Corsair Training Photo - Information Request

[Richard Wesley]

I've been asked by a friend if I can find out any more about this photo and a certain flying officer:



"I attach a small scan of the only photo I have of Rosemary's uncle Graham with a Corsair, taken with the rest of his training wing before the were posted. This is actually a photograph of the original on the wall of his room in the rest-home where he now lives, aged 90, and sadly fading fast. He is 4th from the right, standing on the wing.

He flew in the islands but never saw aerial combat, as all the zeros had been pretty well wiped out by the time he got there. He flew only on bombing and strafing missions.

I've been unable to find any mention of him under his name on any of the websites about the squadrons of the time:

Flying Officer T.G. Walker, (Thomas Graham Walker, although the family always knew him as "Graham")

It is frequently noted that this was a particularly difficult aircraft to land, often dropping the left wing violently just above stall speed. When I asked Graham about this, back in the days when he could remember, he said that the RNZAF always flew from land airstrips, and never tried to stall them on, just "drove them onto the ground with the front wheels above stalling speed".

It occurs to me that you may have contacts through your aircraft interests that might have name lists. If not, it doesn't matter."

Any help or pointers in the right direction would be very welcome thanks.

[Dave Homewood]

That is an interesting shot. Note is says it is Whenuapai, I have only ever heard and read about the Corsair Conversion Unit being based at Ardmore, so this is interesting.

The course on the Corsair Conversion Unit was only a few weeks generally, and was the stage between P-40's and going onto an actual squadron to work up for front line service. The working up period was usually several weeks, maybe even six weeks. they'd then pile into Dakotas and/or Hudsons and be taken north to the islands (in fact some of the squadrons did their working up period at Santo instead of Ardmore).

So I am thinking he'd only have achieved one tour, two at best before the war ended.

Ask your friend if the uncle still has his flying logbook. That will tell a lot more.

[chinapilot]

Errol will be along shortly I guess

He flew only on bombing and strafing missions.

No offence Richard,but that made me smile...attacking the Japs in Bougainville and all points north to Rabaul wouldn't have been milk runs. Much more important than a couple of Jap flags under the canopy...Someone to be definitely proud of.

[Richard Wesley]

Mar 23, 2012 12:50:43 GMT 12 chinapilot said:

He flew only on bombing and strafing missions.

No offence Richard,but that made me smile...attacking the Japs in Bougainville and all points north to Rabaul wouldn't have been milk runs. Much more important than a couple of Jap flags under the canopy...Someone to be definitely proud of.

Ah yes, not my words, just posted the whole message from my good friend. I agree with you, flying a very high performance fighter, loaded with bombs and ammo, over hostile occupied teritory, as a young twenty three year old, after only minimal training, is impressive which ever way you look at it.

[Dave Homewood]

I have received the following course list for this Corsair Conversion Unit course from David Duxbury:

David notes: "Actually I do not have the negative number of this photo, but the CCU Course Number would be 10, which started on 2nd April 1945, with 27 pupils, and ran till about 9/5/45. Most of its actual training was carried out on Whenuapai's runways as the Ardmore runways were having to be repaired and relaid at this time because the original preparation of these strips were of a poor standard and they had been gradually breaking up with use; apparently the Corsair was a big, heavy aircraft with high pressure tyres and were quite hard on sealed strips."

Note, all course members moved from No. 2 OTU, Ohakea, to Corsair Conversion Unit 2/4/45 for course, then to Aircrew Pool at Hobsonville on 9/5/45 to await posting to squadrons. Those on-postings are in brackets after their names.

