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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 11, 2011 17:07:34 GMT 12
The attack on Pearl Harbor was 8th of December our time, they deployed within 24 hours.
It was what they call a "big flap" in the RNZAF, a very quick mobilisation.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 11, 2011 17:29:19 GMT 12
Damon, it must be rememebred that these guys had been at war for over two years, many of them had been in the TAF for years before that. They were all professionals, and expert in their jobs. They would have had emergency planning in place for just such an occurrence, and everyone knew Japan was going to kick off a war anytime so it was no surprise.
For the record, here are details of those aircraft initilaly sent up to Fiji on that day:
Hudson NZ2018 Pilot - Flt Lt H.C. 'Johnny' Walker Navigator - F/O Ken King WOp/AG - Sgt John Jerrat
Hudson NZ2012 Pilot - P/O Bruce Thompson Navigator - Sgt Kendall Bolland WOp/AG - Sgt Alf Bunting
Hudson NZ2013 - Yes, the one in the Air Force Museum of New Zealand! Pilot - P/O Tom Mounsey Navigator - P/O Alan Partridge WOp/AG - AC1 Alan Jacobsen
Hudson NZ2017 Pilot - P/O William Murray Navigator - F/O Gordon McKenzie (himself a pilot) WOp/AG - Sgt Dick Huges
Hudson NZ2020 Pilot - W/O Horace Nash RAF Navigator - P/O Eric Perry WOp/AG - Sgt Grev Poulton Passenger - S/Ldr Petrie Passenger - P/O Eadie Passenger - F/Sgt Derm Hurley
NZ2020 was intended only as a ferry aircraft for the passengers and equipment to support the Flight once they arrived there. A fifth operational Hudson was meant to go and stay there in Fiji but was forced to turn back, so only four of the six that set off that day stayed there in Fiji.
There is reference in the ORB on the 9th of December 1941 for these flights to an Air Headquarters Memo dated the 26th of September 1941, so that is likely the planned orders forthis mission, although I have not sighted the memo personally.
I will also come clean on a mistake I made when I first posted this message (I was at Mum's at the time and away from my references). This 9 Dec 1941 detachment was all from No. 1 (GR) Squadron. I was getting confused with a detachment two months later from No. 2 (GR) Squadron on the 10-11th of February 1942 when it was perceived a Jap attack of Fiji was imminent. Six Hudsons were sent up and four returned a few days later, with two joining 4GR.
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Post by baz62 on Dec 12, 2011 12:02:00 GMT 12
Agghh. I just typed up a big long detailed explanation for your Damon, hit the Post Reply button and the bloody forum told me my request had timed out, and I lost the lot. It was doing that for everything for me yesterday even for a minute of typing!! But if you hit your browser's "Back" button you just hit send again and it works. Sometimes you might have to do it more than once.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 12, 2011 12:17:26 GMT 12
Yes me too, although sometimes hitting back found it wiped the text. I hope it was a temporary glitch.
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