Naval History by Country : ROYAL NAVY US NAVY GERMAN NAVY FRENCH NAVY MORE PAGES

No.487 Sqn RNZAF

Name : No.487 Sqn RNZAF Founded : 15th August 1942 Disbanded : 19th September 1945 Country : New Zealand Fate : Disbanded 19th September 1945 More Details : Ki te mutunga - Through to the end Known Code Letters : , EG,

487 squadron was formed at Feltwell, Norfolk, 15th August 1942, equipped with Lockheed Ventura aircraft, commencing operations on 6th December. 487 contributed 16 aircraft to the famous low-level raid on the Phillips radio and valve factory at Eindhoven, and continued in the daylight role with Venturas until June 1943. On one operation during this period, the squadron suffered heavy losses. On May 3rd during a raid on Amsterdam, ten out of 11 aircraft were shot down. After the war when the full account of the raid became known, the B Flight Commander Sqd Ldr L.H. Trent, a New Zealander in the RAF, who had been a prisoner of war since being shot down on the raid was awarded the Victoria Cross for his outstanding leadership during the Amsterdam raid. On 1st June 1943, 487 was transferred from Bomber Command to the newly formed 2nd Tactical Air Force (TAF). During September 1943, 487 re-equipped with the De Havilland Mosquito F.B VI and was mainly used on night bombing, although the squadron took part in several daylight precision operations. These included the Amiens prison raid 18th February 1944, Gestapo Headquarters, Aarhus in Denmark on 31st October 1944 and Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen on 21st March 1945. The squadron operated from the continent from February until September 1945 where at Cambrai/Epinoy, France it was renumbered 16 Squadron RAF (later amended to 268 Squadron). In addition to Sqd Ldr Trent's Victoria Cross, the New Zealand personnel of 487 squadron were awarded 1 DSO, 7 DFC's, one bar to DFC and 1 DFM.

Known Service Details :
Pilot or Aircrew	Rank	Start of Service	End of Service	Known Dates	Aircraft	Airframes	Notes
Barnes	Flight Lieutenant	unknown	unknown	18th February 1944	Mosquito	LR333
Darrell	Pilot Officer	unknown	unknown	18th February 1944	Mosquito	HX909
Arthur C Dunlop	Pilot Officer	July 1942	July 1944		Mosquito Ventura	HX982
John Ellecombe		unknown	unknown
Fowler	Pilot Officer	unknown	unknown	18th February 1944	Mosquito	HX974
Brian Hanafin	Squadron Leader	November 1942	unknown	October 1944	Mosquito	HX855
Jennings	Flight Sergeant	unknown	unknown	18th February 1944	Mosquito	HX856
Livry	Squadron Leader	unknown	unknown	18th February 1944	Mosquito	HX855
Nichols	Warrant Officer	unknown	unknown	18th February 1944	Mosquito	HX856
Smith	Wing Commander	unknown	unknown	18th February 1944	Mosquito	LR333
Maxwell N Sparks	Flight Lieutenant	September 1942	March 1945		Ventura Mosquito	HX982
Stevenson	Pilot Officer	unknown	unknown	18th February 1944	Mosquito	HX909
Wilkins	Warrant Officer	unknown	unknown	18th February 1944	Mosquito	HX974

