It conducted patrol and mine-laying operations over the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) from August 1944 until the war ended a year later.

Following the Japanese surrender, the squadron performed transport and reconnaissance flights until it was disbanded in November 1945.

[2] In early July, the squadron's 50 personnel moved to Melville Bay aboard USS John Owen, arriving there on the 11th of the month.

The unit conducted its first operation on 27 August when three Catalinas flew patrols searching for shipping.

Here it suffered its first loss on 23 September when a Catalina made a forced landing in Japanese-controlled territory; the aircraft's crew were later rescued by a No.

[4][5] In November a detachment of aircraft was deployed to Morotai in the NEI, which had been captured by Allied forces in mid-September.

42 Squadron Catalinas were deployed to Leyte in the Philippines from where they mined Manila Bay on the night of 14/15 December.

[4][6] One of the squadron's Catalinas was forced to make an emergency sea landing on 14 January after being damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire, but its crew was rescued by an aircraft from No.

42 Squadron aircraft laid mines off the coast of southern China and Formosa as part of a No.