Through to the End: The history of 487 squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force

This compelling story is a must read for anyone who is interested in the RNZAF and 487 squadron in particular. No Allied Air Force unit of the Second World War had a more dramatic history than 487 (NZ) Squadron. Formed as an RAF unit in England with mostly New Zealand pilots, 487 originally flew the Lockheed Ventura but won fame with the de Havilland Mosquito. As part of an elite wing of three squadrons, its operations included: An attack at rooftop height on an Eindhoven factory that was one of the war's most acclaimed air raids.
A raid on an Amsterdam power station in which the squadron's eleven Venturas were overwhelmed by German fighters and one by one destroyed. But the survivors continued the attack until the last went down. New Zealand pilot Squadron Leader Leonard Trent received the Victoria Cross. These were the first of a series of extraordinary raids: one on an Amiens prison that freed 200 inmates, three against SS and Milice units, one in retribution for a war crime, two that devastated the Gestapo in Denmark.
As well as the aircrews' courage and skill Through to the End pays tribute to the innocent victims of attacks in densely populated areas, such as the 86 girls killed when stray bombs struck a school. It evokes too the life of a squadron at war: the camaraderie, stress and excitement, the riotous mess parties and perilous training. By focusing on representative aircrew it gives insight into the thoughts and feelings of young men who travelled halfway around the world to fight. Through their eyes we gain personal views of incredible events.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, KCB, CBE, ADC Chief of Air Staff, RAF: " While the accounts of the high-profile raids are compelling, much of this book's value lies in the stories of the 'routine' operations, which were dramatic enough in themselves, with a third of those who undertook them losing their lives. The book also probes below the surface of 487 to reveal details of station life that provide a real sense of what it was like to serve on an operational squadron in wartime."
Dr. Erwin van Loo, military historian, Netherlands Institute for Military History (NIMH), The Hague, The Netherlands. "This well written and very readable history of RNZAF 487 squadron is unique and therefore invaluable to the serious researcher with an interest in either the Royal Air Force or the Royal New Zealand Air Force."

384 pages. 208 photographs. 7 maps.