14 Squadron P 40E Umslopogaas

[alanw]

Hi all

Have been doing some research for a build I
have been wanting to do, and with all the P 40
discussion (and not wanting to hijack any threads),
I thought I would post this.

I had been toying with doing a P 40E in RAF colours
(US equivalent) of 14 Squadron and some topics ago
the name "Umslopogaas" came up and intrigued me!!

Did some research and found that "Umslopogaas"
is a character from Sir Henry Rider Haggard's
Allan Quatermain and Nada the Lily, see link

www.violetbooks.com/umslopogaas.html

The question I guess which begs to be asked is
what prompted the pilot(s) of NZ3008 NQ-B to
paint that on the aircraft

I can't help but wonder if the (they) pilot(s) were
quite widely read and a hero from school days?

What say you?

Regards

Alan

[Dave Homewood]

A number of their aircraft at that time had outlandish-sounding names, such as Parkyakarkus (which was the stage name of a radio and hollywood star at the time) and Magnolia Mufflewort, so perhaps it was just a case of finding the silliest nickname for the aircraft. I believe that Geoff Fisken is the only living pilot from the squadron from that era but perhaps there are some groundcrew around still who can add more? Geoff didn't remember much about the names when I asked him.

[alanw]

Hi Dave

Thanks for that.

In Haggards books Umslopogaas was
a heroic Zulu warrior, so I guess on
a fighter aircraft that name would be
a good thing.

Regards

Alan

[Dave Homewood]

Check out this thread Alan
rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Wartime&action=display&thread=9354

Another of the squadron's aircraft was alleged to be called Thundergutz

[Dave Homewood]

I wonder if there is any record in the No. 14 Squadron Unit Diary about painting of individual names on aircraft, which got which, and what the reason was? Probably not but maybe someone out there could check perhaps.

[pauld]

NZ3008 was flown a fair bit by Flt Lt ( Later Air Cdr) Stan Quill DFC
I have several items of his in my collection.
Methinks it was named due to the fact that it was a hard one to fill with gas? or perhaps it was sent out without the fuel tank caps secured properly and it thusly leaked gas all over the place?
anyhow its a good mystery that , i for one, would love to crack

[Dave Homewood]

Paul, do you happen to have Stan Quill's flying logbooks? I'd love to see some scans of pages from the Masterton days and later in the Pacific from that first tour, including the trip north from Norfolk where he jumped into the sea.

[pauld]

Hi Dave,
No Sorry i don't but i have an idea they are at Wigram. Will endeavour to pop out and see them and ask to see the logbooks
I have his Mess Jacket and Miniatures along with several badges including his Justice of the Peace Badge! also his flying pilots brevet and some other 14 Squadron badges

[Dave Homewood]

I'd be interested to see his 14 Squadron badges please.

As to my earlier statement above about Geoff being the only living pilot of that era of No. 14 Squadron, that's not right, Noel Hanna is still with us too. But again he didn't recall anything about the names apart from the famous names exisiting.

[baronbeeza]

I hope not to hijack the thread too much, - mention of Stan Quill's mess jacket got me thinking.

The young Pilot Officers and Flying Officers at Ohakea decided to have a "single striper's" dinner party one Saturday night. Just something different I guess.

What was completely different was there was a 'gate crasher' of sorts. Stan was a mess member and a 'single striper' at the time.... this would have been in the very early 80's.
What a great gesture from a fine man....

[pauld]

Dave, i will get a pic soon when i clean up the mess the Earthquake of yesterday left behind in my collection room
Baronbeeze, thanks for that wee snippet of information, adds to his story

Cheers
Paul D

[Dave Homewood]

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.