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Royal New Zealand Air Force

rnzaf dispositions, august 1945

rnzaf dispositions, august 1945

When the Japanese finally surrendered, on 15 August 1945, all RNZAF fighter squadrons, with the exception of those resting and reforming in New Zealand, were operating in the Solomons-Bismarcks area. Four, with their servicing units, were on Bougainville, two at Los Negros, and three at Jacquinot Bay. A move forward to Borneo had been planned but had not yet taken place.

Of the bomber-reconnaissance squadrons, four had been disbanded after completing their tours as there was little prospect of further employment for them after the completion of the South-West Pacific campaign. The other two, Nos. 2 and 4, were at Jacquinot Bay and Los Negros respecively.

The two flying-boat squadrons were based at Santo and Halavo, and the flying-boat OTU was still at Lauthala Bay.

Headquarters of the New Zealand Air Task Force was at Bougainville. Of the subsidiary field headquarters which had page 311 formed in 1944, those at Piva and Los Negros were still operating. The Green Island organisation had moved to Jacquinot Bay, and that at Emirau was in the process of moving to Los Negros, en route for Borneo.

No. 1 (Islands) Group Headquarters had closed down on 1 August, and RNZAF Station, Guadalcanal, was responsible for the administration of units within its area. No. 1 Islands Works Squadron had its headquarters still at Guadalcanal, with detached flights at Santo and Bougainville. No. 2 was at Los Negros, where it had gone earlier in the year, and had a detached flight at Jacquinot Bay.