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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 10:07:39 GMT 12
I was just remembering something that the late Wg Comm Ron Watts told me some years back. he said after the war ended there was a gathering in London (I think he said either at New Zealand House or the RNZAF Headquarters there) of all the surviving New Zealanders who had commanded squadrons during the war. Ron naturally went as he was the final commander of No. 488 Squadron RNZAF.
He said he saw fellow Cambridge pilot Bill Wells there at the gathering. No doubt that another No. 485 Squadron commander Keith Macdonald was probably also there - he later moved to Cambridge.
I was thinking about it and about what an amazing room full of people that must have been. I would love to know more, such as who was on the guest list. It lead me to think about how many kiwis there must have been who rose to the position of Squadron Commander in WWII, in the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, and perhaps even RAAF.
Shall we start a list of kiwi commanders in squadrons based outside of NZ? Question marks are asking if they were actually kiwis:
No. 75 Squadron: W/C Maurice Buckley W/C Cyril Kay W/C Ted Olsen W/C Roy Max W/C Roy Leslie W/C Raymond John Newton W/C Cyril Baigent
No. 485 Squadron S/Ldr Macus Knight S/Ldr Bill Wells S/Ldr Reg Grant S/Ldr Reg Baker S/Ldr Johnnie Checketts S/Ldr Marty Hume S/Ldr Johnnie Pattison S/Ldr Keith Macdonald S/Ldr Stan Browne
No. 486 Squadron S/Ldr Des Scott S/Ldr Ian Waddy S/Ldr J.H. Iremonger S/Ldr Spike Umbers S/Ldr Keith Taylor-Cannon S/Ldr Warren Schrader S/Ldr Jim Sheddan
No. 487 Squadron W/C F.C. Seavill W/C G.J. Grindell W/C I.S. Smith W/C Reg Baker W/C Frederick Denton W/C William Kemp
No. 488 Squadron S/Ldr Wilfred Clouston S/Ldr John Mackenzie W/C Richard Trousdale W/C Ron Watts
No. 489 Squadron W/C John Dinsdale W/C L.A. Robertson W/C Derek Hammond
No. 490 Squadron W/C Doug Baird W/C Barry Nicholl W/C Trevor Gill
Please add corrections and additions to the above list, plus any kiwis who commanded WWII squadrons (outside of the RNZAF home/Pacific based squadrons)
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 10:09:00 GMT 12
No. 3 Squadron S/Ldr Harvey Sweetman
No. 5 Squadron S/Ldr Jim Cranstone
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Post by baronbeeza on Feb 3, 2012 10:19:56 GMT 12
Could Al Deere be added also ?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 10:27:03 GMT 12
No. 81 Squadron Colin Gray
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 10:34:48 GMT 12
No. 602 Squadron Alan Deere
No. 403 Squadron RCAF Alan Deere
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 10:46:14 GMT 12
No 64 Squadron Dereck 'Bill' Kain
No. 250 Squadron Dereck 'Bill' Kain
No. 229 Squadron Dereck 'Bill' Kain
No. 127 Squadron Dereck 'Bill' Kain
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 11:08:10 GMT 12
No 64 Squadron Bill Crawford-Compton
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 11:24:02 GMT 12
No. 1840 Naval Air Squadron Hellcats Lt Cdr (A) A.R. Richardson RNZNVR
No. 878 Naval Air Squadron Martlets Lt Cdr (A) Denys K Evans RNZNVR
No. 1843 Naval Air Squadron Corsairs Lt Cdr (A) Denys K Evans RNZNVR
No. 1836 Naval Air Squadron Corsairs Lt Cdr (A) Denys K Evans RNZNVR
No. 841 Naval Air Squadron Barracuda Lt Cdr (A) R.J. Fisher RNZNVR
No. 841 Naval Air Squadron Barracuda Lt Cdr (A) E.F.L. Montgomery RNZNVR
No. 889 Naval Air Squadron Lt Cdr (A) F.A.J. Pennington RNZNVR
No. 891 Naval Air Squadron Hellcats Lt Cdr (A) N Perrett RNZNVR
No. 807 Naval Air Squadron Lt Cdr (A) L.G.C. Reece RNZNVR
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 3, 2012 11:35:54 GMT 12
New Zealander or not answers:
No. 485 Squadron S/Ldr J Niven? - No
No. 486 Squadron S/Ldr C.L.C. Roberts? - No
No. 487 Squadron W/C F.C. Seavill ? - Yes W/C G.J. Grindell ? - Yes W/C A.G. Wilson ? - No W/C R.C. Porteous? - No
No. 489 Squadron W/C J.A.S. Brown ? - No W/C V.C. Darling ? - No W/C Robertson? - Yes (initials L A)
Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 11:45:14 GMT 12
Thanks Errol. I believe none of the other No. 488 Squadron CO's, Wing Commanders N. Nesbitt-Dufort,, A.R. Burton-Giles P.H. Hamley and R.C. Haine, were kiwis, were they?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 11:48:57 GMT 12
I have updated my original listing, thanks Errol.
Was L.A. Robertson by any chance Leslie Andrew Robertson?
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 3, 2012 14:10:56 GMT 12
Herewith – except for 75 (NZ) Sqn RAF and the Article XV RNZAF squadrons – is a list of ‘new’ names merged with those previously posted.
All squadrons are RAF unless otherwise stated.
The list is not necessarily complete but features the majority of New Zealanders who commanded squadrons outside of the New Zealand-Pacific theatre during WWII.
1 Sqn Sqn Ldr J Checketts
3 Sqn Sqn Ldr R F Aiken, followed by Sqn Ldr A E Berry Sqn Ldr H N Sweetman, followed by Sqn Ldr K F Thiele
4 Sqn, Indian Air Force Sqn Ldr G S Sharp
4 Sqn Sqn Ldr P L Donkin Wg Cdr G E Macdonald
5 Sqn Sqn Ldr J R Maling Sqn Ldr J M Cranstone
7 Sqn Wg Cdr J F Barron
8 Sqn Sqn Ldr D J T Sharp
8 Sqn, Indian Air Force Sqn Ldr I A Sutherland
9 Sqn, RAAF Sqn Ldr H G Havyatt
17 Sqn Sqn Ldr E A Pevreal
20 Sqn, RAAF Sqn Ldr or Wg Cdr H G Havyatt
21 Sqn Wg Cdr L C Bennett
30 Sqn Sqn Ldr U Y Shannon
42 Sqn Sqn Ldr R E Stout
48 Sqn Wg Cdr J L Findlay
55 Sqn Wg Cdr L J Joel
56 Sqn Sqn Ldr T H V Pheloung
64 Sqn Sqn Ldr D Kain Sqn Ldr C F Gray Sqn Ldr J N Mackenzie
65 Sqn Sqn Ldr R J C Grant Sqn Ldr D F Westenra Sqn Ldr I D S Strachan
66 Sqn Sqn Ldr R D Yule
73 Sqn Sqn Ldr D H Ward Sqn Ldr E L Joyce
74 Sqn Sqn Ldr J C F Hayter
76 Sqn Wg Cdr G T Jarman
77 Sqn Wg Cdr G T Jarman Wg Cdr D W S Clark
80 Sqn Sqn Ldr R E Bary Sqn Ldr R L Spurdle, followed by Sqn Ldr E D Mackie
81 Sqn Sqn Ldr C F Gray
87 Sqn Sqn Ldr T G Lovell-Gregg
88 Sqn Wg Cdr A B Wheeler
89 Sqn Sqn Ldr A E Browne
91 Sqn Sqn Ldr I J P Maskill Sqn Ldr E D Mackie
93 Sqn Sqn Ldr D F Westenra
99 Sqn Wg Cdr G L M Schrader Wg Cdr R G Maddox
107 Sqn, RAAF Sqn Ldr H G Havyatt
111 Sqn Sqn Ldr J S McLean
115 Sqn Wg Cdr T O Freeman
122 Sqn Sqn Ldr J R C Kilian Sqn Ldr E L Joyce Sqn Ldr J K Porteous
127 Sqn Sqn Ldr D Kain
130 Sqn Sqn Ldr D G E Brown
134 Sqn Sqn Ldr W H Stratton
137 Sqn Sqn Ldr E T Brough
152 Sqn Sqn Ldr M R B Ingram
164 Sqn Sqn Ldr I D Waddy
183 Sqn Sqn Ldr H M Mason, followed by Sqn Ldr J R Cullen
185 Sqn Sqn Ldr K A Lawrence
189 Sqn Wg Cdr J S Shorthouse
197 Sqn Sqn Ldr A H Smith
204 Sqn Wg Cdr C E V Evison, followed by Wg Cdr H J L Hawkins, followed by Wg Cdr A Frame
206 Sqn Wg Cdr J P Selby
211 Sqn Sqn Ldr R J C Nedwill
224 Sqn Wg Cdr A E Clouston Wg Cdr M A Ensor
225 Sqn Sqn Ldr P L Donkin
227 Sqn Wg Cdr R M Mackenzie
229 Sqn Sqn Ldr D Kain
234 Sqn Sqn Ldr M V Blake Sqn Ldr M G Barnett
236 Sqn Wg Cdr E W Tacon
239 Sqn Wg Cdr P L Donkin
242 Sqn Sqn Ldr E Julian
243 Sqn Sqn Ldr E D Mackie
245 Sqn Sqn Ldr E W Whitley
248 Sqn Wg Cdr G D Sise
255 Sqn Sqn Ldr J H Player
266 Sqn Sqn Ldr P G Jameson
274 Sqn Sqn Ldr J C F Hayter Sqn Ldr M G Barnett
293 Sqn Sqn Ldr W R Gellatly
353 Sqn Wg Cdr A H Harding
