nos. 14 and 16 squadrons

When No. 18 Squadron left Green Island it was replaced by No. 14, which for ten days carried on all fighter commitments. On 21 December No. 16 Squadron arrived and was based on No. 30 Servicing Unit, which had moved up from Guadalcanal. The year ended with the two fighter squadrons sharing the local defence of the island, ‘Dumbo’ escorts, Rabaul patrols, and offensive sweeps over New Britain and New Ireland.