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Post by viperbuilder on Jun 14, 2009 18:47:41 GMT 12
The RNZAF has some well known publicity photos of three 14 Squadron P-40Es flying in formation. These aircraft are identified as:
HQ-B NZ3008 "Umslopogaas"
HQ-Q ??
HQ-A ?? ??
Can anyone assist me with the serial numbers of HQ-Q and HQ-A above thanks?
Also, I understand that there were five 14 Squadron P-40Es that had names painted on their cowlings. Can anyone supply the names of the other four and provide their serial numbers and squadron codes thanks?
With thanks
Steve
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 14, 2009 20:34:09 GMT 12
 Copyright - Air Force Museum The above picture shows from furthest from camera to closest: NZ3007 HQ-A 'MAGNOLIA MUFFLEWURT' - No. 14 Squadron, Masterton, flown by Peter Gifford NZ3036 HQ-Q flown by Paul Green - No. 14 Squadron, Masterton, which Leo White described in his book "Fighters" whilst writing about this photo shoot as being called 'PARKYAKARKUS' name must have been on the port cowl NZ3008 HQ-B "UMSLOPOGAAS" - No. 14 Squadron, Masterton, flown by ?? It's been suggested another in the squadron was called Thundergutz but I've not yet seen evidence. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 14, 2009 20:35:08 GMT 12
Welcome to the forum, by the way. What is the viper you're building, a car?
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Jun 14, 2009 21:07:11 GMT 12
Someone going to tell us who MAGNOLIA MUFFLEWORT was?.Hardly a name that would strike fear into the Japs.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 14, 2009 21:28:44 GMT 12
That's what I'd like to know. We've found out that Umslopogaas and Parkyakarkus were real people but I suspect Magnolia may have been fictional.
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Post by hairy on Jun 14, 2009 21:42:49 GMT 12
Thanks for that info Dave, it has filled a couple of holes.  Here are couple more Leo White shots from what I suspect is the same sortie.  Whites Aviation #351  Whites Aviation #356  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 14, 2009 22:02:21 GMT 12
Super shots, I'd not seen them before. Definately from the same sortie I'd think. Leo was in the back of a Harvard so probably one of No. 14 Squadron's Harvards I guess.
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Post by shorty on Jun 14, 2009 22:11:05 GMT 12
That's what I'd like to know. We've found out that Umslopogaas and Parkyakarkus were real people but I suspect Magnolia may have been fictional. I thought Umslopogaas and Parkyakarkus were fictional characters from a Rider Haggard novel (King Solomon's Mines?) |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 14, 2009 22:35:27 GMT 12
Here's another photo of Umslopogaas from the port side  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 14, 2009 22:44:13 GMT 12
I thought Umslopogaas and Parkyakarkus were fictional characters from a Rider Haggard novel (King Solomon's Mines?) Actually Umslopogaas was from that book as you say, but the character was based on a real person. That real person was called M'hlopekazi and Haggard met him when he was young. I was partly right, I just missed the detail of the name change. Parkyakarkus was the stage name and character name of actor Harry Parke. He was popular in prewar and wartime films as a comedy character. He is also famous for dying live on TV, during a roast for Lucelle Ball and Desi Arnaz Jnr. |
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Post by alanw on Jun 14, 2009 23:32:12 GMT 12
Did a google search on "MAGNOLIA MUFFLEWORT" and came
up with a post last year about the Ventura decals, nothing else.
Did a search on "MUFFLEWORT" and found some fellow
on some Fantasy magical site who had the user name Filbert Mufflewort.
Perhaps as you mentioned Dave, it's some fictional character from
a book/radio show/cartoon in the 1930's, long now forgotten, that he the pilot/ground crew had a fixation for??
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Post by viperbuilder on Jun 15, 2009 20:22:28 GMT 12
Welcome to the forum, by the way. What is the viper you're building, a car? Thanks Dave. The information you have provided has been most helpful as have the photos posted by "hairy" (thanks for posting, they are appreciated). I was quite intriqued by the variation in roundels, particularly on HQ-Q's wing top and underside compared with HQ-B. As for Viperbuilder, think of things with wings here (F-16s) and over the next couple of months a Kiwi 1-32 P-40E build. I'll have to get myself another PC soon because my antique PC is not coping very well with logging into and posting on this website. I think I probably need to update to IE 8 or Firefox as my browser because on IE 7 things are painfully slow. Cheers |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 15, 2009 20:41:34 GMT 12
I understand some members who have Firefox have major trouble logging in, so avoid that for browsing the forum.
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Post by hairy on Jun 15, 2009 20:45:26 GMT 12
Welcome to the forum, by the way. What is the viper you're building, a car? .......as have the photos posted by "hairy" (thanks for posting, they are appreciated)...... You're welcome. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 5, 2011 14:34:15 GMT 12
Looking at a photo that John Saunders sent me of NZ3007 HQ-A I now realise the name on it is not MAGNOLIA MUFFLEWORT, but instead it seems to be MAGNOLIA MUFFLEWURT.
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Post by maximfullansky on Jun 16, 2016 2:42:11 GMT 12
I realise this is a fairly old thread but if any of the original posters are still active I thought they might be interested to see this. It's a photo I've recently found amongst some of my grandfather's papers and I believe it was taken sometime between July 1941 and August 1942 when he was serving with 610 Squadron of the RAAF. Is it a coincidence that it has the same name as one of the P40Es in the original post?  |
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Post by angelsonefive on Jun 16, 2016 3:42:56 GMT 12
Hello and welcome to the forum.
Thanks for posting the pic.
That is a Squadron-Leader's pennant painted on the Spitfire, and the OC's of 610 Squadron in the time-frame you quote were as follows :
June 1941 to 4 November 1941, S/L K. Holden DFC.
4 November 1941 to December 1941, S/L B.J. Wicks DFC.
December 1941 to February 1942, S/L C.O.J. Pegge DFC.
February 1942 to July 1942, S/L G.S.K. Haywood.
July 1942 to March 1943, S/L J.E. Johnson DFC and Bar.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 16, 2016 8:01:02 GMT 12
Wonderful to see that new photo. Interesting the variation in the spelling. I suspect Magnolia Mufflewurt/wart must have been a radio show character or maybe cartoon strip character or some similar thing at the time, and is now long forgotten. Thanks for posting it Maxim.
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Post by davidd on Jun 16, 2016 12:52:19 GMT 12
I spoke to the late Peter Gifford many years ago (he was "part owner" of Magnolia Mufflewurt - the squadron had about 12 P-40s and 6 Harvards, but about 21 pilots, so each P-40 was shared by two pilots, the Harvards were flown as required, but were not normally flown on same exercises as P-40s for obvious reasons). He told me about the origins of Umslopogaas, but danged if I can remember what he told me about his Magnolia - I even have a memory that he got a bit vague about it, and I know his memory at that time was pretty good! Could even have been a bit of nonsense he heard somewhere, but as this name also appeared on the other side of the world on a Spitfire, Dave's suggestion of a song, stage or cartoon origin seems pretty good to me.
Whilst flying P-40Es at Masterton in 1942, Peter gained minor celebrity status for claiming the highest altitude achieved by a squadron pilot up to that time (31,000 feet from memory) on P-40s, as well as the lowest (nil altitude, after accidently landing with his wheels up, and excused by his surprisingly generous CO at the time as a result of "lack of familiarity", although Peter had plenty of flying hours up on Buffalos with 488 Squadron in Singapore.
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 16, 2016 22:43:56 GMT 12
Great stuff David.
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