force would raid the area, but it proved abortive; no attack ensued, and the squadrons were directed to return to Darwin on 20 March. The journey to Perth had taken No. 452 Squadron through bad weather, and Spence was mentioned in despatches for his efforts shepherding his Spitfires to their destination. From 9 to 21 May, Spence held command of No. 1 Wing in the absence of the officer commanding, Group Captain Peter Jeffrey. The next month, No. 452 Squadron transferred from No. 1 Wing to the recently formed No. 80 (Fighter) Wing, commanded by Group Captain Clive Caldwell. Spence was promoted to temporary squadron leader on 1 July. No. 452 Squadron completed conversion from Mk V Spitfires to Mk VIIIs the same month. Spence was posted out of No. 452 Squadron at the end of November 1944. Early the following year he joined No. 8 Operational Training Unit, which was based at Parkes, New South Wales, and operated Wirraways, Boomerangs and Spitfires, among other types. He was discharged from the Air Force on 19 November 1945. Between wars Rather than resume his banking career after the war, Spence joined the Department of Information in Canberra, initially in administration and later in aviation journalism. He rejoined the RAAF in 1946, receiving a commission as a flying officer (temporary squadron leader) effective from 17 October. His first appointment was as senior administrative officer at RAAF Station Canberra. On 13 September 1947, he flew to Surabaya, Java, as one of Australia's military observers with the United Nations commission monitoring the ceasefire between Dutch forces and Indonesian nationalists. That November, he was assigned to the recently formed RAAF College, Point Cook, where he was appointed adjutant and subsequently led the school's Cadet Squadron. In the latter role he inaugurated the college's adventure training, including canoe trips on the Murray River in boats constructed by the students. Promoted to wing commander, Spence was posted to Japan to take command of No. 77 Squadron on 28 February 1950. Based at Iwakuni, the squadron operated P-51 Mustangs as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF). Originally one of three RAAF fighter units under BCOF, No. 77 Squadron had since late-1948 been Australia's sole air component in Japan, becoming the largest flying squadron in the Air Force, with around 300 officers and men, forty Mustangs, and several transport aircraft. Occupation duties had been uneventful, the main