November 2018 FLYPAST 101advance party left for Morotai in the
Molucca islands, off the northwest
coast of New Guinea.
East indies action
Morotai had been occupied the
previous September as part of the
US move on the Philippines. The
Australians were to concentrate
on the East Indies to protect
the US left flank, with the RAAF
maintaining pressure on enemy
forces on Halmahera Island, at
Celebes, Ceram and Ambon. With
its mixture of Spitfire Mk.Vs and
Mk.VIIIs, 79 Squadron arrived in
early February to join 80 Wing
alongside 452 and 457 Squadrons,
also equipped with Mk.VIIIs.
The wing was commanded by
the legendary Gp Capt Clive
Caldwell, the leading Australian
fighter pilot of World War Two,
with another famous ‘ace’, Wg Cdr
Bobby Gibbes, as wing leader. By
the end of March, the unit had 11
Spitfire Mk.VIIIs on strength and
began striking enemy positions
on Halmahera. On the morning of
the 27th a pair led by Fg Off W J
Basey flew a sweep between Cape
Salimoeli and Kaoe. Spitfire A58-
434 was being flown by 24-year-
old Fg Off Ross Cameron, when
it crashed near Tobela village,
possibly due to enemy fire. He
was taken prisoner, but sadly
succumbed to his injuries.
The tempo of operations
increased during April and
although there was no air
opposition, pilots faced theconsiderable threat of Japanese
anti-aircraft fire. One victim was
Flt Lt Les Reid, who was forced to
exit his Spitfire Mk.VIII A58-545.
Fortunately, he was rescued by a
US torpedo boat.
At the beginning of May, Sqn
Ldr Ken James took command of
the unit as it continued support
operations from Morotai. The
pilots were in almost constant
action, flying 290 sorties during
June. It remained in action until the
end of the war, mostly mounting
attacks on the Japanese garrison
on Halmahera.
While strafing near Teba on
August 2, Fg Off Barney Newman’s
Spitfire, A58-654, was hit and its
wing broke away, sending it down
into the jungle. Newman was thesquadron’s 13th and last fatality
of the war. The unit flew its final
operation the following day – an
attack on flak batteries in Wasile
Bay. After VJ Day its Spitfires
undertook leaflet-dropping sorties
and some policing duties, until
returning to Australia the squadron
disbanded at Oakey, Queensland
on November 12, 1945.Thailand
After World War Two, the RAAF
maintained a presence in Malaya
to counter local Communist-
inspired instability. Facing a
significant potential threat from its
neighbours, the Thai government
requested support in 1962.
In response, the RAAF deployed
eight CAC-built Sabre Mk.31s“Offensive sweeps continued, with a Mitsubishi A6M ‘Zero’
destroyed on Gasmata airfi eld”Top
By early 1945 the squadron’s Spitfi res were
based at Morotai in Dutch New Guinea,
operating in less than ideal conditions. RAAFTucking in close to a USAAF P-38 Lightning,
one of 79’s Spitfi re VIIIs, A58-489/UP-L
embarks on another strike for which the
long-range slipper tank – visible under the
fuselage – was essential. VIA A PRICE