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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 22, 2016 0:11:14 GMT 12
'Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19391213-49-4'
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Post by planecrazy on Mar 23, 2016 23:03:14 GMT 12
Sorry for the Aussie interloper, ANZAC day around the corner! I have been kindly entrusted some great picture from the late Arthur Le Navez who was the officer in charge of communications on Lord Howe Island from around 1941 until around the mid 50's. Arthur was a keen photographer and captured some great images of the flying boats that graced the lagoon in that period. The Sunderland images ex RAAF (A26-5) of 40 Sqn operated by Trans Oceanic Airways as Tahiti Star (VH-AKP) best as I can work out around the late 40's. This picture, you will notice the chap hanging out of the nose, he is preparing a drogue used to slow the boat while approaching the mooring. There is also a chap looking out of the roof (astrodome hatch)behind the cockpit as well. The question to be asked why does she look like she is taking off with a couple of fellows hanging out of her. In Lord Howe Island’s lagoon there is a sandbar which crosses the lagoon roughly east to west. In the instance of the machine alighting in the south she would have to taxi up to the jetty at the northern end of the lagoon to unload. To avoid hitting the bar the boat would have to be lifted up to get the hull clear, hence the term “flying the bar.” I knew they had to do this but this is the first image I have seen of it happening, great shot! This second image the same machine as above on the north mooring, notice the bomb bay doors under the wing. This is how depth charges were deployed via a winch and rail system, this arrangement proved to be useful for bringing freight to the island, the most popular item in the early days pianos! Also note the nose turret in the retracted position to deal with the mooring of the boat. These images kindly lent to me via the Le Navez family I realise in this day and age and I have learn’t in the past posting on the net more or less makes them public property. If you decide to use them or copy them please respect the Le Navez families memory by crediting the late Arther Le Navez for his photos, thank you.
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Post by planecrazy on Apr 8, 2016 15:12:47 GMT 12
This Sandringham originally entered the New Zealand register July 25, 1946 at “RMA New Zealand” (ZK- AME). She was loaned to the RNZAF for the best part 1947 for service to Fiji. Sold to Barrier Reef Airways for 5,000 pounds April 28, 1950, entered the Australian register as “Capricorn” VH-BRD as best as can make out the images below are some time from the above purchase date until October 31, 1952 when she sank while moored on the Brisbane river and was written off. The hull was purchased with the new owners having plans to convert her to a floating restaurant on the Gold Coast, during the tow from Brisbane to the Gold Coast she was swamped by waves with the wreckage never located! These images kindly lent to me via the Le Navez family I realise in this day and age and I have learn’t in the past posting on the net more or less makes them public property. If you decide to use them or copy them please respect the Le Navez families memory by crediting the late Arther Le Navez for his photos, thank you.
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Post by planecrazy on Apr 8, 2016 15:54:46 GMT 12
VH-BRC “Beachcomber” formerly with TEAL as ZK- AMH “Auckland.” Full history here on Aussie airlines site. www.aussieairliners.org/shortfb/vh-brc/vhbrc.htmlPhoto Arthur Le Navez This picture would have been taken some time in 1953 when Ansett Flyingboat Services began operations to Lord Howe Island, she would go on to service this route for twenty one consecutive years! Photo Peter Phillipps This image taken at Solent Sky in Southampton in the UK where she currently resides.
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Post by planecrazy on Apr 8, 2016 18:36:59 GMT 12
A sequence of Trans Oceanic Airways Sunderland VH-AKP “Tahiti Star” on Lore Howe Island in the late 40’s. These images kindly lent to me via the Le Navez family I realise in this day and age and I have learn’t in the past posting on the net more or less makes them public property. If you decide to use them or copy them please respect the Le Navez families memory by crediting the late Arther Le Navez for his photos, thank you.
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Post by planecrazy on Apr 9, 2016 22:06:24 GMT 12
Here is another from the Arthur Le Navez collection, am not 100% sure this is one of his but it is in with his collection. I'd say on Sydney Harbour, only the second image I have see of a TEAL Empire class boat with her Wartime markings!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 10, 2016 0:48:06 GMT 12
There are a few photos around with the wartime identification stripes, but they're definitely rarer than the average shots. This is a great photo. But is the patchiness around the registration letters the actual paintwork on the aircraft, or damage to the print?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 10, 2016 0:50:14 GMT 12
Looking again, it almost looks like the wingtip has been blurred out by a bad photoshopping attempt? And one ofthe engines is missing.
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Post by camtech on Apr 10, 2016 14:17:24 GMT 12
Don't think there is an engine missing Dave, just the angle of the photo is deceiving. The rego is blurred by a fault on the print/negative - the fault extends across the wingtip and further forward.
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Post by saratoga on Apr 10, 2016 14:45:50 GMT 12
That photo looks like it has a partial double exposure,so a bit of another image is exposed onto the main one.Film probably not wound on completely ,or end of roll. A bit harder to do unintentionally with digital!
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Aug 12, 2016 22:42:28 GMT 12
On the National Library of New Zealand website, there are several photographs of BOAC Sunderland flying-boats G-AGJL “Hobart” amd G-AGJM “Hythe” moored together at Mechanics Bay in February 1946. There are also photographs of Captain G G Stead and Captain Steer at Mechanics Bay posing in front of one of the two Sunderland flying-boats. Presumably they were each respectively in command of one of the 'boats.
Does anybody know the full story about why both flying-boats were visiting New Zealand at the same time? Various books I have got mention G-AGJM “Hythe” visiting New Zealand in 1946, but I have been unable to find any reference in any of the books I have about both 'boats being in New Zealand at the same time.