Pilots and Aircrew for : No.487 Sqn RNZAF
A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name.
Name	Info
Barnes, Click the name above to see a profile of Barnes,	Barnes, On 18th February 1944, he was navigator of Mosquito LR333 EG-R of No.487 Sqn RNZAF for Operation Jericho, the Amiens prison raid. The aircraft returned to base safely.
Darrell, Click the name above to see a profile of Darrell,	Darrell, On 18th February 1944, he was pilot of Mosquito HX909 EG-C of No.487 Sqn RNZAF for Operation Jericho, the Amiens prison raid. The aircraft returned to base safely.
Dunlop, Arthur C Click the name above to see a profile of Dunlop, Arthur C	Dunlop, Arthur C Flight Lieutenant A.C. Dunlop R.A.F.V.R (Navigator) joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in November 1940 and trained in Canada. On return to the UK he crewed up with Max Sparks in July 1942 with whom he undertook 35 operations. Posted to 487 R.N.Z A.F Squadron, they first flew Lockheed Venturas (modified airliners) against targets such as dockyards (e.g. Rotterdam), airfields and marshalling yards in occupied Europe. Fortunately, after escalating losses, the Squadron was re-equipped with De Havilland Mosquito Mk VIs in August 1943 and low-level operations against pinpoint targets such as VI and V2 rocket sites were undertaken, together with night intruder sorties. It was in February 1944 that 487 Squadron was selected to lead the low level raid on Amiens Prison whereby breaching the walls enabled 285 French patriots to escape execution by the Germans, where his Mosquito HX982 EG-T was damaged by flak and suffered an undercarriage failure on its return to base. He and his pilot were ok. In July 1944 Flt.Lt. A.C Dunlop left '487' when he was posted to India as an instructor. On his return to the U.K. he was posted to Bomber Command 105 and 139 (Jamaica) Squadrons and demobilised in April 1946.
Ellecombe, John Click the name above to see a profile of Ellecombe, John    Died : 11 / 5 / 2014	Ellecombe, John John Ellecombe joined the RAF in 1939 and was posted to 151 Squadron in July 1940, immediately converting to Hurricanes. On 24th August he shot down a He111, but a week later his Hurricane was blown up in combat and he baled out, with burns. Rejoining his squadron a few months later, in February 1941 was posted to 253 Squadron where he took part in the Dieppe operations. On 28th July, flying a Turbinlite Havoc, he probably destroyed a Do217. Converting to Mosquitos, John was posted to 487 Squadron RNZAF, and during the build up to the Normandy Invasion and after, was involved in many ground attacks on enemy held airfields, railways, and other targets of opportunity. He completed a total of 37 sorties on Mosquitos. Flying a de Havilland Mosquito XIII with a devastating set of four 20mm cannon in the nose, John Ellacombe flew deep into occupied France on the night before D-Day searching out and destroying German convoys and railway targets. As the Normandy campaign raged on, 151 Squadron intensified its interdiction sorties - including night attacks on Falaise and the Seine bridges. On August 1st Ellacombe took part in the famous attack by 23 Mosquitoes on the German bar-racks in Poitiers, led by Group Captain Wykeham Barnes. Ellacombe had first joined 151 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, direct from Flying Training School. Within weeks he had scored his first victory but also force landed in a field, having shot down a He 111, and baled out of a blazing Hurricane. He baled out a second time during the Dieppe Raid in 1942 but was picked up safely. Postwar he had a long and successful career in the RAE.
Fowler, Click the name above to see a profile of Fowler,	Fowler, On 18th February 1944, he was pilot of Mosquito HX974 EG-H of No.487 Sqn RNZAF for Operation Jericho, the Amiens prison raid. The aircraft returned to base safely.
Hanafin, Brian Click the name above to see a profile of Hanafin, Brian	Hanafin, Brian Joining 105 Squadron flying Blenheims, in July 1941 Titch Hanafin was posted to Malta, under the command of Hughie Edwards VC. They carried out many low level shipping strikes in an attempt to halt supplies to Rommel in North Africa. In November 1942 he joined 487 sqn RNZAF, carrying out attacks on V-1 sites. On 18th February 1944 he led the second flight of 487 Sqn assigned to attack the Amiens Prison when his aircraft, Mosquito HX855 EG-Q turned back, and in October piloted the F.P.U. Mosquito on the Aarhus Gestapo raid in Denmark.
Jennings, Click the name above to see a profile of Jennings,	Jennings, On 18th February 1944, he was pilot of Mosquito HX856 EG-H of No.487 Sqn RNZAF for Operation Jericho, the Amiens prison raid. The aircraft returned to base safely.
Livry, Click the name above to see a profile of Livry,	Livry, On 18th February 1944, he was navigator of Mosquito HX855 EG-Q of No.487 Sqn RNZAF for Operation Jericho, the Amiens prison raid. The aircraft turned back.
Nichols, Click the name above to see a profile of Nichols,	Nichols, On 18th February 1944, he was navigator of Mosquito HX856 EG-H of No.487 Sqn RNZAF for Operation Jericho, the Amiens prison raid. The aircraft returned to base safely.
Patterson, Charles Click the name above to see a profile of Patterson, Charles	Patterson, Charles Charles Patterson joined the RAF on the outbreak of WWII and flew Whitleys. He switched to Blenheims in 1940 with 114 Squadron on anti-shipping operations over Norway. After a period instructing he briefly flew Bostons before converting to Mosquitoes with 105 Squadron flying mostly Daylight raids, but also the first night raid to Berlin. In January 1943 he was selected as pilot for the Mosquito Film Unit and flew Mosquito DZ414 (now restored) on over 20,000 operational hours both day and night. In September 1943 he converted 3 Ventura Squadrons to Mosquitoes under Group Captain Pickard. In total he completed an unprecedented 3 tours on Mosquitoes, his final tour being with 487 Squadron (New Zealand) mainly on strikes against V1 sites. On D-Day he flew the film unit Mosquito over the beach head during the invasion.
Smith, Click the name above to see a profile of Smith,	Smith, On 18th February 1944, he was pilot of Mosquito LR333 EG-R of No.487 Sqn RNZAF for Operation Jericho, the Amiens prison raid. The aircraft returned to base safely.
Sparks, Maxwell N Click the name above to see a profile of Sparks, Maxwell N	Sparks, Maxwell N Flight Lieutenant M.N. Sparks A.F.C., R.A.F., gained his pilots wings with the R.N.Z.A.F. in December 1941. Posted to the United Kingdom he joined the newly formed 487(N.Z.) Squadron in September 1942. Equipped with the Lockheed Ventura (a bomber version of the Hudson) the squadron was meant for medium-level daylight “circus� operations, but after losing 10 out of 11 aircraft and crews over Holland in March 1943 it was wisely decided to re-equip the depleted squadron with a different type of aircraft. In September 1943 the Squadron was again operational with the new Mosquito Mk.V1 aircraft, attacking daylight pinpoint targets such as V1 and V2 rocket sites and night intruder sorties against enemy airfields. From D-Day on, 487 sqn. in company with 464 (R.A.A.F.) and 21 (R.A.F.) was part of the 2nd T.A.F., operating behind enemy lines day and night, searching out enemy road convoys, railway troop trains, enemy airfields, etc. – all designed to cause maximum disruption to the enemy forces. He took part in Operation Jericho, the Amiens prison raid, piloting Mosquito HX982 EG-T which was damaged by flak and suffered an undercarriage failure on its return, but he and his navigator were ok. Flt. Lt. Max Sparks completed 42 operational sorties with 487 squadron and returned to New Zealand in March 1945.
Stevenson, Click the name above to see a profile of Stevenson,	Stevenson, On 18th February 1944, he was navigator of Mosquito HX909 EG-C of No.487 Sqn RNZAF for Operation Jericho, the Amiens prison raid. The aircraft returned to base safely.
Wilkins, Click the name above to see a profile of Wilkins,	Wilkins, On 18th February 1944, he was navigator of Mosquito HX974 EG-H of No.487 Sqn RNZAF for Operation Jericho, the Amiens prison raid. The aircraft returned to base safely.

