No. 85 Squadron RAAF

[4] In addition to its air defence responsibilities, the squadron was also tasked with refueling and maintaining civilian aircraft which passed through Perth as the city did not have a civil airport at the time.

85 Squadron established a detachment of six of these aircraft at the 'Potshot' air base at Exmouth Gulf to protect the United States Navy submarine support facilities there.

[5] The next night two Boomerangs were scrambled to intercept three Japanese aircraft which had overflown the airstrip; while one of the Australian pilots believed that he sighted the exhaust flames of a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bomber, he was unable to intercept it as his aircraft ran low on fuel.

85 Squadron was ordered to make an emergency deployment to Derby in anticipation of a Japanese incursion into the Indian Ocean.

The Japanese vessels did not enter the Indian Ocean, and this deployment came to an end on 13 October when the aircraft returned to 'Potshot'.

[11] While all of the RAAF's other Spitfire-equipped fighter squadrons were reequipped with the superior Mark VIII Spitfires during 1944 and 1945, No.

85 Squadron escorted the aircraft carrying the remains of Prime Minister John Curtin to Perth from Canberra following his death.