The RNZAF P-40 Pile

[Dave Homewood]

I wonder where NZ3074 was based while in New Zealand. Just at Hobsonville?

[planecrazy]

Stumbled across a great site with some pic's of an ex RNZAF P40, NZ 3119 in RNZAF
markings, note the roundel is signed by Geoffery Fisken which is a nice touch!

hiveminer.com/Tags/p40%2Crnzaf

[davidd]

I believe that NZ3074 was issued to Ohakea (2 OTU) for them to play with, with full knowledge that no V-1650 spares of any kind were held in NZ. However there must have been communications between Wellington and Washington about this orphan at the bottom of the world, and it was agreed to ship the aircraft back to the USA for disposal, while the aircraft which it had taken the place of in the original ship eventually turned up in Auckland, becoming NZ3180.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

P-40E Parkyakarkus, of No. 14 Squadron RNZAF with Flight Lieutenant Stan Quill, Squadron Leader Tom Fitzgerald DFC, and Squadron Leader John Hutcheson DFC


Date: Mar 1943

Ref: WA-05958-G

Photograph taken by Leo White. Whenuapai Airfield, Auckland. Whites Aviation Ltd :Photographs. Ref: WA-05958-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/30630883

[camtech]

Here is another one, of Stan Quill, although the caption states "Wing Commander", but probably taken the same day. Another Whites photo.
Wg Cdr S G Quill with Umslopgas by Les Billcliff, on Flickr

[Dave Homewood]

Yes, by the time he made Wing Commander Umslopagaas was no longer part of the squadron, and he I'm sure Quill wasn't either.

[camtech]

Some more of the men who flew this magnificent beast (all RNZAF, probably taken by Leo White):
Fl Lt H Wigley 14 Sqdn Norfolk Is Apr 1943 by Les Billcliff, on Flickr
Ralph Court 15 Sqdn 1943 by Les Billcliff, on Flickr
Sqdn Ldr J Oldfield 18 Sqdn Ondonga Nov 1943 by Les Billcliff, on Flickr
And one that, I believe, was for an article about the ATC in Contact:
ATC cadet on P40 Jan 1944 by Les Billcliff, on Flickr
And finally in this post, from the Weekly News dated 7 October 1942:
Weekly News spread Kittyhawks at Whenuapai by Les Billcliff, on Flickr

[Dave Homewood]

Superb shots of the pilots with their aeroplanes!

[Deleted]

Hear hear, and that spread is fantastic too!

[camtech]

And one more (RNZAF):
Kittyhawk NZ3064 under repair Guadalcanal by Les Billcliff, on Flickr
Looks like it got a bit beat up - note on back says 14 Sqdn Guadalcanal.

[camtech]

A few more that may be of interest:
RNZAF
Kittyhawk tail 14 Sqdn Guadalcanal Jul 1943 by Les Billcliff, on Flickr
Kittyhawk July 1943 tail damage by Les Billcliff, on Flickr
And from the Weekly News:
Kittyhawk Hamilton victory parade Aug 45 by Les Billcliff, on Flickr

[Dave Homewood]

There is a really stunning piece of home movie in the National Film Archive of Hamilton's Victory Parade on VJ Day, they screened it in a tour that they brought here to Cambridge a few years back. I don't recall seeing this P-40 fuselage in there though, they must have had that at 1RD.

[Dave Homewood]

Those are all great photos in that last post Les,and all new to me. The top two have to be NZ3064, seen in the previous post. I love the photo of the groundcrew members offering the tail to the gods. Can I pinch that for Facebook please?

[11SQNLDR]

Les, thanks for finding and posting these wonderful old photos both on this thread and elsewhere amongst the forum - top job mate!!

[camtech]

Sept 29, 2017 21:55:00 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Those are all great photos in that last post Les,and all new to me. The top two have to be NZ3064, seen in the previous post. I love the photo of the groundcrew members offering the tail to the gods. Can I pinch that for Facebook please?

Go for it.

[camtech]

Great to have this stuff appreciated and good to get additional information as comments. It all adds to the overall picture and often creates a piece of history of it's own.
Keep the comments coming.

[Dave Homewood]

Taken from the supplement to the Auckland Weekly News 9 SEPTEMBER 1942 p014. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19420909-14-1


The same photo as above, uncropped, from the New Zealand Herald collection. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1370-4-2

[Dave Homewood]

No. 17 Squadron RNZAF aircraft, NZ3037 in the foreground. NZ herald photo. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1370-18-7

[baz62]

Oct 5, 2017 21:42:38 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I see this aircraft became NZ3012 and survived the war ending up in Rukuhia being sold to J Larsen (as usual!) in 1948. 

[Dave Homewood]

Here's a piece of P-40 trivia I want to write down before I forget it and lose my original note. Several weeks back I was chatting on the phone with Ron Hildreth who was a member of the ground crew servicing No. 16 Squadron's P-40's. He said when they moved as a squadron from Fairhall to Whenuapai in preparation for overseas service in 1943, they were allocated new aircraft. But the P-40's they were given had been fitted with old guns that were not up to the job. No-one seemed to know what to do with this problem as they were having issues with the guns, so in the end the Warrant Officer i/c maintenance, W/O Jim McKee, ordered all the gun barrels to be removed from all the aircraft, and airmen were instructed to dig a hole over near their area of the base at Lucaville, and all the barrels were thrown in to the hole and buried. McKee then went to the station Supply officer and said they had no gun barrels, so they had to replace he.