9 Group) to support Australian ground forces in the Aitape–Wewak campaign, and completed its final combat mission only hours before the Japanese surrender in August 1945.

71 Wing was formed on 26 February 1943 to control four flying squadrons based at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea: No.

9 Operational Group, described by historian Alan Stephens as the RAAF's "premier fighting unit" in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA), whose purpose was to act as a mobile strike force in support of advancing Allied troops.

[2][4] In March the Beauforts took part in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, "the decisive aerial engagement" in the SWPA according to General Douglas MacArthur, but was unable to score any hits against Japanese ships.

[7] Between July and October, its squadrons carried out operations against enemy bases, shipping and lines of communication along the coast of New Britain.

9 Operational Group had become a static garrison force for the New Guinea area, and was renamed Northern Command in April to better reflect its new role.

[15] Commodore John Collins, who during the battle led a Royal Australian Navy task force that included the cruisers HMAS Australia and HMAS Shropshire, also paid tribute: "The accuracy of these bombardments was ensured by excellent air spotting.

10 Operational Group, but instead support the Australian 6th Division in the Aitape–Wewak campaign, overall control of the wing returned to Northern Command.

[18] The Beaufort units flew around 500 sorties per month from November 1944 to January 1945, but thereafter had to reduce their rate of effort owing to aircrew, ordnance and fuel shortages.

[19][20] To maximize support to Australian ground troops in the lead-up to the final assault on Wewak, No.

Approximately sixty Beauforts and Boomerangs struck Japanese positions behind Dove Bay prior to amphibious landings on 11 May to cut off retreating enemy troops.

Over the entire month, the wing dropped more than 1,200 tons of bombs and flew in excess of 1,400 sorties.

By mid-year, the wing was again acutely short of fuel and ordnance, so much so that the squadrons took to arming their Beauforts with captured Japanese bombs.

[20] On 9 July, enough supplies arrived to enable the wing to continue operating at nominal strength.

71 Wing was active to the last day of the Pacific War, flying its final combat mission involving thirty Beauforts only hours before news arrived of victory on 15 August 1945.

Thereafter its squadrons dropped leaflets to remaining pockets of Japanese resistance, making them aware of the surrender.