Equipped with Supermarine Spitfire fighters, it was formed in England during June 1941 under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme.

The squadron was transferred to Australia in June 1942 and saw combat in the South West Pacific Area before being disbanded in November 1945.

From March to May 1942 it was based in southern England and flew missions over German-occupied France during which it shot down at least five Luftwaffe aircraft.

1 Wing RAAF and intercepted several Japanese raids on Allied bases in northern Australia between March and November 1943.

The squadron remained at Darwin and saw almost no combat during 1944, but moved to Morotai and later Labuan in 1945 from where it attacked Japanese positions in the Netherlands East Indies and Borneo as part of Allied offensives in these areas.

The squadron's ground crew component had been formed at RAAF Station Williamtown in Australia on 10 June, and departed for England on 7 August.

These included shipping protection patrols, escorting bombers, conducting fighter sweeps over northern France and contributing to the air defence of southern England.

[9] Fighter Command had received authorisation to launch a full-scale offensive campaign against German air units shortly before No.

[9] These operations often encountered fierce opposition, and German Fw 190 fighters proved superior to the Spitfire Mark Vs that No.

The squadron scored its last victory over Europe on 29 April, though fighter sweeps over France continued until almost the end of May.

[8] On 28 May 1942 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed to an Australian Government request to dispatch three fully equipped Spitfire squadrons to Australia to reinforce the RAAF.

[14] Most of the Spitfires intended for the wing had been diverted to the Middle East during the voyage to Australia, however, and the squadron initially only had CAC Wirraway and Ryan ST aircraft for training purposes.

457 Squadron was fully equipped with Spitfires by November and moved to Camden on the 7th of the month where it continued an intensive training program.

In December the squadron was informed that it would be deployed to Darwin in the Northern Territory to counter the Japanese air raids against the town.

Although the squadron was scrambled a number of times in February, it did not claim its first "kill" until 7 March when two Spitfires shot down a Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah" reconnaissance aircraft near Darwin.

457 Squadron scored its next "kills" on 17 August, when its aircraft shot down three of the four Dinahs sent over Darwin that day; the fourth was destroyed by No.

457 Squadron deployed six Spitfires to Drysdale River Mission Airfield, and two days later they intercepted and damaged a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft.

457 Squadron pilot Flying Officer John Smithson made the only interception and destroyed two Betty bombers.

452 Squadron were ordered to Perth, Western Australia in response to fears that a Japanese naval force would raid the area.

The squadrons departed Darwin on 9 March and arrived at RAAF Station Guildford (modern Perth Airport) three days later after flying through very difficult weather conditions.

[24][25] The squadron next saw action on 18 April when two of its Spitfires took part in an attack on a Japanese radar station in the Babar Islands.

[25] The squadron again provided a detachment at Drysdale River Mission from 1 June 1944 and began to be reequipped with Mark VIII Spitfires on 2 July.

This wing had been established to support a planned offensive from Darwin into the Netherlands East Indies (NEI).

After the operation was cancelled the wing and its squadrons had no purpose, but continued to conduct training exercises as a means of maintaining morale.

[28] In November the wing was informed that it was to move to Morotai island in the NEI to take part in Allied offensives in the region.

The squadron's ground crew departed Darwin by sea on 18 January and arrived on the island on 1 February.

This involved a heavy workload, and the squadron flew over 293 operational sorties between February and the end of April.

On 27 May it was ordered to prepare for deployment, and on 5 June its personnel and equipment sailed for Labuan island off the north-west coast of Borneo.

The squadron's serviceable aircraft left Labuan on 9 October for Oakey, Queensland and arrived there on the last day of the month.

[32] Following the war the squadron was awarded the battle honours "Fortress Europe, 1940–1944", "Pacific, 1941–1945", "Darwin, 1941–1944", "Morotai", "Borneo, 1945" and "Defence of Britain, 1940–1945".