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Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books
No.490 Squadron, RNZAF, was a flying boat squadron that was based at Jui, Sierra Leone from 1943 until the end of the Second World War.
The squadron was formed in March 1943 as a maritime reconaissance squadron, but its first aircraft didn't arrive until June. These were Catalina IBs that had originally been allocated to the Indian Ocean theatre.
The first patrol over the South Atlantic was flown on 2 July 1943. Catalina operations lasted until 6 July 1944 and the last aircraft was flown to the UK on 25 July.
On 4 May 1944 the squadron received two Short Sunderlands. Sunderland operations began on 17 May, and for two weeks the Sunderlands and Catalinas operated together. After 6 July 1944 the squadron concentrated on the Sunderland and used its new aircraft to continue flying anti-submarine patrols over the South Atlantic. A number of flying boat bases along the West African coast were used as well as Jui, including Fisherman's Lake in Liberia.
The squadron was disbanded on 1 August 1945.
Aircraft
June 1943-May 1944: Consolidated Catalina IB
May-July 1944: Consolidated Catalina IB and Short Sunderland III
July 1944-August 1945: Short Sunderland III
Location
March 1943-August 1945: Jui
Squadron Codes: H (Catalina), X (Sunderland)
Duty
1943-1945: Anti-submarine patrols, South Atlantic