between 19 March to 27 April 1942 near Noonamah, Northern Territory, Australia during World War II. It was also known as 27 Mile Field or Humpty Doo Strip.-History:...
on 1 February. The Darwin area had been attacked 50 times by the time No. 1 Wing arrived. Conditions at Strauss and Livingstone were primitive and the hot and humid climate was oppressive. This was the first time that Spitfires had operated in a tropical environment, and the aircraft were found to have lesser performance than in other climatic conditions. The region's remoteness also contributed to supply difficulties, and No. 1 Wing continually suffered from a shortage of spare parts for its Spitfires. Nevertheless, the wing's arrival improved the morale of Allied military units near Darwin and allowed No. 77 Squadron to be transferred from Darwin to Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
in New Guinea. No. 1 Wing first saw combat on 6 February 1943 when a No. 54 Squadron Spitfire shot down a Mitsubishi Ki-46
Mitsubishi Ki-46
The Mitsubishi Ki-46 was a twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. Its Army Shiki designation was Type 100 Command Reconnaissance Aircraft ; the Allied nickname was "Dinah"....
"Dinah" reconnaissance aircraft near Darwin. Another Dinah overflew Darwin the next day but was not intercepted, and no further Japanese aircraft ventured into the area during the month.
No. 1 Wing engaged in its first large-scale battles during March 1943. On 2 March, No. 54 and No. 457 Squadrons intercepted 16 Japanese aircraft, which had attacked Coomalie Creek Airfield
Coomalie Creek Airfield
Coomalie Creek Airfield was a Royal Australian Air Force airfield built in 1942 near Coomalie Creek, Northern Territory, Australia during World War II.-History:...
. Four of the raiders were shot down, two of them by Wing Commander Caldwell. This engagement led Prime Minister John Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
to announce on 4 March that Spitfires were operational in Australia. His statement in the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
was greeted with cheers from the members of parliament present and No. 1 Wing received positive media coverage. Winston Churchill also took an interest in the wing's operations and sent a cable expressing satisfaction with its combat debut. On 7 March four No. 457 Squadron aircraft intercepted and shot down a Dinah about 15 miles (24.1 km) from Darwin. The entire wing intercepted a force of over 40 Japanese bombers and fighters that attacked Darwin on 15 March, shooting down eight raiders but losing four Spitfires and three pilots. No. 452 Squadron's commander, Squadron Leader R.E. Thorold-Smith, was one of those killed. Thorold-Smith was leading the wing at the time, and its attacks were uncoordinated for the remainder of the engagement as none of the other pilots assumed his responsibilities. Nine military personnel and five civilians were also wounded by approximately 100 bombs dropped on Darwin during the raid. The Spitfires used dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
ing tactics during the battle, causing some to run dangerously low on fuel; the USAAF units previously based at Darwin had discovered that these tactics were not effective against the highly maneuverable Japanese fighters. No. 1 Wing did not see action again during March and April, and its flying was limited to training exercises which usually lasted for less than an hour.
Raid on Darwin (2 May 1943)
The Japanese raid on Darwin of 2 May 1943 was a significant battle in the North Western Area Campaign of World War II. During the raid a force of over 20 Japanese bombers and fighters attacked the Australian town of Darwin, Northern Territory, inflicting little damage. The Royal Australian Air...
on 2 May 1943 led to controversy. On that day, 33 Spitfires intercepted a force of 27 Japanese fighters and 25 bombers after they attacked Darwin. No. 54 Squadron engaged the fighters while the other squadrons attacked the bombers. In the 25-minute engagement, the wing shot down between six and ten Japanese aircraft for the loss of five Spitfires. Five more Spitfires also made forced landings due to fuel shortages and three broke off after suffering engine failures; all but two of these aircraft were later repaired. Following the raid, General MacArthur's General Headquarters stated in its regular communique that the Allied losses at Darwin had been "heavy", a term it had not previously applied to fighting in the North Western Area
North Western Area Campaign
The North-Western Area Campaign was an air campaign fought between the Allied and Japanese air forces over northern Australia and the Netherlands East Indies between 1942 and 1945...