403 Sqn, RCAF Sqn Ldr A C Deere
450 Sqn, RAAF Sqn Ldr J E A Williams
501 Sqn Sqn Ldr M G Barnett
504 Sqn Sqn Ldr R C Kilian
550 Sqn Wg Cdr A P Gainsford
602 Sqn, Sqn Ldr A C Deere
607 Sqn Sqn Ldr N J Mowat (twice)
616 Sqn Sqn Ldr C F Gray Wg Cdr W E Schrader
619 Sqn Wg Cdr J R Maling
650 Sqn Sqn Ldr V B S Verity
682 Sqn Sqn Ldr R C Buchanan
692 Sqn Wg Cdr S D Watts
684 Sqn Sqn Ldr K J Newman
807 Sqn, FAA Lt Cdr (A) L.G.C. Reece 832 Sqn, FAA Lt Cdr (A) A J P Plugge
841 Sqn, FAA Lt Cdr (A) R.J. Fisher
841 Sqn, FAA Lt Cdr (A) E.F.L. Montgomery
878 Sqn, FAA Lt Cdr (A) Denys K Evans
889 Sqn, FAA Lt Cdr (A) F.A.J. Pennington
891 Sqn, FAA Lt Cdr (A) N Perrett
1435 Sqn Sqn Ldr R Webb 1836 Sqn, FAA Lt Cdr (A) Denys K Evans
1840 Sqn, FAA Lt Cdr (A) A.R. Richardson
1843 Sqn, FAA Lt Cdr (A) Denys K Evans
Errol
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 3, 2012 14:11:52 GMT 12
I have updated my original listing, thanks Errol. Was L.A. Robertson by any chance Leslie Andrew Robertson? Dave, he was indeed. Errol
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 3, 2012 14:14:36 GMT 12
Thanks Errol. I believe none of the other No. 488 Squadron CO's, Wing Commanders N. Nesbitt-Dufort,, A.R. Burton-Giles P.H. Hamley and R.C. Haine, were kiwis, were they? Dave, Correct, none of the above were New Zealanders. Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 14:21:04 GMT 12
Wow! That is an impressive list, thanks Errol!
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Post by Luther Moore on Feb 3, 2012 14:29:51 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 15:03:39 GMT 12
As a Flight Lieutenant who has signed "for" the OC, that would mean he's not the commanding officer, or Officer Commanding. He is likely to be either a Flight Commander or one of the supernumery Flight Lieutenants who has checked the logbook recordings for that month on the OC's behalf.
However No. 14 Squadron is an RNZAF home/Pacific based squadron. This thread is discussing the NZ squadron commanders in the RAF, RAAF and other air forces.
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Post by Luther Moore on Feb 3, 2012 15:09:41 GMT 12
Yes,I was just trying to get that signature deciphered.
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 3, 2012 15:44:04 GMT 12
No 64 SquadronDereck 'Bill' Kain No. 250 SquadronDereck 'Bill' Kain No. 229 SquadronDereck 'Bill' Kain No. 127 SquadronDereck 'Bill' Kain Dave, I couldn't find anything to confirm Kain ever being CO of 250 Sqn. Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 3, 2012 16:48:39 GMT 12
He was CO of No. 250 Squadron very briefly, and didn't fly with them I don't think, before being moved on. However that came from the man himself in an interview we did some years ago.
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