F/O ADEANE, A F (To 23 Sqdn ARD 28/5/45)
F/O ADEANE, F S (To 23 Sqdn ARD 28/5/4)
Sgt CHERRIE, R G (To 19 Sqdn ARD 7/6/45 as F/Sgt)
Sgt DALY, A L (To 23 Sqdn ARD 28/5/44)
Sgt DONALDSON, H H (23 Sqdn ARD 28/5/45)
Sgt FERGUSON, A H (To 23 Sqdn ARD 28/5/45)
W/O GRIFFITH, R O (To 23 Sqdn ARD 28/5/45)
F/Sgt HALL, R M (To 18 Sqdn ARD 17/5/45)
Sgt JAMES, M G (To 19 Sqdn ARD 7/6/45 as F/Sgt)
F/L JOHNS, L S (To 18 Sqdn ARD 17/5/45)
Sgt LAWSON, W P (To 18 Sqdn ARD 17/5/45 as F/Sgt)
F/O LEWIS, K N (To 19 Sqdn ARD 7/6/45 as F/L)
Sgt MacLEOD, J E (To 19 Sqdn ARD 7/6/45 as F/Sgt)
Sgt McNALLY, H B (To 19 Sqdn ARD 7/6/45 as F/Sgt)
F/O MITCHELL, L G (To 18 Sqdn ARD 17/5/45)
Sgt MURRAY, Alan (To 18 Sqdn ARD 17/5/45)
F/O NOBLE, F E R (To 19 Sqdn ARD 7/6/45)
Sgt ORR, A B (To 18 Sqdn ARD 17/5/45 as F/Sgt)
Sgt PALMER, C R (To 19 Sqdn ARD 7/6/45 as F/Sgt)
F/O PITCHER, L S (To 23 Sqdn ARD 28/5/45)
Sgt RENWICK, E (To 19 Sqdn ARD 7/6/45 as F/Sgt)
Sgt ROUNTREE, A W (To 23 Sqdn ARD 28/5/45 as F/Sgt)
Sgt SHERWOOD, J A (To 18 Sqdn ARD 17/5/45 as F/Sgt)
F/O SHORTHOUSE, R C (To 26 Sqdn ARD 7/6, FPP 30/7, 22 Sqdn 8/8/45)
Sgt STIRLING, G S (To 23 Sqdn ARD 28/5/45 as F/Sgt)
Sgt THORPE, Geoffrey(To 19 Sqdn ARD 7/6/45 as F/Sgt)
F/O WALKER, Thomas Graham (To 18 Sqdn ARD 17/5/45)

[McFly]

Suggets that this could be your 'T. Walker' as well...

Negative Number: PR6150
Caption: Group. 20 Course. 2 Fighter Operational Training Unit. Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Ohakea.
Further Information: Ohakea G.2473. Back L-R: K. N. Lewis, T. Walker, L. Mitchell, W. Lawson, A. Orr, G. Stirling, R. Cherrie, A. L. Daly, H. Donaldson, A. Murray, I. J. Coxhead. Centre: M. G. James, J. E. Macleod, H. B. McNally, C. S. Pitcher, T. Mitchell, I. F. Rankin, E. Renwick, A. Rowntree, E. Perkinson, H. G. White, R. S. Sizemore, C. Palmer, L. S. Johns. Front: G. Thorpe, A. Ferguson, L. Telfer, P. L. Whyte, A. F. Adeane, F. E. R. Noble, F. S. Adeane, J. Sherwood, R. M. Hall and R. O. Griffith.
Year of Image: 1945
Image Date Information: Circa 1945.
Format: Negative-Full Plate-Glass

(Photo Air Force Museum)

[shorty]

Thanks for posting those two course photos. I printed them off and was able to give a copy to Albie Rowntrees daughter and Albie and her are both over the moon to receive them. His eyesight is failing him now but it still made him very happy.
He is standing on the starboard wing of the Corsair in the blue uniform 3rd from the tip
Again, from them, many thanks

[Dave Homewood]

Great stuff Shorty. Nice to hear that story.

[bellz]

Sqdn 23 ARD 1945
« Thread Started Yesterday at 7:33pm »

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi, my Grandfather is Sgt AW ROUNTREE in the Corsair Conversion Unit.He was amazed to see the picture on the internet with the list of names.He is to catch up with Sgt MG James from 19 Sqdn from Canada here in Christchurch tomorrow.

[McFly]

Another one of A. Rowntree, however there appears to be a couple of variations of the name (Rountree) if indeed they are the same person..? (Eg. The second photo below).

