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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 19, 2011 12:34:08 GMT 12
adf.serials says Kittyhawk NZ3001 was brought on charge on the 2nd of April 1941, but whether that was the first to fly I don't know. I think you will find that 1941 should read 1942. Our need for them arose out of the threat posed by the Japanese when they brought war to the Pacific in December 1941. Errol |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 19, 2011 15:43:44 GMT 12
Sorry, yes. My typo there.
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Post by shamus on Jul 19, 2011 17:40:09 GMT 12
Dave, the rudder is camouflaged and the Hinds were used at first in the No 3 SFTS in the colours they arrived in. So it is an RAF colour scheme.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 19, 2011 18:05:51 GMT 12
Thanks Jim.
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Post by shamus on Jul 21, 2011 11:06:06 GMT 12
Some more Hinds.  NZ1529 after forced landing when a cockpit cover blew out of the cockpit and fouled the elevator. Looks like they were very lucky.  Two Hinds in the Camo. top and yellow undersurfaces.  NZ1519 after it crashed on the flarepath at night at Ohakea and caught fire.  Another shot of it from the rear.  A photo of a schoolboy in a Hind gunners cockpit, taken at the RNZAF Display at Hastings during the war. This Hind was at the Hastings ATC for a number of years. RNZAF Museum Photo.  This shot I believe is NZ1535 at Rongotai TTS. It was the only RNZAF Hind that had the small stub exhausts instead of the usual ramshorns. |
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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 21, 2011 11:55:38 GMT 12
Shamus,
Just the one on board - LAC R S Greening.
"Before taking off, loose cockpit cover was stowed in aircraft. While in flight, this fell out and fouled rudder duirng a slow roll. Pilot was unable to maintain height and carried out a forced landing in a field [at Rangiotu at 0800 on 6 Jul 41].
"An order has been issued to all units regarding removal & stowage of covers in A/C as a result of this accident."
Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 21, 2011 12:06:12 GMT 12
Great photos.
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Post by shamus on Jul 21, 2011 13:53:09 GMT 12
Thanks for that Errol, I wasn't sure how many were aboard.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 21, 2011 22:33:06 GMT 12
This shot comes from Bill Edhouse's collection. Note the unusual A code letter with the flat top.  |
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Post by shamus on Jul 22, 2011 9:30:19 GMT 12
Dave thats a beautiful shot. Would love to try and bring up the serial number. Perhaps I can get a hi- res copy from you to attempt this.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 22, 2011 11:50:34 GMT 12
I have looked on the hi-res but it's too dark to see the serial. All I can deduce is it was from No. 21 (AC) Squadron at Ohakea. I am going to send you the hi-res of the ones I have posted here but you'll have to wait till I get to a better connection and computer. I attempted to upload one last night to an email for you and got steam and swearwords coming from the PC, and as no action had happened after 25 minutes I cancelled it. I will take them on USB to Mum's and send them next time I get there.
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Post by shamus on Jul 22, 2011 11:54:48 GMT 12
Thanks Dave. No hurry.
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Post by shamus on Jul 23, 2011 10:47:26 GMT 12
Another few RNZAF Hinds.  XX-V of No6 AC Sqn. banking somewhere over the Manawatu.  XX-P of No6 AC Sqn. taken through the interplane struts of another Hind.  A formation on No20 AC Sqn. Hinds, inline abreast. Nearest the camera, NZ1517 ZG-F, NZ1516 ZG-C, NZ1562 ZG-H, NZ1561 ZG-G, NZ1563 ZG-E.  An unidentified No21 AC Sqn, Hind.  An unidentified No 3 SFTS Hind with pilots and groundcrew. Could possibly be NZ1548.  NZ1537 in its colours of camo. top and silver or yellow undersurfaces. Note the gunring has been removed from the plywood decking. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 23, 2011 11:54:16 GMT 12
All of those air to air shots are really fantastic, and I really liked that relaxed No 3 SFTS shot, which seems to have pupil pilots, instructors and a member of the ground staff in.
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Post by shorty on Jul 23, 2011 14:40:25 GMT 12
Shamus, have you had any luck compiling a list of Hinds with the tie up of serials and codes?
Nev
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Post by shamus on Jul 23, 2011 15:46:58 GMT 12
Not a complete list, Nev. Will post a list of the ones I have tomorrow.
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Post by shamus on Jul 24, 2011 13:41:29 GMT 12
Shorty, here is the most up to date list I can give you. Not enough photos with both serials and codes showing unfortunately.
No 6 Army co-op Sqn. XX.
NZ1545 XX-A; NZ1506 XX-T; NZ1544 XX-Y;
No 21 Army C-op Sqn. UY.
NZ1556 UY-B; NZ1563 UY-E; Nz1524 UY-F; NZ1529 UY-M;
No 20 Army Co-op Sqn. ZG.
NZ1548 ZG-B; NZ1543 ZG-B; NZ1516 ZG-C; NZ1563 ZG-E; NZ1546 ZG-F; NZ1517 ZG-F; NZ1561
ZG-G; NZ1562 ZG-H; NZ1517 ZG-I;
You will note in this last list of No20 AC Sqn. that some codes are duplicated on different Hinds. This seemed to be the practice when one was written off to rep[lace the code on another Hind.
But I guess you would know more about that than me, Nev.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 24, 2011 14:06:08 GMT 12
Thanks for that list Jim, I have been able to add a couple more from that to my own list, but have no further codes to share unfortunately.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 24, 2011 14:16:42 GMT 12
In one of the two 1987 TV documentaries that clebrated the 50th Anniversary of the RNZAF (I can't recall if it was TVNZ's 'A Shed Will Be Necessary' or the National Film Unit's 'Fifty Years of the RNZAF', or both) there was a short clip of a flight of around six or so Hinds in formation, filmed air to air from another aircraft. They peel off towards camera and head down to the deck. There's a mix of both silver and camouflaged examples. It's a neat clip. It makes me wonder if they filmed more of the Hinds at the time, and only a short clip was cut into this doco.
Actually there's also a newsreel where the Govt was trying to tell the nation not to worry about the Japs, there's shots of Valentines and the narrator says boldly, "WE HAVE TANKS!!" and then there's planes which may be a line up of Hinds I think, with aircrew in front and he says "WE HAVE PLANES". Anyone watching must have been laughing in their boots!
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Post by shamus on Jul 25, 2011 10:21:19 GMT 12
Having a re-look at the Serial/codes I put on yesterday. I have to say that I cannot be sure that the code I have written, (NZ1517 ZG-I) is correct. Only the bottom of the letter can be seen and it could possibly still be ZG-F. The only other letters with the lower part a single stroke are T, P, or Y and the Sqn. did not have enough Hinds to get down to these letters.
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