www.monumentaustralia.org.au

31 Beaufighter SquadronPrint Page Print this page

05-July-2014 [Chris McLaughlin]
05-July-2014 [Chris McLaughlin]

Photographs supplied by Chris McLaughlin

The plaque commemorates those who served with 31 Beaufighter Squadron during World War Two.

No. 31 Squadron was formed at the Forest Hill base near Wagga Wagga, NSW, on 14 August 1942. After equipping with the Bristol Beaufighter and being brought up to strength, it moved to Batchelor in the Northern Territory in October and then to its new home at Coomalie Creek, south of Darwin in November. The squadron's first combat operation took place on 17 November 1942.

Over the next two years, No. 31 Squadron flew ground attack sorties against the Japanese in Timor and the Netherlands East Indies, as well as anti-shipping patrols and convoy protection missions. One of its greatest successes was the raid on Penfoei on 2 December 1942, when the Beaufighters caught 40 Japanese aircraft on the ground. Without loss to themselves, they destroyed eighteen and damaged many more. In November 1944, the squadron deployed to Noemfoor, from where it flew two convoy protection missions before moving again, to Morotai, in late December to attack Japanese positions in the Celebes and Halmahera Islands.

Setting up on Tarakan in May 1945, No. 31 Squadron carried out strikes in support of the Australian landings in Borneo and Brunei in June and the operations that followed. After the Japanese surrendered on 15 August, the squadron dropped leaflets over the Halmaheras to inform the garrison of those islands that the war was over.

No. 31 Squadron returned to Australia in December 1945 and disbanded at RAAF base Williamtown on 9 July 1946.

Location

Address:Esplanade, Bicentennial Park, adjacent to Cenotaph, Darwin, 0800
State:NT
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -12.466667
Long: 130.84
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW2
Actual Event Start Date:03-September-1939
Actual Event End Date:15-August-1945

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:August-1995
Front Inscription

To commemorate those who served in Royal Australian Air Force 31 Beaufighter Squadron

Based at Coomaliee Creek 1942 - 1944 and from there operated into South West Pacific area

We will remember them

Dedicated August 1995

Source: MA,SKP
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au