No. 490 Squadron RNZAF

490 (NZ) Squadron was formed from pilots of the Royal New Zealand Air Force under RAF Coastal Command as an anti-submarine and reconnaissance unit.[1]

No. 490 (NZ) Squadron RAF
A RNZAF Sunderland MR.5 with a USN Martin P5M Marlin and a RAAF Lockheed P-2 Neptune in 1963.
Active28 March 1943 – 1 August 1945
Country United Kingdom
Allegiance New Zealand
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleMaritime Reconnaissance
Motto(s)Māori: Taniwha kei runga
(Translation: "The Taniwha is in the air")[1][2]
Insignia
Squadron BadgeAn arm couped below the elbow, holding in the hand a Patu[1][2]
Aircraft flown
ReconnaissanceConsolidated Catalina
Twin-engined flying boat;
Short Sunderland
Four-engined flying boat

History

490 (NZ) Squadron Royal Air Force was formed 28 March 1943 with Royal New Zealand Air Force aircrew at Jui near Freetown in West Africa (present Sierra Leone)[1][2] under Wing Commander D.W. Baird. Equipped with PBY Catalinas, the squadron was tasked with maritime patrol and search and rescue. Its first operation was convoy escort on 2 July 1943. In August the squadron rescued its first seamen, and damaged its first U-boat.

Wing Commander B.S. Nicholl took over in November 1943 and oversaw re-equipment with Short Sunderlands in May of the following year. Wing Commander T.S. Gill was its last commander, taking over in October 1944. The squadron flew its last operation on 6 May 1945, and when it became obvious that 490 would not be needed in Japan, the squadron was disbanded on 1 August 1945.[2]

Of all New Zealand squadrons of the RAF, 490 saw least action, but nonetheless flew 463 operational sorties, totalling 4853 hours. One Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded.[3]

The squadron's Māori motto was "Taniwha kei runga" which translates as "Taniwha in the air". Taniwha are mythical intelligent monsters in Māori legend, occasionally but not particularly accurately translated as "dragons". They are often associated with water, but a flying taniwha is relatively unusual.

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 490 Squadron RNZAF, data from[1][2][4]
FromToAircraftVersion
June 1943July 1944Consolidated CatalinaMk.Ib
May 1944August 1945Short SunderlandMk.III

Commanding officers
Officers commanding no. 490 Squadron RNZAF, data from[1][3]
FromToName
June 1943December 1943W/Cdr. D.W. Baird, DFC
December 1943October 1944W/Cdr. B.S. Nicholl
October 1944August 1945W/Cdr. T.F. Gill

Squadron bases
Bases and flying boat stations used by no. 490 Squadron RNZAF, data from[1][5]
FromToBaseRemark
28 March 19431 August 1945Jui, Sierra Leone
28 March 1943June 1943RAF StranraerDetachment[4]
June 19431 August 1945Fishermans Lake, LiberiaDetachment
June 19431 August 1945Apapa, NigeriaDetachment
June 19431 August 1945Abidjan, Ivory CoastDetachment[4]
June 19431 August 1945Bathurst/Half Die, GambiaDetachment[4]

See also

References

Notes
  1. Rawlings 1982, p. 225.
  2. Halley 1988, p. 533.
  3. New Zealand Electronic Text Centre.
  4. Jefford 2001, p. 95.
  5. No.490 Squadron RNZAF on rafcommands Archived 13 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography
  • Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-164-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Morris, Gerard S. Spitfire, the New Zealand Story. Auckland, New Zealand: Reed Books, 2000. ISBN 0-7900-0696-0.
  • Rawlings, John D. R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Official New Zealand History (available online):

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