Third TAF was formed shortly after the establishment of South East Asia Command to provide close air support to the Fourteenth Army.

The Japanese were decisively beaten, but they shifted the focus of their attack to central Burma.

After the enforced period of reduced operations, the Third TAF supported the advance of Fourteenth Army against the Japanese forces.

However, command arrangement changes at the end of 1944 cutting short the life of the Third TAF.

224 Group RAF (commanding officer Air Commodore Alexander Gray) supporting the Indian XV Corps.

In the 1943–44 campaigning season, this group comprised: Three RAF fighter squadrons equipped with Supermarine Spitfires (this campaign marked the first time Spitfires were being used in South-East Asia) Six fighter-bomber squadrons with Hawker Hurricanes (mainly Mk.IIc variants) including, No.

8 Squadron IAF commanded by Squadron-Leader Niranjan Prasa), equipped with Vultee Vengeances.

Much of the colony had been conquered several months before the war ended, in the big British offensive of summer 1945.

That gave Air Command, South East Asia, crucial breathing space to start getting the colony back on its feet before the massive increase in occupation duties postwar occurred.

Again, the transport squadrons saw the largest amount of work, evacuating prisoners of war and internees and supplying garrisons and the civilian population.

A light transport and liaison squadron, Air Headquarters Burma Communication Squadron, was established on 20 September 1945 at Baigachi, but disbanded within two months, on 14 November 1945 at RAF Mingaladon (now Yangon International Airport), by being downgraded to Air Headquarters Burma Communication Flight RAF.

[8] After the clean-up immediately postwar, came the task of preparing Burma for independence.

The Burmese Air Force was established on 16 January 1947 with former British aircraft.