Supermarine Spitfire. Oceanian Users. Part Two. Australian users part one.

 

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) employed the Supermarine Spitfire in Nos. 79, 85, 451, 452, 453 and 457 Squadrons. With Australia, the Spitfire saw service in Europe, North Africa, Northern Australia, New Guinea and the Pacific. 
Additionally, many Operational Training Units (OTU) based in Australia, operated the Spitfire as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. 

The first Australian squadron to be equipped with the Spitfire was No. 452 which was formed in England in April 1941 and was equipped with the Spitfire Mk.I. This unit served through the Channel Front until June 1942 when they were recalled to the Australian mainland where they were reactivated in January 1943 to be part of the aerial defences of the city of Darwin, this time equipped with the Spitfire Mk.V, until they were shortly after rebased to Perth where they were re-equipped with the more advanced Spitfire Mk.VIII in April. Through 1944 they served in the ground support and anti-shipping roles, based at Strauss Airfield, Northern Territories and in May 1945 they operated from Tarakan, Dutch East Indies. The unit remained there until it was disbanded in October 1945.

No.453 Squadron was reformed in June 1942 in the United Kingdom as they transitioned from the Brewster Buffalo to the Spitfire Mk.Vb. This squadron remained in Europe through all the war and was one of the first units to operate from Normandy, when it was based at the hastily constructed airfield at Longues-sur-Mer, very close to the frontline. After the surrender of Germany, they remained in Britain for a few months, but were rebased to Germany as part of the Allied Occupation Forces. on 29th August.

(to be continued)

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._452_Squadron_RAAF

3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._453_Squadron_RAAF