Portal:Military history of Australia/Units/March 18

Members of 20 Squadron with lines of machine gun belts wrapped around them speak with members of the parliamentary war expenditure committee.

No. 20 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron of World War II. The Squadron was established at Port Moresby in August 1941. Following the outbreak of war in the Pacific the squadron conducted anti-submarine patrols and bombing raids against Japanese bases. As the Japanese advanced into the South West Pacific the Squadron was also responsible for evacuating white civilians from areas threatened by invasion. In June 1943, No. 20 Squadron's role changed when it commenced mine laying operations over the Netherlands East Indies and Philippines. Following the end of the war, No. 20 Squadron operated in the transport role until being disbanded at RAAF Base Rathmines in March 1946.