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No. 80 Wing - First Tactical Air ForcePrint Page 
The plaque commemorates those who served No. 80 Wing First Tactical Air Force Royal Australian Air Force (R.A.A.F.) between 1944 and 1945.
The plaque location is indicated by the red poppy in the second image.
No. 80 Wing 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. 11 Group on 30 July 1945.
The wing was established to provide fighter protection for an Allied offensive from Darwin in northern Australia into the eastern Netherlands East Indies (NEI). This operation was effectively cancelled in June 1944, however, leaving No. 80 Wing without a clear mission.
The unit remained at Darwin until it moved to Morotai in the NEI between December 1944 and March 1945. On 15 January 1945, four of No. 80 Squadron's pilots were ferrying Kittyhawks from Noemfoor to Morotai when they missed their destination and had to land on the Japanese-held Talaud Islands, where they were captured and executed.
From May 1945 to the end of the war two of No. 80 Wing's squadrons participated in the Borneo Campaign.
Location
| Address: | Fairbairn & Limestone Avenues, Eastern Precinct, Australian War Memorial, Campbell, 2612 |
|---|---|
| State: | ACT |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -35.281059 Long: 149.148949 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 25 -October-1944 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 11-April-1945 |
| Link: | http://www.dva.gov.au/consultation-… |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Friday 29th November, 2013 |
|---|
No.80 Wing
First Tactical Air Force, RAAF
1944 - 1945
Darwin, Momote, Morotai, Tarakan, Labuan, Sepinnggang
In memory of all who served in the Squadrons and supporting units, and those who perished
Lest We Forget
