No. 486 (NZ) Squadron was a fighter squadron established for service during the Second World War. It was a New Zealand squadron formed under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Plan. Although many of its flying personnel were largely drawn from the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the squadron served in Europe under the operational and administrative command of the Royal Air Force.
Formed in March 1942 and equipped with Hawker Hurricane fighters, No. 486 Squadron became operational late the following month, initially flying patrols protecting convoys making their way through the North Sea. Although trained in a night fighting role it soon became a day fighter squadron, operating Hawker Typhoon fighters. From late 1942 to early 1943, it was tasked with intercepting incoming raids mounted by Luftwaffe fighter bombers. It was then switched to offensive operations, escorting bombers attacking targets in France and then flying in a fighter bomber role. In early 1944 the squadron re-equipped with the Hawker Tempest. In the run up to D-Day, it attacked numerous military targets in France and the Low Countries. For several weeks following D-Day, it was called upon to deal with incoming V-1 flying bombs launched at England by the Germans. It began operating from the continent in September, supporting the operations of the advancing Allied ground forces as they advanced in France, and then into Belgium, Holland and Germany itself. After the war it briefly served in Denmark and on occupation duties in Germany. It was disbanded in October 1945.
Background
In the mid-1930s, the Royal Air Force (RAF) was in the process of expanding and required an increasing number of suitable flying personnel. A number of schemes were implemented for New Zealanders to obtain short-service commissions in the RAF with the intention of then transferring to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in the future. This led to over 500 New Zealanders serving in the RAF by the time of the outbreak of the Second World War.
At around the same time there was discussion between the governments of Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to facilitate the co-ordination of training of air crew in the event of hostilities. This led to the implementation of the Empire Air Training Scheme (ETAS) in December 1939. Under this agreement, New Zealand committed to initially supply 880 full trained pilots for the RAF, with another 520 pilots being trained to an elementary standard annually. As each of the Dominion governments desired its personnel to serve together, the ETAS had a clause, Article XV, that allowed for the establishment of squadrons with personnel from the respective countries. In theory, the Dominions would supply the ground crew as well as flying personnel. However, in New Zealand's case, there was a reluctance to maintain RNZAF squadrons in Britain so the decision was made to allow for the formation of squadrons within the RAF designated as being New Zealand. These squadrons, known as Article XV squadrons, were formed around a cadre of New Zealand flying personnel already serving in the RAF but supplemented by newly trained pilots from the RNZAF, with administrative and ground crew being predominantly British.
Formation
No. 486 Squadron was formed on 3 March 1942 at RAF Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, and was the second New Zealand squadron in Fighter Command. The squadron's motto, in Māori, the indigenous language of New Zealand, was Hiwa hau Maka, or Beware of the Wild Winds in English. A kea volant was selected as its badge.
The squadron's first commanding officer, Squadron Leader C. L. Roberts, was British, while his two flight commanders, Flight Lieutenants John Clouston and Harvey Sweetman, along with all of the squadron's other flying personnel, were New Zealanders. By the end of March, the squadron was at its full complement of 25 pilots. Allocated the code letters SA, it was initially equipped with Hawker Hurricane IIs and trained in a night fighting role. It soon moved to Wittering where it was tasked with working in conjunction with No. 1453 Flight. This involved radar-equipped but unarmed Turbinlite aircraft, Douglas A-20 Havoc medium bombers with a searchlight in the nose, locating and illuminating enemy aircraft at which point an accompanying Hurricane could make the attack. These experimental trials with No. 1453 Flight were not particularly successful and were soon abandoned.