Air War WW2 Portal

In december 1941 the war started for the Dutch East Indies. The Japanese conquered the East Indies and the army (KNIL), the air force of the KNIL (KNIL/ML) and the Navy (MLD) were forced to escape to Australia. There new squadrons were formed with the personnel that reached Australia. One bomber squadron (no. 18 NEI) and one fighter Squadron (no. 120 NEI) were formed. Later a Transport Squadron (no.1 NEI Transport Squadron) was formed in Australia as well. These units were in fact KNIL/ML components.

No.18 Squadron was founded on April 4th 1942 at Archerfield (Brisbane) Australia. The first aircraft with were already delivered in March 1942. These were B25 Mitchell medium bombers.
The Dutch ordered A20A Bostons for the new squadron. The first 14 aircraft were delivered on June 7th 1942. But due to the lack of aircraft with the RAAF units in Australia these were handed over to the RAAF on June 23rd 1942.
The no.18 Squadron soldiered on with B25 Mitchell till the end of the war. The B25 was very succesfull. Various models of the B25 were used by the Dutch.
The no.18 (NEI)Squadron was a Dutch squadron which operated under Australian supervision and was assigned to the no.79 Wing. This wing stopped operations at May 1st 1945. The no.79 Wing was disbanded on June 6th 1945. The no.18 (NEI) Squadron came under full Dutch control on January 15th 1946.

At the moment the no.18 squadron was founded, the command was Australian, but from July 6th 1942 the Squadron came under Dutch Command, flying under RAAF command with no. 79 Wing.


SOURCES:
G. Tornij, De Nederlandse Mitchells, 1999
O.G. Ward, De Militaire Luchtvaart van het KNIL in de jaren 1942-1945, 1985
H. Hooftman, Van Glenn Martins en Mustangs, 1967