 Hancock finally achieved a combat command in January 1945 , when he took charge of No. 100 Squadron , flying Bristol Beaufort light bombers during the Aitape @-@ Wewak campaign in New Guinea . That month , the unit attacked Japanese positions at Maprik , below the Prince Alexander Ranges , and Cape Moem , near Wewak . On 1 April , Hancock took over No. 71 Wing , which came under overall control of RAAF Northern Command and nominally comprised Nos. 7 , 8 and 100 Beaufort Squadrons , as well as a flight of CAC Boomerang fighter @-@ bombers from No. 4 ( Army Cooperation ) Squadron . It was soon augmented by two more Beaufort units , Nos. 6 and 15 Squadrons . Providing close air support to Australian ground troops in the lead @-@ up to the final assault on Wewak , the wing flew over 1 @,@ 400 sorties and dropped more than 1 @,@ 200 tons of bombs in May alone . By mid @-@ year , Hancock 's forces were acutely short of fuel and ordnance , to the extent that his squadrons took to arming their Beauforts with captured Japanese bombs . In July , enough supplies arrived to enable the wing to continue operating at normal strength . No. 71 Wing was active to the very last day of the Pacific War , flying its final combat mission involving 30 Beauforts only hours before news of victory arrived on 15 August 1945 . Hancock 's " distinguished flying on operations in Northern Command " earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross ; the award was published in the London Gazette on 22 February 1946 . 
