Williams, Don The Catalina Flying Boat in Australian Service during WWII

The RAAF made an enormous contribution during the Pacific War, with glamorous aircraft types such as Spitfires, P-40s, Beaufighters and Hudsons attracting most of the attention. Although the clumsy Catalina flying boat played an equally important role on the front lines, its contribution remains largely unnoticed. Catalinas had unique characteristics and were in service from the first day to the last day of the war, performing several important tasks. In the desperate early weeks of the Pacific War, the RAAF's Catalinas, used as bombers, were one of the few Allied aircraft types with the range to attack the important Japanese base at Rabaul. Catalinas also monitored the enemy's advance until the Battle of the Coral Sea, paying a heavy price at the hands of Japanese fighters. From 1943 onwards, the Catalina fleet began to grow, and eventually 168 of the flying boats were taken over by the RAAF. These made an important strategic contribution to the war over the next two years, conducting a successful mine campaign that stretched across the Dutch East Indies and as far as the Chinese coast. The Catalinas also provided the RAAF with valuable air-sea rescue capabilities, while others in service with Qantas maintained what was then the world's longest regular air service between Perth and Ceylon. This is a complete operational history of the Catalina in Australian service during the Second World War, in which 225 airmen lost their lives.