 During February and March 1942 , the RAAF formed four transport units : Nos. 33 , 34 , 35 and 36 Squadrons . No. 33 Squadron was established on 16 February at Townsville , Queensland , under the control of North @-@ Eastern Area Command . It was equipped with four ex @-@ Qantas Short Empire flying boats transferred from No. 11 Squadron , along with several smaller types including de Havilland Dragons and Tiger Moths , Avro Ansons , and Vultee <unk> . Less than two weeks later the squadron suffered its first loss when one of the Empires crashed on landing at Townsville ; the six crew members were killed . A second Empire was destroyed at its mooring during a Japanese air attack on Broome , Western Australia , on 3 March ; another Empire was impressed from Qantas to replace the lost aircraft . One of the squadron 's tasks was search @-@ and @-@ rescue ; it lost another Empire on 8 August 1942 after it sank in heavy seas off the coast of New Guinea while trying to rescue survivors of a torpedoed ship . 
