When No. 10 Operational Group was re-formed as the Australian First Tactical Air Force (No. 1 TAF) in October 1944, No. 78 Wing constituted its fighter contingent along with the recently arrived No. 81 Wing, which also operated Kittyhawks. The relegation of No. 1 TAF to areas of operations bypassed by the main Allied thrust towards the Philippines and Japan led to poor morale in late 1944 and early 1945. In April 1945, the newly appointed Officer Commanding No. 78 Wing, Group Captain Wilfred Arthur, helped bring about the so-called "Morotai Mutiny" in protest at the employment of Australian fighter squadrons for apparently worthless ground-attack missions. A subsequent inquiry cleared the pilots involved, finding their motives in tendering their resignations to be sincere.