. This led to criticism of No. 1 Wing in the Australian media and the Advisory War Council
Advisory War Council (Australia)
The Advisory War Council was an Australian Government body during World War II. The AWC was established on 28 October 1940 to draw all the major political parties in the Parliament of Australia into the process of making decisions on Australia's war effort and was disbanded on 30 August...
requested that Air Vice Marshal Jones provide it with a report explaining the losses caused by mechanical problems and fuel shortage. In his report, Jones stated that the wing's equipment was in good condition and attributed its losses to tactical errors made by Caldwell, adverse weather conditions and the pilots' inexperience with their aircraft. Caldwell rejected this criticism of his leadership, and argued after the war that Jones had not properly investigated the engagement. To avoid further losses from fuel shortages the Spitfires were fitted with drop tank
Drop tank
In aeronautics, a drop tank is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often jettisonable...
s and banned from dogfighting.
The raid of 2 May marked the start of an upsurge in Japanese aerial activity over northern Australia. A detachment of six No. 457 Squadron aircraft was deployed to Milingimbi Island
Milingimbi Island
Milingimbi Island is an island off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. It is located approximately 500 km east of Darwin and 250 km west of Nhulunbuy. Its largest community is also called Milingimbi. The island is approximately half a kilometer off the mainland and forms part...
on 9 May after the airfield there
Milingimbi Airport
Milingimbi Airport is an airport on Milingimbi Island in Australia. The airport received funding for security upgrades in 2006.-History:The airfield was constructed by Milingimbi Mission's Aboriginal residents on behalf of the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II.-Units based at...
was attacked. This detachment intercepted subsequent raids on 10 and 28 May, shooting down four Japanese for the loss of three Spitfires. On 20 June No. 1 Wing intercepted two Japanese raids on Darwin. While the raiders successfully bombed the suburb of Winnellie
Winnellie, Northern Territory
Winnellie is a Northern suburb of Darwin, Northern Territory, in the Northern Territory of Australia.-History:Winnellie is an industrial suburb to the south of Darwin International Airport. The name came the 'Winnellie Camp' formed there by the Army in 1941...
and RAAF Station Darwin, the Allied fighters shot down nine bombers and five fighters and damaged another ten aircraft for the loss of two Spitfires. This was the most successful engagement fought by the RAAF over Darwin up to that time, and General MacArthur sent a congratulatory message to the defenders. The battle also received positive media coverage which restored public confidence in No. 1 Wing. Several days after the engagement Group Captain Walters was posted to take command of No. 5 Service Flying Training School
No. 5 Service Flying Training School RAAF
No. 5 Service Flying Training School was a Royal Australian Air Force flight training unit of World War II. Its role was to provide intermediate and advanced flight training to new pilots as part of Australia's contribution to the Empire Air Training Scheme...
and Caldwell was appointed the wing's acting commanding officer.
Scrambling (military)
In military aviation scrambling or a scramble is the act of quickly getting fighter aircraft airborne to intercept hostile aircraft.-Historical use:...
to intercept nine bombers escorted by nine fighters. In the subsequent engagement four Japanese fighters and two bombers were shot down while Allied losses were limited to a single Spitfire destroyed during a forced landing. Two days later, No. 1 Wing intercepted a force of 27 Mitsubishi G4M
Mitsubishi G4M
The Mitsubishi G4M 一式陸上攻撃機, 一式陸攻 Isshiki rikujō kōgeki ki, Isshikirikkō was the main twin-engine, land-based bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The Allies gave the G4M the reporting name Betty...
"Betty" bombers escorted by 23 Zeros which was en-route to attack the USAAF heavy bomber
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
base at Fenton airstrip and shot down six bombers and two fighters. The wing lost six Spitfires during this battle, including three to mechanical problems. Enough of the Japanese force made it through the defences to attack Fenton, and three USAAF B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s were destroyed and seven damaged. While June had been the most successful month in No. 1 Wing's history, its strength declined considerably due to losses from combat and mechanical problems. At the end of June the commander of the North Western Area, Air Commodore Frank Bladin
Frank Bladin
Air Vice Marshal Francis Masson Bladin, CB, CBE was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Born in rural Victoria, he graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1920. Bladin transferred from the Army to the Air Force in 1923, and learned to fly at RAAF Point Cook,...
, requested 22 Spitfires from Vice Air Marshal Jones to bring the wing up to strength. In response, RAAF Headquarters stated that it would dispatch 17 Spitfires to Darwin during the next week and was preparing an additional 33 aircraft which had recently arrived in Australia.
No. 1 Wing saw further action in July 1943. On 3 and 4 July, Dinahs flew over the Darwin area without being intercepted. These preceded a major raid against Fenton on 6 July by 26 bombers and 21 fighters. The wing scrambled 33 aircraft to meet this force, and shot down nine of the raiders, losing seven Spitfires due to air combat or mechanical problems; a B-24 was also destroyed on the ground. The wing's high losses in this engagement were partially attributed to the worn state of the Spitfires' engines, and Bladin again signalled RAAF Headquarters to seek the immediate delivery of new aircraft. These began to arrive at No. 1 Wing's bases on 10 July. The attack on 6 July was the last major raid on the Darwin area, and the Spitfires saw little action during the remainder of the month and early August with flying operations limited to exercises and false alerts. By this time, the wing had been credited with 63 confirmed 'kills' and a further 13 probably destroyed. In exchange, it had lost 44 aircraft, though only 17 were due to Japanese action. The Japanese official history
Official history
An official history is a work of history which is sponsored, authorised, or endorsed by its subject. The term is most commonly used for histories which are produced at a government's behest....
produced after the war praised the effectiveness of No. 1 Wing and the radar stations around Darwin, stating that from mid-1943 they were at "the highest level in the world". Nevertheless, Air Vice Marshal Adrian Cole
Adrian Cole (RAAF officer)
Air Vice Marshal Adrian Lindley Trevor Cole, CBE, DSO, MC, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Joining the army at the outbreak of World War I, he transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1916 and flew with No. 1 Squadron in the Middle East and No. 2...
, who replaced Bladin on 22 July, assessed the fighter force near Darwin as not being adequate to counter an invasion, and noted that the Spitfires had been forced to break off some engagements after running low on fuel. To counter these perceived shortfalls he requested units equipped with long ranged P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
fighters. This request was not met, however, as all Lighting-equipped units were committed to the fighting in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Final engagements
In late July, No. 1 Wing's headquarters was disbanded to make it easier to deploy the Spitfire squadrons to different areas as the need arose. Under the new command arrangements, the squadrons reported directly to the North-Western Area's headquarters for administrative purposes and No. 5 Fighter Sector Headquarters controlled all fighter operations. This change also aimed to end the confusion which existed at the time between whether the wing leader or senior ground controller in the fighter sector headquarters was responsible for directing the Spitfires during battle. No. 5 Fighter Sector Headquarters was redesignated No. 1 Wing on 25 September when Wing Commander Peter JeffreyPeter Jeffrey (RAAF officer)
Peter Jeffrey DSO, DFC was a senior officer and fighter ace in the Royal Australian Air Force . Born in Tenterfield, New South Wales, he joined the RAAF active reserve in 1934, and transferred to the Permanent Air Force shortly before World War II...
assumed command from Caldwell, who had been appointed No. 2 Operational Training Unit's
No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit RAAF
No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit is a Royal Australian Air Force training unit located at RAAF Base Williamtown. 2OCU's main role is to train pilots to operate the F/A-18 Hornet. New RAAF pilots enter 2OCU for training after first qualifying to fly jet fighters in No. 76 Squadron...
chief flying instructor. The headquarters' role remained unchanged, however.
In the meantime, No. 1 Wing continued to respond to Japanese aerial activity over northern Australia. On the night of 13/14 August 18 Japanese aircraft raided Fenton and Coomalie Creek airfields. While No. 57 and No. 452 Squadrons scrambled Spitfires, they were unable to intercept the raiders. At this time the remainder of the wing was holding a dinner at Darwin to celebrate the anniversary of its return to Australia. No. 1 Wing had greater success on 17 August when it shot down all four of the Dinahs dispatched to the Darwin area that day; three were destroyed by No. 457 Squadron and the fourth by Caldwell who was flying with No. 452 Squadron. This success led to celebrations within the wing and Baldin sent the pilots a message congratulating them for "100 per-cent de-lousing Fenton. Appreciate the pageant". Another night raid took place on 20/21 August, but the ten Spitfires scrambled did not make contact with the 18 raiders. From August the Japanese bomber units mainly conducted attacks on the Darwin area at night so that their aircraft were not intercepted by Spitfires.