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Post by errolmartyn on Aug 12, 2016 23:36:39 GMT 12
To make a long story Short - they brought delgates to New Zealand for the Civil Aviation Conference in Wellington.
Errol
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Aug 13, 2016 1:24:52 GMT 12
Were both 'boats used to transport delegates to the conference?
Or was one of them on a survey flight?
Different books give different accounts about the two Sunderland flying-boats, but none of them specifically mention that they were both in NZ for the same reason.
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Post by errolmartyn on Aug 13, 2016 3:12:02 GMT 12
Were both 'boats used to transport delegates to the conference? Or was one of them on a survey flight? Different books give different accounts about the two Sunderland flying-boats, but none of them specifically mention that they were both in NZ for the same reason. Stead, captaining ‘Hobart’, flew from Sydney for Wellington but diverted to Auckland 27 Feb and flew down to Wellington next day. Hobart had been delayed getting away from Sydney and by the time it was due to arrive at Wellington in the afternoon a very strong, gusty northerly had come up. ‘Hythe’ had flown direct to Wellington earlier on the 27th and was able to land there at 8.26 am before the weather changed. Both carried delegates for the conference, which began on the 28th. Errol
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Post by planewriting on Aug 13, 2016 10:27:35 GMT 12
Changing the focus a bit but involving a Short boat man; can someone provide me with the RNZAF squadrons in which Sqn Ldr Harold Dive served during WW2. I know he flew the RNZAF Mk 111 Sunderlands after their arrival in New Zealand but I have been told he was on Catalinas before then. Comments anyone would be welcome. I had been told he was on 6 Squadron but I recently viewed the No 6 Squadron Form 540 at Archives NZ Wellington but his name doesn't feature in the pages I viewed dated 1943 till disbandment in 1945.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 13, 2016 12:17:22 GMT 12
S/Ldr Harold Dive completed seaplane training at Hobsonville (Walrus) and at No. 3 OTU, at Lauthala Bay, Fiji (Catalinas) and was posted to No. 5 Squadron (Catalinas). Source: By Such Deeds by Colin Hanson
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Aug 13, 2016 13:24:27 GMT 12
Were both 'boats used to transport delegates to the conference? Or was one of them on a survey flight? Different books give different accounts about the two Sunderland flying-boats, but none of them specifically mention that they were both in NZ for the same reason. Stead, captaining ‘Hobart’, flew from Sydney for Wellington but diverted to Auckland 27 Feb and flew down to Wellington next day. Hobart had been delayed getting away from Sydney and by the time it was due to arrive at Wellington in the afternoon a very strong, gusty northerly had come up. ‘Hythe’ had flown direct to Wellington earlier on the 27th and was able to land there at 8.26 am before the weather changed. Both carried delegates for the conference, which began on the 28th. Errol On the National Library of NZ website, there are photographs captioned as being taken on 27th February 1946, which show both G-AGJL and G-AGJM in the frame and which are very obviously at Mechanics Bay in Auckland. Such as THIS IMAGE and THIS IMAGE. And to confuse things even more, the website has photographs of G-AGJM “ Hythe” captioned as being on Auckland Harbour on 26th February 1946. Could there be errors with the dates on the website? There are also photographs of both 'boats at Mechanics Bay on 1st March 1946.
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Post by errolmartyn on Aug 13, 2016 17:30:01 GMT 12
Stead, captaining ‘Hobart’, flew from Sydney for Wellington but diverted to Auckland 27 Feb and flew down to Wellington next day. Hobart had been delayed getting away from Sydney and by the time it was due to arrive at Wellington in the afternoon a very strong, gusty northerly had come up. ‘Hythe’ had flown direct to Wellington earlier on the 27th and was able to land there at 8.26 am before the weather changed. Both carried delegates for the conference, which began on the 28th. Errol On the National Library of NZ website, there are photographs captioned as being taken on 27th February 1946, which show both G-AGJL and G-AGJM in the frame and which are very obviously at Mechanics Bay in Auckland. Such as THIS IMAGE and THIS IMAGE. And to confuse things even more, the website has photographs of G-AGJM “ Hythe” captioned as being on Auckland Harbour on 26th February 1946. Could there be errors with the dates on the website? There are also photographs of both 'boats at Mechanics Bay on 1st March 1946. The Southland Times, Thu 28 Feb 46: (P.A.) WELLINGTON, February 27. Captained by a former Cook Strait Airways pilot, G. G. Stead, the British Overseas Airways' flying-boat Hobart bringing Lord Winster to the Civil Aviation Conference, is due to arrive at Wellington from Auckland at 8.30 o'clock tomorrow morning. The aircraft was originally due at Wellington at noon today, but it was delayed in leaving Sydney and later its arrival was set down for 5 p.m. Finally a gusty northerly wind which reached 50 miles an hour at times and a choppy sea in the bay prevented it landing at Wellington and it was diverted to Auckland. The Hythe, on which Lord and Lady Knollys were passengers, arrived at Wellington at 8.26 o'clock this morning !after an uneventful trip of eight hours and a-half. . . . Errol
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Post by planewriting on Aug 14, 2016 11:14:00 GMT 12
S/Ldr Harold Dive completed seaplane training at Hobsonville (Walrus) and at No. 3 OTU, at Lauthala Bay, Fiji (Catalinas) and was posted to No. 5 Squadron (Catalinas). Source: By Such Deeds by Colin Hanson
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Post by planewriting on Aug 14, 2016 11:15:27 GMT 12
Thank you Dave for providing those details about S/Ldr Dive. It helps with an assignmentI have going on at Classic Flyers Museum.
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