 In September 1944 , No. 20 Squadron became part of No. 76 Wing RAAF , along with Nos. 42 and 43 Squadrons , and moved to Darwin , Northern Territory . All three squadrons operated Catalinas , their primary purpose being mine @-@ laying . On the night of 30 September , a Catalina of No. 20 Squadron was shot down while attacking a ship at Pomelaa in the Dutch East Indies ; the loss was compounded by the fact that one of the coordinators of the mining campaign , Lieutenant Commander P.E. Carr of the Royal Australian Navy , was aboard the plane and was captured by the Japanese . Another of the squadron 's Catalinas went down on the night of 27 / 28 January 1945 , possibly in a cyclone over the Timor Sea , during the campaign to mine Surabaya . In March , a detachment of four No. 20 Squadron aircraft , along with four from No. 43 Squadron , laid mines off the coast of southern China and Formossa as part of a No. 76 Wing offensive in this area ; these operations were conducted from Leyte Gulf in the Philippines . One of No. 20 Squadron 's Catalinas was lost on the night of 7 / 8 March , most likely owing to bad weather rather than enemy action . Three of the squadron 's aircraft mined the entrance to Hong Kong harbour on 8 April and , on 26 May , four of its Catalinas mined Wenchow harbour in China , the furthest north that any Australian aircraft infiltrated during the war in the Pacific . Three of its aircraft flew the RAAF 's last mine @-@ laying mission on 30 July . 
 In September 1944 , No. 20 Squadron became part of No. 76 Wing RAAF , along with Nos. 42 and 43 Squadrons , and moved to Darwin , Northern Territory . All three squadrons operated Catalinas , their primary purpose being mine @-@ laying . On the night of 30 September , a Catalina of No. 20 Squadron was shot down while attacking a ship at Pomelaa in the Dutch East Indies ; the loss was compounded by the fact that one of the coordinators of the mining campaign , Lieutenant Commander P.E. Carr of the Royal Australian Navy , was aboard the plane and was captured by the Japanese . Another of the squadron <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>Catalinas went down on the night of 27 / 28 January 1945 , possibly in a cyclone over the Timor Sea , during the campaign to mine Surabaya . In March , a detachment of four No. 20 Squadron aircraft , along with four from No. 43 Squadron , laid mines off the coast of southern China and Formossa as part of a No. 76 Wing offensive in this area ; these operations <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> conducted from Leyte Gulf in the Philippines . One of No. 20 Squadron <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>Catalinas was lost on the night of 7 / 8 March , most likely owing to bad weather rather than enemy action . Three of the squadron <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>aircraft<a href='been_done' title='5'><mark></mark></a> mined the entrance to Hong Kong harbour on 8 April and , on 26 May , four of its Catalinas mined Wenchow harbour in China , the furthest north <a href='null_relcl' title='6'><mark>that</mark></a>any Australian aircraft infiltrated during the war in the Pacific . Three of its aircraft flew the RAAF <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>last mine @-@ laying mission on 30 July . 
In September 1944 , No. 20 Squadron became part of No. 76 Wing RAAF , along with Nos. 42 and 43 Squadrons , and moved to Darwin , Northern Territory . alll three squadrons operated Catalinas , their primary purpose being mine @-@ sittin . On da night of 30 September , a Catalina of No. 20 Squadron was shot down while attacking a ship at Pomelaa in the Dutch East Indies ; the loss was compounded by tdafact that one of thdaoordinators of the mining campaign , Lieutenant Commander P.E. Carr of the Royal Australian Navy , was aboard the plane and was captured by thedapanese . anotha of the daadron  Catalinas went down on the night of 27 / 28 January 1945 , possibly in a cyclone over the Tdar Sea , during the campaign to mine Surabaya . In March , a detachment of four No. 20 Squadron aircraft , along wit four from No. 43 Squadron , laid mines off the coast of southern China and Formossa as part of a No. 76 Wing offensive in this area ; dese operations was conducted from Leyte Gulf in the Philippines . One of No. 20 Squadron  Catalinas was lost on the nite of 7 / 8 March , most likely owing to badd weather rather den enemy action . Three of the sqdaron  aircraft been mined the entrance to Hong Kong harbour on 8 April and , on 26 May , 4 of its Catalinas mined Wenchow harbour in China , the furdast north any Australian aircraft infiltrated durin the war dathe Pacifda. Three of its aircraft flew the RAAF  last mine @-@ layin mission on 30 July .