RAAF and RNZAF Squadrons in Bomber Command

.The Commonwealth Air Force’s played a major part in the air war over Europe. Of the thousands of Bomber Crews that died in World War Two, they included:
1,697 members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. .

Of the more then 11,000 airmen who went from New Zealand to the European and Middle East and Far East campaigns to fly with the RAF, over 4000 never returned. It’s interesting to see such a low figure for Bomber Command as I had thought the majority would have died in bombers.

To add to and correct some other points made:

Royal New Zealand Air Force Bomber Command
was 487 sqn who’s motto was `Ki Te Mutunga` I Believe the Maori translation to be ‘to the end’ but I cannot guarantee it!

Yes, close, Ki Te Mutunga maeans Through To The End

In the Battle of Britain, 401 Squadron, Fighter Command, was a New Zealand squadron.

Really? I have never heard of that. Please tell more. It was certainly not an official RNZAF squadron. There was an unofficial New Zealand Fighter Squadron, No. 258 Sqn, flying Hurricanes in late 1940-1941, which was made up mostly of RNZAF pilots, and their aircraft all wore silver ferns (one of our national symbols). But most of these pilots were transferred in March 41 to the newly formed No. 485 Squadron, our first official fighter squadron.

Also No. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm, when it reformed in 1943, was made up mostly of Kiwis but never given official recognition as an official NZ squadron. They flew Barracudas II’s from May 1943-Oct 1944, including bombing the Tirpitz.

As well No. 243 Squadron was mostly New Zealand pilots from formation in March 1941 to the fall of Singapore. No. 67 Squadron was also mostly New Zealand pilots from formation in March 1941 but were down to about 2/3rd New Zealanders during the spring of 1942. Plus No. 605 Squadron had a New Zealand Flight during the last days of the defence of Java.

But I’ve never heard of No. 401 Squadron being connected to NZ or the RNZAF. If any Battle of Britain Squadrons I’d have picked No. 41 (or was it 54?) Squadron which had Al Deere, Colin Gray nd Bob Spurdle among its pilots.

Officially the RNZAf had seven squadrons in the RAF:
They were
No. 485 Fighter Command (Spitfires and in 1945, Tempests)
No. 486 Fighter Command (Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tempests)
No. 487 Bomber Command (Venturas, Mosquitos)
No. 488 Fighter Command Night Fighter (Blenheims, Beaufighters, Mosquitoes)
No. 489 Coastal Command (Blenheims, Beauforts, Beaufighters, Mosquitoes)
No. 490 Coastal Command (Catalinas, Sunderlands)

And thed one important Bomber Command squadron that your piece missed out, No. 75 (NZ) Squadron. This was the first ever official foreign Squadron in the RAF in WWII. It was initially made up of RNZAF owned aircraft (Wellingtons) and crews from 1939 as they’d gone to the UK to pick up our bombers which were planned to come home. When the war looked like it was to kick off in the August our Govt. offered the bombers to britain and the crews. They first formed The New Zealand Flight of No. 75 Squadron RAF, but as more Kiwis arrived it became No. 75 (NZ) Squadron. They flew Wimpys, Stirlings and Lancasters, and just afetr the wars end, Lincolns.

They were involved in virtually every important raid there was, had some of the best bombing figures and also had some of the worst figures for casualties. By 1946 the RAF was so pleased with the RNZAF’s efforts in the war they allowed the RNZAF to transfer the 75 Sqn No. to our Air Force and it continued till 2001 when it was finally disbanded.

10 Squadron, RAAF was based at Townsville, North Queensland, back in the 1950s/60s, with long-nosed Lincolns.

I served on 2(B) Squadron, RAAF, at the time with GAF Canberras.

Bri

The following information was compiled by Robert Rogers who has given me permission to post it here. It follows the request by an Australian lady who sought information on a possible 10 Sqn RAAF. I have made slight alteration to the text in transition to here.

I believe 460 Sqn to be an Australian Squadron.
I cannot find any record of a No10 Squadron of the Royal Australian Airforce, but this could mean that the squadron was renumbered when arriving in England.

Also can find no mention of Churchill refusing to allow the Australians to return home, but as he at one time force the Head of Fighter Command to send Squadrons to France that Downding wanted to stay, one of these may have been made up of Australians.

There was also stories of Australian Air Crew being given white feathers when returning home as some Australians thought that they should have stopped in Australia to fight against the Japanese, possible the story of Churchill refusing to allow them home may have something to do with this.

Remember there are still a lot of information from World War Two that still is on the secret list, despite the Freedom of Information act which now exist in Britain

:confused: I can only presume Robert was looking in the wrong place, as 10 Sqn RAAF is very well documented both in book form and on the web. But it was (and still is) a maritime squadron, not a bomber unit.

And there’s never been a ‘Royal Australian Airforce‘ but just like the RAF it’s the Royal Australian Air Force.

10 Sqn RAAF was a maritime reconnaissance unit. In 1939, a selection of airmen arrived in the UK to pick up and bring back to Australia their brand-new Short Sunderlands. On the declaration of war, Robert Menzies, the Australian Prime Minister offered to leave 10 in the UK as an RAAF contribution to Coastal Command. Despite having only a cadre of aircrew and no ground crew (quickly supplied) 10 rapidly became operational with the help of an RAF Sunderland unit at Mount Batten. 10 was the only RAAF unit to serve throughout W.W.II in Europe.

Later in W.W.II, 461 Squadron RAAF was formed from personnel of 10 Squadron, and became the RAAF’s second Sunderland unit in Europe.

There are extensive records in the Australian War Memorial and RAAF Museum, and an official history on the RAAF Museum’s website. (See http://www.raafmuseum.com.au/ – links ‘research’ ‘units’ ’10 Sqn’. There is an excellent book on tens operation in W.W.II called ‘Maritime is Number 10’ which is vary rare, but will be held by libraries if you can’t get a copy for sale. A lot of the AWM stuff is online http://www.awm.gov.au/

I hope that clarifies the misconceptions above. Churchill didn’t ‘keep them’, they weren’t ‘renumbered’ and they were always an RAAF unit, albeit with significant RAF support. The ‘white feathers’ is, I think a myth, but one that would be difficult, like a lot of neat stories, difficult to kill. My interview of a 10 Sqn pilot who returned to Australia via the USA to ferry a new Catalina made no mention of this, and as 10 was in Europe from 1939 and the Japanese war started at the very end of 1941 (two years later) after most Australians were very aware of the work that their young men were doing in Europe and North Africa, it doesn’t make much sense, but a ‘nice’ story.

No secrets, and the British official secrets acts does not apply to Australian documentation in Australia.

If the lady for whom the research was conducted would like specific questions answered, I may be able to help.

HTH.