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A pair of Spitfires Mk. VIII of No. 457 Squadron RAAF, ZP-Z and ZP-S airborne over Dutch East Indies, 1945.

The squadron received their Spitfires Mk. VIII in early 1944. Upon conversion they nicknamed itself the “Grey Nurse Squadron” (after the Australian term for a sand tiger shark) because of the grey-and-green camouflage of their Spitfires Mk. VIII. They also adopted sharkmouth markings on the nose and the uniform “Grey Nurse” logo on the upper cowlings of their aircraft. [John Inger coll.]