Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 9, 2010 14:16:54 GMT 12
69 years ago today, as a response to the Japanese entry into the war, the RNZAF deplyed Lockheed Hudsons to the Pacific for the first time. Prior to the 9th of December 1941 they had only defended New Zealand's waterways and coatlines, but now Fiji was desperately under threat and it was new Zealand's responsibility to defend it.
In Fiji the RNZAF had around half a dozen Vickers Vincents as the front line medium range coastal defence, backed up by one DH86 Express and two DH89 utilised as reconnaissance bombers, and a Moth for communications. Together all these types made up No. 4 (GR) Squadron.
Also there were two Short Singapore III flying boats at Suva, not yet operational, and one of these would be written off on the 17th in an accident. two more were on their way from Seletar, Singapore, to eventually create No. 5 (GR) Squadron.
Hudsons were our only modern operational reconnaissance bombers that could immediately be brought into service to protect Fiji. It's not too well known that Fiji was to become probably the most important staging port for shipping in the Pacific and it was vital to keep it out of Japanese hands.
So No. 1 (GR) Squadron rushed together a group of men, some pulled off leave, and five Hudsons set off towards Fiji on the 9th of December 1941, to save the day.
They were:
NZ2018 Take off at 07.49
- Pilot - Flt Lt Herbert "Johnny" Waker
- Navigator - F/O Ken King
- W/OpAG - Sgt John Jerratt
NZ2012 Take off at 07.50
- Pilot - P/O Bruce Thompson
- Navigator - Sgt Ken Bolland
- W/OpAG - Sgt Alf Bunting
NZ2013 Take off at 07.51
- Pilot - P/O Tom Mounsey
- Navigator - P/O Alan Partridge
- W/OpAG - AC1 A.F. Jacobsen
NZ2017 Take off at 07.52
- Pilot - P/O William Murray
- Navigator - F/O Gordon McKenzie
- W/OpAG - Sgt Dick Hughes
NZ2020 Take off at 07.53
- Pilot - W/O H.A. Nash (RAF)
- Navigator - P/O E.H. Perry
- W/OpAG - Sgt Grevall Poulton
- Passenger - Sqn Ldr Petre
- Passenger - P/O Eadie
- Passenger - F/Sgt Derm Hurley
NZ2020 was only making the trip as a ferry aircraft to get groundcrew members to Fiji, and would return after offloading them. It would also bring back some of the other aircrew members to Whenuapai so they could ferry more aircraft on a later date to Fiji.
Eventually more men and bombers were sent to Fiji and No. 4 (GR) Squadron built up into a very capable Hudson unit, which meant their de Havillands all got taken off frontline patrols and became communications flight aircraft, and their Vincents were moved to No. 5 Squadron. No. 4 (GR) Squadron became a vital cog in the system where crews would generally work up in Fiji flying ops with 4GR, then head to Plaine des Gaiacs with 9GR, and then onto the real action at No. 3 (GR) Squadron.
But this day in history marls the RNZAF's first Hudson deployment to the Pacific.
In Fiji the RNZAF had around half a dozen Vickers Vincents as the front line medium range coastal defence, backed up by one DH86 Express and two DH89 utilised as reconnaissance bombers, and a Moth for communications. Together all these types made up No. 4 (GR) Squadron.
Also there were two Short Singapore III flying boats at Suva, not yet operational, and one of these would be written off on the 17th in an accident. two more were on their way from Seletar, Singapore, to eventually create No. 5 (GR) Squadron.
Hudsons were our only modern operational reconnaissance bombers that could immediately be brought into service to protect Fiji. It's not too well known that Fiji was to become probably the most important staging port for shipping in the Pacific and it was vital to keep it out of Japanese hands.
So No. 1 (GR) Squadron rushed together a group of men, some pulled off leave, and five Hudsons set off towards Fiji on the 9th of December 1941, to save the day.
They were:
NZ2018 Take off at 07.49
- Pilot - Flt Lt Herbert "Johnny" Waker
- Navigator - F/O Ken King
- W/OpAG - Sgt John Jerratt
NZ2012 Take off at 07.50
- Pilot - P/O Bruce Thompson
- Navigator - Sgt Ken Bolland
- W/OpAG - Sgt Alf Bunting
NZ2013 Take off at 07.51
- Pilot - P/O Tom Mounsey
- Navigator - P/O Alan Partridge
- W/OpAG - AC1 A.F. Jacobsen
NZ2017 Take off at 07.52
- Pilot - P/O William Murray
- Navigator - F/O Gordon McKenzie
- W/OpAG - Sgt Dick Hughes
NZ2020 Take off at 07.53
- Pilot - W/O H.A. Nash (RAF)
- Navigator - P/O E.H. Perry
- W/OpAG - Sgt Grevall Poulton
- Passenger - Sqn Ldr Petre
- Passenger - P/O Eadie
- Passenger - F/Sgt Derm Hurley
NZ2020 was only making the trip as a ferry aircraft to get groundcrew members to Fiji, and would return after offloading them. It would also bring back some of the other aircrew members to Whenuapai so they could ferry more aircraft on a later date to Fiji.
Eventually more men and bombers were sent to Fiji and No. 4 (GR) Squadron built up into a very capable Hudson unit, which meant their de Havillands all got taken off frontline patrols and became communications flight aircraft, and their Vincents were moved to No. 5 Squadron. No. 4 (GR) Squadron became a vital cog in the system where crews would generally work up in Fiji flying ops with 4GR, then head to Plaine des Gaiacs with 9GR, and then onto the real action at No. 3 (GR) Squadron.
But this day in history marls the RNZAF's first Hudson deployment to the Pacific.
