KITS 12/2018

JN766, No. 486 (RNZAF) Squadron, RAF Station Castle Camp, Great Britain, April 1944

Having lost its initial five Tempests to 3 Sqn at the end of February 1944, 486 Sqn became receiving a full complement of Tempests to replace its Typhoons at the beginning of April. JN766 was one of the first to arrive at RAF Castle Camps, on 4 April 1944 and was the subject of a series of photographs

taken on the ground and in the air. Coded ‘SA-N’ JN766 flew with the squadron (most often piloted by Flt Lt L.J. Appleton) until 10 June 1944 when its

port undercarriage came half way down in a dive, and Flg Off W.L. Miller was forced to make a wheels-up landing at RAF Ford. After repair by Hawker

JN766 would see further service with 287 Sqn but was destroyed when it crashed into woods following an engine failure on take-off at RAF West Malling

March 1946.

INFO Eduard - December 2018

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