No. 1 Wing fought its last major engagements during September and November 1943. On 7 September, the Japanese dispatched a twin-engined reconnaissance aircraft escorted by 20 fighters to the Darwin area. The 48 Spitfires scrambled in response to this force were led by Flight Lieutenant Bob Foster. This was Foster's first experience in leading the wing, and he misdeployed No. 54 and 452 squadrons' aircraft, leading to them being 'bounced' by Japanese fighters. In the subsequent combat three Spitfires were shot down while the wing claimed one fighter destroyed and two 'probables'. No. 457 Squadron was able to gain a height advantage on the Japanese, however, and shot down four fighters without loss. A further two night raids were made against Fenton on 15 and 27 September but the Spitfires scrambled in response were unable to find the bombers on either occasion. No attacks took place during October, and the wing did not make contact with the Japanese until 6 November when a flight
Flight (military unit)
A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages,...
of six Spitfires which been deployed to Drysdale River Mission
Kalumburu, Western Australia
Kalumburu and Kalumburu Community are both bounded localities within the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley Western Australia. Kalumburu Community is the northernmost settlement in Western Australia...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
failed in an attempt to intercept a reconnaissance aircraft near the settlement. In the early hours of 12 November nine Spitfires were scrambled to intercept nine Japanese aircraft which were bound for Darwin and Fenton. Two Betty bombers were shot down over Darwin Harbour by Flying Officer John Smithson and no Allied aircraft were lost. Both these aircraft were commanded by senior officers, and their deaths lead to the cancellation of further Betty bomber operations in the Darwin area.
Garrison duty
The raid on 12 November was the last Japanese attack on northern Australia. In December the Japanese transferred several of the air units based in the islands north of Australia to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to counter Allied offensives. Few Japanese aircraft were subsequently based within 600 miles (965.6 km) of Darwin, and the focus of the Allied forces in the North-Western Area shifted from defending northern Australia to attacking Japanese positions in the Netherlands East IndiesDutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
(NEI) and western New Guinea. As a result, No. 1 Wing had little to do and morale declined. Spitfires were scrambled in response to several false alerts during the last months of the year, but flying was heavily curtailed by the monsoon from November. Most of the wing's veteran pilots were posted to other units at the end of 1943 and were replaced with less experienced aircrew.
On 25 February 1944 Wing Commander Dick Cresswell, who had previously commanded No. 77 Squadron, was appointed No. 1 Wing's new wing leader. Creswell's posting to this role was made upon the request of Jeffery, who tasked him with reducing the wing's rate of flying accidents. Creswell achieved this through instructing pilots to make 'power on' approaches and landings and having the Spitfires' wheels modified. On 8 March, No. 1 Wing was ordered to urgently dispatch No. 452 and No. 457 Squadrons to the vicinity of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia in response to concerns that a Japanese naval force would raid the area
Western Australian emergency of March 1944
On 6 March 1944 the Australian Government and military received an incorrect report that two Imperial Japanese Navy battleships had entered the Indian Ocean, possibly to attack Fremantle and Perth. In response, the Allied forces in the state of Western Australia were rapidly reinforced...
. Both squadrons arrived at RAAF Station Guildford
Perth Airport
Perth Airport is an Australian domestic and international airport serving Perth, the capital and largest city of Western Australia. The airport itself is located in the suburb of Perth Airport....
on 12 March after a long flight in severe weather conditions during which one Spitfire crashed at Carnarvon
Carnarvon, Western Australia
Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The popular Shark Bay world heritage area lies to the south of the town and the Ningaloo Reef lies to the north...
and another made a forced landing at Gingin
Gingin, Western Australia
Gingin is an agricultural town in Western Australia. The town is located north of Perth along the Brand Highway.The town is well suited for agriculture with a mild climate and available water sources...
. On the day of their arrival the two squadrons assumed responsibility for air defence of the Perth-Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
area alongside the CAC Boomerang
CAC Boomerang
The CAC Boomerang was a World War II fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia between 1942 and 1945. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation produced Boomerangs under the production contract numbers CA-12, CA-13, CA-14 and CA-19, with aircraft supplied under each subsequent contract...
-equipped No. 85 Squadron RAAF
No. 85 Squadron RAAF
No 85 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron which provided air defence to Western Australia during World War II. It was formed in 1943 and disbanded in 1945. The squadron did not see combat during the war, although it attempted to intercept Japanese aircraft on several...
. No attack eventuated, however, and the Spitfire squadrons were directed to return to Darwin on 20 March. During this period the Kittyhawk-equipped No. 84 Squadron
No. 84 Squadron RAAF
No. 84 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron of World War II.-History:No. 84 Squadron was formed at RAAF Base Richmond on 5 February 1943 and was the first RAAF Squadron to be equipped with the Australian-designed Boomerang fighter. In April 1943 No...
was transferred from Horn Island to Livingstone Airfield to replace the Spitfires while they were at Perth; this unit arrived at Livingstone on 12 March and departed twelve days later. On 18 April the wing made strafing
Strafing
Strafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. This means, that although ground attack using automatic weapons fire is very often accompanied with bombing or rocket fire, the term "strafing" does not specifically include the...
attacks on Japanese positions in the Babar Islands. Later that month No. 452 Squadron converted to the more advanced Mark VIII Spitfire. In May 1944, No. 1 Wing's headquarters and No. 57 and 457 Squadrons were deployed to Exmouth Gulf
Exmouth Gulf
Exmouth Gulf is a gulf in the north west of Western Australia. It lies between North West Cape and the main coastline of Western Australia. It is considered to be part of the region of the North West Shelf and in the Canning Basin area.-Environment:...
in Western Australia to protect the facilities which had been established to refuel the British Eastern Fleet before Operation Transom
Operation Transom
Operation Transom was a major bombing raid on Japanese targets at Surabaya, Java by American and British planes on 17 May 1944 during World War II....
, during which it attacked Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
, Java. This deployment was hampered by a shortage of transport aircraft and inadequate facilities at Exmouth Gulf and the airstrips en-route to the area. Cresswell also left the wing in May to become the wing leader of No. 81 Wing
No. 81 Wing RAAF
No. 81 Wing is the Royal Australian Air Force's air superiority wing. Formed during World War II, it operated in the South West Pacific theatre, flying P-40 Kittyhawks. Following the end of hostilities, it converted to P-51 Mustangs and was based in Japan as part of the Allied occupational forces...
. On 12 June No. 452 Squadron aircraft shot down a Dinah. Despite the limited Japanese air activity, Air Vice Marshal Cole continued to regard No. 1 Wing as being "essential" to the defence of the North Western Area and in May reported that he could not release it for other duties.
No. 1 Wing was restructured from July 1944. On 1 July, No. 452 and No. 457 Squadrons were transferred to No. 80 Wing RAAF
No. 80 Wing RAAF
No. 80 Wing was a Royal Australian Air Force wing of World War II. The unit was formed on 15 May 1944 and eventually comprised three squadrons equipped with Spitfire fighter aircraft. The wing's headquarters was absorbed into the newly formed No...
, which had been formed to conduct offensive operations in the NEI under the command of Clive Caldwell. They were replaced by two further British units; No. 548
No. 548 Squadron RAF
No. 548 Squadron RAF was a fighter squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1943 to 1945.-History:The squadron was formed at Lawnton, near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on 15 December 1943 to provide air defence duties with Spitfires, as the RAAF Kittyhawks were inadequate for interception missions...
and No. 549 Squadrons RAF
No. 549 Squadron RAF
No. 549 Squadron RAF was a fighter squadron of the Royal Air Force operating in Australia from 1943 to 1945.-History:The squadron was formed at Lawnton Airfield, Queensland Australia on 15 December 1943, made up of RAF Aircrew and RAAF groundstaff, to provide air defence duties with Spitfires, as...