Negative Number: WgG1973~43
Caption: Group. Number 3 Squad, D flight, pilots course 46B, Number 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Royal New Zealand Air Force Station Harewood.
Further Information: L-R: Back; G.S.D. Symons, L.J. Telfer, K.A. Timms, J.A. Tirikatene, H.H. Toy, R.D. Wallace, Lieutenant R. Wilkinson, R.J. Wright, W.W. Young. Front; S.A. Robertson, B.M. Rombulow-Pears, A.W. Rountree, F.E. Rout, L.W. Rule, Second Lieutenant B. Schepens, A.B. Shaw, Lieutenant H.A. Somerville, W.W. Stevens.
Year of Image: 1943
Image Date Information: 18 October 1943
Format: Negative-Full Plate-Glass


And..
Negative Number: PR5337
Caption: Group of personnel recently returned from the United Kingdom. 2 Port Depot, Wellington.
Further Information: Rountree, Gould and Cross.
Year of Image: 1945
Image Date Information: 21 March 1945.
Format: Negative-5x4-B&W

(Photos Air Force Museum)

[errolmartyn]

NZ431228 Albert William Rountree is the man in the course photo. The DFC-wearing man at right in the other photo is:

ROUNTREE, Flight Lieutenant John Ernest, DFC.
NZ414343; Born Wanganui, 27 Nov 1919; RNZAF 26 Jul 1941 to 25 Jun 1945; Pilot.
Citation Distinguished Flying Cross (30 Sep 1944): [95 Sqn RAF (Sunderland)] On 30th July, 1944, Flight Lieutenant Rountree was flying his aircraft back to base from an operational sortie. Owing to adverse weather he was instructed to land at another base. On arrival he found this impossible as visibility had greatly deteriorated. He, therefore, determined to return to his home base. Unable, however, to penetrate the storm and with petrol running low, he was forced to come down on the sea by night and in poor visibility. With great skill he accomplished this feat and later managed to reach a base where it was possible to refuel. His presence of mind and coolness undoubtedly enabled him to surmount most serious difficulties and to save both his aircraft and crew. Flt Lt Rountree served in West Africa with 204 Sqn RAF (Sunderland) before joining 95 Sqn, also in West Africa, in Oct 1943. He also served with the Test Flight, 4(C)OTU RAF for six months. Died Levin, 31 Jan 2000.

[source: Colin Hanson’s By Such Deeds - Honours and Awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999]

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Is that an Army pilot in that last course photo, wearing the beret?? It looks like LT Wilkinson on the name?

[McFly]

Apr 18, 2012 19:02:28 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Is that an Army pilot in that last course photo, wearing the beret?? It looks like LT Wilkinson on the name?

Indeed there appears to be three Army chaps in the photo: Lt R. Wilkinson, 2/Lt B. Schepens and Lt H.A. Somerville. Interesting as to who, what, where of their service etc...? Errol...?

[bellz]

My Grandad is A.W Rountree in the photo of the Pilots Course 46B.The photo with the 3 men,is a different Rountree.(No relation)
My Grandad still has his log book,silk scarves & the GHOST flag etc.

[Dave Homewood]

bellz, can you please post a photo of the Ghost flag? I'd LOVE to see that!!

[Dave Homewood]

I am just revisiting this thread as the photo is intriguing. The cowl ring on Corsair M looks to either be blue but wearing back to aluminium... or it is white which is wearing off to reveal the blue.

The Corsair in the distance however clearly seems to have a white cowl ring. I have seen several photos of Corsairs with the white cowl ring at Ardmore and in Japan and now here at Whenuapai. I really wonder if the white ring was for the instructors. And I wonder if there is a correlation with the white nosed P-40's at Ardmore.

[Damon]

In his book' The Quest for Wings ' lance Adlam describes his conversion to the F4U . Even though he was posted to Ardmore for the conversion course he flew Corsairs from Whenuapai and and was staying at Hobsonville. At the time he mentions that Ardmore's runways were under repair/ maintenance . So perhaps for a short period the Corsair Conversions course was done there ,WP. Corsair NZ5566 was coded JZ-M, or another RK-M NZ55?? so possible that the first image in the thread could be one of those aircraft.

[Dave Homewood]

Yes that situation of Whenuapai being used when Ardmore's runway was being relaid has been discussed here on the forum in the ensuing years since the original post many years ago. Almost certainly one of those two aircraft.

It is the white rings on some of the Corsairs that intrigue me.

[shorty]

The Albie Rountree that I mentioned in an earlier post on this thread went onto serve with 14 Squadron in Japan