Aircraft for : No.487 Sqn RNZAF
A list of all aircraft associated with No.487 Sqn RNZAF. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
Aircraft	Info
Mosquito Click the name above to see prints featuring Mosquito aircraft. Manufacturer : De Havilland Production Began : 1940 Retired : 1955 Number Built : 7781	Mosquito Used as a night fighter, fighter bomber, bomber and Photo-reconnaissance, with a crew of two, Maximum speed was 425 mph, at 30,300 feet, 380mph at 17,000ft. and a ceiling of 36,000feet, maximum range 3,500 miles. the Mosquito was armed with four 20mm Hospano cannon in belly and four .303 inch browning machine guns in nose. Coastal strike aircraft had eight 3-inch Rockets under the wings, and one 57mm shell gun in belly. The Mossie at it was known made its first flight on 25th November 1940, and the mosquito made its first operational flight for the Royal Air Force as a reconnaissance unit based at Benson. In early 1942, a modified version (mark II) operated as a night fighter with 157 and 23 squadron's. In April 1943 the first De Haviland Mosquito saw service in the Far east and in 1944 The Mosquito was used at Coastal Command in its strike wings. Bomber Commands offensive against Germany saw many Mosquitos, used as photo Reconnaissance aircraft, Fighter Escorts, and Path Finders. The Mosquito stayed in service with the Royal Air Force until 1955. and a total of 7781 mosquito's were built.
Ventura Click the name above to see prints featuring Ventura aircraft.	Ventura Full profile not yet available.