No. 23 Squadron RNZAF

No. 23 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It was formed in August 1944 at RNZAF Station Ardmore equipped with the F4U-1 Corsair fighter bomber.

History
The squadron was established at RNZAF Ardmore in August 1944. It moved to Palikulo Bay Airfield on Espiritu Santo for further training in September. At the end of October 1944 it was posted to Kukum Field on Guadalcanal, where it flew daily bombing missions against Japanese positions on Bougainville until 14 November. In late November 1944 it moved again to Momote Field on Los Negros Island and was based there until January 1945. Its mission on Los Negros was fighter defense of the island, which included dawn and dusk patrols and scramble alert. In February 1945 the Squadron moved to Guadalcanal and then to Emirau from March–May and then to Piva Airfield on Bouganville from June–October 1945.

Commanding officers.

 * Squadron Leader de Willimoff August 1944 – May 1945
 * Squadron Leader D. E. Hogan May–October 1945