Ex Unit Commanders of No. 3 SQN ATC

[kiwimrsmac]

Good evening all

We are in the process of preparing an honours board detailing the Unit Commanders of No. 3 (Auckland City) Squadron Air Training Corps over the past 70 years.

We are missing the name of the VERY FIRST unit commander in September 1941. And I am trying to make sure that the rest of the data I have is accurate.

Can anyone comment or provide advice? HQ do not have records going that far back...

FLTLT Rasmussen: 1942 (whilst Unit was parading at AKL Grammar)

SQNLDR E.E.S. Probert, QSM: March 1947 - 8 December 1958

FGOFF J. W. EAST: 1958 (ex RNZAF Air Crew SGT)

FLTLT A. (Tony) Henry: 1958

SQNLDR Peter E. H. Dunne

SQNLDR Lisle Hutchison: 1959
FLTLT AW Cliffe 1960-1961

SQNLDR Carl F. Miller: 1962

SQNLDR Alf S. Drew DFC AFC: 1966-68 (ex RNZAF)
He went through the Empire Air Training Scheme & onto Bomber Command as an Observer & was a member of a Path Finder Force Sqn. He once said that he was not sure why he was there, maybe to bomb Germans or perhaps to drink beer. He was an ex 6 SQN CO before moving to 3 SQN.
FLTLT Del R. Linkhorn (RNZAF reserve): 1968 - 1971
SQNLDR Max Brister 1971

SQNLDR George A. Oldfield (ex RNZAF SQNLDR) 1980

SQNLDR Colin Sigglekow QSM: 1981 - 1992

FLTLT Chris Yates: 1992 -
FLTLT Martin Barr

SQNLDR Rob MacDonald

FLTLT Bruce Sinclair: 2001 - 2004

SQNLDR Andrew Horst: 2004 -

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Kind regards

Kirsten McKenzie
[e-mail]

[shorty]

see
rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=atc&action=display&thread=13732&page=1

[kiwimrsmac]

Thank you for your help.

[guest]

Just throwing a couple of names out there

Grant Longley (sp?) - perhaps 19 Sqn
John Dewar

Not sure if they were UCs but perhaps in the mix?

The four units paraded in Blake St, Ponsonby back in the 70's. I am sure there were Honours Boards for each unit mounted on the walls either side of the entrance.

Paul (30sqnatc), do you recall?

[kiwimrsmac]

Grant Longley provided lots of the information I have, he was really very helpful.

"joined the Squadron in 1957 Sqn Ldr Ernie Probert was the Unit Commander I think he was assisted by Jim East and Tony Henry as Flight Commanders of the Basic and Proficiency flights? (each flight paraded on a different night Monday, Tuesday and Thursday)

I am not sure if Ernie Probert was just in overall control or that he also was in charge of the advanced flight. It is possible that Flt Lt. Lisle Hutchinson was also a flight commander at this time before moving to Unit Commander in 1959 (I think, I will try to find my old 3822, it may help)

Flt Lt Del Linkhorn took over from Sqn Ldr Alf Drew. SqnLdr Don Moffatt was not a Unit Commander of 3 Sqn. as far as I can remember (he went as an officer of 3 Sqn to command the newly formed 30 Sqn on the North Shore)"

[guest]

A couple of other names that may fill gaps, Paul Read (last time I saw him he was working for ANZ).

Secondly,a guy with the surname Williams or Williamson. He was a really large guy, but slimmed down when I last saw him - a rugby referee.

Is Don Moffatt still around? He was UC 30 Sqn. Ian Reynolds (Chippie) was 30 Sqn too; lost his life in the Chipmunk prang at Wanaka. Shame.

[donmoffatt]

Yes, Don Moffatt is still around, now living in Canterbury.

