It was formed in June 1943, flying Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks and, initially, Bell P-39 Airacobras from bases in Queensland and New Guinea.

The squadron became operational in September 1944, and undertook ground attack missions against Japanese targets in the Pacific theatre.

82 Squadron was re-equipped with North American P-51 Mustangs and deployed to Japan, where it formed part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.

[3] The squadron transferred to Port Moresby, New Guinea, at the end of August 1944 and then to Noemfoor in mid-September, joining Nos.

[6] Operating from Kamiri strip on Noemfoor, the squadron flew its first combat mission on 30 September, bombing Samate airstrip with aircraft from No.

82 Squadron to stay operational as most of its ground crew remained in Townsville until moving forward the following month; in the meantime, the pilots were responsible for arming and refuelling their aircraft.

82 Squadron continued to conduct ground attack missions in New Guinea until March 1945, when it relocated to Morotai Island in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI).

From Morotai, the squadron conducted ground-attack missions in the NEI and escorted Allied convoys carrying troops bound for the liberation of Borneo.

[12] The relegation of First Tactical Air Force to areas of operation bypassed by the main Allied thrust towards the Philippines and Japan led to poor morale, culminating in the so-called "Morotai Mutiny" of April 1945.

82 Squadron, was among eight senior pilots who tended their resignations in protest at what they saw as the waste of resources on targets of dubious military value.

[17] It re-equipped with North American P-51D Mustang fighters between 12 September and 11 January 1946, losing two aircraft to accidents in the process.

82 Squadron lost three of its twenty-eight Mustangs, along with an escorting de Havilland Mosquito, in bad weather en route to Bofu, killing all crew members.

81 Wing transferred to Iwakuni in April 1948, the same month that the Federal government decided to reduce Australia's contribution to BCOF.