No. 487 Squadron RNZAF

No. 487 (NZ) Squadron RAF
Mosquito MM417 EG-T of no. 487 Squadron RNZAF
Active	15 August 1942 – 19 September 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	New Zealand
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Bomber
Motto(s)	Māori: Ki te mutunga (Translation: "Through to the end")
Anniversaries	15 August 1942
Insignia
Squadron Badge	A tekoteko holding a bomb
Squadron Codes	EG (Aug 1942 – Sep 1945)
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Lockheed Ventura de Havilland Mosquito

No. 487 (NZ) Squadron was a Royal New Zealand Air Force light-bomber squadron, formed under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme during World War II. Established in mid-1942, the squadron served in the European theatre, under the operational command of the Royal Air Force. It operated the Lockheed Ventura and de Havilland Mosquito and took part in over 3,000 operational sorties before being disbanded at the end of the war in late 1945.

No. 487 (NZ) Squadron came into being on 15 August 1942. Formed as a day bomber unit, it was initially equipped with Lockheed Venturas crewed by Royal New Zealand Air Force pilots, and based at RAF Feltwell in Norfolk. The Ventura, an update of the Lockheed Hudson, acquired a poor reputation in Europe as its performance was not really in the same league as British and German aircraft of the period. Nevertheless, operations began in December, with the squadron's first being a 16-plane raid on the Phillips factory at Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, during which it lost three aircraft, including the one flown by its commanding officer, Wing Commander F.C. Seavill.

Further operations followed, but disaster came on 3 May 1943, when an 11-aircraft Ramrod raid – one to be continued regardless of losses – against Amsterdam resulted in the loss of all but one of the squadron's Venturas. After crossing the Dutch coast, the Venturas were bounced by a group of 70 to 80 German fighters. They penetrated the Spitfire escort and got in amongst 487 Squadron's bombers, damaging one and forcing it to return to base. The squadron pressed on, with further losses; by the time the Venturas had begun their bomb run, only five aircraft remained. The Germans then proceeded to pick them off, although they fought back as best they could, with Squadron Leader Leonard Trent downing one attacker with his machine-guns as the German fighter flew across his nose. Finally only Trent's aircraft remained in the air. Reaching the target, he pressed home his attack, dropping his payload – narrowly missing the target, but causing some damage – before he too was shot down. For his leadership during the raid, Trent was later awarded the Victoria Cross. He survived being shot down and was taken prisoner; he later took part in the "Great Escape".