I would like to correct some of the information as set out above and maybe provide some other names. I am not sure if you are only after the names of those who served in No. 3 Squadron or also the other squadrons based in Auckland, No’s 4 (Papakura), 6 (North Shore), 19 (Auckland) and 30 (North Shore).
Regarding the names listed above:
Fg.Off. Jim East was never a CO of No. 3 Squadron, but was one of the officers.
Flt. Lt. Tony Henry was never a CO of No. 3 Squadron, but was one of the officers.
Plt. Off. Peter Dunne was never a CO of No. 3 Squadron, but was one of the officers. He left under a cloud after some of the receipts for travelling expenses paid to cadets were found to have forged signatures on them. There was a court case over it.
Flt.Lt. Bill Cliffe was never a CO of No. 3 Squadron, but was one of its officers before being appointed the CO of No. 6 (North Shore) Squadron on its formation in 1969.
Sqn.Ldr. Carl Miller was never a CO of No. 3 Squadron, but was the first CO of No. 19 (Auckland) Squadron.
Sqn.Ldr. Alf Drew was never a CO of No. 3 Squadron, but was the CO of No. 6 (North Shore) Squadron before being appointed Co-Ordinating Officer for the four squadrons who relocated to Blake Street, Ponsonby, about 1970.
Sqn.Ldr. Max Brister was an officer in No. 3 Squadron before transferring to No. 30 (North Shore) Squadron as adjutant on its formation in November 1968. In 1971 he was appointed CO of No. 3 (Auckland) Squadron, a position he held until 1973 when he was appointed Administration Officer on the co-ordinating staff. He was later appointed as the Auckland gliding instructor.

My recollection of the officers in No. 6 (North Shore) Squadron are as follows:
On its formation, Flt.Lt. Bill Cliffe (CO), Fg.Off. Dave Roberts, Plt.Off. Eddie Houlihan (I was an Under Officer with it at the time of its formation and was commissioned in September 1960).
Fg.Off. Dave Roberts assumed command from Flt.Lt. Bill Cliffe.
Plt.Off. Eddie Houlihan assumed command from Fg.Off. Dave Roberts.
Flt.Lt. John Moynihan M.B.E. assumed command from Fg.Off. Dave Roberts.
Sqn.Ldr. Alf Drew D.F.C., A.F.C. assumed command from Flt.Lt. John Moynihan.
Sqn.Ldr. Rex Cowley (who was training officer in No. 6 Squadron) assumed command from Sqn.Ldr. Alf Drew when Alf was appointed Co-Ordinating Officer for the Auckland squadrons. When Alf retired, Rex was appointed Auckland Co-Ordinating Officer.
Sqn.Ldr. Mike Fairgray assumed command from Sqn.Ldr. Rex Cowley when Rex was appointed Auckland Co-Ordinating Officer on the retirement of Alf Drew.

As far as No. 30 North Shore Squadron is concerned, my recollection is as follows:
On its formation in November 1968 I was appointed CO, Max Brister was adjutant and Major Noel Johnston (an army TF officer) was training officer.
In December 1973 I was appointed Auckland Co-Ordinating Officer on the retirement of Rex Cowley and Sqn.Ldr. Grant Longley was appointed CO.

Other officers that I recollect are:
Sqn.Ldr. Don Hunt. He was appointed CO of No. 19 (Auckland) Squadron on the retirement of Carl Miller and then was appointed Auckland Co-Ordinating Officer in February 1982 when I became Cadet Forces National Power Flying Co-ordinator and I also took over the Auckland gliding instructor duties from Max Brister.
Sqn.Ldr. Del Linkhorn. Del was appointed CO of No. 3 (Auckland) Squadron, I think on the retirement of Ernie Probert.
Sqn.Ldr. John Dewar (an officer in No. 19 Squadron) assumed command from Don Hunt when Don was appointed Auckland Co-Ordinating Officer.
Sqn.Ldr. Paul Reid was appointed CO of No. 19 (Auckland) Squadron when John Dewar moved to Rotorua.
Fg.Off. Dick Cohen was an officer in No. 3 (Auckland) Squadron.
Sqn.Ldr. Lou Cadman was the first gliding instructor appointed to the co-ordinating staff when the four Auckland squadrons purchased a glider which was based at Hobsonville and was used to give cadets flying experience. Lou was an ex World War 2 air force pilot who had many hours of experience as a gliding instructor.

As far as No. 4 (Papakura) Squadron is concerned, the founding CO was Sqn.Ldr. Merv Brown. Another officer was Fg.Off. Glen Johnston. Command of the squadron was later taken over by Sqn.Ldr. Ray Reekie and then by Sqn.Ldr. Frank (?) Butler.

I have recollections of many of the regular force A.T.C. instructors who used to assist with the running of the squadrons, as well as the Northern Area Training Office staff. Are you gathering information on them also?

I retired from A.T.C. in 1986 and have lost touch with developments since then.