New Zealand Bostons?

[phasselgren]

In the book An Illustrated Guide to Bombers of World War II by Bill Gunston New Zealand was mentioned as a user of Douglas Boston/Havoc. I can not find any confirmation for this in other books. I know that RNZAF never used Bostons in the Pacific but was it used by any New Zealand unit in RAF? Probably not as an operational aircraft but mayby as a squadron-hack or as a trainer during the forming period by a squadron like No. 487 or 488. Another possibility is of course that the author had wrong information. Can anyone help me to find the thruth about this?

Peter

[Dave Homewood]

Certainly not in 487 or 488 Squadron. In the book 'Ventura Couragious' by James Sanders about the career of Leonard Trent VC, DFC, he talks about how Len flew the first Boston to arrive in Britain from the USA. It was W8363. It was also the first tricycle undercarriage aircraft they'd seen in the UK.

Len was then OC of an Operational Training Squadron at RAF Warboys, and he got to have a fly. In the book, in his own words, you can read how on the takeoff the engine failed, and he nearly lost his life.

Despite this fright he and other Kiwis got to love the aircraft type and when 487 Sqn was forming the rumours were they'd get Bostons, which they really looked forward to. But instead they received Venturas, a huge disappointmentto them. It seems there was a lot of anger at being given second rate aircraft when all the other squadrons being formed were getting Bostons.

After the Venturas 487 went onto Mosquitoes and stayed with them till the end. No Bostons.

No. 488 Sqn only flew Blenheims, Beaufighters and Mosquitoes as far as I'm aware.

No. 489 Sqn only flew Hampdens, Beaus and Mossies too I think. I don't think the Boston was ever used in the Coastal Command role was it?

And the type was certainly not used by 485,486, 490 or 75 Sqns.

The type was not used by the RNZAF in the Pacific, nor at home in NZ. There would have been RNZAF personnel who flew the Boston in RAF squadrons of course, in the European and African campaigns, but no specific squadrons.

On the other hand, the RAAF did use 69 Bostons. Perhaps this is where he got confused. I'd be very surprised if anyone now comes up with evidence that New Zealand used Bostons or Havocs.

[Dave Homewood]

This link to Wikipedia states also that the RNZAF used Bostons between 1942 and 1943, in No. 487 Sqn
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_of_the_RNZAF_and_RNZN

And their Boston page also mentions NZ as users
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Boston

But when you click on the 487 Sqn link,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._487_Squadron_RNZAF
no mention of it. I always believed that after the Sqn lost all but one Ventura on the raid in which Trent won his VC and most of the Sqn was captured or killed, they were re-equipped with Mossies which they had right through. So i don't know where the Bostons come into it.

Could there however have been a short interum period between the Mossies being issued after the Ventura disaster that Bostons were loaned to the Squn to fill numbers perhaps?

I mean, not everything in RNZAF history is written in the well known books. It was only last year I discovered 489 Sqn used Mosquitoes.

[phasselgren]

Thanks Dave, I planning to post this question in RAF Commands to see if I can get more information. I hope you don´t mind if include your findings in Wikipedia.

Do you have any more information about Blenheims in No.488 Sqn? I´ve never heard anything about this before.

Besides the aircraft you mention No.489 Sqn also used Beauforts and Blenheim IF before they they received Hampdens but they never flew them operationally.

[Dave Homewood]

Sorry, my mistake over the Blenheim, I should have meant they were used by 487, not 488. I'd also forgotten they used Beauforts.

I look forward to seeing what you find from RAF Commands

[Dave Homewood]

Did you find out anything more about these Bostons Peter?It has got me curious.

[phasselgren]

To be honest I have not done anything about it yet but I will come as I get any information.