No 1 TAF SQUADRON RNZAF
MOTTO
WITH VIGILANCE WE SERVE
Formed, November 1948
Disbanded, 1955
C Os
S/L, W.K [Bill] Paterson, AFC November 1948 to December 1950
S/L, J. R. Court. DFC, June 1954
BASES
Whenuapai Auckland
Badge approved by H. M. The Queen. November 1952
Squadron Colours “Blue & White Squares”,
approved by RNZAF, HQ. January 1953
Affiliated with No 600 City Of London Squadron RAuxAF, February 1954
This is the only Squadron in the RAF that has two Squadron Crests/Badges
Harvards
Mustangs
With the introduction of Compulsory Military Training [CMT]in NZ in 1949, with the aim to provide a core of trained personnel to protect the UK and Commonwealth interests, and the mutual interests in the Middle East the Territorial Squadrons were formed to keep the pilot skills up, and provide training for the CMT’s
The Squadrons were equipped with 30 North American Mustangs, re-activated from storage, with a few Harvards and Tiger Moths,
In 1957 the Squadrons were disbanded after the CMT had been replaced with a balloted system that provided smaller numbers, for service with the NZ Army.
With the inclusion of a Bomber Flight Commander and Navigation Leader, the Squadron must have also been flying Ventura/Hudsons or Ansons as well as the single-engined aircraft.
Members of the Squadron in February 1949 were
F/L, J.C. Elmsley [Training Flight Commander]
F/L, D.L. Clow, DFC, [Fighter Flight Commander]
F/L, J.E. Sanders [Bomber Flight Commander]
F/L, C.J Fox [Navigation Leader]
F/L, E.J. Shaw. [I/c Training] [ex 485 [NZ] Squadron]
The following Mustangs were on the Squadron
NZ 2413 sold as scrap, tender 5926
NZ 2414 sold as scrap, tender 5926
NZ 2416 sold as scrap, tender 5926
NZ 2425 missing, presumed crashed in Muriwai Beach area,
P/O A.I. French killed
NZ 2428 sold as scrap tender 5926
with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner