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Post by SEAN on Apr 27, 2007 10:59:25 GMT 12
Hi Dave Just to make your day, I have found some more RNZAF "Minor Stations" some of which are not listed on your site. Note these are listed as "Minor Stations" as is Levin, Rukuia etc.... These were all found on the Archives site www.archway.archivers.govt.nz - search for RNZAF Stations, and then RNZAF Minor Stations. I don't know too much more about them, I guess all the info is contained within the files.... I found these whilst looking for info on Dillions Point....(still no luck). Also listed on the Archives Site are the Radio Stations. If these are not true RNZAF Stations, they are RNZAF Locations... RNZAF Chatham Islands RNZAF Lower Hutt (RNZR Workshops I guess) RNZAF Bluff RNZAF Epsom RNZAF Rakaia RNZAF Mechanics Bay RNZAF Gracefield (Lower Hutt ??) RNZAF Ambeley RNZAF Motueka RNZAF Oxford RNZAF Matamata RNZAF Sylvia Park RNZAF Evans Bay Flying Boat Base RNZAF Taumarunui RNZAF Wanganui |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 27, 2007 12:10:37 GMT 12
Thanks Sean.
Interesting stuff. Some of these are on the site already (Motueka, Matamata which was Waharoa, Mechanics Bay. But most of these are new to me. I wonder if some of them relate just to recruiting offices?
Sylvia Park, isn't that where that big shopping centre is?
Thanks again, it's a huge help.
Regarding Dillons Point I have updated that entry on my site too.
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Post by Bruce on Apr 27, 2007 18:02:45 GMT 12
Sylvia park was the huge US stores depot - the sheds were there until a couple of years ago when they were pulled down to make way for the shopping centre abomination. I would assume that the RNZAF would have had a liason operation there, probably to collect spare parts etc via the US Supply chain.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 27, 2007 18:10:26 GMT 12
RNZAF Lower Hutt (NZR Workshops which was RNZAF technical training School)
RNZAF Gracefield (US built stores depot in Lower Hutt)
RNZAF Matamata (stores depot)
RNZAF Sylvia Park (US built stores depot)
Some of the others may be listed in PWD War History
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 27, 2007 18:41:01 GMT 12
Thanks chaps, in that case regarding Lower Hutt it's already on the site, but it was just known as Hutt.
I am guessing but as Bruce suggests that there was probably RNZAF Liaison in the US stores depot at Sylvia Park, this is probably also the case for Gracefield. I would think that this may have been to do with the fact that the RNZAF serviced US engines and airframes at 1RD Rukuhia and Hamilton as well as our own. So a team of RNZAF would have been involved in the US stores distribution to supply this I'd think. Does this make sense?
Is the Matamata stores depot completely seperate from Waharoa (Matamata airport)?
Bruce, where was Sylvia Park actually situated? A map i looked up gives me Sylvia Park Road in Westfield, Auckland. is that the location?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 27, 2007 18:42:24 GMT 12
Er, on that last note, the website for the Sylvia Park Mall says it's on the Mt Wellington Highway, Panmure. Hmm, better recheck my map.
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Post by Bruce on Apr 27, 2007 19:14:12 GMT 12
Sylvia park is right beside the southern motorway - just along from the Tip top factory. The bridge of the Mt Wellington Interchange just about goes over the top of the new complex. It used to be rows and rows of wooden sheds.
There was another US stores base at Cambria Park, which is where the Nestle Factory is now located near the Puhinui Rd access to Auckland Airport. (Rumours surface from time to time of buried dumps in the area) Cambria Park doesnt appear on any RNZAF establishment lists does it?
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 28, 2007 16:19:02 GMT 12
The website www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Econ-c9-28.html taken from PWD official war history has interesting deliniation of RNZAF establishments; Stations, Stores Depots, Operational Centres, Fuel Depots and other miscellaneous establishments. Paul |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 28, 2007 16:49:16 GMT 12
Thanks Bruce and Paul. I have probably been past the Sylvia park stores depot hundreds of times and never realised what it was. I wonder if anyone has a photo.
I have never come across Cambria Park at all Bruce.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 28, 2007 19:35:10 GMT 12
Sylvia Park was a US and NZ base from 1941. In 1945 it became Crown property and was used as a major stores depot for numerous government departments. The NZ Army retained several large buildings which held a major vehicle storage depot. The buildings were used by defence until the late 1980s.
One of the urban myths is that when it was being cleared for closure the major compoments of a Vampire were found crated up. I think the story goes they were actually spares that had been incorrectly delivered to Army in the 1950s and had sat in the 'unidentified stores' building ever since.
Paul
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 28, 2007 19:59:15 GMT 12
Thanks Paul. That's very helpful info. Thanks for the Mangaroa info you emailed me too. I hope to get all this info onto the site soon.
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Post by steve on May 21, 2007 23:02:21 GMT 12
Cambria Park was the only US marines base in akl in ww2. Nearly all US bases in akl was USarmy while wellington was the US Marines. 5000 US marines were stationed there however no RNZAF presence there at all. I got to know the owner of the property a retired lawyer in the 80s and he gave me a personal tour of the reamains of the camp plus many camp stories. I enjoyed the one the night he was shooting hares on his property without the knowlege of the camp commander. He found out that night about 50cal machine guns and half tracks!
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