No. 485 Squadron — RNZAF

No. 485 (NZ) Squadron was formed at RAF Driffield on 1 March 1941 as the first New Zealand Article XV fighter squadron in Britain, its personnel drawn chiefly from the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flying Supermarine Spitfires throughout the war — progressing from the Mk I through the Vb, IX and XVI — the squadron served principally in No. 11 Group, Fighter Command, before transferring to No. 84 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force in 1944. Early operations centred on east-coast convoy patrols and offensive sweeps over occupied France; the squadron also participated in the Channel Dash interception (February 1942) and the Dieppe landings (August 1942). On D-Day it flew four cover patrols over Gold, Juno and Sword beaches. Moving to Normandy in August 1944, it supported the First Canadian Army’s advance through France and the Low Countries before disbanding at Drope on 26 August 1945, having flown 10,717 sorties and destroyed 63 enemy aircraft.