. These squadrons had been dispatched to Australia as a result of a further meeting between H.V. Evatt and Winston Churchill in July 1943 in which Evatt had requested additional RAF units. They were formed from British pilots and Australian ground crew at Lawnton, Queensland
Lawnton, Queensland
Lawnton is a suburb north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Moreton Bay Region. The origin of the suburb name is from an early property owner by the name of Stephen Lawn...
on 15 December 1943 but did not receive their Mark VIII Spitfires until April the next year. No. 548 Squadron was initially stationed at Livingstone Airfield, and its air echelon arrived there on 10 June after a flight in which four Spitfires made forced landings when they ran low on fuel. No. 549 Squadron's air echelon arrived at Strauss Airfield on 16 June and its rear echelon completed its movement from Queensland on 14 July. On 20 July, two No. 54 Squadron Spitfires operating out of Truscott Airstrip
Mungalalu Truscott Airbase
Mungalalu Truscott Airbase, which during World War II was known as Truscott Airfield is today a commercial air field in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. The airbase falls under the traditional ownership of the Wunambal Gaambera people...
shot down a Dinah. This was the last Japanese aircraft to be destroyed over Northern Australia.
After July 1944, No. 1 Wing's combat flying was limited to occasional raids on Japanese positions. Aircraft from the wing strafed Selaroe
Selaru
Selaru is an island in Indonesia in the Tanimbar Islands group, Southeast Maluku. It is located south of Yamdena.-External links:**...
in the Tanimbar Islands
Tanimbar Islands
The Tanimbar Islands, also called Timor Laut, are a group of about 65 islands in the Maluku province of Indonesia, including Fordata, Larat, Maru, Molu, Nuswotar, Selaru, Selu, Seira, Wotap, Wuliaru and Yamdena.-Geography:...
on 5 September. After the raid Jeffery told Caldwell that it had been conducted only as a means of boosting his pilots' morale. Caldwell believed that the danger of flying Spitfires to the edge of their range in such operations outweighed the benefits which could be gained, and did not allow his pilots to participate in them. Group Captain Brian "Blackjack" Walker assumed command of No. 1 Wing in October; he had previously served at Darwin as No. 12 Squadron RAAF's
No. 12 Squadron RAAF
No. 12 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force general purpose, bomber and transport squadron. The squadron was formed in 1939 and saw combat in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. From 1941-1943, it mainly conducted maritime patrols off northern Australia...
commander. From 24 October the wing's three squadrons were all stationed at Darwin's civil airfield, which was located 1 miles (1.6 km) from RAAF Station Darwin. On 27 November seven Spitfires, five of which were drawn from No. 549 Squadron, escorted B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
s to Cape Lore, Timor and strafed the area before the bombers made their attack. This was the longest operational flight made by Spitfires during the war.
Boredom continued to be a major problem for No. 1 Wing, and morale declined sharply in 1945 after No. 80 Wing left Darwin for the NEI and most of the Spitfires were grounded due to cooling system problems. Frustrations caused by a lack of opportunities for air combat were a common problem across the RAAF's fighter squadrons in the SWPA, and contributed to the "Morotai Mutiny
Morotai Mutiny
The "Morotai Mutiny" was an incident in April 1945 involving members of the Australian First Tactical Air Force based on the island of Morotai, in the Dutch East Indies...
" of April 1945 when Caldwell and seven other officers attempted to resign in protest against their units' being primarily tasked with attacking isolated Japanese garrisons. The Australian and British governments discussed replacing the RAF pilots with Australians or transferring the squadrons to a more active area, and in July 1945 Air Vice Marshal William Bostock
William Bostock
Air Vice Marshal William Dowling Bostock CB, DSO, OBE was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force. During World War II he led RAAF Command, the Air Force's main operational formation, with responsibility for the defence of Australia and air offensives against Japanese targets in the...
, who led RAAF Command
RAAF Command
RAAF Command was the main operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. The command was established in September 1942 and by April 1943 comprised 27 squadrons, including units from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as Australia...
, proposed transferring two No. 1 Wing squadrons to Borneo to operate in the ground attack role. This did not eventuate, however, and the only action undertaken by the wing during 1945 was an attack made by six Spitfires on Japanese positions at Cape Chater, Timor on 3 June. Following the end of the war, No. 1 Wing's headquarters closed at Darwin on 12 October 1945, and the three British squadrons were disbanded on 31 October.